Welcome to Inside the Studio!
Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
Congratulations Melissa of Bead Recipes!
You have won a Beads of Courage pewter Space Shuttle bead from Erin at Tesori Trovati.
You have won a Beads of Courage pewter Space Shuttle bead from Erin at Tesori Trovati.
Please send Erin an email with your information.
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Hello there from Edinburgh, capital of beautiful Scotland! After a year in Belfast, I am now back – having come full circle – in my home city. It still feels like I am on holiday but I am sure that won’t last!
This week’s Inside the Studio is going to be a picture-heavy post. Why? Because I am spending very little time inside the ‘studio’ (otherwise known as whatever space I can eke out at my Mum’s house; where we are currently staying whilst the dust settles from our move); instead you will find me up at the West End Fair, running every day from the 2nd – 24th August. Tired – me?! Just a little….but we are over the halfway point, and after a rainy start (come on August!!), the weather seems to have turned. 9 days to go – wish me luck!
Take a tour round the fair with me…
Decorating and building the booth, version 1…wallpaper from B and Q, a hardware chain! House box frames discontinued from the supermarket, with wallpaper sample inlays…
Peeking out on day one….can you spot the umbrella?!
Phase one involved using some of my Kraft gift boxes for a display – good in a pinch!
Version two – I moved after the first week, allowing me more of a ‘back stage’ area…I also ‘upgraded’ my gift box display to some painted wooden flooring samples. Not the cheapest solution, but they are sturdy and will hopefully last…
Do you like my new Songbead sign?
A close up of some of my display…
Peeking out from my wee hut, hiding from the rain. Brr!
Earrings are always popular at summer events for me…
Some of the new jewellery, made specially for the West End Fair…
And some of my new ‘double-dipped’ handwoven beads, made during some of the slow rainy days at the beginning of the fair. What colours would you like to see these in?
I hope you enjoyed this whistle-stop tour of my fair so far!
This week, I am offering up a selection of my new double-dipped handwoven beads for you to use in your jewellery. They are not available to purchase right now so you will be getting an exclusive gift!
My question to you is:
What’s your top craft fair tip? Display, preparation, organisation…..any aspect of taking part in a craft fair! I’d love to know. Leave your answer in the comments below to be in with a chance to win some of my beads.
Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer, based in her country’s capital, Edinburgh. You can read more about her and her work at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com. She also has a supplies shop at thecuriousbeadshop.etsy.com.