Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

and I have never been so nervous in my life! Not when I took my "A" Levels, my driving test, or even the Viva Voce for my Diploma in Management Studies!

It is a 2-day event and the weather looks set to be vile!
I have packed the bath bombs in plastic boxes - don't want any premature effervescence going on  :mwaha:

As many of the people attending will be staying on site, I hope that keeps them coming into the Craft Marquee and spending money on my and my fellow craftspeoples goodies!

I promise to post pix - please keep your fingers x'd for us.

I feel like I'm sending my babies out into the Big Wide World  :-[

Have just seen that there is a handmade chocolatier attending - this could mean the start of a beautiful friendship  ;D

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and sell loads    :buttrf:

Best of luck!

(where is it?)

Good luck.

Good luck... :buttrf:

Good luck for your first fair! Sometimes good, sometimes not so good, sales wise, and can be a bit downheartening if the latter is the case - but great learning experience - really hope you do well  :buttrf:

Hope you do really well hun :)

Best of luck - go and have fun xx

Best of luck Menolly, 'tis daunting for the first one but after a wee while you'll find you're pitch and sales banter. Wishing you all the best!
Where are you? What's the event?

Thanks, guys.

It is the Dunsfold LandRover Collection Open Weekend - near (but not on) the Dunsfold Aerodrome of "Top Gear" fame. This is only the second year that they have had a Craft marquee - Colleen who is organising it said that once she got on the committee, she insisted that they had something for the wives, girlfriends and children over the weekend.
When Kevin and I used to go to the annual Morgan Sports Car Club event, they always had a crafts/retail therapy area (don't remember anyone selling soaps though).

They have apparently got 160 pitches booked for campers (tents, vans and presumably caravans) - poor souls, it is tiddling down with rain here!

I'm nearly ready now - just got to run the ir*n over my table cloth one last time and check my Checklist.

Will let you know how it goes!

sounds like a fab weekend )bar the rain) hope you have a great time, meet lots of nice folk, and sell a bundle too :) :buttrf:

Good luck!  Most of all just go and have fun.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy doing fairs and markets....  Here's praying for good weather...

Hope it goes well

Don't forget your wellies :mwaha:

Oh boy, was it WET!!!
We got there really early to set up (had to be all done by 8.30am) and at that point, there hadn't been many vehicles up and down the field so getting the Volvo up to the tent was fairly easy.
Then it started to rain.......and stopped.........and rained......and stopped! On and off all day, which meant that loads of people crammed into the marquee. At one point, lightning struck the top of the marquee (loads of sparks and a bright flash) which was a bit of a shock

And I sold soap! I covered my stall fee on Saturday, plus £28.

I had a lady visiting from Canada who fell in love with my May Chang bar and came back on Sunday to buy it (I had reserved one for her, even though she said not to worry). I think she would have cried if I hadn't, though,  because by the time she came into the marquee I had sold my last May Chang bar.
She was so pleased that I had put it to one side, and she bought one of my Kitchen Witch (Rosemary & Citrus) bars as well. I really think that she would have bought more of  the May Chang if I had had it to sell - actually, it was one of the best-selling ones.

Sunday was a better day, weather-wise, although the site was a complete quagmire - I guess after umpteen Land Rovers had been trundling all over it, that was bound to happen. We were able to leave all the stock and the stalls set up overnight, as they had site security and when the event closed on Sunday, they had Land Rovers running us back with everything to the car park - I had taken my wellies though, so at least the trips to the Portapotties wasn't too bad.

I don't think any of the crafters did as well on Sunday, which was a surprise as there were more families there and the weather was much better. The Chocolatier and the lady with yummy fudge did OK, but the people with the stained glass window clings had a bit of a disappointing weekend, as did the couple with the lovely hand-drawn images that had then been put on to bags, coasters, mouse-mats etc.

All of the crafters were lovely, and so friendly - and we have learned an awful lot from just this one event! I did take an additional £20 on Sunday - mostly because the lady organising the event came in with a friend and they bought bath melts, truffles,and bath teas and bombs.

I will post pix when I get a minute - have to sort out my boxes and put everything away until 9th July (next one!) ;D

What a shame about the weather!  Glad you enjoyed it though!  Well done, have you got any more fairs booked?

Nice to know you enjoyed your first fair despite the weather.

Is the 9th July the same organsation?

I´m so glad it went well! :buttrf:

9th July is more of a fund-raiser Fete than a Fair - it is at the Walton Centre in Walton on Thames.

To be honest, I'm not sure what to expect from this one - but my aunt and her friend will be dropping in before going off on holiday and she's already guaranteed me one sale, bless her!

It's all good experience, though!

gosh that's 10 mins down the road from me! are you local to WOT?? I might pop by if I have the chance and say hello!

Oooh, please do........it would be really great to meet another "Fresholite"!!
I live in Camberley but WOT is a quick blast down the M3 for us- Kevin's aunt and uncle used to live in Sidney Road WOT and we visited all the time. I was born and brought up near Hampton Court, went to school in Twickenham and had friends all over the Sunbury/Shepperton/Walton/Hampton area (too many years ago to think about  :o)

The Fete is from 12 until 3 - we have to be there to set up at 10.30 - and it is also my birthday, so I do hope that it is a nice day and that I make a few sales ;D.

I grew up in Sunbury! then on to HAmpton, now I am in Hanworth!  small world ain't it !! :)

Noone lives near me, I'm all alone  :bawl:

Aw Selkie - don't be sad, you know we're all just a computer away :mwaha:

Somehow that little sad phrase just reminded me of Gary the snail,  ::violin::  so sad :(

Menolly that is wonderful you had such a great first market... :buttrf:

Finally got the pix off my camera - sorry it took so long!!

(http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h362/Menolly1956/stall3-2.jpg)

(http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h362/Menolly1956/stall2-2.jpg)

(http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h362/Menolly1956/soaps-1.jpg)

(http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h362/Menolly1956/pic3-2.jpg)

Love the pictures and your set-up is gorgeous!  Love the brochures too.... :buttrf:

I like your colour distribution - and the corner shelving unit.

lovely stall, and i love your wooden trays. nice soaps too, very pretty colours

Aww, thanks, guys - OH made the corner unit for me from two small louvre doors and some MDF. I was really lucky with the other trays etc - I won £100 in gift vouchers from Packhouse Antiques (my local antiques barn) last year and used some of them to get the trays, the wire cake stand, the candle box and the "bucket" that the Fairy Dust cones are sitting in. I also got two metal heart-shaped trays that were in bare metal and OH sprayed them Cream for me (they are soft-soldered, so not very robust but they are great for the fabric hearts and the Rosie Cupcake Soaps).

I've learned a lot, though, about setting up and am now working on good price signs for the soaps - I had one big sign but there were too many different soaps on it and even I found it difficult to read  ::) so I'll simplify this at the next event in Walton.

Am having to give the set-up for this a good deal of thought as the table is going to be a round one. Fortunately, my dining table is the same size etc, so I'll start practicing next week.

That looks absolutely gorgeous and utterly inviting.  Love how you display your products, the colours are beautiful  :buttrf:

What a lovely display. Love the name of the company too.

Just gorgeous... :buttrf:

oh yes, gorgeous! can't wait to come asnd see it up close!  :buttrf: