It’s that time of year again – craft fair season!

The days might be getting shorter, but I’m making the most of them working away like a demon, stitching up lots of little dolls and creatures for my stall.

My first event was Mapperley Makers and Vintage Fair – and it was lovely.

It was particularly special because Haywood Road Community Centre where the fair was held is so near to me – just around the corner in fact. And it had, up until a few weeks before, been under threat of closure.

A funny little bungalow in the backstreets of our quiet suburb, the community centre had been somewhat under-loved for years. Or so it seemed. The local council announced that they wanted to sell it and the land attached to it (previously a bowling green, accessible only to bowling club members) to be developed for housing.

But they reckoned without a determined group of locals who decided that the only community hall and green space in our area was not to be got rid of. To cut a long story short, after campaigns, demonstrations, meetings with the council, a new committee and considerable hard work, the centre and green have been saved!

The fair really showed the potential of the place – over six hundred people came through the doors – not bad for a new event! More fairs are planned for the future, and the green is going to get some play equipment and become a public green space. It was great to support my local venue and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops in future.

Next up was the Sherwood Christmas Craft and Food Fair – pictured above.

It’s always tremendously busy, due to the likes of famous makers like Helen Shere (my stall neighbour, whom you can just spot in the picture above), Kit Anderson, Carly Dodsley, Rachel Ainley, Alys Power and Katrin Moye in attendance, as well as lots of other talented local makers.

Exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure, it was great to see so many friends, old and new.

Oh, and I’m not just in good company locally. As well as spotting my dolls in Selvedge magazine’s publicity materials (see above!) one of my fairies has also made it into print nationally!

She is currently strutting her stuff in the December issue of Period Living magazine, to be precise. I’ve not (yet) noticed a consequent surge of orders, but it is nonetheless very lovely to have my work in a magazine – and funny to think of people up and down the land seeing one of the small things that come into being on my kitchen table.

This week I’m stitching away again like mad, making mice, tree fairies, woodland sprites, a lion or two, some snowballs and no doubt a few other things, in time for the Handmade Nottingham Winter Market on Sunday.

Then it’s Paperdolls Christmas Market (part of Digmas Christmas Fair) in Birmingham on the 25th November, followed by a local open house event (attendance by invitation only – if anyone is local and wants to be invited, drop me a message!) plus Etsy and Handmade Nottingham restocks to do…

Better get on with it.

I’ve plenty to do – even if there doesn’t happen to be a rush on fairies. ♥