Our annual Craft Fair was this past weekend. We hold this every year in November to showcase all the Shetland Arts & Crafts Association members, including our associate members as well as the full members (for full members see www.shetlandartsandcrafts.co.uk). This year there were over 50 exhibitors, with some new startups.
I even managed to come up with a new product! It's only taken me about 5 years. After constantly being asked for a 'peerie bear', I did it, and 'peerie oolets' were born. I did my uusual and left it till the last minute, so the weekend before the craft fair I was madly trying to come up with a peerie bear which was practical to make from felted fair isle. Peerie oolets are nothing like the style of the Burra Bear, being more a flat bear you can cuddle to you, and more aimed at bairns, although I did sell quite a few to adults, as one man said when I asked if he was giving his 'oolet' away as a gift, he looked at me, took the 'oolet' out of the bag and said, 'no, I am definately keeping him for myself', with a big grin on his face.
I came up with 2 sizes, 'peerie oolet' and 'peerie mootie oolet'. The word peerie in Shetland spaek means small, mootie meaning very small and the word 'oolet' according to the Shetland dictionary means brat, which would be right as I remember when we were peerie and Mam was annoyed with us, she would shout, 'you peerie oolets!'. I also thought the name might spark a Shetland craze, as the Bratz dolls did throughout Britain. And judging by my weekend sales you never know.
Anyhow, by Sunday night at 5pm (when the craft fair ended) my feet were ready to go home, having been in the Clickimin Centre since 8am on Friday morning, being part of the committee means having to come in early to set up the hall for all the exhibitors, this includes marking out the floor (my thighs are in agony from all the bending), sorting out screens (we never have enough), putting out tables and chairs, and then the fun begins at 2pm when exhibitors arrive to set up, and we realise that someone hasn't been given enough, tables, chairs, screens, and so it goes on. But in the end everything worked out ok, and we look forward to next year.
I hope this doesn't mean I have to come up with another new product?
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