Suddenly we seem to have come to a point where it is OK to mention Christmas . . .I am getting people phoning up about their Christmas wreaths and the first Christmas Fair is just overa week away. Terrifying.
This will be my 4th year doing Christmas Fairs. Up till then I sold completely through word of mouth and to a very small customer base.
Last year I felt that I did too many fairs,it became stressful, the same people saw me all the time and it was a classic case of diminishing returns.
So this year I am restricting myself to 4, Katrina's in Croftamie on 25th, Hopetoun House in Edinburgh (a biggie) in November, The Green Gallery in Buchlyvie on 1st and 2nd December and Amanda Reid's at the end of our road - on a date still to be decided.
Today I have been trying to decide what to take to each of them - they are all very different venues and I don't think that I can just come up with a "one size fits all" stall. I also had a call from a customer this morning asking what I would have for sale at Katrina's that would be suitable for men. She wanted to buy from me there as then a percentage goes to charity. That also got me thinking for, though my range is not girly at all, it does tend towards the floral.
So I decided to repackage our chunky gardeners soap in a lovely french ticking material - the soap - made for us by lucky cats organic soapmakers - is wonderful on its own but somehow making it its own waterproof bag makes it more of a present. The finished result is in the photo above - and on the website - and I am very pleased with it - I used buttons from our button tin as fasteners (oh I am so pleased to have a machine that makes button holes easily) and the overall look is very elegant and understated.
And now I feel that I should be really making something else to fit in with the elegant French style soap - perhaps I am still in Parisian mode.
Yes still in Parisian mode which can't be a bad thing if it inspires you to such handsome stuff as this.
Posted by: carolyn | October 16, 2007 at 08:26 PM
I think the soap would make a lovely "male" present - and I adore ticking. Hopetoun house looks lovely, the perfect setting for a Christmas fair!
Posted by: Tash | October 17, 2007 at 03:48 PM
Oh the ticking will do nicely for man's present.
Posted by: weirdbunny | October 23, 2007 at 10:48 PM