Time Flies.... Part 2

It seems like forever since I last updated the blog. The Welsh Game Fair went really well a couple of weeks ago. It was my fourth year there selling my jewellery, and although I suppose it could be called a "big" event, it really doesn't feel like it because it's so local to me, a mere ten miles away.


Sales were a little up on last year, so seeing as we are supposed to be in the grip of a recession or credit crunch, or whatever one chooses to call it, I was very pleased indeed. The Game Fair is one of those events where budget items far outsell anything else. Last year for example, my highest price sale was about £25, with just one credit card transaction! This year however, although most of my sales were small items - lots of earrings, bracelets and bookmarks - credit card transactions amounted to almost half of the income, and most pleasing of all, my most expensive necklace sold on the second day! Ironically, our nephew and his girlfriend called by my stall on the first day to say hello, and I remember saying to them that there was no way a £120 necklace was going to sell, it was just there for display. Sometimes it's so good to be proved wrong!




Since then I have worked on building up my stock level, lots of classic-style gemstone and freshwater pearl necklaces, as well as budget pieces which are a complete must for July and August. Murano pendants and earrings have also been prominent here in the worshop.




So I am off to Llangollen in a week's time. I had the details through the other day and I have the same space as last year, although lessons have been learned and we are trying to come up with an acrylic cover for the earring, bracelet and pendant trays which took a real hammering on Children's Day. Suffice to say, sticky little paws managed to ruin the display!


I really did enjoy the Llangollen experience though, the atmosphere was just wonderful, and although I was pretty much tied to my stand throughout the festival, the music was all-pervading, and the performers were constantly popping in to buy jewellery, dressed up in their fabulous costumes. It's a gruelling week though, as we are open from about 9am through to when the evening concerts start at 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday.


But we have the caravan booked in to a lovely site about 15 minutes away, next to Chirk Castle, so at the end of the day we can either just go back there or eat out at a number of good value places in the area. To be honest, although it's really hard work, we did regard Llangollen as almost a holiday because the atmosphere was so nice and as stallholders we got to see evening concerts for free if there were spare seats, which there were - it's a huge pavillion!


Last year's highlight was undoubtably the finale concert, Jose Carreras. He was just amazing, and I will treasure the memory of the evening. Although I could have cheerfully strangled a couple of people sitting behind us who spent the first half of the concert criticizing him to the "n'th" degree - he was this, he was that, he had lost his voice/touch/presence/charisma etc. etc. etc. Thankfully, they decided that enduring any more time with us ignoramus plebs was more than they could bear so they left at the interval so we enjoyed the rest of the concert in peace!


So I reckon I have five days beading and organising left before Llangollen - a day sorting out Mum, and a day sorting out the caravan eats up the rest of the week. I also need to lay in supplies for Wil although he might be heading back to Bristol for a few days while we are away. And even if he isn't, he will spend most of the time asleep, so I really shouldn't bother too much.


So a few bits and bobs to show - I have heaps and heaps of new pieces but I think that would be a bit too much, even for a blog!

More to come in the next few days, then it's bye bye for a while!

Nia.