Totally Bazaar

Unless you've been nestled under a rock for the past few months you might have heard me mention Totally Bazaar.


I've been raiding the vintage fabric stash (I can't just keep it all for myself after all) and making like a demon for the past couple of months in preparation for Totally Bazaar and now here we are with just one week to go before the event takes place on 3rd April (that would be Mothers Day in case you've been under a rock inside a box).

Totally Bazaar will be held at the Holiday Inn in Belfast and it's well worth the trip to come and pay all of us a visit.

Admission has been lowered for the event and is only £3 for adults and £1 for under 13s and all ladies attending the event will be entered into the giveaway with a chance to win a gorgeous Mother and Daughter Glamour Hamper. Totally Bazaar opens its doors at 11am so why not come and spend a few hours surrounded by the very best of vintage and handmade and then have a long lunch at the award winning Junction Bar and Restaurant at the Holiday Inn.

As if that isn't reason enough, 50 exhibitors will be showcasing at Totally Bazaar and with bags, accessories, jewellery, clothing, homewares and everything in between there will be something for everyone along with special Mothers Day offers and I'll even be hosting a giveaway myself.

Every purchase from my own stall enters you into my giveaway to win a luxurious handmade lavender pamper hamper containing handmade candles and soaps, lavender sachets, neck pillow, eye mask, lavender filled bath teabags and a wonderfully thick and soft cashmere spa cloth to really pamper yourself.


And the best bit of Totally Bazaar is that while it's in the very heart of Belfast, it's also on a Sunday. Ha, free parking!!

A full list of exhibitors can be found on the Decadence Vintage Clothing website, but for a sneaky peak at some of the handmade goodness on offer, click on the following shops and have a wee nosy.






I'll see you there.

Oh 'eck

OK, I know it's been almost a month since I last posted, but I have excuses. Don't I always come armed with excuses?

For starters it was January and January is not the lovely quiet month everyone says it is. I've been lied to, I've lied to myself. I have to try and remember what January is like so it doesn't bite me next year!

I've had all the ick things to deal with like tax returns (never as bad as I think they're going to be) and paperwork to complete because Bob's out of work (worse than it really should be), but we've packed in the fun stuff too ...

Countless bike rides around the Floodgates


Trips to the duckpond



The birds really aren't walking on water, it's just frozen solid.

And I've been a busy little beaver making new stock.



I've even booked my first fair of the year, so I've been making like a woman demented for that too ...



Totally Bazaar is run by Decadence Premier Vintage Fairs, the same great organisers who bring you Frock Around the Clock each year. It'll take place on Sunday 3 April 2011 and starts at *11.00am at the Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast so if you're in the area feel free to drop in for a natter.

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On top of everything else we've been kept really busy by school things too. First there was the Exploris visit, a really fun day for the kids in school but it did come with a ton of extra homework. I don't mind homework but Chloe was being a bit of a nightmare about it, then she came down with tonsillitis and that explained everything. Obviously then once she was better and back to school we had a mountain of homework to catch up on, but at least it's finished now.

We've had two sponsored events to take care off and then there was pirate day!. Have you tried finding a pirate costume in the shops in the middle of January? It can't b done, so another thing went on the to do list and it had to be made from scratch. I've photos and I'll show them to you but they're on the camera and I just haven't had a second to deal with them yet.

I've a stack of foodie photos too and I will get round to posting the recipes at some stage, it just won't be today because today I'll be mostly making birthday presents for my mum and dad and finishing 3 skirts for Chloe so that I can drop them in the suitcase ready for pressing and packing before the holiday. I know it's not until June but I just like to know these things are done, then I don't have to think about them again. It's my own fault really, I cut the fabric and pinned it all and set it on the back of a chair where I could see it. Every. Single. Day. So it has to be done today, for my own sanity.

And at some stage in amongst everything else I'll manage to squeeze in my 30th birthday on Friday. I might sit down for a coffee or something instead of carrying it around with me like the cup's attached to my hand.

* You really have to love an organiser who appreciates that loading the car at 6.00am on a cold Sunday morning in April is not a big ol' bundle of giggles and let's us have a lie in!

Belmont Tower Craft Fair

I spent almost all day Saturday at Belmont Tower Craft Fair. My very lovely mummy and I arrived a little after 8.30am and started to set up my stall. Well, I set up my stall and my very lovely mummy (who knows better, bless her) sat drinking coffee and watching me from a safe distance.

We all like things done our own way, don't we?

I finished up sorting the stall out and with plenty of time left before the doors opened I started having a natter to some of the other crafters. It turned out that all bar two of us were completely new to the fair so we had no idea what to expect.

I sat having a quick coffee and watched a few people taking photos of their stalls once they were ready and I thought, I must remember to take a photo!

Anyway ....
Head like a sieve as usual, honestly where some things are concerned no sooner have I put it in there, than it falls straight back out again. Photos seem to be one of those things. But look ...

Chocolate!


Thought that might work.

I was really pleased with how the fair went in the end. It wasn't the busiest, but because the other stall holders and the customers were of the absolutely outstandingly brilliant variety it meant that I got to stand and have a chat with everyone instead of having to excuse myself every few minutes.

Sales wise I did pretty well, well enough that I've booked again for next month (bagged the last free table) and I've booked ahead for November too. I was very pleased that the first thing I sold was one of my handbags, this one to be exact. The first hour of the fair was very very quiet and all of a sudden a lady appears out of nowhere and declares "Lovely bags, I'll take that one please".

Do you know when it's been so quiet to begin with and then someone asks to buy one of the most expensive things on the stall and it throws you for a second. My mum and I just looked at each other as much as to say "did she just say she wants a bag?", "aye I thought that too, must be the acoustics in here". We just couldn't believe it for a second, but quickly got over it:)

So you'll find me there again on 7 August. Now if I could just ask one of you lovely people to yell, "don't forgot the photos", on my way out the door that would be great. Ta.

When you've promised

that you won't buy any new fabric to make things for a craft fair and will instead plough through your huge stash and then you find six metres of this, in the form of brand new, still in the pack Ikea curtains for £4 in a local charity shop, it is ok to break your own rule!


Especially when it's pre-stiffened and will make perfect tote bags.

It can mean only one thing

Scenes of mass making, batch interfacing, general madness and mayhem and enough tiny little pieces of thread and fabric littering the floor to weave wall to wall carpet.


Oh yes, craft fair season is well and truly upon us once more.

I'll be at the Belmont Tower Craft Fair on 3 July to begin with so if you're in the area, pop along and pay me a wee visit. There is also a great outdoor food market on the same day so you can pick up something really lovely for dinner too.

So, where will you be?