November, 2010
What a busy time Peter and I have had. Autumn to winter is always heavy on craft shows which also means more demands on making things to replace those you have sold. We have done several little shows, but the major one was Newmarket Craft and Design last weekend for three days. I love three day shows as you set up once, and then enjoy three whole days meeting traders and catching up with old friends. Bill and Ann Clarihew of Clara Perri belts (http://www.claraperri.co.uk/) were at the show, and we all stayed at the same hotel in Newmarket. It was great fun seeing them, as our paths haven’t crossed since Hartley Witney. It is also fun meeting new customers and seeing some familiar faces. Again I am always amazed at the wonderful people we meet and how interested they are in real crafts and original ideas. On Friday we met Jean who bought a silver bead on a chain – a simple but elegant design I love to make. Sarah bought a square pendant with a zircon, Karen a hare pin (a new design) and Dawn a wide silver engraved ring as a gift for her daughter I believe. Margaret gave my little bronze bird (all alone on a silver chain) a new home. I met Catherine and her Mom and Dad who bought her an octagon shaped garnet pendant for Christmas. It looked lovely on her and may the power of the garnet be with her. Karen also bought a garnet pendant with a little dingle dangle silver bead. Wear garnets girls as not only are they beautiful, they are the female power stone and they give us all confidence!
On Saturday, more birds flew and more hares sprang to new homes. Mr. Paterson was the most romantic of our customers all weekend. His wife had so admired many of my pieces, and when his family was having some lunch upstairs, he slipped back to the stand and bought the little bronze bird in the silver cage as a surprise gift. What a lovely man! Gems are not just stones.
Bees were buzzing too this weekend. On Saturday I was especially happy to see Margaret and Sheila back to my stand. We had met at Huntingdon and Margaret had so admired my skep hive (an informed customer told me what the woven hives were called) with little bees pin. She had resisted then, but not today. It was still there, and Sheila purchased it for Margaret as a gift. My bronze earrings also found a new home on Saturday. My Roman fibula brooches have been very popular, and Phillip bought his wife a lovely one for a Christmas gift. She also had her eye on a beautiful scarf on another stand to go with it!
Sunday was a very busy day. Mr. Hyde bought the silver butterfly stamped pendant and heart earrings. Dr. Richard Paul Williams arrived at the stand with his two sons (I should have asked their names). They were Christmas and birthday shopping for Mom. Her birthday is on Christmas day and as Richard explained, Mom needed lots of presents as there were two celebrations. What lovely children. They so carefully selected a pendant each to give their mother. One was a keum boo piece and I explained how I made it to the older boy so he could tell his mother. I enjoyed meeting them all and hope Mrs. Williams loves her gifts. A charming lady and young girl (I don’t know their names) bought a little imprinted butterfly pendant as a gift for the twin of the young girl. The lady returned alone later and bought a pair of earrings the young girl had admired earlier. This sounds confusing, but I mention them as I so enjoyed speaking with them and loved the care they took making their purchase.
Miss Webster bought my large heart on a long chain. She looked stunning as she is so slim and tiny and it was so dramatic on her long black jumper. Jane came with friends and succumbed to my little turtle stick pin. Jane is the most reluctant customer I have ever had. I am guessing, but I suspect Jane gives bountifully to other people but seldom treats herself. She had a war going on inside her head as she looked at my jewellery, and it took a long time for her to finally say yes. I think I ticked all the boxes…it was real silver, was a brooch, handmade, one of a kind, and we took cards…She looked so unhappy when she bought it, but maybe my little turtle will put a smile on her lovely face when she wears it!
One of the nicest customers this weekend was Miss Palmer. She was a joy to talk to, and loved the long conical shell pendant. She came back later on and purchased it which made me very happy. Yes, of course it is important to sell as it means I can continue making and building up my tools etc., but who I sell to is very important to me and it is lovely to think of her wearing and enjoying the piece. Shell shapes and textures are evocative and remind us that the most pleasing and meaningful designs lie in the natural world. Ms. E. Cameron-Dyne chose the long diamond shaped garnet pendant. We changed chains and the extra length made all the difference. It looked great on her. She did her little wiggle she is famous for (so I was told), and the pendant moved to the rhythm. May she wiggle in my pendant for many years to come! A delightful lady and her family bought my last fibula I had pinned to a scarf to show how it is worn. I was told about a friend who is very hard to buy for. It seems this person is quite academic, and when they saw the fibula and I explained about the Romans, they knew they had found the perfect gift. Amongst the family was Grandmother who was observing what her daughter admired for herself on the stand. She came back with her granddaughter a few minutes later and bought the large bronze ball on a silver chain. I call these balls jewellery for fiddlers (not the musical kind). You know, women who love to handle their jewellery, twist, turn, stroke, spin etc. I know she will love her new pendant.
Finally I must mention Mr. and Mrs. Fawcett. Mrs. Fawcett looked at my stand, liked the pieces, but when she spotted the hare pendant, that was it. She had a certain look. I know this look, because I have it myself when hares are in my benign sight. Of course, Mrs. Fawcett as a collector is in a completely different league from myself. Her house is full of hares of all sizes and mediums. Mr. Fawcett is located amongst the throngs of people to look at the little silver hare. Mr. Fawcett must think, oh, my, not another one. But of course, being a pendant, this little silver hare will take up no room at all, and will fit seamlessly into the Fawcett household. Besides, Mr. Fawcett is very nice, and he loves his wife (you can tell) and he buys it for her. I love to think my hare will share a house with so many other hares- they are solitary creatures by nature, but somehow I am sure he will love his new home amongst his own kind.
My thanks to all who came and chatted to me, admired the work, those who bought and those who didn’t but might another day. It was all a good experience and I hope we will see you again next year. Next week Peter and I are up in Haworth showing at The Old School Rooms. If you are a Bronte fan this destination is a must. Peter and I have a little flat for three days and we plan to walk the Bronte Way on Friday, breathing the glorious air and if we are lucky, and listen very carefully, we might hear Heathcliff calling for Cathy amongst the Pennistone Crags.