Wire wrapped heart pendant - copyright Helen White

Since my last post I have been busy creating new items. And this month I wanted to crack on with the technique of wire wrapping. As silver wire is quite expensive I use plated wire, this is also cost effective when you just start out with this kind of technique as you tend to produce a bit of wastage when you make mistakes.

As it’s Valentine’s Day this month, hearts are obviously playing a part in my new designs and I decided to make two wire wrapped heart pendants – but not just with round wire. Instead I used square wire. I have a  nifty little device from Beadalon with which I can twist the wire into a nice shape. So for the two hearts I made, I used two square wires of different colours (copper, silver plated for the first one and brass and silver plated) and twisted these together. Only downside is that the wire hardens using this method, which means it’s harder to manipulate into a nice shape.

Wire wrapped heart - with copper and silver plated copper wire - copyright Helen White

Once twisted I bent it into the desired heart shape. The trickiest bit  here was actually to make sure that the ends were not sharp – so I used a wire rounder and ultimately a needle file to smooth the edges. Using 0.4mm copper wire I started wrapping Swarovski beads and Czech fire polished beads onto the frame. And voila – the finished piece. It is not as easy it as it sounds though and takes a long time to wrap around. Plus you have to be very carefully not to kink the wire, which happens easily – especially if you work with a very long piece of wire. When that happens I tend to straighten it with my nylon coated pliers or if I can’t rescue it I snip it off and use a new piece of wire

Hope you like the results. Until next time.

Wire wrapped heart pendant - Copper and silver wire - copyright Helen White

Ladybird bracelet - copyright Kirsty Sullivan

Kirsty Sullivan is the designer and owner of Ladybird Beads. She lives with her three small children and partner in a small town in Essex just north of Epping Forest, but is originally from Wales. Kirsty started making jewellery in 2009 and in her day job she works as a Programme Manager at the Museum of London Docklands.

Do you have any pets?

Not any more, though I have a history of gerbils. I would love a Devon Rex cat!

When did you start making jewellery?

I started making jewellery in early 2009, when I wanted to make a bag charm to finish a cross stitch project and then got a bit carried away.

When did you start your business?

I sold my first pieces in June 2009, firstly to Facebook friends who were really supportive and then I set up my website about 6 weeks later – my first craft fairs were in December that year.

What do you like about creating jewellery?

I’m a bit of a magpie and love shiny, colourful things so making jewellery is the perfect hobby. I also like the fact that however mad my pieces has ended up, they have all found a home eventually.

How did you come up with the name Ladybird Beads? Are ladybirds your favourite animals?

In our back garden in Cardiff we had a quince bush that was always covered in ladybirds and my mum used to explain that they were all families, just like ours, and that if I took them away the little ladybirds would be upset. Then she found me eating something in the garden…and when questioned, I said, “Daddy Ladybird crunched!” I’m not sure how this translated into a lifelong love of ladybirds, but I do love spotting them when I’m out and about, and I love the odd one you always get in the house in winter. They are also supposed to be lucky, which is always a good thing!

How would you describe your jewellery?

Fun, funky, colourful, cheerful, playful, conversational! The usual reaction when people see my stall at events is huge smiles when people spot the polymer clay sweet jewellery, which then draws them into looking closer at the other things I have on sale.

Fuzzy Felt ring - copyright Kirsty Sullivan

Do you have a favourite material you enjoy working with? What is it you like about working with this material?

Currently I love wool felt and have been making chunky felt ball bracelets, and corsages and rings with felt flowers. All of these have had buttons as accents, which means I now have a stash of buttons that will end up being used as jewellery! Felt is so tactile and comes in so many colours. I also love Lucite flowers and tend to make a couple of statement seasonal pieces every year which are usually one-offs and combine Lucite with glass and other materials, and I’m playing about with polymer clay making Halloween and Christmas pieces.

Do you have a favourite technique you like working with?

Not really – as my crafty background has mainly been in textiles (I love cross stitch, patchwork, knitting etc) it’s all about the colour rather than the technique! I’m such a dabbler that I love to try new things all the time.

Where do you sell predominantly?

At the moment it seems to be at local craft fairs and events, which is great as people come and see me if they know I’ll be there.

Knitwits charm bracelet - copyright Kirsty Sullivan

What’s your best selling item?

Online, it’s the Knitwits charm bracelet and the Ladybugs bracelet that sell better than anything else, but at all my summer events this year it was strawberry jewellery that was flying off the stalls! It’s funny, as I only made some lamp work strawberry pieces to use up beads I had left after making a commissioned piece, but they were really popular!

What’s your favourite item?

My favourite item is the Harvest bracelet I made a few years back – one of the seasonal pieces inspired by a walk up to the nursery to collect my daughter!

Berry bracelet - copyright Kirsty Sullivan

What or who inspires you?

I’m really lucky in that although I can’t live where I really want to (by the sea!), I do live very near Epping Forest – nature inspires me, especially in the autumn. I love the colours and shapes of the leaves – my favourite artist is Andy Goldsworthy, and I’d love to be able to create the way he does!

How do you plan your designs? Do you sketch things before you start creating them?

I’m a terrible artist and what I see in my head is never what ends up on the paper, so I think if I tried to sketch out an item I would be disillusioned before I started – I prefer to use a bead board or mat and pile up the beads and charms I want to use to see how they look together, and work from there.

What would you recommend people who would like to start making money from their craft?

Be prepared to work hard at it! Make sure your items stand out from the crowd in some way, especially if you’re a jewellery maker, because you have a LOT of competition. Investigate online markets thoroughly to make sure you’re not duplicating hundreds of other identical items already available. Concentrate on customer service, too – if people want something a bit different to what you have ready-made and you can make it for them, why not? They’ll remember you, they know they have something completely unique to them, and that’s the difference between handmade and ready made. Wrap all your sales beautifully, not just the ones you know are gifts, as everyone loves getting presents. And if you’re on a stall, SMILE! Acknowledge your visitors but don’t be pushy, respond if they look interested in something, and don’t just sit around waiting for customers – craft stall holders who are making items on the spot are clearly ‘the real thing’ and they are also creating a point of interest for passers by. If your work isn’t portable, then try making up gift boxes or tags  or packaging. The personal touch can’t be underestimated.

Strawberry Fields bracelet - copyright Kirsty Sullivan

And finally: What are your plans for the future?

In my fantasy world, it’s winning the lottery and being able to concentrate full time on jewellery making and craft – my best friend and I used to have a fantasy book shop and gallery which would be a social space as well as a shop (long before Borders hit the UK shores!) and it would still be amazing to do that if the opportunity comes up. I always eye up vacant shops in my local town centre and plan out where everything would go!

In the real world, I’d like to be able to start placing my jewellery in local shops, to learn to drive so that I have more freedom to do craft fairs further afield and to discover a few extra hours in the day so that I have time to do all the things I want to do! So much inspiration and so little opportunity…

Thanks Kirsty for taking part in this interview.

Thank you Helen!

You can find Kirsty’s Facebook page here

Kirsty’s website

Kirsty’s Etsy- Shop

Kirsty’s Folksy-Shop

Kirsty’s Blog

Kaa 5 detail - copyright Helen White

I had a few busy weeks attending fairs and creating more jewellery.

Working with polymer clay is fun but also very time consuming. My latest pendants were originally planned as rings and you can find them in my shop under Pendants, Polymer Clay Designs and Animal Jewellery. I wanted to make snake rings, however on the day I couldn’t find my ring mandrel and had to improvise and because the snakes are not that thin they ended up being very small in diameter – mainly size I which is very small indeed. So I now sell them as pendants.

Kaa 5 on ring cone - Polymer Clay Snake - copyright Helen White

Kaa 5 - copyright Helen White

I call my 6 snakes Kaa after The Jungle Book. Kaa is one of my favourite characters in the Disney version. For Kaa and her cousins I used scrap clay, formed it into a long snake and covered it with a Mokume Gane pattern. The beauty of Mokume Gane is that the possibilities are endless – you can stack as many colours as you like, include silver or gold foil, stab it with needles, impress it with all sorts of textures and once you are done and carefully scrape of the first layer you’ll be surprised about the pattern underneath. And each layer is different. I just love the unpredictability of this technique which comes from Japan. Once my snakes were covered I pressed in small seed beads for its eyes, cured it, sanded and varnished it.

Kaa 4 - Polymer Clay Snake-copyright Helen White

I hope you like Kaa and her cousins – she is very friendly too.

Kaa 3 - Polymer Clay Snake - copyright Helen White

Kaa 2 -Polymer Clay Snake - copyright Helen White

Kaa 2 -Polymer Clay Snake - copyight Helen White

Below you can also find my other Mokume Gane pendants made from the same cane.

Psychedelic round pendant in polymer clay - copyright Helen White

Psychedelic oval pendant in polymer clay - copyright Helen White

Psychedelic diamond shaped pendant in polymer clay - copyright Helen White

Jennie - copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Heap

My friend Jennifer Elizabeth Heap originally comes from Leicestershire but has moved to South Wales in 2006 to study drama at the University of Glamorgan. Jennie lives in the outskirts of Caerphilly with her gorgeous and mischievous black and white cats Reebok and Booful. When she’s not creating beautiful jewellery she is studying childcare at her local college.

Jennie's Cats - copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Heap

When did you start making jewellery and why?

Jennie: I first started making jewellery last year (2010), when I was unwell with depression. My mum bought me a load of beads and cord and I used to make threaded and knotted necklaces, because it kept my hands busy and gave me something to do. I found it really therapeutic and moved on to using headpins and eye pins and now I’m using resin and wirework and there’s no looking back!

Resin pendants and earrings - copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Heap

Did you take any jewellery courses?

Jennie: I took an Agored Cymru level 1 course in Jewellery Making which was run by Lynsey who is now a really close friend of mine. The course covered basic jewellery making techniques and also showed me some helpful little shortcuts and how to do things properly (i.e. not how I’d been doing it before!). Other than that I have spent the occasional afternoon or evening doing a ‘skills exchange’ for example Rebecca Ashley Smith (Rasberry Crafts) showed me wire work in exchange for me showing her some resin stuff.

A selection of Jennie's wire wrapped pendants - copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Heap

When did you start selling jewellery? And where do you sell it?

Jennie: It was a massive leap for me to start selling my jewellery as I thought it was good and my friends and family said I should sell it, but I didn’t build up the confidence for a long time. I began selling in early 2011 after I’d been making pieces for eight months or so. Since then I’ve sold at roughly three fairs a month from local markets like Roath Arts and Crafts Bazaar to the Nottingham Gateway Hotel, I’m booked into lots of fairs coming up to Christmas in Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Nottingham!

How would you describe the kind of jewellery you make?

Jennie: I make feminine jewellery inspired by vintage and antique styles with a contemporary twist. My pieces are eclectic and reminiscent of fairytales and surreal stories like Alice in Wonderland.

Who or what is your inspiration?

Jennie: I am inspired by so many different things, I’d say that I’ve always got my jewellery head on, and am always thinking of new ways to use textures or images. I am inspired by my family, as they have always nursed my creativity and they keep me going when I’m feeling low and wanting to give it all up. My dad is quite creative and into railway modelling so if I have a technical question about glue or varnish, he usually has the answer. In fact, he taught me to make the perfect loop in wire. I am also really interested in fairytales and literature so I love old books and illustrations and you can often find me in a charity shop or second hand bookstore. I could get lost in these places!

Pendants - copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Heap

What is your favourite medium you work with?

Jennie: I love working with resin, but it does take a long time to become something. I enjoy the ‘back to basics’ beadwork and I’m really into wirework at the moment… it changes all the time!

You work a lot with resin. What do you like about this medium?

Jennie: I love resin, because it’s so versatile. You can do so many different things with it and it’s sticky and messy which is always fun! Resin is clear initially but you can colour it with dyes, you can embed things (like petals or beads) into it, you can etch onto it – there are so many options! For inspiration about what can be achieved with resin visit Daisy Dunlop’s website.

Resin Flower Pendants - copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Jennifer Heap

Wat is your favourite design of your own jewellery?

Jennie: I like so many of my designs but I think my favourite is the Recycled Fairytales pieces, especially the pendants on chains with embellishments of polymer clay flowers (which I have to admit I didn’t make myself) and leaves and metal charms.

How long does it take you to make one of your pendants?

Jennie: It varies depending on what materials I’m using. Anything with resin takes at least 24 hours to cure or harden. The picture pendants with glass domes don’t take me very long but I’m using much more resin now and all you need is planning to be able to make effective and unique pieces.

Resin Bird Pendant - copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Heap

What are your plans for the future? Are there other techniques and materials you’d like to explore?

Jennie: Due to my commitment to college I don’t think I’ll be learning any new techniques for a while. But I will continue to work on my resin and wirework and see what develops out of that!

What would recommend to readers who would like to create and sell jewellery?

Jennie: I would say that you need to have faith in yourself and go for it. Don’t be disheartened if fairs are quiet or you don’t sell much. Accept the compliments about your work and remember them! Make connections with other crafters because you can use them for advice on techniques, materials or stockists and also they can be a really great source of support. It can be quite lonely, making and selling your own creations but making friends really eases the anxiety and loneliness. I know that making friends for me has been one of the unexpected bonuses of selling my jewellery!

Jennie with one of her cats. - Copyright Jennifer Elizabeth Heap

Thank you very much for the interview.

You can find Jennie’s Etsy Shop here.

Jennie’s own website is here.

Jennie’s  Facebook page is here.

Cat pendant - copyright Helen White

I just realised I haven’t posted for over 2 weeks. Lots of things have happened since my last post –  the terrible Norway massacre, the ongoing phone hacking scandal, Amy Winehouse’s death ( I love Amy’s voice and “Frank” is one of my all time favourite albums – I think it’s actually better than her more successful Back to Black) and the ongoing riots in England (ongoing as I write).

On a positive note – My little sister visited us for a week, which was nice and I have therefore not been able to create any new jewellery in that time. We went to Bath with her, unfortunately arrived a bit late due to late departure and a massive traffic jam in front of the tunnel near Newport, but my hubby bought be a very cute cat necklace – I normally don’t buy jewellery for obvious reasons, but I really loved the design of it. After my sister went back I had to catch up a lot on making new items.

Flamingo pendant - copyright Helen White

I decided to create animal themed jewellery, mainly because I love animals esp. cats (no surprise there) and would wear these myself. So now you can find a lot of cute earrings – horses, dinosaurs, cats, flying horses, elephants, tortoises, turtles, owls, dragonflies, hummingbirds and howling wolves which you can all find here. I will add more earrings in the near future.

Kiwi pendant - copyright Helen White

I have also started to create animal pendants using molds I bought and also molds I made myself. At the moment I have cats, Scotty dogs, flamingos, horses, kiwis, seahorses, but I am hoping to create other type of animal pendants and earrings.

Cat pendant - copyright Helen White

As I am writing my first pendants are actually drying from their first coat of varnish – they will get 2-3 coats, because I need to seal in the mica powder that gives them a beautiful shimmer. I really hope you will like them.

Horse pendant - copyright Helen White

Unfortunately one of my pendants broke while trying to file them. It was one of my more delicate pieces which fell on my floor in the conservatory. So I have to make that one again and be a bit more careful!

Scotty dog pendant - copyright Helen White

Once these pendants are all varnished I will upload them on my website. Next on my to-do list are bat and skull earrings and pendants as well as steampunk pendants. I have a bag full of tiny watch bits and pieces I will use for my pendants.

Cat face pendant - copyright Helen White

That’s it for now , thanks for reading– but before I forget: I would like to know from my readers  which animals (apart from cats) they like me to try and make pendants of.

Obviously I won’t be taking all my stock but have not only to choose my items wisely, but also to decide on which displays to take. I have a few pendants I’d like to sell this Saturday (fingers crossed) and wasn’t happy with just laying them out on the table. My friend Pamela gave me an idea, as she’s very good at making her own displays out of photo frames. Her earring display is very nifty indeed as she can hook her earrings on it and close the whole display for transport and when she opens it, it can stand on its own.

Pendant display front - copyright Helen White

For my own pendant display I have chosen a small cheap stand alone frame (13cm x 18cm) from a pound shop. Originally I tried to hammer U-pins to the back of the frame, but that didn’t really work, so I had to have good think of how to attach the pins to the back so they will hold the pendant’s cords. I discovered some White Tack in my cupboard and found this works well. But first I took the frame apart and attached some pretty fabric, which my friend Lyn, who is a dressmaker (she made my beautiful wedding dress), donated to me.

Pendant display, back detail - copyright Helen White

Then I attached the white tack in big generous balls to the end of the frame’s back and stuck the U-pins into it, while squeezing the tack to make sure it holds the pins in place. And then I just hung my pendants on the display by securing the end around the U-pin.

Pendant display back - copyright Helen White

For variety you could position the balls of tack at intervals in the middle and end of the frame’s back.

Bobby - copyright Helen White

I haven’t been able to create much jewellery or update this blog due to an ongoing shoulder injury. It’s getting me down a bit as I have to restrict myself as to what I can and can’t do.

I have recently added an extra page on this blog called “Jewellery E-books” and if you are creating and selling  jewellery you might be interested to explore this page – Through this blog and the extra page I offer three different books all by jewellery artist Rena Klingenberg. You can find excerpts of all three books on the page and more information when following the links in my blogroll or on the page. I have all three books and find them very useful. Currently I am reading her book “Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth” as I am preparing a stall for the 25th of June in Roath. It has lots of brilliant ideas on how to present your jewellery, how to attract customers and how to simply make the most of your stall. So if you’re interested check out the page.

In the coming weeks I have more interviews lined up with fellow crafters, artists and jewellery designers for the blog and I am planning a post on how to take good quality photos of your jewellery.  So watch this space.

I am also hoping to get some shelves up above my workbench and will take some photos of it when it’s finished. This requires another trip to Ikea and a lot of DIY and swearing by my husband who will build the shelves for me.

Below a photo of how it looks at the moment – though I have a new chair which I will show you in one of my next posts.

copyright Helen White

The chair in this photo is actually a bar stool from Ikea and is now sitting in our kitchen  – my new chair is more suitable for the job as it’s a height adjustable draughtsman chair. Until recently I was working at the bench while standing and hunching over the work which is very bad for my neck and shoulder. If you want to know more about ergonomics I can recommend you a two-part article I have written about this topic for “Making Jewellery” magazine. You can find both parts here and here

Thanks for reading:)

Chalk Turquoise pendant - copyright Helen White

As nice as the pendant looks on its own – something was just missing. So I decided to experiment a little with wire and different ways of wrapping the pendant. It has two side drilled holes which determine the direction of the wrap. I first started with thicker wire of 0.8mm but realised that I couldn’t cross the wires within the holes and thus not wrap it the way I wanted it.

Chalk Turquoise necklace close-up - copyright Helen White

In the end I found that 0.6 mm works better. I then added my 14mm beads and drops – not too many as I didn’t want make the necklace too heavy.

Chalk Turquoise pendant back - copyright Helen White

And this is the end result:

Chalk Turquoise necklace with earrings - copyright Helen White

I have currently two of these in the shop – though they don’t look exactly the same -  and they are sold with these matching drop earrings.

Earrings - copyright Helen White

copyright Lydia Niblizian

This week I would like to introduce you to jewellery designer Lydia Niziblian, who owns two online businesses “Shottle Bop”, which sells fun and funky miniature bottles and “Lydia Niziblian”, which sells her beautiful hand-crafted silver sterling and gold jewellery. Lydia lives with her husband, two children, two cats and three Rhondda Blue chicken in Whitchurch, Cardiff.

Lydia initially learnt her craft in a City & Guilds course in silver-smithing when she lived in London, but has subsequently taught herself. Since 2009 she has been working from her studio TactileBOSCH in Llandaff North.

copyright Lydia Niblizian- Feathered heart pendant (commission)

What did you do prior to starting your jewellery business?

I used to work in television production. When I had my daughter I returned to Cardiff, and once my son was born I dusted off my silver-smithing tools!

When did you launch your two businesses Shottle Bop and Lydia Niziblian Jewellery?

Lydia Niziblian started life as Silversaurus in April 2009.  I changed the name at the start of this year. Shottle Bop began in the latter part of 2010.

Did you get any business support to fund your business – and if so who helped you?

I had a few meetings with Venture Wales when I started Silversaurus, which were useful. I didn’t get any funding help. It was started on a grand budget of £200.  I already had the basic tools I needed, and I’m horribly impatient, so off I went.

How did the idea for miniature bottles with potions come about?

I wanted to do craft fairs, but found the silver was too costly to sell at them.  Making enough stock to keep a stall full with current silver prices just isn’t practical for me unfortunately. I had a think about what I would like to buy on stalls.  I loved the quack medicines of the past, and thought ‘brain tablets’ would be good. That was the first one, and the rest soon followed!

copyright Lydia Niblizian

Do you sell mainly online?

I do all my sales online now.  My silver and gold commission work are all initially arranged through email, and some pieces can be ordered directly from the shop. All Shottle Bop items are direct through the shop too.

copyright Lydia Niblizian-commissioned heart pendant

What do you like about working with precious metals?

I love working with sheet metal. I love that you start out with a blank, flat piece of metal, and turn it into something original and beautiful for the customer. It’s a bit magic.

What’s your favourite jewellery item (or items) you made?

It’s difficult to choose! It’s lovely when you make something the customer is so pleased with that you get tears of joy – that’s incredibly rewarding! Or pieces that have been quite hard to make. Some of the memorial jewellery I have made has been very special, both because the design process can be very cathartic for the customer. From a strictly visual standpoint, I’m a sucker for labradorite in silver.

copyright Lydia Niblizian-Labradorite and silver ring

For Shottle Bop, the sillier labels are always grist to my mill! I like some of the side effects we list.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Keeping going! It’s very difficult, especially at the moment – people aren’t spending money on luxuries as much, and silver prices have reached an insane height. They have more than doubled in the last year.

I’m glad to have finally got my sponsors mark – this means my work can be hallmarked – so I can make larger silver jewellery items and work in gold more.

I’m about to start promoting myself properly, something I’ve never done before. I’m my own worst critic, so I find blowing my own trumpet very, very difficult.  I want to make more wedding/occasion pieces so recently finished a set including a wedding crown – the finished pictures (and items), I am so proud of.  I’m lucky enough to know some fantastically talented people who were all willing to collaborate on them.

copyright Lydia Niblizian- Feather necklace

How would you describe your style of jewellery?

Eclectic! I love very ancient jewellery, and I’m a science-fiction fan, so my work hovers in between. I don’t really do anything dainty – and I love distressed and aged pieces.  Someone once told me my work looked like ‘future antiques’ – things that you might find dug up in the future! I like that.  The feel of the finished jewellery is one of the most important things to me, so a lot of them are very tactile.  I often have a good feel of finished pieces with my eyes closed to make sure I’m happy!

copyright Lydia Niblizian - Reactor ring

Who are your typical customers?

I have more work from the alternative community, although I’ve worked on jewellery for a wide range of people.  I do a surprising amount of memorial jewellery, lots of rings – I love making rings, and I’m getting more male customers now. I really enjoy making men’s jewellery so that’s great.

copyright Lydia Niblizian - Cardinal ring from the men's range

What are your plans for the future?

I’d love to make more wedding jewellery, so that’s something I’d like to focus on. I’m about to start on a new set of pieces based on a rather beautiful finish I’ve discovered, and some fairy-tale inspired work. There are always so many things I want to make and try, I’ll still be learning when I’m 90.

copyright Lydia Niblizian - Watcher ring from the men's range

What would you recommend readers who want to start making jewellery with precious metals (especially considering that tools and metals are not cheap)?

Shop around for a good tutor and course. I was lucky enough to have an amazing tutor on my first course, who was utterly inspirational and refused to let us use any short-cuts, and taught us how to make things with care and respect.

That, and practice, practice, practice.

copyright Lydia Niblizian - Cwtch ring

Thank you very much for the interview

You can find Lydia’s Shottle Bop website here and her Lydia Niziblian website here.

copyright Helen White

Last Saturday I finally took the plunge and had my first proper stall at the “Vintage Pretty” fair at 10Feet Tall in Cardiff. This event is organised monthly by the lovely Maria Junko from Santa Macabre, who I will feature separately on my blog. Unfortunately, because I am not into any kind of sport (well apart from figure skating), I didn’t realise at the time of booking the stall that there was a big football match on in the Millennium Station – very big indeed as it was Wales playing against England. I first heard about this when my mother-in-law told me the day before (!)and warned me that getting into town could be tricky – and parking. On top of that the venue itself isn’t easily accessible by car, which is not great when you have three bags full of jewellery, packaging and displays – that and a pasting table- to carry around. My parents-in-law are incredibly nice and helpful people and in the end they suggested that they would drop me and hubby off in town and pick us up. We had a slight distance to walk and my mother-in-law helped us carrying. We arrived with bags of time to arrange the table. The venue itself is a bistro-bar type affair and upstairs it has an area normally used as a dance-floor or for concerts, which explains why there was little light. I had my craft lamp with me, but decided not to put it on the table as space was already so limited.

copyright Helen White

copyright Helen White

There is only so much you can display. We chose a space by the window, so we had not only fresh air but also a great view on all the pissheads heading towards the stadium. Setting up was fairly straight forward because I practised this at home and took photos of my set-up.

copyright Helen White

Town was absolutely packed with footie fans from both countries and if I would have sold pasties and beer on the day I could have made a mint.

Unfortunately jewellery proved to be not very popular on the day – not being helped by the fact that the majority of us sellers were jewellery designers.

copyright Helen White

The goodie bags Maria prepared went to the first lucky 10 visitors of the fair, but for most of the day it was very quiet. Though I hardly sold anything I thought it was lovely to meet other crafters and chat to them. And it was also interesting to see how they set up their stalls. I especially loved Jennifer’s cute self-made jewellery boxes. So I exchanged business cards to stay in touch.

The next Vintage Pretty event takes place on the 23^rd of April – one day before Easter and I am positive that it will be much busier on the day – as far as I know there won’t be any Rugby or footie matches taking place.

My next challenge is to find other craft fairs I’d like to attend.

The day ended with a real downer –as I didn’t eat enough and had a headache. When we arrived home we found our Bobby in utter distress and we had to drive her to the emergency vet. More about that in a separate post.