I recently attended a craft fair which was in a great room, very well organised but badly attended and I wondered why. Craft fairs are hit and miss and I certainly wouldnt criticise organisers of events as they DO take some organising. I have contemplated previously whether craft fairs are a thing of the past.  People are used to paying car boot prices and I think it takes a great venue and people who really appreciate handmade to make a succesful day as far as sales are concerned. The basic requirement for an organiser is to have great advertising. Who knows your event is happening ? Have you put banners up, a week in advance (minimum) to indicate that your event is on ? I do however enjoy interaction with fellow crafters and it is great to network with others, offering support and advice where possible, appreciating others crafts (purchasing helps) and sharing knowledge of events in the area.

I dont know whether it is the summer approaching, but I have been inspired to make lots of new things. I am loving making adjustable necklaces as they can give such different looks. I love creating my polymer clay jewellery and gifts, it is so satisfying. Slowly, slowly products are being added to the website, so keep checking in

I had intended on advertising some special offers before the bank holiday but as normal, life took over. Keep your eyes on your mailbox this week as I shall be sending out a spring newsletter, with something special for you

Are handmade buttons worth it? I love creating handmade buttons and the fact that they are washable is a bonus. I know that many people invest in hand sewn and knitted items by choosing unique trimmimgs and accessories. The way our buttons differ, is that the patterns are made out of different blends of clay and hand cut. I refine the holes in the buttons after I have made them and then they are handpackaged.

My small buttons retail at 80p each, a customer at a recent craft fair thought that a pack of 4 buttons was 80p. I try to price my handmade buttons competitively and I know that I have received some lovely feedback on them. As a crafter, are you willing to pay a little extra for buttons which arent mass produced?

I touched upon our clay days in Edinburgh, Scotland in my last post. We have clay days every three months where we welcome all levels of clayers, from beginner to intermediate/advanced. We mainly make jewellery components although along the way we have made pens and journals. Our next clay day is on July 13th.

I am excited to announce that we have someone who is ready to host clay days in Glasgow, the first one will be on May 18th

If you are interested in either of these events and live in Scotland, please request to join our facebook group or alternatively contact me via the website or via the British Polymer Clay Guild