Rayon Rose Vintage fair and Tea Party

I've just found out about, and decided to take part in, a rather exciting tea party themed event. It's called Rayon Rose Vintage Fair and Tea Party, and not only do they have lovely stalls, but they also have an attached tea rooms where you're served tea and cake on cake trolleys by your own waitress. I am so so happy about taking part in something like this because it really signal braching out into the vintage lovers market, and I think that although my brooches aren't strictly speaking part of the "vintage fashion" scene I do think that they'll fit in just fine there. Plus the event is at Leeds Met students union, so is bound to be a very busy affair.

It's on the 18th October, so I'd better get sewing like crazy just as soon as I get all my stuff unpacked in my new flat =)

Exciting times

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Christmas kitty

This is the cutest thing I've seen all day. He sums up how I want Christmas to look this year. Cute, felt, red and white, and cat-shaped. Tis the season



It's by inkypaws (www.inkypaws.etsy.com)

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holidays are coming

I'm part of a holiday gift-guide at

http://papergirlproductions.blogspot.com/2008/10/12-days-of-christmas-gifts.html

I really really hope that people look at it and that they're interested in my wares. Fingers crosssed.

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October

It's October already! Crazy! September whizzed by and I achieved very little. But a whole new month a whole new outlook; I've got high hopes for October. I want to make myself some little targets so that when things happen I can tick them off and feel like I've achieved something.
So... targets for October 2008:

1. Approach 4 more shops face to face and ask about selling brooches there. A yes or no from them isn't part of the target, just getting out there and being pro-active is.

2. Go Christmas crazy and make 30 tree decoartions so that there's the option of packaging them up into sets.

3. Do at least one stall and book at least 2 more for later in the year. (This is a semi-cheat as I'm definetely doing a stall on Saturday any way).

4. Make up some kind of decent looking "press-pack" and email a couple of record labels and the Leeds Uni student paper.

5. Make 30 badges.

6. List 10 badges on etsy during October. (I've already started on this target as I've listed 2 already)

7. Enter the OWLS contest for October


The last target is not some kind of wierd bird-lovers code...I've joined an etsy team. It's very exciting! I'm now a proud member of the etsy OWLS team which stands for Off The Wall Ladies, but is also full of people who craft owls so I'm right at home. I'm not entirely sure what being in a team with be like, or what it means, but I do know that they blog at www.etsyoffthewall.blogspot.com, have a team shop which has items donated by each of the members at www.offthewall.etsy.com, and the team all promote each other in a friendly and usefull way. Hurrah I'm part of a community. And the exciting bit is that they set monthly challenges every member can take part in. I'm hoping that I'll be a fairly active OWL; I'm already worried that I'll somehow let the team down!



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15871678

xxxx

Headingly Arts and Crafts Market

I'm counting down to the 11th Oct when I'll be selling at Headingly Arts and Crafts Market. The Marvellous Tea dance company have made some rather marvellous posters/leaflets for the event so I'm hoping that lots of money yeilding people shall be tempted along




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last of the summer

On Saturday I ventured over to Sheffield for "Last of the Summer" where I was kindly allowed to set up a stall. I sold a few brooches, loads of bookmarks as per usual, and a couple of cards and badge packs. It wasn't a roaring success compared to other stalls I've done, but it was exciting to branch out to a different city and to hear all the lovely compliments people had for my wares. Plus I love that I've affiliated myself with indiepop music and that people often ask if I was at indietracks....its great to be part of a little community of music lovers.

Someone included my little felt train brooch in a treasury :) http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=11921

I finally finished a disposable camera which I bought for indietracks. There was a cute photo of the food van at indietracks on it....



And one of Liam looking like a prisoner of war behind my stall on Saturday...




xxx

etsy update

I've put three more beautifully photographed brooches up on etsy...I decided to stagger slightly listing items because I think that way they reach more people.



One of my favourite things to buy as a treat for myself is charity shop books. A while ago I found a really cute big hard book Singer Sewing Book (I'll take a photo of it sometime) and some of the opening paragraphs are so funny. It really is designed to help cultivate the perfect housewife. I'll give you a quote

"TO SEW SUCCESSFULLY...physically.When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Go through a beauty ritual of orderliness. Have on a clean dress. Be sure your hands are clean, finger nails smooth - a nail file and pumice will help. Always avoid hangnails...if you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should."

I could go on because the whole first chapter is full of similar tit-bits but my typos are appalling...every time I look up I have to re-type so much! It's obviously offensive to a modern woman how the book sets out her "duties" to be prim and proper, but I have to admit to loving the opinion that sewing is her pleasure and her pride and joy. I would have failed so miserably at "knowing my place" and at being organised in everything I do. Such a cute book though.

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