And I blame Made on the Left for these new-found cravings. I have now been to my first craft fair and it was simply ... delightful, surprising, buzzing, cheery, inspiring!
The montage above shows some of the stalls I visited and the people I talked to. I'll give a brief description of them, going from left to right, top to bottom so that you can have a little vicarious visit to the fair as well. I wish I could have included all the artists and crafters that were there, and I can only present my most heartfelt apologies to anyone I've left out.
From left to right, top to bottom, they are:
Rebecca from Hurrah (doesn't everyone wish they'd thought of that name for their blog now? I sure do.) makes sweetly unusual soft toys. I couldn't resist the little dachshund she is holding in the picture and now it's mine, all mine! I wish I'd picked up a penguin too.
Edward J. Grug III and Jessica McLeod make comic books, together and separately. Look at how happy they are! It is a partnership made in heaven. I bought copies of their Mungo Bean and Love Puppet comics.
Niina Aoki makes Japanese-inspired softies (the amount of detail in them is incredible) and also a talented illustrator. I snapped up one of her Christmas cards before they were all gone.
Sherri Brown from Stuffaduck. Wow, this lady is the whole package. She suffered all my silly questions with unusual patience and charm, she makes all manner of softies, including robots that are out of this world, then photographs them (I bought a couple of her cards too. Hmm, now I actually have to find some friends to send them to.) and has created an array of swoony handbags to suit all personalities. Pendants too.
Sarah Gazia from OddGirlOut creates amazing jewellery from polymer clay. You may remember me coveting her rose necklace in the previous post. Alas, they were all sold out, but Sarah says she will make some more for her next fair (I think the next one is the Town of Vincent Cappucino Festival).
The next shot is just a general scene to show how busy it was, but I do believe I captured Lauren AKA Osier!'s stall on the left.
Ali J is making ripples nationally and overseas with her illustrations of dreamy-eyed girls. You can find her at most of Perth's craft fairs and designer markets, selling limited and unlimited edition prints, cards, badges, pocket mirrors and other products featuring her illustrations.
Nicole Moffat was one of many first-time sellers at the fair. It was great to see how many newcomers there were and how well they held their own next to seasoned craft sellers.
Annie Rawle is a textile titan (titaness?) She teaches, she paints, she creates marvellous works of art with thread and fabric. I bought one of her pendants as a Christmas present for a friend and I suspect it will become more and more difficult to let it go.
Felicia from In Mono Designs had a wide range of modern and edgy jewellery and accessories, including these hair clips made from jigsaw puzzle pieces. Neat, huh?
Jane Eckermann from Planet Lime makes these resin pendants using her own special method. They are little dioramas -- it is unbelievable how much she fits into each one; each one is its own little world.
And finally, my haul from the day. I only wish I had more money to spend!