Devonport Christmas Festival on this weekend and we are there!

It is only a week until the next Devonport Craft Market. This one is a little different in that it is being held on Windsor Reserve. We are part of the Devonport Christmas Festival, which incorporates the Lions Santa Parade, Just Workout Dance in the Park, a Children’s rummage sale, food stalls, bouncy castles and more!

Due to the market being held in the park there will be a mini Devonport Craft Market consisting of 20 of our wonderful stallholders for you to buy from. There will really be something for everyone and it is a great time to get some of those presents ticked off your to-do list whilst the kids are being entertained.

The Devonport Craft Market will be back in the Community House for the first market of the year on February 14^th.

For all you stallholders, applications will open for the market on January 11^th.

Craft Social will be on the 13^th December 7.30pm at the Community House. All welcome. Cost is $3pp and the theme for the Craft Swap is “Summer Holidays”

Hope to see you for a fun filled, exciting day on Sunday!

The Sarah’s Bird and McLeod

Extra Curricular - it has arrived

A wonderful idea developed by a wonderful crafter. Miss Ellie Smith is launching her new crafting companion "Extra Curricular" which is dedicated in essence to the crafter who does it all. Work, family and craft.

The launch party is to be held Thursday night and promises to be a fun filled event with cupcakes and crafters (what a good combination) and a bit of good cheer thrown in. If the blogosphere is anything to go by, there is really going to be standing room only.

DCM has an advert in the first mag - we are excited to share in this wonderful adventure with Extra Curricular and wish it and Ellie Smith all the best.

Extra Curricular will be on sale at the Songbird Designs stall at the next Devonport Craft Market 6th December, but if you can't wait till then, check it out at Kraftbomb 29th November or buy online at Felt (although it appears that it is going like hotcakes on there...)

It was..... SPECTACULAR

What a day we had at the Devonport Craft Market! What a wonderful turnout! What a great day for Christmas Shopping!

We estimated over 1000 shoppers were out in force and they were treated to spectacular goodies from the 52 spectacularly talented stallholders.

The Devonport Craft Market Calendars (downloadable version to be uploaded shortly!) went down a treat, as did the Prize Draws. We need to send a massive thanks to the sellers who contributed product to the Prize Draws, without you this wouldn’t have happened and we had lots of very hopeful and very excited buyers wishing their’s was the golden ticket.

The winners of the draws were:

Prize One: Renee from Takapuna

Prize 2: Sharon from Ellerslie

Prize 3: Jane from Devonport.

Congratulations and enjoy your handmade products!

Plunket held court in the Fundraising Kitchen and they were really pleased with their day too. We were really happy to support such a worthy cause, and that spiced apple cake with custard…. YUM

The Devonport Craft Market takes a different tack for December. We are part of the Devonport Christmas Festival and we will be running a mini market on Windsor Reserve, which will start at 10 and finish at 3pm. The Lions Santa Parade which is the main event, kicks off at 11am down Victoria Road and  Dance in the Park starts shortly afterwards on Windsor Reserve. There will be lots of other food, fun and entertainment to enjoy so make sure you put the date in your diary and come on down. We will bring you more information before the day.

Thank you again to everyone who came along to the Christmas Spectacular Market and supported your local handmade crafty makers and sellers.

Thanks

The Sarah's Bird & McLeod

Christmas Spectacular - The big shout out

Well it is nearly time for the Devonport Craft Market Christmas Spectacular. This market is set to be huge with over 50 stall holders (see list on right hand side of the blog), giveaways, prize draws (x3), buskers, food.  What more could you want??

This is the place to do all of your Christmas Shopping - there is truly something for everyone - check out the Christmas Gift Show case (links on the right hand side) to see some of the buying options! 

To help you with your shopping, we have created a shopping list so you can note down all of the things that you find that you want to buy for people - this way you won't forget what you have seen. You can download the shopping list here or grab one from the Devonport Craft Market Stall (just inside the main doors to the Community House) on Sunday.

We will also be offering you the option of joining the Devonport Craft Market so we can get you information on Market news and seller info. If you want to join now please email your name and email address to thedevonportcraftmarket{at}hotmail{dot)com. We won't bombard you with emails but we will get you all the hot market info you need!

This really is going to be the place to be tomorrow!! Hope to see you all there!

All the best

The Sarah's (Bird and McLeod)

Craft Social Sunday 8th November

It was a cold night but 5 brave crafters ventured out to the Devonport Community House for Craft Social. There were a mixture of new and regular Craft Socialers but a good time was had by all.

The theme for the Craft Swap was Christmas. Check out the lovely wares that were made and swapped.

Details for the next Craft Social to be posted soon.

The Devonport Craft Market Shopping List

We have created, for your shopping pleasure, a shopping list that you can print and download. Bring it along to the Market on Saturday and keep track of all of the presents you want to buy for your special people.

You know how you walk around the market and find something you like but want to look around the whole of the market before buying? Well this way you can keep track of the things that you like and never forget again!

Copies of this shopping list will be available at the Devonport Craft Market Stall and we will also be handing them out at the Ferry building on Friday night.

You can also download the document by clicking here

Don't forget to check out the Christmas Spectacular Showcase by clicking on the gift guides on the right hand side of the blog! New items added to the showcase and the prize draw hamper over the weekend!

Craft Social Tonight

Just a quick reminder that Craft Social is on tonight at the Devonport Community House, Clarence Street (the market venue) from 7.30pm. The swap theme is "Christmas". All welcome. Cake and coffee provided. The cost is $3. Hope to see you there!

Meet the Seller - Olivia Coote from Lily's Make Believe

Meet Olivia Coote from Lily's Make Believe. A Devonport Craft Market regular, traveller extraordinaire and a very creative gal.

How long have you been involved in your craft?

At least 5 years.

What is your craft?
Almost anything, I have always stuck with jewellery making as a base but at the moment am working with paper a lot, paper cuts and prints. I love to sew and knit too. I like to work with anything really, except macaroni and gold spray paint, I drew a line there at 6, but it's something my friends like to tease me with!

How did you get started creating?
I started making jewellery for family and friends when I was about 15, it's been a small addiction since then that grows each year. My friend, Rosemary, and I had so many ideas and would spend hours together knee deep in beads, pliers, wire etc.

What inspires you?
Right now I am overwhelmed with ideas that have stemmed from my trip overseas, hence all the bits and pieces with maps. So that is a major source of inspiration at the moment, I hope to keep travelling in the years to come! But I think what inspires me and drives me most is the work of others, everyday I see something that makes me think 'Genius, I wish I thought of that', it makes me work harder.

What is your favourite book?
The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

What is your favourite food?
It's a dead even tie between sfogliatelle and frittatine. One sweet and one savoury but both so good!

Favourite inspiration site; blog or online shop
Favourite. Singular! Far too hard to call. Can I do a top 3? In no particular order, flickr, I could spend hours on there, and of course etsy too, a visit to etsy is lethal, and no. 3, would have to be a new addiction, 'What I wore today, drawings only' It's a flickr pool where you draw your days outfit and upload it, a mix of fashion and illustration, two things I love, perfect for the shy amongst us, there are so many talented people contributing it's a delight to 'flick' through.

How did you come up with your stall / shop name?
Well, it was all a bit of a mess really that just stuck. I soon hope to shorten it to be just 'Make believe'. It's attempting to be a play on the whimsy of childrens make believe and to 'make' and to 'believe' in yourself and your things.

Apart from The Devonport Craft Market, Where can people buy your work?
I do some other markets around Auckland, Kraftbomb in Greylynn, the new Crafternoon Tea in Kingsland, and I'm doing some small pre-christmas pop up markets this year. I also stock my wee owls in Swonderful in Wellington, Texan Art Schools here in Auckland as well as Pauanesia and Queenies Lunchroom.

See Olivia and her world of make believe at the Devonport Craft Market Christmas Spectacular, 15th November. She has also kindly donated a "Take me Here" artpiece to the Christmas prize draw!

Prize Hamper for Christmas Spectacular & Craft Social

At the 15th November Christmas Spectacular there will be 3 prize draws made! Every customer who purchases product over $15 will be furnished with an entry form to the draw!

To check out the loot that will make up the prize draws click HERE. Thank you to all our wonderful sellers who have contributed their special handmade beauties to the draw.

We will also have special Devonport Craft Market Giveaway, available from the Devonport Craft Market Stall (just inside the main doorway) So make sure you stop by and get one.

As a reminder, CRAFT SOCIAL is on this week.

• Cost is $3pp
• 7.30pm Sunday
• Devonport Community Centre

If you come along you may even get a sneak peak at the Christmas Decorations being prepared for the Christmas Spectacular.

Two more things!
1) Don't forget to check out the Christmas Gift Showcase (links on the right hand side)
2) look out for a new Meet the Seller post this afternoon

Thats all for now folks
Have a good day!
S&S

Christmas Spectacular Showcase

We are really proud of the sellers that we have at the Devonport Craft Markets and of the extremely creative and high quality wares they produce.

A record number of sellers will be out in force at the Nov 15 Christmas Spectacular market.

If you want to plan in advance and check out some of the wonderful wares that will be available. Check out the photo sets we have created below.

We have asked our sellers to indicate whom they feel would be a worthy recipient of their products.

• Gifts for Mums
• Gifts for Kids
• A special Christmas treat for me!
• Christmas Themed Product
• Things for the Home or Batch
• Gifts for Friends
• Gifts for Dads
• Gifts that come under Other!

Keep coming back as we will be updating this photo showcase Daily.

There is also a set on links on the right hand side!

Enjoy

If there was a Crafting Olympics...

... we'd have some winners at the DCM.

As many of you know, it was the Auckland Marathon yesterday as well as our first of the month Devonport Craft Market. One of our amazing regular stallholders, Hayley (Blankies), managed to not only run the full marathon but she made it down to the market to take over from her husband selling her wares. She's pictured here a little tired but still smiling, holding her rather impressive medal.

I wish we had thought ahead enough to make her a special market medal too. You definately deserve a Gold medal for Determination in Crafting when you run a marathon and then turn up at the market afterwards. Congratulations Hayley!

Another impressive feat of crafting determination was performed by Roslyn of Beinzstalk who was at the venue around 4.30am so that she could avoid the road closures and be set up in time. Thanks so much for making such an effort Roslyn!

And lastly but not leastly... thank you to the two wonderful ladies from Felt and Black Swan Designs, who flew up from Christchurch to exhibit at yesterdays market. It was great to have you there.

There's another Devonport Craft Market just around the corner. The next one is our big Christmas Spectacular on Sunday 15th November 10am-3pm. Its a fantastic place to come along to do your Christmas shopping. We'll have a prize draw and giveaways too so well worth the trip. We'll be posting photos of the contents of the hamper soon so watch this space.

See you soon!

Sarah B and Sarah M