Saturday, April 07, 2007

Craft(y) Fair

I do enjoy a good Craft Fair, me. From the beautifully made walnut console tables to the garishly-blotched 'Your name painted FREE!' childrens' coat pegs, the artisanal bread to the production line stuffed olives, the mouth-blown glass lamps to the wine-glasses decorated with that dreadful glass paint. Negotiating that tricky line between needing to have a look at some fresh horror involving hand-twizzled clay fairies and tea-lights, while avoiding the eye of the maker sitting behind the stall. The shocking needlessness of the be-ribboned plastic egg cups, the shocking prices being asked for some very average cuff links, and the total gorgeousness of a child-sized wooden motorbike on rubber wheels.

And the story I heard of some people setting up a stall with jars, with hand-written labels and gingham-covered lids, and priced outrageously, filled with jam bought for £2 a ton at CostCo.

4 comments:

Valerie said...

Oh MAN. What is the world coming to?

Bah and fiddle. I made a mean fig jam, and a lovely Satsuma plum, and dead potent blood orange marmalade. And it is NOT rocket science.

Oh, that made me all grumpy. I much prefer the plastic egg cups.

I, Like The View said...

still working my way thru the xmas chutney

made masses but didn't give it all away this year

(coulnd't be bothered do the gingham covers or the handmade labels, and the PTA charged £3.50 a pot - can you believe that?! I was HORRIFIED as I'd only wanted them to charge a pound - but they'd sold out mid way thru the morning)(my chutney is legendary)(it's about the only thing I'm really proud of, excuse me for bragging)

what a great post - thanks! - reminds me of all sorts of things I'd forgotten about (not the chuntey tho, obviously)

I used to do craft fairs

dolls houses, knitted things, fairies for the tops of xmas trees and assorted xmas decorations

bookbinding is far more fun!

Mangonel said...

Hi Valerie! No no no - I promise you, even the faux home-made jam was still better than the egg cups. I so wish I'd taken the camera so you could see.

ILTV, judging by the pics you post, I bet the stuff you did was lovely. Did you see that knitted uterus over at
River Girl
's?

I, Like The View said...

what a fab blog! (I have wasted my life. . .)

how do you discover all these great blogs?