Things that I have learned

So, I survived!! Two art fairs in one weekend! It was hard work, but worth it. First up, there was the Handmade and Vintage Festive Market in Lancaster.

Here's a shot of the view from my stall, towards the end of the day. I stupidly forgot to take a picture of my own stall at either place, so you just have to imagine all my stuff laid out in this room. I was last but one on the end of the row, and there were people all round the room behind me as well. And there was a second, smaller room to the right of this picture. 

I must say, I think this was the best fair I've been to yet in terms of organisation, number of customers, range and quality of items on sale, and as it turned out for me, sales! I did pretty well, selling a large mounted print and a smaller one, and a smaller framed print, as well as quite a lot of cards and some of Anna's stickers. I also had time for a quick look around and was sorely tempted by some of the things on display, not least some lovely fusion glass earrings a bit like the ones shown below (sorry, that's as big as it can be), from Black Rose Crafts

Or possibly some really cool fashion accessories from Lost Little Soul, for example, this rather fabulous leather necklace:

I also chatted to several fellow stallholders, and it turned out the lady next to me was also from Manchester. She was really friendly, and gave me loads of leads to follow up regarding possible funding opportunities and galleries to contact, which I shall do very soon. One thing I've found really nice about attending these fairs, is the sense of camaraderie with the other stallholders. I imagined that perhaps some people, especially ones doing similar stuff, might guard their territory rather jealously and not want to give away too much info, but I've found the opposite to be true. People are only too happy to swap tips and advice, and to be really fulsome in their praise and encouragement. The general public have also been a constant delight. I guess, if the work doesn't interest them they just pass on by, so in general those that stop will only have good things to say, but the degree to which people have engaged with my work, and offered kind words, compliments and interest has really been fantastic. 

I'm also learning so much each time, so even though sales haven't been so great that I'm making loads of profit, I am managing to usually cover my costs, so I am keen to keep doing them in 2014, even though on their own they are clearly not going to be enough to make my dream of being a professional artist a reality. But I didn't know that a few weeks ago when I started attending them, and I know so much more now, so I consider that progress. I'll be back tomorrow with a report on the Winter Arts market in Liverpool, about which there's a lot to say as well.

One Weekend; Two Art Fairs

So, this coming weekend looks like it is going to be super busy, with not one but two Art Fairs! And, to top it all, these look like they will be the biggest two fairs I've attended! I kind of wish they had been spread out a bit more, not least because the one on Sunday had actually accepted me to come on both days, but I had to cancel as I had already been accepted for the other one. So, the line up is like this:
Saturday will be the Handmade + Vintage Festive Market in Lancaster. I was hoping to show you some promotional material about it, but it seems they've sent it to me in too low a resolution (comforting to know I'm not the only one who has these problems). So I'll just have to direct you to the Facebook event page. Anyway, it will be a pretty big affair, with about 50 stalls.

Then on Sunday, there will be an even bigger event! It's the Winter Arts Market in the gorgeous St George's Hall in Liverpool.
Here's a picture of it from the last event:

And here's the flyer for this year's event:

And if that's still not enough info, the website is here.

So, these should be two great events for me, with - hopefully - lots of sales! I sold so little at the last fair that I haven't had to do anything this week in terms of re-stocking, I still have lots of cards and prints unsold, but I really hope I won't be able to say the same afterwards! Not least because these are the last two events I'll be going to before Christmas. 

My husband had to pick this weekend to be away with work, so my lovely mum will be joining me to lend a hand with loading and unloading the car and with manning the stall so I can have a lunch break. I'm not quite sure she knows what shes let herself in for. The other day on the phone she said "what are we doing again?". Ah well, she ran a hotel and was a pub landlady for about 40 years, so she is very good at chatting to people. She may well be able to drum up more sales than me!

Ok, so that's all to report at the moment. I'll get back to the inspirations and experimentations stuff after this weekend, when I shall also be back with a full report on how it all went. And of course, it goes without saying, if you are in this part of the world, you should absolutely come and join us! It has all the makings of a great weekend! 

My good friend that bought the print in Wakefield said he liked the last Instagram, so here's another, this time from just down the road in Manchester: