Mixed Crafts

[Broch]

The missus has a stall at a craft fair this weekend and asked if I could supply her with some stuff so her table wasn't all needlecraft based. I give away stuff as fast as I make it so didn't have anything already made so it was a case of what I could knock together in a hurry

I'm a jack of all trades and master of none so my skill level is well below many of the skilled craftspeople on this forum - I am constantly in awe at the level of talent shown on here! However, I enjoyed getting stuck in for a purpose and I'm relatively pleased with the output.

The wands are just a bit of fun for kids - made from cherry, birch, alder, blackthorn, and hawthorn The boards are oak and the candle holders ash (that had dieback so some interesting grain). The coffee scoop is plum and the small spoons cherry.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Proper handsome them

 

[Brizzlebush]

I think you're being very modest there. That's a lovely selection of handmade items.
There's love, craft and skill in there.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Lovely work.

 

[Seagull]

Very swish, well done.
Ceeg

 

[SaraR]

The missus has a stall at a craft fair this weekend and asked if I could supply her with some stuff so her table wasn't all needlecraft based. I give away stuff as fast as I make it so didn't have anything already made so it was a case of what I could knock together in a hurry

I'm a jack of all trades and master of none so my skill level is well below many of the skilled craftspeople on this forum - I am constantly in awe at the level of talent shown on here! However, I enjoyed getting stuck in for a purpose and I'm relatively pleased with the output.

The wands are just a bit of fun for kids - made from cherry, birch, alder, blackthorn, and hawthorn The boards are oak and the candle holders ash (that had dieback so some interesting grain). The coffee scoop is plum and the small spoons cherry.

View attachment 77104

Very nice! I’m hoping this craft fair is far far away so I don’t have any reason to go there.
Any chance of a photo of some of the needlebased goodies as well?

 

[Mesquite]

Very nice work there Andy, do let us know how Sue gets on and share some pics

 

[Toddy]

Those look excellent exactly the sort of stuff that appeals at a Craft Fayre.

I hope the stall is a great success for you both.

M

 

[FerlasDave]

Solid work there Andy, I hope you have better luck than me at getting things sold.

I like the wands. They’re a great idea!

 

[bobnewboy]

Nice! I’m currently (yep, right now ) on a stand at a Christmas Craft Fayre, supporting my missus. She does stained, leaded and now mainly fused glass in all forms. My only pieces that I’ve done for her stand are candle holder / candlesticks made from my pieces of nicely figured wood, but I’m thinking of making some welly pullers too, as it seems their season

 

[Ystranc]

The missus has a stall at a craft fair this weekend and asked if I could supply her with some stuff so her table wasn't all needlecraft based. I give away stuff as fast as I make it so didn't have anything already made so it was a case of what I could knock together in a hurry

I'm a jack of all trades and master of none so my skill level is well below many of the skilled craftspeople on this forum - I am constantly in awe at the level of talent shown on here! However, I enjoyed getting stuck in for a purpose and I'm relatively pleased with the output.

The wands are just a bit of fun for kids - made from cherry, birch, alder, blackthorn, and hawthorn The boards are oak and the candle holders ash (that had dieback so some interesting grain). The coffee scoop is plum and the small spoons cherry.

View attachment 77104

Are the leather key fobs belt danglers and do you ever make the square ones for Mora clipper knives?

 

[Broch]

Mmm.... sadly, that didn't go as well as hoped. Sue had put a lot of work in to support this fair, but the footfall just wasn't there. Lesson learned, village craft fairs are less likely to get the necessary footfall and less likely to pay for craft. I feel confident that Product and Price were right, just Promotion and Place were wrong.

The range of stuff Sue had made included aprons, Christmas stockings, various designs of beautifully stitched bags, felt gnomes, earrings ....

On the plus side, she sold out of wooden wands!

 

[Toddy]

That's a shame
I'm sorry it turned out to be a disappointment.
It can be very hard to hit exactly the right thing at the right place and price.

I hope she isn't discouraged, and enjoys more success elsewhere
In the meantime, perhaps an Etsy shop ?

My near as daughter in law does very well with her's, and has made a lot of friends among return customers too.

Best of luck with it

M

 

[Ystranc]

I remember doing a Christmas craft fair at the NEC decades ago, most stall holders went away a bit disgruntled because the guys selling container loads of bundles of twisted hazel twigs sprayed gold were blatantly buying them in from a Chinese wholesaler. We also used to do one at the business and design centre in Islington which cost a fortune to do but at least there was Wolfblass by the crate load.

 

[Stew]

That’s a shame. The stall looks great though!

 

[Broch]

To be honest she only did it to support the group - she did sell some, but has a load of really good stuff to give away now

 

[Toddy]

Son1 sat on the floor in a pile of presents and wrapping paper. He looked at me and said, "Geez Mum! Save the planet !".....so this year his presents are coming wrapped up in bags made of Christmas patterned cotton. Totally re-useable ad infinitum
Strikes me that Mrs Broch's Christmas stockings would do very well for that too

 

[Broch]

Yes, a number of the bag styles were explicitly for present wrapping. The obvious ones were the bottle bags but there are other small bags there designed to do exactly that - the drawstring bags and the ones like the bright pink one towards the back on the right for example. They're all lined with contrasting fabrics as well

 

[Broch]

Are the leather key fobs belt danglers and do you ever make the square ones for Mora clipper knives?

Sorry, missed this question. Yes, they're belt danglers with snap fasteners. I've never made a Clipper one - I assume you mean the ones with a kind of double leather square loop rather than a rectangular metal loop?

 

[Ystranc]

Exactly, there is one with a square metal loop that the clipper belt hook just locks onto, very simple design and construction but I’ve never got around to making one because I’m unsure where to buy the bits. There are others that are more like a bayonet frog that hangs from a Sam brown but they’re more complicated.