Shipdham Craft Fair

Well, not quite sure how to open this post - it's been such a while since I last posted and I've almost forgotten what I was going to say about the craft fair! I put the photos up quite soon after but then got into a whirlwind of cooking and music and family stuff and textiles quite went out of the window and everything to do with it.

Anyhow, above is my stand at the Shipdham Craft Fair. It taxed my ingenuity a little to get it set up around the church pews and the pillars, but actually it was a surprisingly pleasant venue. We were kept going with teas and coffees and cakes and savouries made  and organised by the talented Mrs LESLEY BUCK. Thanks so much Lesley for inviting me to take part in the event. Amazingly, I seem not to have any photographs of Lesley's daughter KERRY BUCK, who you will know from previous posts, as a talented artist and print-maker, who is responsible for my lovely "If there be crows" print hanging on my cottage wall. Sorry Kerry!

Opposite my stand you can see YVONNE AUTIE  setting up her jewellery and a few textile bits and pieces - she concentrated on her jewellery this time.

Further down the aisle was MARIE DAWE    and her fabulous mosaics and stained glass. You can imagine I was instantly taken by her pieces and planning on how I could do a course with her.......when common sense kicked in. I am weaning myself off going down blind alleys, being led by my butterfly mind.

Over the other side of the church was this chap, PHIL ARTHUR,  selling his pottery birds, largely owls. They are SO tactile! Aren't they wonderful?

At the back of the church, around the font, and just across from me, is my old friend JULIE KING and her baskets. I LOVE a well-made basket, and Julie and husband Rob make exceedingly good ones.

The flat, round basket on top of the font at the front so intrigued me. Julie tells me it is an Irish Potato Strainer, which actually sits on the kitchen table in front of the diners, with the newly strained spuds dripping away through the spaces between the .....withies? I loved it, I might just have to have a word and buy it and use it as a fruit bowl perhaps. If that's allowed. Should one use these things for purposes for which they were not designed?

Right next to me was lovely AMELIA BOWMAN, or Amy, as she preferred to be called. Amy's prints intrigued me, and she gave me a detailed run-through of the process she uses to create her colographs.

And that's the lot, I didn't take any more photographs. It was a surprisingly slow day for everyone, though most of us were fortunate enough to make sufficient to make it worth our while. Last year apparently had been much busier, but there you are, you win some you lose some. It was still a very nice day out and I met some lovely people. Thanks again Lesley, for the invite!

Now then, I have got this post out of the way, I feel I can start again properly. I must tell you, textiles are not much on my mind at the moment, you know how much I am an all-or-nothing kinda gal, and it is so hard for me to do stuff when I'm not 'into' it at the time. Fortunately I'm not trying to hold down a job now!!

I want to thank those of you who have been kindly asking about my health and happiness and extending good wishes for my return to blogging. I've even become facebook friends with a couple of bloggers who visit Textile Treasury, it has been good keeping up with them even though I've not been blogging. So hi there Kathy and Lynne! You've been keeping me going!

See you soon!