Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Craft Fairs & String Jars ...................

Tuesday Greetings dear friends & readers

Planted Suitcase in bloom  ...... Cat Sign a gift from Sue
Last Saturday I took part in the craft fair held annually in my local town, opposite our beautiful rose gardens

This is the third time I have had a stall here, but I have not taken part for two years due to both my sons weddings being held for the past two Novembers.
For a change, the sun actually shone & the weather was glorious

The very first year I took part, the rain came down in icy showers & I well remember standing at my stall wondering what on earth I was doing there & if perhaps, I might need my head examined !!!!

I have tried to snap some photos of my stall to show you but some of them are glarey . . . 

It is a totally outdoor market with live music playing which created a really nice atmosphere

Please do ignore the filthy car in the next photo with the cat footprints all over the bonnet ... I have no idea who that belonged to !!!???


To add to the great day, I had lovely stallholders as neighbours each side ... on one side a lady selling gorgeous soy candles & on the other side, my friend Pauline selling her Infused With Nature range of products


As you can imagine, the fragrances coming from either side, were just heavenly


Considering the week prior I spent many hours wondering why on earth I booked my stall & what possessed me ...
 I had the most wonderful day after all

Now if you are going to expect hope that folk buy from you, you need to support the other stall holders too ... so I came away with a few little purchases myself, as I usually do

I also purchased some home-made fudge & shortbread but unfortunately I ate them Pippi ran off with them before I could take a pic

This little fellow below got the last stitch put in him rather late the Friday night before

Rustic Santa - an old design by Woodcutters Daugther, now trading as Theodora Cleave
I wanted to have him on my stall along with a few other christmassy bits

I was so delighted he was one of the first items I sold & he went to a very lovely customer

The other item I sold two of was my string jars.  I sat down the next day & made two more in country colours .  .  .

.  .  .  but it was a conversation I overheard between two customers that got me thinking


A lady who bought one, offered to buy her friend one also & told her friend to choose a colour.
Her friend replied that her kitchen wasn't "country colours" but very shabby chic & these would look out of place.
I thought about this afterwards .... why couldn't I do some shabby chic string jars maybe ??

I spray painted the screw bands cream instead of the black I usually use ... then ran a swipe or two of cream paint over the plain hessian I glued to the dome seal.
I then glued a crochet flower to the centre of the lid making sure the hole was big enough for the string to come through smoothly

I used some of my treasured Tilda fabrics for the bows & added a Tilda tag with a tiny charm attached.

Shabby Chic enough do you think dear readers??


Well I am off to continue cleaning my house ... my Mum arrives tomorrow for a few days & despite her macular degeneration, she will certainly notice my dust & cobwebs
Where, oh where is a cleaning fairy when you need one???

Hmmmm .... not so sure she is quite the fairy I am after.


from Pinterest
Have a wonderful rest of the week dear readers
Thanks so much for your visit today - a Very Special Welcome to my new followers also
with much love & friendship,
Julie, Blackie & Pippi-the-fairy
x0x0x0x0

20 comments:

  1. Hi Julie,wow your stall looks amazing and i am glad you enjoyed your day,xx

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  2. Wow! Your stall looks amazing Julie..so good you had a good weather day too...how nice to be surrounded by the lovely smells of your neighbours. The string jars are wonderful...the new ones are great too.....good to get some ideas from customers too, even if they didn't mean for you to hear!! Lol!! When you find the cleaning fairy could you send her over here please, only when she is finished at yours though!! Hope you and your Mum have a good stay together.

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  3. Great looking stall! Hope you sold lots. I do like the shabby chic string jars too. So glad it was a sunny day - perfect. If that cleaning kitten has finished at your place feel free to send her up here to Auckland and my place. Happy times with your mum.

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  4. Your stall looks lovely Julie, I can understand that the Santa was the first to go, he is gorgeous! I could do with a cleaning fairy too :) Wendy xx

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  5. oooooO! look at ALL those lovely..Lovely things! :).
    Must say, l do love visiting visiting craft fairs and markets..
    Don't think l could ever do one though...Would'nt have the
    heart to part with anything...! Although l live in the UK, l'm
    still a typical Sicilian...And, would probably prefer to give
    things away...When people visit my home, they never leave
    without a gift of some sort! It's a done thing! A mark of
    friendship! :).
    As l always say.....
    "Don't walk in front of me..I may not follow..Don't walk behind me..
    I may not lead...Walk beside me...And, be my friend".

    HaHa! Pippi has wings at last.....Fairy enough! :). After all she owns
    a garden now, well part owner l think! And..Nice to see her out of the
    basket for a change! Bless!x

    Well...Nearly seven over here...I'm off to make a second lemon tea....
    Then l'm coming back to have a good look through the stalls again....
    Oh! One thing l do like is the Santa...love the beard! :).
    BIG hug for Pippi....And one for Blackie..When he gets up!!! Bless!x

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  6. I am so glad you had a great time after all your hard work. Your stall looked beautiful and I could almost smell your neighbours. Your Shabby string jars are perfect xx

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  7. Sweet little Pippi and her 'nature' angel wings! Gosh she was a bit naughty running off with the edible goodies you purchased, I hope she didn't get a tummy ache! Fabulous stall, looks so inviting, no wonder you did so well. The new shabby chic jars will be perfect to have as another option, they look very pretty.

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  8. your craft stall looks great!
    love the fairy!
    thanx for sharing

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  9. What a lovely stall you had, Julie. How lovely the sun smiled down on you. I can imagine many an excited soul stopping for a while and oohing and aahing over all those pretties of yours. Those shabby chic string jars are gorgeous. Enjoy your visit with your mum.

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  10. I know I've said it before but I really love those tall pin keepers. Wish I could have a good rummage... I love anything in a red pointy hat and I spy a Russian doll cushion...yes please, I'll take it all. Are you sure you're over 11,000 miles away? xx

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  11. Glad you had fun on your day out with the stall, Julie. Your Santa was gorgeous, not surprised he sold so quickly, and your ShabbyChic jars are lovely! Hope your Mum's visit goes well :-)

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  12. BEAUTIFUL!!! Oh how I wish there wasn't an ocean between us, Julie. Just looking at your wares has given me ideas...though they will never come off as lovely as yours. xxx

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  13. If I had known such a great fair was on I would have driven over. Well done you, your stall looked amazing!! I have been looking for a house cleaning fairy for years, so if you find one, send her my way when she has finished at your place. Please say hello to your mum and I bet you two have a lovely time, especially if this gorgeous weather stays put.

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  14. Ooh I love a good craft fair, always lots of goodies and inspiration to be found...I wish I lived closer there's a few goodies on your table that definitely would have come home with me!!! I love the shabby jars... just perfect:O) And I'm sure Miss Pippi thinks she's helpful in her own way...(wink) Enjoy your time with your Mum and let's hope the sunshine continues.

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  15. Hello Julie and Pippi,

    The stall photo's do look enticing, I must say that the shabby chic string jars are just so lovely. Nothing like supporting your fellow stall holders too. I do have to ask what is Tattoo Balm? I noticed it on the neighbouring stall. I presume it is when you get a tattoo and it hurts?
    Enjoy the time with your Mum, and never mind the spider webs, get out and sit in the sun in your lovely garden.

    Happy days.
    Bev.

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  16. Rustic Santa is just splendid in every way!

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  17. That looked like a really great crowd puller, I think your gollies really make you stand out - I love the gollies!

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  18. Squeels to the shabby chic string jars, I love them and the country coloured ones too but I'm a shabby girl :-) How could you blame Miss Pippi when she's not able to speak up for herself, poor little girl:-), little miss innocent. Julie I'm glad you had a great day for the craft fair. Adore the rustic santa, he's super.

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  19. I love your market stall!!!!! It looks so very interesting and colourful!! Yum yum.
    How clever are you to over hear some customers and then take on board their
    idea.....and those shabby jars look very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing your pics.
    Hugs, Anita.

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  20. So glad that you had a nice fine day for the Craft Fair. Lots of work to set up a stall like that for a day...all looked just wonderful Julie. Great combination of so many interesting items. Well done. Yes, I love the shabby chic string jars too. Very pretty & perfect gifts. Great buys on the rhodohypoxis (aren't they so pretty) & the geranium. Looks like apple blossom rosebud....highly sort after, I might add. And a very vigorous & hardy grower. Very tardy on my return here, sorry. Hope you've had a good week. Much love Catherine x0x0x

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