This weekend sees the launch of the UK’s first immersive virtual market experience, which I’m very excited to be a part of! Super Market Virtual opens to the public on Sunday November 22nd and ends on December 14th, with over 150 independent Scotland-based businesses taking part:
“‘Walk around’ and browse the individual stalls of over 150 independent Scottish brands across 10 categories, fill your basket, and then get it posted to your door for free. Each stall will have a personal voice message from the seller telling shoppers a bit about themselves and their brand – really bringing the marketplace to life and giving visitors a genuine ‘meet the maker’ experience.”
A unique way to shop online this Christmas and support small businesses this Christmas!
Well, the temperature has dipped somewhat and the nights are drawing in, which means only one thing – autumn has definitely arrived! Which normally I would not complain about, but…this year is, of course, different. On the upside we’ve had some incredible sunny days with visits to idyllic islands, days which remind you it’s good to be alive and living in a beautiful country.
There’s also been a few fun commissions to work on and some new Rudy and the Rowan Tree items I’ve been enjoying making, all of which has kept me occupied and out of trouble. This has gone some way to distract from the fact that all but one of this year’s festive events I had in my calendar have been cancelled. Some have been replaced by virtual versions on social media but there’s honestly no substitute for meeting customers and connecting with fellow makers in the flesh. However, such is the world we find ourselves in and there’s no choice but to get on with it…it won’t be as much fun but it’s better than nothing, and as I keep reminding myself, things could be worse! So let’s concentrate on the fun stuff…
Rudy and the Rowan Tree screenprints on wood – available from Folksy
I’ve been revisiting my roots and screenprinting on plywood tablets (which I found a wee stash of when I was clearing out my workroom), keeping things simple with paper cut-outs of simple shapes and seeing where it takes me…
…and it’s been a lot of fun (nice to mix things up a bit – sometimes it’s the only way to motivate yourself). It’s also helping to keep the Folksy shop stocked up and ready for the Folksy Online Festive Market on December 5th & 6th (watch my ‘Shop’ page for details). I’ve also been making lots of little affordable brooches for stocking fillers as I know not everyone can spend money on larger pieces at the moment…
I’ll be posting updates on online fairs and events as they are confirmed so watch this space! In the meantime, thanks for reading x
I don’t know about you, but I’m finding the period we’re in at the moment more of a challenge than when we were in full lockdown; normality is returning, but not necessarily the good aspects (traffic levels springs to mind), and other things are still a very long way off (cultural hubs re-opening etc)…I think I accepted and adjusted to lockdown in the knowledge that it was a temporary situation, and in a few months we would return to our old lives and move on.
Of course it’s not proving to be that straightforward, and the ‘new normal’ is a pale imitation of our old lives – another way of living which we have to accept and adjust to all over again. Thousands of people have no jobs to return to and thousands more are facing the same prospect in the coming months; tourism and culture (both a hugely vital part of the Uk economy) will struggle to recover from the effects of COVID-19 for years to come. I actually feel more anxious and pessimistic than I did 4 months ago. So, to try and gee myself up a bit I’ve decided to take part in the Artist Support Pledge.
Artist Support Pledge is “a culture and economy in support of artists and makers established and led by artist Matthew Burrows on 16th March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now a global movement of connected communities committed to an equitable and sustainable economy for artist and makers of all countries, media and ethnicities”. The concept is a simple one – when an artist/maker sells £1000 worth of their work, they pledge to spend £200 on other artists’ work. It is mostly focused around Instagram but I’ll also be posting about it on my Facebook page.
As we approach the tail-end of summer (!!!!) I would normally be starting to plan ahead for the autumn and winter’s markets and fairs, but these are very much up in the air at the moment, which is a huge concern. So I’m hoping the Artist Support Pledge will generate some sales and of course enable me to spend money on lovely things (I’ve already compiled a want list)!
HooperHart 