January 6, 2012
I’m Winning Awards!
In 2011 I had a fantastic time at the shows and fairs I traded at. I even managed to win three awards for my display! At the Mid Devon Show I won third prize and at the Dunster Country Fair and Frome Cheese Show I won first prize! I can’t tell you how chuffed I was to receive these awards. It makes all the hard work seem worth it. And it’s nice to be recognised for the work you put into displaying the products.
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December 3, 2010
The Rural Living Show – 27th to 28th November 2010
I attended The Rural Living Show at King’s Hall in Taunton for the first time this year not only as an exhibitor but as a visitor as well and what a show it was! With over 130 stall holders thousands of visitors, undeterred by the freezing temperatures, flocked to the well-known Christmas fair to buy those unique gifts for loved ones.
The setting was beautiful as you drove up the driveway to the school. Snow had fallen the night before so the fields were covered in a bright white dusting, the perfect setting for a fair to get you into the spirit of Christmas.
The event was extremely well organised. You could tell the organisers had vast experience in running the show. Not only was it all hands on deck when the exhibitors arrived to find their locations and set up but the wandering around with walkie talkies said it all.
You’ll find some quirky characters at the show as a stall holder. You get the regulars who have been doing it for years that have the same spot year on year and don’t appreciate change. They are lovely people to get to know but they are amusing being so set in their ways.
When you arrive at the show for the first time you would think you were in a maze! Stalls are scattered around in different rooms from the large sports hall and theatre to little classrooms. It doesn’t take long to get used to the layout and you’ll be keen to have a second wander around to make sure you haven’t missed anything. All the stalls are presented to a very high standard. It’s almost like there are hundreds of little shops in one place.
Visitors to the show are cheery and chatty which always helps when you have a long weekend of selling. My products went down a treat and after the weekend I have quite a dent in my stock levels and I have three more events to attend before Christmas yet! It’s always lovely to hear positive comments about the products you actually make yourself and when you get customers come to you especially because they have bought from you before, well, that’s even better.
I did feel sorry for the stall holders in the food tent. It was bitterly cold in there and even with all the cooking it didn’t produce much heat for them. Gorgeous smells came from the good quality produce though which managed to entice the visitors into the tent despite the cold.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself over the two days and I hope to be able to exhibit next year. Maybe this blog will encourage those who haven’t visited the show before to add it to their must attend Christmas fairs list. Maybe I’ll see you there!
December 1, 2010
How it all began
I absolutely love the Shabby Chic, rustic, country style look and enjoy perusing through the Rachel Ashwell books wishing my home looked like hers, and I’m sure other people think the same! My other idol is Kirstie Allsopp. I am an avid viewer of all her programmes and a follower of her bizarre tweets on Twitter. Her quirky nature inspires me to look for the unusual and turn it into something that can be loved once more.
I attended my first antiques fair during the winter of last year at the Lincolnshire Showground. I paid my entry fee, walked through the gates and my mouth dropped. I was surrounded by hundreds of marquees full of wonderful antiques just crying out for someone to buy them. I really could have kitted out my whole house in wonderful furniture if only I’d had a bigger vehicle! I knew it was a good show to attend when I realised I was stood next to Kirstie as she was filming for the current series of Kirstie’s Homemade Homes. If it’s good enough for Kirstie then it’s good enough for me, despite losing the feeling in my fingers and toes due to the freezing temperatures. I have to say, you know when you’ve reached stardom when you have a little helper holding a hot water bottle for you for when you’ve finished filming.
I knew that if I loved all these gorgeous treasures, new or old, then other people would too so I decided to set up my own online retail shop – www.countryhomechic.co.uk – so that people could turn their homes into their own unique country abode.
Not only do I source products from companies that make products from new where they give it the rustic charm but I also make as many items as I can myself. I trawl though the antique fairs, car boot sales and charity shops trying to find things that I can either revamp or add things to so that they can be completely individual. I enjoy being creative and making things so I can’t miss out on producing my own country style, Shabby Chic products. I have the philosophy that if I have the drive to learn to do it myself then I will. I was even determined to build the website myself and put my own stamp on it, so I did!
I think being hands on and creative is in the blood. My family are always making things, whether it’s doing woodwork, sugarcraft, sewing or knitting, so I just can’t resist an opportunity. I have even roped in my mum and sister to make knitted cakes and doorstops for me. My New Year’s resolution however is to learn how to sew so that I can make some fabric pieces myself.
I do hope that one day I will be able to have my very own little quaint shop by the sea. The layout, colours and style of the shop are already planned in my head. Now that’s forward thinking!
Please feel free to visit my website – www.countryhomechic.co.uk – and I would be delighted to receive any feedback you may have, whether it is about the website itself or about the products you would like to see listed.
