Yes, we all bang on about the wonderful people we meet at markets but that's probably because it's true. Without these new and wonderous peeps [and the familiar faces too], be they stall holders or punters, I can't imagine how I'd survive a 3 day event like this. It was so uplifting meeting you all - and you know who you are.
My fave comments/ conversations from the last 3 days:
Woman staring at my red lampshade for a very long time finally says to me, Have you ever considered a farm yard theme? Ah .. no.
Woman with American accent asks me if I do custom orders and when I mumble something about maybe next year she says to me, So you would do me a cardinale? A what? I say. A cardinale. You don't know the cardinale? she says, with utter astonishment. No, what's a cardinale? It's the bird that represents the state of Ohio. Oh right. No ... I don't do custom orders.
At drinks on the second night, chatting with two other stall holders. One of them asks me what I do and while I'm trying to think of an amusing reply the other stall holder says, interior awesomeness. [I like. Must put that on my business card].
Woman restraining a small child says, Oh my goodness, where do you get this fabric? Um.. [what does she mean?] I make it myself. Really? You mean it's not bought fabric? No, I make it myself. [I draw pictures, I turn them into screens, I print onto various fabrics by hand, I cut out individual images and applique them onto base cloth, I print and paint onto base cloth, build up layers and finally add some hand stitched details or buttons or whatever. Then I squeeze out a few drops of blood, sweat and tears, mix it all up and hey presto]. I wish I could have said all that in the brackets, though I think maybe I lost control of my face during that exchange and it said it all for me anyway.
It was three days of the usual [for me anyway] mix of heightened reality, laughs, boredom, confidence battering, confidence boosting, laughs, teeny bit of alcohol, bartering, spending, earning and gorgeous silly conversations. Oh, and the heat this time. Full on heat.
All in all, pretty good.
