Handmade Shopping Evening at Bradford on Avon

Phew, we can't believe that the Bath Christmas Fair is over and it's already the night before our Christmas Handmade Shopping Evening with Jumble Jelly in Bradford on Avon.

If you don't know the shop, it's well worth a visit. It's full of gorgeous yarns and crafty bits and pieces and run by two lovely ladies, Debbie and Rox who are really looking forward to meeting lots of new traders and customers tomorrow night. Here's a pic of the stall they had at the last fair so you can get an idea of what they sell.

If you are in the area tomorrow make sure you stay for the switching on of the Christmas lights and late-night shopping. Pop in and see us between 12pm and 9pm for festive fun and mince-pies. We will have the following traders there:

Upstairs

Nanny K - Millinery & accessories

Ben Rothery Illustrator - cards and bags with original illustrations

Kelly Bevan - collages

Acorn to Home - handmade wooden chopping boards

Funky Wombat Designs - handmade bags and accessories

Mrs Stokes Vintage China - vintage teasets and cake-stands

Miss Jenny Barnett - felt animals and textiles

Downstairs

Texworks - upcycled vintage clothes

And three Jumble Jelly regular suppliers

Blue Kiln Beads - handmade beads

Lou Butt Designs

Alexa

The Address is


10 Silver Street
Bradford on Avon
BA15 1JY

01225 866 033

Meet the stallholders...Christmas Shopping with Megan and Mona

We love new traders..but we adore our regular traders too, like Kate Barlow from Wales who will be selling with us for her third time tomorrow. Please come down to the Guildhall to see her and her fabulous wares.

Hello Kate, for those who don't know, what do you make?

Tea cosies, pin cushions, brooches, cards, cushions and lots of other things.

What is your business/stall name?

My stall name is Megan and Mona, named after my grandmothers.

Where do you live?

I’m from North Wales originally but have lived in Cardiff  for over 10 years.

Have you ever sold at It’s darling! before? 

This will be my third time at It’s Darling! It’s a fabulous showcase for quality handmade items and I find it really hard not to spend all my profits at other peoples stalls!

Tell us about what you sell and the source of  your inspiration?

I use a mixture of new, vintage and up-cycled materials to create unique handmade items. I don’t make lots of the same thing, mainly because vintage materials come in limited amounts and also because I’m always impatient to move onto the next idea.

I love looking through old magazines from the 1940s and 50s, they’re full of crafty projects that can be adapted with a more modern twist.

What is your most affordable/value for money item and what is your most favourite?

My prices range from around £5 for corsages up to £45 for cushions, there’s something to suit all budgets. This year I’ve made some lovely little heart brooches from scraps of wool fabric that would make great stocking fillers, some gorgeous  crochet hook rolls complete with hooks, and lovely vintage inspired pin cushions.

What are your top three tips for Christmas shopping/present giving ?

Get yourself to It’s Darling! this weekend where you’re sure to find all your presents under one roof.

Reward yourself with a mince pie and a large glass of mulled cider.

Then while everyone else is panic buying on the 24th you can feel smug in the knowledge that you’ve beaten the Christmas rush,bought some fabulous gifts and supported handmade crafts!

Meet the stallholders...Christmas Shopping with Betty Belle's Keepsakes

Ahh here's another lovely lady who has visited our event before and loved it so much she decided to have her own stall. Meet Lisa Eaton aka Betty Belle's Keepsakes who will be there on Saturday 19th only.

Hi Lisa, why are you joining us this time? 

I visited ‘It’s darling’ fair in June and immediately fell in love with the stall holders and the event. I bought some gorgeous handmade gifts and would have kept buying if my budget had allowed!

Tell us about what you sell and why/where do you get your inspiration? 

I will selling a selection of gorgeous Driftwood, sea pottery, sea glass jewellery and ornaments, fabric lined tote bags, vintage inspired jewellery, antique message in the bottle, children’s PVC aprons, vintage tea cup pin cushions and candles and little wooden angels.

I get my inspiration from my late Gramma Betty Belle. She was an amazing self taught seamstress and crafter who made the most beautiful things for her family and friends.

What is your most affordable item and what is your favourite? 

The most affordable value item would probably be one of my wooden Angels. I do them for the love of it, rather than how much time it takes me, so luckily for the buyer they can be bought at cost price. Other than the angels, I have two favourite products that always seem to fly off my shelves – the driftwood/sea pottery hearts and the sterling silver sea pottery/sea glass pearl jewellery. I think the reason for their popularity is that there is no better ‘wow’ than what nature produces!

What are your top three tips for Christmas shopping/present giving? 

If you can’t or haven’t time to make a gift yourself then buy it from someone who has. I think people love receiving a gift that they know took time and care to make. I think if we choose mainstream shopping then we should try as much as we can to ensure that what we buy is fairly traded.

What is most darling about the South West in Winter? 

The rolling hills to go sledging on when it snows!

Contact details : Lisa Eaton 01225 443023 email: lisaeaton@talktalk.net

Meet the stallholders...Christmas Shopping with Funky Wombat Designs

It's getting closer..in fact..it's tomorrow! There are still stallholders to read about though, starting with Maia Rees from Funky Wombat Designs who will be there all weekend.

She sells handmade bags, banners and accessories in a variety of fabrics both vintage and new.

Tell us about what you sell and why/where do you get your inspiration?

I sell bags, banners, leather jewellery and accessories. The bags are made in a variety of vintage and new fabrics, in very limited runs, I will only make a handful in each fabric, and even then the linings will be varied. I like the idea of making an almost unique item that someone will see and want to buy; I therefore try and make them all affordable for the impulse buyer.  The banners stemmed from the sign I made for my stall. A friend saw it and commissioned one for her daughter!! 

What is your most value-for-money item and what is your most favourite?

My most affordable items are the knitted brooches/hair accessories/ bag charms that I make when I am unable to use my sewing machine. My knitting bag travels everywhere with me.  All my bags are great value for money, and at the moment I have two favourites, the black velvet with cow print interior, and a gorgeous Tattoo print one, they definitely have the wow factor!

 What are your top three tips for Christmas shopping/present giving?

Sometimes less is more, I never worry about how much or little I have spent on a person as long as I know that they will love what I have bought them.

Beautiful handmade soap is a fantastic gift for a hard-to-buy-for female relative, even if she never uses it the bathroom will smell lovely.

Chances are if you are buying from a craft fair, your items will have been made with a lot of love and thought, and will have been made in limited quantities, a much nicer gift than something mass produced in China!!!

What is most darling about the South West in Winter?

I love the strange eerie mists that we get down here, very ethereal and ghostly, we are lucky enough to live with a view of Glastonbury Tor from our house, to see it rise out of the mists on a cold winter's morning is magical.

For more info about Maia go to www.funkywombatdesigns.co.uk

07969319013 maiarees@sky.com

Meet the stallholders...Christmas Shopping with The Joy Of Hooping

It's darling! prides itself on finding unusual creative talent, excellently skilled craftspeople, vintage traders with taste and a passion for service and also...fun! Which is why we're so pleased to introduce you to Emilie Joy Rowell, Hula Hoop maker and teacher. If you're lucky she might give you a demo so come along and look for The Joy of Hooping stall!

Tell us about what you sell and what inspired you to start.

I make hula hoops for grown-ups. My inspiration to hoop came from going to see the formidable Grace Jones play. She hooped her way through ‘Slave to the Rythym’ and I decided that life was missing a hula-hoop. I’ve been hoop dancing and hoop making for over two years now. I love moving with the hoop creatively and in making hoops I get to play with colour and texture in the designs.

What is your most value-for-money item and what is your most favourite?

My grippy practice hoops start at £14 for adult hoops, kids hoops are from £9, they’re also great for playing with on your hands/arms. My favoutire hoops are the super-bling shiny ones and the Bat Hoop (guess what colours that one is!)

What are your top three tips for Christmas shopping/present giving?

1. Enjoy giving. If shopping on the high street is stressing you out find another way! Think about the person you’re buying for and what they could need in their life.

2. If you’re buying for someone who has everything, sometimes something that they can do or experience is a better gift than more objects.

3. Half of the fun is the childlike joy of ripping open lovingly wrapped parcels on Xmas morning, we have a family tradition of expanding the fun… Everyone busy a silly gift for under a fiver. It can take the pressure off buying that perfect gift (sssssh, don’t tell anyone but sometimes they’re the best things to get).

What is most darling about the South West in Winter?

I love sneaking out of town and playing in the countryside, especially enjoying wintry sunsets through the trees at Ashton Court or Westonbirt Arboretum.

For more information about hoops and classes contact:

www.thejoyofhoping.com

play@thejoyofhooping.com

07989411573

Meet the stallholders...Christmas Shopping with Natty Deco

Ho Ho Ho it wouldn't be Christmas without a reindeer or two...so come and see Maggie Powell and her laser-etched wooden decorations to bring the season home.

Hi Maggie, what do you call your business? 

Natty Deco. 

Tell us about what you sell and your inspiration?

I make laser-etched wooden buttons and decos. I wanted to make something that used up scraps of materials that were otherwise been thrown away. I love Scandinavian, Swiss, and Japanese Design; plus scouting around old churches looking at tiles and wood carvings.

What is your favourite item?

Hair Garlands are my personal favourite and popular with visitors too.

What are your top  tips for Christmas?

Food or Wine everytime!

What is most darling about the South West in Winter?

When it snows.

For more information contact nattydeco@hotmail.co.uk or come and see Maggie at the Guildhall on the 19th & 20th November.

Meet the stallholders...Christmas Shopping with Passionflower Creations

Vashti Mayne from Weston in Bath embodies the artistic spirit of It's darling! and will be at the Guildhall on Saturday and Sunday with her wonderfully inventive jewellery, accessories and fascintators. Don't miss her!

Tell us about what you sell and describe your inspiration.

I make and sell jewellery and accessories, including fascinators. I love making my products and have always been a crafter. I love the unusual and quirky as well as the refined and elegant, so my products are a heady mix. I have a background in sculpture and installation art, which provides a lot of my inspiration, though I also love fringe fashion.

What is your most affordable  item and what is your favourite? 

My cheapest items are my butterfly hairclips at £2.50 each. My favourites have to be the mini-top-hats I make, as they are all so quirky and original.

What are your top three tips for Christmas shopping/present giving?

It's not how much money you spend on a present that matters, but how well thought out it is. Bearing in mind someone's personality and hobbies/interests try to find something that shows some insight into them.  Many local artisans like myself will create bespoke items specifically tailored to the person, as the gift will have been created especially for them they tend to be treasured by the reciever.

What is most darling about the South West in Winter? 

When the rolling hills are covered in snow.

For more information go to; 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001748605722  and

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Passionflower-Creations/202244459803168

www.passionflowercreations.co.uk