The truth about the market

Well, my first time at market did not go as well as I would have wanted it to.

My husband and I were there just after 6:00.  At first the guy from the market said that there were many cancellations due to a lot of people being sick, and one guy's wife had passed away the day before (which I'm very sorry about).  So he could give me a nice spot.  At first he showed me a spot that was perfect.  One would be able to see my stall when one enters the market's gate and then one would also see my stall on the way back to the gate.  But then for some reason he changed his mind and showed me to another spot, right at the back, in a corner by the food stalls.  What I didn't know at the time is that they would set the tables further away from there than they did last time I was there.  So I didn't complain too much, lunchers would see my stall and come over.  My husband and I started setting up the gazebo.  Then the guy came and said no, we have to move more to the side, as another stall must fit in next to us.  That's behind the tree, I said.  No, he said, not really, people will still see you from the tables (which hadn't been set up yet.)

See the lady in pink standing there on the right?  That's my little helper for the day, Karen.  More about her later.  What this picture doesn't show is the low hanging branches of the tree more to the right and the path angles right toward it, so that when one comes up it, one actually only notice the tree, that's why I hung the bags that side so that the bright colours would show.

Well, my husband and I set the thing up.  I didn't have so much stock.  But we all know that my time's limited.

Karen and I moved the tables up a lot about an hour after this was taken, in the hope that it would be more noticeable.  We don't have a picture of that, since my husband had already left.
We clearly saw and heard people walk to a few meters away from "our" tree, stop, look around and say: "No, it's only food stalls from here", then turn around and walk the other way.

In hindsight I must confess that I didn't do all that badly for a first market, on a bad day (all the other stall holders complained about it being a bad day), in a bad corner.  I made enough to pay for the stall.  So I suppose one could say I broke even.  But let me just mention that my second eldest sister did most of the buying, before you get too excited!

Karen is my husband's sister's son's girlfriend. Did you get that?  Read it again. Husband. Sister. Son . Girlfriend.  OK, so they've been together for seven years now and she's just the sweetest little thing. At one point I could see that she was really irritated with the people just turning around and walking away before they came to our stall.  She even grabbed a bag and some books and started walking around the market with it. I suspect she stopped short of accosting people and dragging them to the stall.
My mother-in-law came to see me at the market. Which was very nice of her, as she moves with difficulty after a knee replacement about a month ago. Well, she came to see me specifically and spent half an hour LOOKING for me before she found us, and that's only because she recognised Karen.  I also had a good friend from work as well as my best friend (30 years now we've been best friends - another story) stopped by.  My third sister brought the girls over as they had spent the previous night with her so that they wouldn't have to get up so very early.

Well now.  My question is this:  Did I do badly because of the spot I was in, or did I do badly because my stuff is just...well, crap?

Excitement on my part

And the news is that I have a stand at the Klip Klap Art and Antiques Market in September!

I'm really excited and looking forward to it so much!  I'm planning everything out and have started working like a crazy person to get as much stuff made before then as I can.
There's beach bags, bunting and lots of pins planned.  Not to mention the evening clutches, gift bags and embellished notebooks.

Now, any tips on how I can make the most of the experience on the day?  Tips on display - it is an open-air market and I will be taking my gazebo?

Before I spend more time on the internet, let me get behind that sewing machine!


Ce(excited)cilia

New Ideas

I've gotten some inspiration from this nice lady.

I've decided that I will start making summery Christmassy stuff.  It's summer over Christmas in South Africa, see?  Because I've come to the realisation that with my time-shortage I will not be able to make a lot of wintery stuff in time for the next KlipKlap market.  Or even the one after that.  But I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to get a bunch of stuff together for the market in September - which would be spring.  Although, rest assured, I will not be making any reindeer or similar stuff to KerryAnne's.
I think it's pretty good do-able idea!  Thanks KerryAnne!

My other inspiration will be coming from Country Living UK.  I do love it so, although we get it about a month later than the UK people do.  But that doesn't bother me in the least.  I've never seen a Country Living USA, but I have a book they published: "Crafting a Business", which I will be talking about on another day.

In other news, I forgot to mention before that I've bought a speedstick (dongle) so that I now actually have Internet at home.  At last!  As nothing in my life is ever easy, let me just mention that I live right on the edge of their coverage area.  Which makes my Internet veeeerrrryyyy sssslllloooowww.  And since National Intelligence (a contradiction in terms, I know!) is just behind my house, the news is that we will never have full coverage here.  Last night I bought some fabric from Skinny laMinx, and I had to try the payment three times before it actually went through.  By the way - take a look at Skinny LaMinx's stuff.  Very original and good-looking!  Proud to say she's a South African!

Well, I have to go put supper on!

Cecilia

Handmade courage

Today I would like to tell you about all the ideas I have floating around in my head.

The area I live in at the moment is not all that keen on handmade, as I said before.  But I must admit that I have noticed a turn in this.  A very slow, slow turn.  But there none the less.  There seems to be more handmade items available in the gift shops. Albeit imported handmade items.  Well, perhaps they only look handmade.  Nevermind.  I also notice that more vintage-looking items are finding their way into the shops.
So, that being said, I really think that the handmade and vintage movement(s) just maybe maybe might be catching on around here.
Look, Pretoria is nothing like, say, Cape Town, where there is a culture of art and craft.  I'm not talking African mask head craft.  I'm talking sewing, knitting type crafts.  When I was a teenager there was a fabric store on every second corner, a wool-shop on every other and many general craft stores in between.  These have dwindled over the years to basically nothing.  I'm happy to say that the big shop in Pretoria who has been holding a monopoly on craft materials is losing its strangle hold.  This shop - and I will name no names, is the bane of my existence.  Rude, unhelpful and absolutely totally, 100% overpriced.  It's a huge store and I've been going there since I was a girl.  Now I do not set my foot in there.  And I will only go there ever, ever again if it's really a question of HAVE, HAVE, HAVE to.  Anyway, I'm going off at a tangent.
My point is this:  I have to grab a corner of the market.  As in RIGHT NOW.  I need money, but mostly I need time.  I need money.  If I had money I could resign and then I would have time.  But mostly I need money. No. Time. No. Money.
Despite what I was told as a child, I do have talent and now I only need the courage to take a huge leap of faith.  Well, it's taken me forty years to acknowledge the fact that I have talent.  If it takes me another forty to build up the courage...well, erm...I think that just might be slightly too late....
Ugh.  Sometimes I irritate myself.

Cecilia

This little piggy went to market

The girls and I went to the market yesterday.

I was pleasantly impressed with the entire set-up. 

The paths between the stands meander between bushveld thorn trees and the stall-holders (except for one) were friendly and helpful.

Right at the gate we found this lady with her felt goodies.  If I recall correctly she called herself “The Felt Bakery” – or something in that line.  Her little felt monsters, hairclips and brooches are very cute and well-priced.  

I also loved her doughnuts and cupcakes.

This guy makes wind chimes from recycled materials.

 

I've seen similar before, these are quite original and nice.






As you walk up to the back part of the market you find all sorts of items, including some beautiful antique crockery.

Right at the back of the market are the food stalls where you can buy a meal and sit down in their seating area to enjoy it in the sunshine.

These guys make goat’s cheeses which is quite something to find in these parts.  It’s very fresh and delicious.

There was a lady with some beautiful mosaic mirrors.  There were several artist and “artists” ;-). 

I was quite surprised at the number of antique stalls there.  Antiques are very hard to find in my area.  I bought my eldest daughter an ancient 18mm movie camera, which she adores!

We bought some jaffels from an older lady to have for lunch.  Unfortunately these were not… erm … the best quality.   But the cupcakes we bought for afters were very yummy, not to say pretty!

All in all, we had a very nice morning walking around the stalls in a very tranquil environment.  I really hope that I can build up some stock and perhaps get a stand at this market.  Perhaps even at their next market?

Cecilia

Crafts and collectables? Not so much

These are pictures I took at the Hatfield Flea Market (Hatfield, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa).

I received an e-mail from the very nice gentleman who sells stamps and inkpads etc.  to remind me that he’ll be there.  He also mentioned in his e-mail that it’s the monthly “Crafts and collectables” market.  Oo, I thought, maybe I should get a stall there, let me go check it out.  I anyway needed some tiny stamps to put on the sides of my notebooks and my inkpads are getting dry.

So off we went.  This is not a very savoury neighbourhood, so my lovely husband insisted that we take the whole family – safety in numbers.  When we got there I was surprised to find the market had shrunk to half its size in the last few years.  But nevermind – crafts and collectables, here we come!  And what did I find?  Very collectable obscure brand toiletries and really crafty rip-offs of well known brands (where was the police, I wondered – oh, yes, I forgot: getting a cut of the profits!)  The closest thing to anything crafts was the guy with the stamps and a table next to him with collectable broken bone-handle knives with ridiculous prices.  I bought my stamps and inkpads and left.  I think we were there a full half hour, including a trip to the supermarket for fresh milk and a visit to the loo with the little one.  To say I was disappointed is an understatement.

If you’re reading this and live in Pretoria and want to contact the guy with the stamps, he is Mr Ockert Pretorius and his e-mail address is stamp-a-way<at>live.co.za

I seriously don’t know what’s wrong with the people who live in Pretoria.  There are about two craft shops and two fabric shops in the entire area.  Antique stores are closing down at a rapid speed.  In fact, there’s only one left in the Eastern parts of Pretoria.  Either I’m the only one left in the East of Pretoria who loves craft, and old things or the rest are just hiding it very, very well.  Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that crafty things and old things aren’t shiny enough?  Plastic does have a shine, you know!  Well, maybe it’s just me that has lost the plot somewhere....

Cecilia