And then the rain came....

 

Here we are, Saturday afternoon, full of optimistic anticipation for the day to come. Marquee lined with our handmade fused plastic bunting, stalls arranged ready for everyone to fill the following morning.

When Sunday came, unfortunately for us and the main event organisers (Royal British Legion & Chorley Council) who had done a phenomenal amount of preparation, visitors were up against the most awful wet and windy weather and understandably either didn't bother braving the rain at all or came briefly and then swiftly took their picnic hampers back home.
There's no denying it was not the day it had promised to be but that said, our marquee was a place of beauty and solace for the committed visitors who came to see us. The atmosphere, as ever, was friendly and jovial and despite low numbers of paying customers (a lot of people were drawn to our shelter as much as our arts and crafts) a good time was still had by all.

Here are just a handful of images from the day. Many more to come in future posts (and on members personal blogs and websites!).

The following week was our regular meet-up in Chorley which included a workshop on the very fashionable art of paper-cutting. The afternoon yielded some beautifully delicate pieces and will have hopefully inspired people to create some more designs which we may see at a future sales event. Craft knives at the ready... 

Sunday June 5th is our next craft fair at our regular venue - The Coach House, Astley Park. We are covering two floors again with over 20 makers, some of whom were with us at the Picnic in the Park, some who weren't. It will be a fabulous day come rain or shine!

Saturday 18th June meet-up will be a scrap-booking session run by Nikki from Paint Pots and Petals so don't miss that one. Contact Charlotte at silvermousey@yahoo.com or Sarah at decolalia@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

Back next month with more so bye for now x

Just over a week to go and we will be providing a decorative spectacular at the Picnic in the Park. It has been a busy month since our last post. First we had our extra IT session led by Lynsey of Purpleshmurple who did an amazing job. Her patience and attention to detail were incredible. Not only did we get tips and advice on making the most of the internet to exhibit and sell work, but also some very comprehensive handouts to take home and practise with. She even managed to persuade some of us stalwart facebook sceptics to sign up and get accounts. Impressive!

Our regular monthly meet-up for April was another session led by a member. This time Rachel from Birdhouse Press joined us and offered advice and tips on photographing items for websites, blogs and online shops.

It was a very informal session with Rachel giving each of us some specific ideas for improving how we photograph our particular arts/crafts. The major issue that came up for many of us was the constraints of photographing items at night, which is when we get our precious time to devote to our crafts if we aren't lucky enough to be doing them full time. She also highlighted the use of props and locations to enhance the look of items. Sounds obvious but is something that gets overlooked when you are rushing to snap and upload photos with limited time.
Thanks to both Rachel and Lynsey for their time and kindness.

So, back to the May 15th event. Really hope everyone is getting organised and excited. We will have some new members with us on the day so looking forward to welcoming them and having some new makers in the mix. Fingers are crossed for perfect weather but if last year's event is anything to go by, Chorley people are up for anything and certainly not put off by a spot of rain on their picnic blankets...

Once we have finished that event we meet up as usual on Saturday 21st of May and then two weeks later we are back to our regular craft spot at The Coach House for our summer fair. Busy, busy, busy!