So, craft fairs. I, like probably a lot of people, had a preconception of what craft fairs involved and what was available to buy. You all know what i'm talking about. I'd heard of Renegade Craft Fair, but I kind of thought that beyond that they were all very samey. Very church fete-y. I dreamed of a fair filled with pure, undiluted beautiful prints and illustrations, type, acessories, notebooks and modern, handmade wonder. It was a feeling I sometimes get with Etsy too, often the sort of thing you know is out there is just drowned by the things you're not interested in. It makes it hard to browse without knowing exactly what you're looking for.
I saw flyers for Bird in Borrowed Feathers in, probably, October, put it in my calendar and then promptly forgot about it until Tori mentioned it on twitter. The pictures I'd seen were a glint of hope that my prayers were answered and then I actually attended and it was amazing. It was set up in the currently-being-renovated Cobden Place here in Nottingham. The area is a little haven of vintage and handmade loveliness a it is, and the prospect of there being a huge building permanently dedicated to local craft makes me so excited.
Honestly, I was so blown away by the talent. I was a blur of want and business cards and flyers and I-only-have-2-tenners and christmas presents and inspiration. Martin patiently followed me around and actually, found lots of things he thought were lovely too. He particularly liked the Doge cards. I can't emphasize enough the concentrated goodness of talent here - I wanted pretty much everything and there was so many things I badly wanted to get that I just didn't have the money for. I tried to get as many business cards that I could, so that I could purchase in the future. I bought myself some sweet little christmas decorations and some gifts for people that I cannot reveal!
Here's some of my favourites that I managed to find afterwards:
