Here are another 2 wonderful sellers whose work will be at our June Mini fair next Saturday at Bungalows and Bears….introducing Memo and Laura’s Locket Jewellery.
Memo will been selling some of her wonderful prints and illustrations, as well as some work by other members of the Fine City Friends group of artists.
Laura’s Locket Jewellery will be selling some of the cutest charm jewellery around, here is a sneak peek and some of their work…
Our June Mini fair is just a week away and we’re really excited about this one as the lovely Helen of Memo will not only be having a stall but she’ll also be bringing her pens, pencils and paper and sharing her skills with you. Come along and join in and help Craft Candy create a unique piece of art!
To wet your appetite even further over the next week we’ll be sharing our lovely stall holders and their work with you. Our first selection is Flamingo Photography who will be selling stunning prints of urban photography and Fat Cat Designs who create unique wire wrapped and beaded jewellery.
Hey everyone! Sorry things have been a little quiet on the Craft candy blog lately…everybody has been very busy preparing for the next Craft Candy Spring Fling! And just incase it’s escaped your memory, tomorrow is the big day!
All the essential info
Come along to the Millennium Gallery, from 10am until 4pm, where there will be over 30 stalls of beautiful handmade wares. And don’t forget, in addition to all the usual arts and craft stalls, Craft Candy have teamed up with the annual Galvanise metal festival for this fair, to bring you a selection of the very best metalwork in the city.
Galvanise Sheffield
The Galvanise festival has started today and runs until the 24th April. For more information on the exhibitions, tours and events taking place over the next month, visit the Galvanise Sheffield website.
As always, entry to the Spring Fling will be FREE! It’s an ideal opportunity to buy something unique for your Mum – it’s Mothers day on the 3rd of April, which is only a week away! Or, just treat yourself to something nice. You can never have too many nice things you know!
If you haven’t been to one of our fairs before and would like to get a better idea of what to expect, have a little look through our photos on Flickr from last years Spring Fling.
Outside the Millennium Gallery at last years fair
It was a beautiful sunny day last year…let’s hope this lovely weather holds out for this years fair too. See you all tomorrow! Xx
Hey everyone! One final reminder about the Spring Fling applications deadline, which is now looming very near! You’ve got until midnight tonight to fill in the online form, so if you haven’t done it yet and would like to, then please hurry!
As always, the fair will be held at the Millennium Gallery, and this time Craft Candy will be teaming up with the Galvanise metal festival (which is running from 25th March to 24th April 2011) to bring you not only the usual array of contemporary arts and crafts, but also a fine selection of cutting edge metalwork too.
The date for your diary is Saturday 26th March 2011. And so you don’t forget, here’s our lovely new poster and flyer design to remind you!
Artwork by Paul Williams
Paul Williams has designed the artwork for the event. Check out Paul’s website to see more of his work - www.halftonesandheadphones.com
*If you would like to apply for a stall at the fair, click HERE to go straight to the application form, and don’t forget to attach some pictures of your work, or a link to your website/online shop.
Hey everyone!
Hope you all had a good Christmas? So, 2011 is here…lets hope its a happy and successful year for everybody in the world of craft-land! I wonder what it will bring? Well, I know of two things for sure. The first is an interview with the lovely Debbie Carlisle of DCBouquets, which will be right here on the blog for you to read this very Friday coming. Debbie is one of the newest members of Craft Candy. She creates beautiful one-off vintage-themed jewelled wedding bouquets and other accessories. Perfect if you are planning a wedding this year, or know of anybody who is. Debbie is definitely the girl you need to know – so don’t forget to come back on Friday to read all about her work!
And the second thing is the Spring Fling, which is taking place on Saturday 26th March. We are accepting applications right now, so if you are a maker of beautiful handmade things and would like the chance to sell your stuff at our next fair, then please visit the fairs page on the website, and get your application in as soon as possible.
CLOSING DATE IS 16th JANUARY! So hurry!
Debbie hard at work on her stall at a Barnsley craft fair in 2010
Happy New Year to everyone! Xx
Howdy! Just wanted to remind everyone that the December Craft Candy mini fair is tomorrow, Saturday 11th December, from 1pm – 5pm.
Poster design by Paul Williams
Mini fairs are just like the big fairs, but smaller, and are held in the perfect Saturday afternoon setting of Bungalows & Bears on Division Street. There will be nine stalls in all, featuring a well selected range of handmade crafts. This is the perfect opportunity for catching up on your Christmas shopping. Just think of all those stocking fillers and gift ideas! Here are some photos from last years December mini fair to get you in the mood…
Last years mini fair at Bungalows & Bears
Browsing the stalls
And, guess what! The mini fairs are going to be a monthly fixture at Bungalows & Bears from the new year onwards. So look out for them!
Heather Dewick bookbinding stall
Charley Dreams...at last years December mini
Bungalows & Bears
Due to the kindness of the lovely people at B&Bs, the stalls at the mini fairs are totally free. If you are interested in applying to sell your stuff at the next mini, you need to email Leah at minis@craft-candy.org. Remember to send her a link to your website, or some photos of your work.
See you Saturday! x
For more info on mini fairs, click HERE!
Hello! Hope you’re all keeping warm and well in these arctic conditions. Thank goodness the BIG snow didn’t arrive on the day of Candy Cane eh?!
Snowy morning...but there's not THAT much snow is there?
Craft Fair today!
Big thanks to everybody who came along last Saturday. The weather was already chilly, with snow on the ground (athough it was nothing compared with what was to come!) Luckily it didn’t seem to keep anyone away, and we had over 1500 visitors to the Millennium Galleries on the day.
This way please!
I helped out on the welcome desk all day with Leah and Kelda (and Sophy who popped in at lunch) which was great fun. We sold lots of raffle tickets between us!
Welcome desk ladies!
Thank you to all the stall holders who kindly donated an item to the raffle prizes. Your generosity was much appreciated.
1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes - all generously donated by the stall holders
Just to clarify (as a number of people enquired on the day) Craft Candy is a not-for-profit organisation, and therefore all the proceeds of the raffle get ploughed back into helping to cover the cost of the event, thus ensuring Craft Candy can continue to keep these craft fairs running three times a year at the Millennium Galleries.
Sian's monkey mascot 'Lady Candice'
As always, we had a great mix of crafts on offer, including some familiar faces, and some newcomers to the fair. Resident photographer Owen took loads of photos on the day, too many to include here, so make sure you check out the Candy Cane 2010 set on Flickr. If you had a stall on the day, your photo should be there!
In the meantime, here’s a little selection of photos, starting off with stalls located on the Avenue (the main walkway through the upper level of the Millenium Galleries)…
The Ernest Wright & Son scissor stall
Kettle of Fish stall
Gillian Lee Smith
Katy Holmes Illustration
Joey's Dream Garden stall
Here are some photos of the Long Gallery…
The Long Gallery, James Green Printworks stall on the left
The Long Gallery
The Long Gallery looking back from the opposite end of the room
And here are some of the stalls which were located in the Long Gallery…
Darrell Milnes Ceramics
Molly's Mum
The Hello Sunshine stall
Sabine Little - Little Castle Designs
Gemma Nemer - Vintage textile jewellery
Brian Clarke woodturner
Sarah Waterhouse textiles
Wit Shop
JayGo Touchy Feely Textiles
Veridian Stone Ceramics
The imagination of Ladysnail
As usual, there was a competition for the best dressed stall, and this time the prize went to the lovely Sian of Strawberry Kitten. Sian makes beautiful plushies…check out her Etsy shop which is stocked up with lots of different animals from bears and racoons, to foxes and reindeer!
Best dressed stall winner - Sian of Strawberry Kitten
And we were also treated to some beautiful festive song from Singsoc – The Sheffield University Choral Society. They are amazing and drew quite a crowd!
Singsoc
Singsoc sing their hearts out!
Thanks to everyone who came along on the day, we hope everybody enjoyed themselves. If you are interested in applying for a stall at the next fair, applications are now open for the Spring Fling which takes place at the end of March 2011. Click on the link below to go to the application form.
Apply for the next Craft Candy fair
Stay warm and safe!
ttfn, X
If you are going to be in or near Leeds on Sunday December 5th, and fancy doing a bit of Christmas shopping away from the usual high street hustle and bustle, then you need to get yourself to the Corn Exchange, where you will find the latest Reetsweet craft event in full swing! Reetsweet is ‘an art, design and neo craft shopping event featuring the very best of Leeds’ local talent’, and will feature a range of crafts including jewellery, photography, textiles, homewares, and plenty of other arts and accessories, all of which will be handmade and one of a kind. This is the second Reetsweet fair taking place at the Corn Exchance, the first one was back at the start of November and was a resounding success!
Reetsweet poster designed by Steph Baxter - for more info about Steph and her work, see below...
The Reetsweet shopping events are organised and run by Rebecca Drury, who says “I’ve have always been a bit of a magpie, collector and maker. I started at the age of ten selling fimo jewellery from a little lunchbox at school, and then ended up in my twenties doing personal shopping and helping style people. I love one-off accessories, homewares and art”.
Becki Drury - founder of Reetsweet in Leeds
She continues “I’d had a blog for a while, but had lost my inspiration with it, then I just thought to myself that I love craft, I spend so much time making things and searching for handmade gifts for people myself – why not make a small business out of it? So that’s what I did a few months ago, and it’s grown from there”.
The Corn Exchange, Leeds - home of Reetsweet
Speaking of Reetsweet and her plans for the future, Rebecca says “The first fair went really well, we had a great quality selection of stalls and I am hoping to maintain that, and build a following. In the new year we will be doing monthly events, and a website will be following soon to compliment the blog and Facebook pages. Our fairs try to be modern, eclectic and high quality – with a focus on the fun, colourful and innovative. I hope people enjoy the selection we have for December – we’ve expanded, and have some fantastic new stalls! Reetsweet!”.
Craft Candy's very own Kay Guccione, of 'lilidrawspictures', pictured behind her stall at the November Reetsweet event, with husband Ed.
http://www.lilidrawspictures.com/
Another Craft Candy member, James Green, at the November Reetsweet
http://www.folksy.com/shops/jamesgreenprintworks
Charley, of 'Charley Dreams' behind her stall at The Corn Exchange
http://www.etsy.com/shop/charleydreams
'Dig the Earth' stall at The Corn Exchange
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/digtheearth
Leeds based Steph Baxter, of ‘Steph Says Hello’ has designed the lovely December Reetsweet fair posters and flyers.
Back view of the Reetsweet flyer, by Steph Baxter
Self professed illustrator, doodler, crafter and tea drinker, Steph explains a bit about her way of working “I basically live for art & design in all its forms. I’ve never really got video installation though?! I’m pretty simple in my tastes – give me something bright & cheerful, and I’m happy! I spend about 93% of my day creating cute things. Sometimes for other people, sometimes it just cheers up my day. When I’m not illustrating or working at my part time sweet shop job, I love crafting. Its something I’ve only just recently got into properly. I’ve always made and sewn things – but never really had the courage to put myself out there until now. I love making little things out of paper and felt. There’s something really satisfying about taking simple materials and making something lovely. And when I’ve done all that, I can usually be found drinking tea (Earl Grey, milk, no sugar) and cuddling my new little puss-cat Sukie. I’m easily pleased!”.
Making Future Magic, design by Steph Baxter for Ad Agency Dentsu London
I love sewing, by Steph Baxter
Steph’s designs are really happy, bright and uplifting! She has carried out a range of different freelance work, from logo and poster designs, to magazine and print work…she’s even had one of her designs made into a window decal!
Stephs design work featured in Mother & Baby magazine in July 2010
Steph's Go Green 'Eco' design, as a window decal!
If you’d like to view more of Steph’s work, you can check out her Flickr photostream here – The Pink Robot (Steph Says Hello). Or, why not take a browse round her Folksy shop, where she has lovely prints, notebooks and calendars for sale – Steph Says Hello on Folksy. Better still, you can visit Steph in person at Reetsweet on December 5th, where she will have a stall, selling an assortment of lovely things!
Steph Says Hello, pictured here at the November Reetsweet - she will be back in December, so make sure you pay her a visit!
So don’t forget – Leeds Corn Exchange, Sunday 5th December 2010, 11am – 4pm, and it’s FREE entry!!! For more information on Reetsweet here are some links -
If you would like to contact Rebecca for further information on the fair, or if you would like to enquire about exhibiting your work at a future fair, the contact email address is reetsweetevents@gmail.com
Good Luck to everyone at Reetsweet! x
Hi everyone! Just a little reminder, as if you really need one, that Candy Cane is nearly here again!
If you’re after high quality and unique handmade gifts for your friends and family this Christmas, then you really won’t go wrong with a visit to Candy Cane this Saturday. Our annual Christmas craft fair at the Millennium Gallery will be packed with stalls, featuring the work of some very talented makers. A diverse range of crafts will be on offer, from jewellery and textiles, to ceramics and embroidery, with much more in between!
Doors open at 10am and close at 4pm, and as always, entry is FREE!! The fair will be held on the upper level of the Millennium Gallery and there will be a raffle of course, with some fabulous prizes on offer.
Hopefully we will see you there!
Candy Cane - a Christmas craft fair. Poster design by Elodie G.
Our lovely poster for the fair has been designed by the lovely Elodie G, who also happens to have a lovely new Folksy shop! Check it out here. X
Hello and welcome to the 2nd Candy Conversation. This week we are chatting with Leah Hill about the wonderful world of crochet!
Candy Stats
Leah Hill
Candy Conversation
I am 35, and have been married to Olly for 9 years. We have two dysfunctional dogs with very unique personalities that keep us entertained.
I have been living in Sheffield for the last 5 years or so and love it, we previously lived in Chester.
I went to Nottingham Trent University to study Decorative Arts which covered many mediums, I specialized in ceramics, and set up after I graduated but found that I liked to stay clean and warm, ceramics was just not where my heart was, but great fun.
Crochet hairband
Yes I’ve always been creative. I used to spend hours with my Gran, she used to try to teach me to knit, and then my mum taught me to crochet, and I think I enjoyed this more. I still have the crocheted blanket that we made together when I was very small.
I am the only one in my family who is creative, and when giving them hand made gifts as presents, I sometimes think that they would have preferred something from M&S! But I persevere as I love it so much…as long as they say they love it to my face then that’s fine! My mum and mother-in-law are quite creative and very supportive, so they get more than their fair share of gifts.
Beautiful crochet flower hairbands
I currently crochet accessories from wool. I started making flower brooches, but soon wanted to expand. I did quite a lot of research and discovered that I could make things similar to the jewellery I loved, in wool. I love bright colours and very rarely use dark wools. I like colours that clash and stand out, making a statement on the person who is wearing it. I think jewellery has come a long way recently and it’s all about making a statement and standing out as an individual.
I have only been making accessories on a regular basis for about one year. I like the fact that I can create something anywhere, it’s a portable craft, from sitting on the sofa, to a holiday, I can make something anywhere I want, it’s very convenient.
I’m in the process of setting up a craft room in my spare bedroom, and when that’s complete I’ll be branching out a bit with a few sewing projects.
Multi-coloured crochet wool beads
I love making my pieces and am always coming up with new ideas and variations on what I have, but I’m not the best at promoting or selling them. I’ve had a few stalls where I have sold the majority of my jewellery though. I have built up a network of contacts over the last year and they come back to me on a regular basis for gifts, I’ve had quite a few commissions through this.
I have set up a Folksy page – www.folksy.com/shops/LeahHill, and I’m updating this on a regular basis as I make new things almost every night. I have so much stuff it’s difficult to showcase it all!
I recently had a craft fair in my garden with a few other crafty people, we invited family and friends, I suppose it was more like a party! It went down really well and we will definitely be doing it again next year.
Leah's garden party craft fair!
I have produced quite a lot of commissions for people, it’s difficult to cater for all tastes, so if someone likes something, I can change the colours to their taste. As I have said before I love working in bright colours which sometimes aren’t to everyone’s tastes!
(Have a look at Leah’s Folksy page and if you see anything that you’d like in a different colour to the items listed, you can contact Leah at leahhill75@googlemail.com to discuss other options and colours.)
Crochet wool and wood bracelet
I always have ideas that I want to put into practise, I have a scrap book where I keep everything that catches my eye. I just like to have crafty things around me. I have so many boxes filled with ribbons, buttons and beads! I remember when I was growing up, my mum had a tin box filled with buttons and I loved it, I used to play with it for hours, making necklaces and bracelets, I just like having creative things around me.
When I did my first craft fair I was so excited, it was the best feeling when I sold my first piece. It’s a lovely feeling knowing that someone has bought a piece I have created, I love speaking to the person, and hearing how enthusiastic they are about it, that’s such a great feeling, very addictive. I think that’s why I love doing craft fairs and not selling through shops, as the contact with the customer and the contact with other craft people is invaluable.
Crochet wool beads
My husband recently bought me a blue ceramic bowl from a local potter, it’s lovely. I fill it with bright pink flowers. I tend to like a lot of things around me, every spare area in my house is filled with something. I love having things around me, I’m not very good at throwing anything away.
I first met Sarah Waterhouse (CC founder) at Woodseats craft fair, where we were both selling our crafts. I had only just started, and didn’t have that much confidence in my work. She gave me lots of encouragement, and I then joined Craft Candy. I was so excited, I hadn’t come across a group like this before. I love being part of it and enjoy meeting fellow members. I think that the reputation that CC has built up in such short space of time is amazing and I’m really happy to be a part of it. I’ve been on a few workshops and learned new skills, and would recommend it to anyone.
I have just taken over organising the Craft Candy Minis, which will be held on a regular basis at Bungalows and Bears in Sheffield. Christmas is just around the corner so I’m going to be making lots of things as gifts, and hopefully doing a few Christmas fairs. I like to keep this as a hobby at the moment and don’t plan on leaving my job, although that would be the ultimate goal. I’m more of a ‘slowly but surely’ type of person and like to do things at my own pace. I love being involved with Craft Candy and selling my things through a few fairs a year. I am happy with keeping this part time for the moment, but who knows what’s around the corner!
Good Luck for the future Leah, and thank you for taking the time for a chat!
Leah modelling one of her crochet hairbands