All The Fun Of The Handmade Fair

I'm just back from the Handmade Fair in Hampton Court, London 19th - 21st September 2014 9.30am-6pm. If you haven't noted it yet on your craft event calender then you might want to take a look.

This is the first year of the show and with Kirstie Allsopp, who is fast becoming the UK's embodiment of everything crafts, putting her name to it, it is bound to pull a crowd. Filled with crafts of all types from stitching to papercrafting, pom pom making to upcycling, cake decorating to jewellery making, well you get the idea. I do love a good craft fest and there was plenty to feast your eyes upon here.

Hampton Court is a right royal place to hold a craft fair and they did make you walk what seemed like the whole grounds (I think it was the entire grounds) to get to the fair. But when you get there you are greeted by the first group of food stalls in case you are feeling faint after your trek.

There are two main exhibitor tents for a shopping frenzy. The majority of the stalls are run by makers selling their finished products but there were some stalls selling craft items, haberdashery and kits for your own projects. I'm pretty fascinated by chalk paints at the moment so it was great to see DecoArt there demoing their chalk paint ranges.

[The DecoArt stand]

Also there was some papercrafting goodness for you papercrafting fans with Craftwork Cards, Sugar and Spice and Craft Asylum as well as the lovely guys from Cricut demoing the Cricut Explore*. I also spotted some gorgeous wood cut pieces from Art Cuts who I've not spotted before, ooo pretty!

[Sugar and Spice stand]

Then if you are tired of shopping (seriously?!) there are some make and takes, workshops, Janome sewing masterclasses, Mollie Makes and Etsy business tents and the talks / interviews of well known designers. But you do have to pay for the workshops and talks. Go check on the website as some events are sold out.

[Beautiful necklaces made from found objects by Amanda Morris at Enchanted Cherub]

As far as I know you can still get day entry to the fair for Saturday and Sunday at the event for £15 (I think, don't hold me too that!) but the advance entry-only are sold out. I think you can also buy a package ticket which includes entry and a workshop and a talk and is nearer to £30 (again don't hold me to that). But best to check with the event organisers at the Website or on Twitter.

So if you are a huge craft fan who wants to be inspired by makers, perhaps do a workshop and buy some unique handmade gifts then the show has two more days left, go check it out.

I had fun bumping into some old friends and new and am looking forward to seeing how the show evolves in the years to come. I definitely would have checked out the upcycling furniture workshops but unfortunately they were all sold out. Seems we are all into upcycling at the moment aren't we?

I would love to know if you went or are going to the fair so do leave a comment to tell me what you think.

Catch you later craftinators.

Kim

[Just so you know, the Cricut link is an affiliated link and I also got a press pass to the show. But as always any views are entirely my own and not paid for by anyone else.]

Craft Shows, The Handmade Fair And Blogs

And what time do you call this? I mean seriously, you use this blog like a thought hotel, blogging at random times, dumping a picture here and there like you own the place then disappearing with no word to anyone. It is time you blogged responsibly and acted your blog age not your paint brush size. *sigh* I don't know, blog owners today...mumble, mumble.

I'm feeling a little guilty for letting my blog slide over the last month or two, I know you guys understand and you have been so patient with me. It is hard juggling everything isn't it? My blog mojo took a bit of a nose dive after the house move and my blog plans suddenly got shelved or whatever the digital equivalent of that is. 

I'm not going to promise anything, just in case I can not hold up my end of the blogging bargain, but I have that need-to-blog feeling again, that itch in my crafty/arty soul, which is a good sign I think. So hopefully there will be more blog posts following.

In the meantime if you are looking for something crafty to do this weekend in London there are three craft shows going on, two public shows and one trade show. 

It's that Big Stamp and Scrapbook Show time again over at Ally Pally 20th-21st Sept for some papercraft retail therapy. 

But if you want a wider range of crafts to be inspired by then check out The Handmade Fair starting this Friday (19th - 21st Sept). 

As you can see Kirstie Allsopp is associated with this show and there are a number of well known craft designers doing talks and workshops (which you can buy when you buy a full ticket, there is also an entry-only ticket option) as well as some shopping therapy too.

But if that wasn't enough there is also the first London-based Craft Hobby + Stitch trade show going on in Excel, 21st - 22nd Sept, for those of you working in the industry. 

Honestly, who booked all these craft events in on the same weekend? What were they thinking? If you are going to any of them I would love to hear what you think of them and have a fun time!

And this make? Well it is an old project that I made for Creative Expressions a while back. If any of you have the second issue of the Creative Expressions Project book you might have spotted it in there. I've used Cosmic Shimmer mist which catches the light in such a lovely way.

Catch you later Craftinators

Kim