Rainbow Cats (b.22 October 2009)

Back from sunny California (well, it was for most of the time!) and back into the crafting saddle at last!  I was delighted to come back home to find a request for a bespoke Rainbow Cat from Debby, who had recently bought Small Orange Rainbow Cat (thanks Debby!) One cat  then turned into three cats, and with photographs to guide me, I couldn't wait to get started!

So we have a Smoky Blue Rainbow Cat (modelled on Blue), a brown stripy cat (modelled on Tilly) and a ginger cat (modelled on Bob). This was the first time I set out to match a particular colour, and I had lots of fun experimenting with mixing colours and patterns. Realistic cats have never really been on the agenda, but I think I've got the flavour of these wee kittens!

For Blue, I used a mix of sapphire blue clay (with a pearlised effect) mixed with white and black clay.  I blended the colours well to keep the swirl effect to a minimum, as Blue is pretty much one colour. For Tilly, I mixed a number of colours - black, brown, white and two shades of orange. And Bob is a mix of orange and sweet potato colours, blended with some white.

All three cats are broadly the same size - about 3.5cm tall - although Blue stands a little taller and Bob is a little fatter. Funny the way their personalities appear! I had lots of fun bringing these wee mites into the world - and I know they're going to a great home!

I started a new job today as New Business Development Manager with Artsmix, so my days of spending over 12 hours a day at the kitchen table are sadly over (well, at least for week days). But I'll still be making lots of wee beasties and will post my latest creations as they are born - watch out for Reindeer Cats, Sleepy Cats and Snowmen!

A Weekend of Craft Fairs!

I had such a great time at the Ilkley Arts Market on Saturday 10 October! It was a lovely day, the venue was perfect, with lovely natural daylight and fantastic homemade cooking by Trufood Catering. It was so nice to meet such amazing, creative people (click here for details of all stallholders - Lynsey (aka Swirlyarts) and STACS Designs are pictured below), and the whole day had such a lovely atmosphere that I know this will be a successful event for years to come.

My wee beasties seemed to go down well - all in all, I sold nearly 40 pieces, and I completely sold out of Highland Cows! I heard the phrase "stocking filler" a number of times throughout the day, and the keyrings and mobile phone charms proved to be very popular. I was up until 1am making more stock for the following day's craft fair at Pudsey.

The Pudsey Craft Fair on 11 October (run by Artsmix my new employers!) was my first outdoor event. The weather was a bit grim to begin with (thanks to Helen of Riddles for the tip about using clingfilm as a 'wall' for the side of the stall!) but it soon perked up. It remained windy for much of the day, but I think I was in quite a sheltered spot, so I'm pleased to report that my wee beasties were not scattered to all four corners!

The turnout was not as great as we had hoped, and sometimes that's just the way it is. Those who came along certainly enjoyed the great display of arts and crafts on offer, and Pudsey Market will continue to be a great venue for promoting local arts and crafts. And I sold out of Highland Cows again - a chap bought two and wanted the field enclosure as well, so I'll be going back to doing a Blue Peter with lolly sticks and double sided sticky tape soon!

Thanks so much to Greg and Jo (who had come all the way up from Cambridge to support me this weekend!) for being there, moving boxes, fetching tea and brownies, giving lots of moral support, and for generally being fantastic people!

'Twas the night before...My First Craft Fair!!

Wow, I never realised just how much work was involved in preparing for your first craft fair. Or then again, perhaps I've just made it more complicated than it needs to be ;)

I really wanted to do this properly. So, the A1 poster for the back of the stall, along with the 4 foot banner, were ordered from EPS (fantastic printers, good price, quick turnaround - ask for Simon if you're interested, he's been a complete star), and yesterday was spent in a very Blue Petery way with black paper, boxes and miles of double sided sticky tape! I had the most fun making up little field enclosures for the Piglings and Wee Sheep (see below), complete with wee gates! The postcards are printed (thanks to overnightprints.co.uk for that - £10 for 100 high quality cards), and Moo.com has delivered the goods as usual in the form of mini moo cards and stickers!

I did a trial run of the table display, and I'm extremely chuffed with the way it's turned out! You may recall  (see The Invasion Begins...) that I was somewhat perturbed by how over 100 wee beasties could fit on an A3 sheet, and how on earth was I going to fill a 6 foot table. Well, my kitchen table is just over 4 feet long, and I managed to fill it pretty comprehensively, with some beasties to spare! Having the cards definitely helped, though.

So come along to The Treehouse Cafe tomorrow between 12 and 4pm! It is my debut appearance at craft fairs, and I'm really looking forward to it!

It's been a busy day all round - I was offered a job this morning as Business Development Manager with Artsmix, and I accepted with great pleasure!  This marks the start of a new phase in my life, and I'm wildly excited about it (and a bit nervous!) I will still be making Wee Beasties, Rainbow Cats and Piglings, and probably lots more besides, and I will also have the privilege of promoting arts in Leeds. Life doesn't get much better than this!

Pudsey Arts & Crafts Market - 11 October 2009

Well, I've booked my first ever stall at a craft fair at Pudsey Arts & Crafts Market, organised by Artsmix, on Sunday 11 October 2009! I will have a covered stall measuring 4' 6", which should be plenty big enough for the Piglings, Rainbow Cats and Wee Beasties which will mostly be on offer!

So over the next month, I will be focusing on making enough stock for the craft fair, including a range of handmade cards with polymer clay and felt toppers. I started last night and made up 10 Piglings. Today I'll be focusing on Rainbow Cats - will need to pick up some more clay from town! If you have any thoughts about what particular items would go down well, please drop me a line!

Pudsey Arts & Crafts Market

Pudsey Marketplace

11-4pm

Sunday 11 October 2009