End of the season

Can’t believe that I haven’t posted since 19^th November.   Where did that time go?   I must have been very busy.   Apart from spending the day curating the photo exhibition on 20^th, I have been absolutely submerged with crafty stuff.   The exhibition, by the way, was a great success – it was very busy on the Sunday.   It looked really good and we had lots of encouraging comments in the Visitors’ Book.   Liz actually sold a print – she was the only exhibitor who did!    It was a black and white, still life which was bought be a lady who had come over from France to visit relatives and it is now, I hope, safely in its new home there.

The last week of November was pretty busy for us.  We were at the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk all day on the Friday for their Christmas Craft Market which coincided with the switch on of the Christmas lights.   It was a long day and we saw lots of familiar faces and, in the evening, particularly it was quite busy.    The following day, we were in Lancaster at the Adult Education College, a favourite venue for us and, as usual, it didn’t disappoint.   On the Sunday, we braved the wind to set up our stall in the barn at Fir Tree Farm.   It was quieter than usual but we met up with some old friends and enjoyed our day there.

 

Last weekend was the ‘big one’ – St. Georges Hall, Liverpool, for both Saturday and Sunday.   Having worked our socks off to build up a good stock of things to sell we set out into the unknown early on Saturday morning.    We had booked parking on the plateau and, apart from having to carry all our boxes etc. up all the steps, everything worked out well.    We were in a side room off the main hall and it was lovely and light and airy and we were positioned between a photographer and felt maker.   We thought that this was probably not the best position to be in but it didn’t seem to affect sales.   We were very happy with our two days there and the stallholders on both sides were really good company.   There were over a hundred stalls there and the goods on sale were so varied it was a real treat to wander round and see what other people were doing.    All in all, we were really pleased with how it went and will definitely apply again next year.

Yesterday, I went on a spinning workshop – wow, do you have to concentrate?   It was like learning to drive, you have to spin the wheel, work the treadle and use both hands at the same time – it looks so easy when it’s done by an expert.    I came home exhausted but with two fairly respectable skeins of wool.   I don’t think I’ll be asking for a spinning wheel just yet, but I’ll definitely have another go and perhaps the bug will bite then.

Today, was our last craft fair of the season, before we take a rest until the New Year.   We went to Scorton, taking with us, as we have for weeks now, the Christmas table decorations which we were sure would be very appealing.  As with every other occasion, we brought them all back again!  That must rank as our worst idea so far.    It was a terrible day weather-wise and I think that kept all but the most hardy indoors so it wasn’t as successful as last time, but still worthwhile.

Now I’m going to put everything away while I get bedrooms ready for Christmas visitors and then, in the New Year, I’m going to see what new ideas and techniques I can come up with.   I’m hoping for some Craft books as presents and, no doubt, they will inspire me and get the creative juices working overtime.

Still none of the promised photos, but photography is on the back burner a bit at the moment, partly because my printer has gone to the hospital.   I am absolutely bereft, I hope it not something terminal – I’m quite attached to my rather  temperamental Epson 1900 despite its idiosyncrasies.   Let’s hope for the best.