I feel very much like a naughty teenager sneaking in after a night out. It’s been such a long time since I wrote a blog post. I get so engrossed in what is going on around me and before I know it time has passed – even my 6-year-old said ‘this week seems like 1 minute’. I completely agree.
So, what did I get so engrossed in? A craft fair. I don’t mind admitting that I was so scared I wouldn’t have the right things to sell and that I would sell nothing (I did a fair last year that turned out to be totally disorganised). When a small advert popped up on a local Facebook page asking for stall holders I figured that it was a great starting point. I know that I have to push myself harder to gain confidence and start actually selling what I have made. The stack of receipts and tax return waiting to filled out is a constant reminder of this! But seriously, I am the kind of person who enjoys the anonymity a blog. I am and always have been quite shy.
This small local fair was widely advertised with social media competitions running for sharing posts, door to door leafleting and big posters by the roads. It was at this point that I knew that people were going to come and my days of hiding were over. I soon realised that, because it was local, I would be seen by people who I see daily on the school run. On the morning of the fair I wanted to hide in a cupboard………
I’m glad I didn’t. It is at this point that I would love to share a photo of how my little table looked but I was so busy from the minute I set up that I didn’t have a chance to snap one. My husband sat at the table gleefully saying ‘told you so’ as I made my table fee before the doors even opened. I served kids from my children’s classes in school and chatted to their parents, answered questions about how the items were made and learned that people do actually really like what I make. I heard this week that over 600 adults attended the fair!
I made a lot for the fair so I won’t fill this blog post with it all in one go. One of the big hits were the Christmas decorations I made. I have since had requests on Facebook for more.
I’m hoping to get myself in gear to get what is left on Etsy in the next few days. I have had to make more snowmen as I totally sold out.
Anyway, hopefully I haven’t put you all to sleep. I am going to try to catch up with what I have missed in blogland over the last few weeks and try to figure out how I can get more organised with my time so that it doesn’t just slip away.
Anyone else wanting to get their Christmas tree out now?
Hannah x
The Artisan Duck 
This is a wonderful story and I love your decorations. You are so talented and I am not at all surprised you did so well. I hope it boosted your confidence a little. I wish I had your courage. Hugs, Darren x
Thank you so much Darren. It has boosted my confidence a little but its easy to slip back into old habits. As for courage – I’m not sure if it is coming from within me or if its my husbands persistent voice telling me to keep going. Believe me I would not have made it to the craft fair if he hadn’t promised not to leave me all day! You are very talented too but I appreciate its not always easy to recognise your own talents. Hannah x
Thank you Hannah. My WordPress friends are the people responsible for encouraging me so much. My wife does too but there are some aspects she is uncomfortable with – especially any venture into online selling or social media. She would be quite happy for me to do fairs but of course they would eat into creative time. As an introvert myself I know I would find fairs really challenging. One of my work colleagues saw some of my work a few weeks back and now word has got around at work – and I feel really unhappy about this because I try to compartmentalise my life!
I totally understand. Online seems the ‘safest’ way. I think that is why I class it as hiding. I find it hard to think that people may judge what I make or charge and make a decision about my personality as a result. I also like to think that people I see at school etc see me as ‘Mum’ but away from that I can be who I want to be. Again modern technology makes this possible – I am Hannah / Artisan Duck online and a totally different person to the one that cooks fish fingers and helps with homework. Sorry you are so unhappy with people learning about the hidden parts of your life. Is there any way that this could be turned into a positive? Since the craft fair I’ve had more parents smile and say hello to me. I’m very nervous around people but it’s nice that people acknowledge me.
Wow Hannah, I love your decorations! They’re amazing, no wonder they were so popular. It’s lovely to see a post from you, I haven’t posted for months now and not sure if I will again. It was just an added pressure on my never-ending list of things to do. I decided to prioritise the things that needed doing first then if there’s time, I can do the things I want to do. Glad you did so well at the fair xx
Thank you Vicki 🙂 I completely understand where you are coming from on the blogging front. Juggling home, kids, crafting and general life something has to give and with the ease of a quick snap on Facebook and Instagram the blog will always be the first thing to suffer. I have wondered several times over the last few months whether to keep blogging but have decided that I’ll just keep doing what I can when I can. I actually scheduled two posts for this week and that seems to have worked well. We will see. Hannah x
Congratulations on the successful fair! There’ s no way such adorable stuff would not get sold. Love the ornaments!
Thank you. They were definitely the main attraction!
Absolutely beautiful creations Hannah.
If I only had enough money to buy one … I think I’d choose … uhmmm…. the…. snowman! Phew, that was a difficult decision!
They’re all really lovely, and I’m really not in the least bit surprised that they went down well at the craft fair.
Well done my fabulous friend.
But … now comes the sad bit … you’re finding it difficult to keep up with the blogging.
Why is it that all of the creative people that I love who I follow the blogs of, all, one by one, are giving up bothering to blog? I’m beginning to take it personally now! (no not really). (Actually … yes, maybe a bit really, actually).
I miss you now … so I shall miss you dreadfully if/when you end your blogging life.
But … I know that life is busy and sometimes we just don’t have time to spare, and I fully understand. But … I will miss you. You were about the third lovely friend I made in blog land and it made blogging such a nice place to be.
Whatever happens Hannah, know that I wish you everything you wish for yourself, plus tax, and a great big gratuity on top. 😊
Congratulations on this, your 2nd Craft Fair. I’m so, SO glad that this one turned out to be well organised and well attended.
Sending squidges ~ Cobs. x
Thank you Cobs. What is it with the snowmen? People just love them 😀 My personal favourite would have to be the reindeer and Santa.
Don’t worry I have no plans to give up blogging – I really do love it and value the friends I have made. I just need to make sure that I manage my time better to include it again. Social media is great but its just a snap of a photo, a few words and people don’t interact the same way at all. Blogging gives me that chance to chat and moan and talk to people.
I’m trying to get better at scheduling my posts and my time. It has been a bonkers few weeks and the joy of children means never quite knowing what life has in store for you.
For now you are stuck with me. I may have been organised enough to make sure that at 8am on Thursday another posts from me will magically appear!
Lovely to chat with you Cobs. Hannah x
Your decorations are very beautiful! I love all of them! Have a beautiful and blessed day!
Thank you so much. They were so much fun to make.