Devonport Christmas Festival this weekend

The Devonport Christmas Festival is on this weekend.

It starts at 11am with the Santa Parade followed by Dance in the Park which will run until 3pm.

A mini Devonport Craft Market will be held on the Windsor reserve. There are about 20 stalls set up for the day. This will be your last time  to purchase from Craft Market sellers, in Devonport for 2010. Once again all of the profits from the Devonport Craft Market will go to the Devonport Community Co-ordinator for the running of a Children's Day event in 2011.

For all of the details and to see which Craft Market sellers will be at the festival check out the Festival blog at www.devonportchristmasfestival.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

1 Week to go until the Christmas Market

With close to 60 stalls, the 2010 Christmas Market is going to be big! The list of stall holders is available on the left hand side of the blog - make sure you check out there lovely wares!!


Eftpos will be available at many of the stalls for easy Christmas Shopping. 


We have also added the Devonport Christmas Market Shopping list to the downloadables page to help with your planning!

This markets poster courtesy of Sarah from Cotton Kiwi

See you Sunday!

Christmas Gift Guides

Its only two weeks until our large Christmas market on the 21st November.

To get you ready for the wonderful array of products that will be at the market, you can check out our Christmas Gift Guides.

There are guides for the male, female, child, friend, house, teacher, secret santa or Christmas tree!

Check them out online then come and see them in real life on the 21st!

November 7th Market

A list of all of the sellers at the November 7th Market are now listed on the left hand side of the blog!


The poster is also available for download. This poster was designed by Lisa Eichholz one sister from the sister act Elk. Isn't it cool!


Hope to see you on the 7th

Applications for November 7th Market are open

Please go to the Sellers Information page of the blog for application forms.

The application dates for the November 21st Market have changed. Applications for the 21st November (Christmas) Market will be open on the Sellers Information page of the blog on 13th October for 5 days.

Enjoy your week.

Thanks
Sarah & Sarah

Meet the Seller - Karin from Karin Jewellery

Meet Karin from Karin Jewellery. 

Karin has become a regular feature at the market and her lovely jewellery pieces are always popular. Learn a little about the woman behind the art!

Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Karin and I make jewellery from vintage brass pieces and all kinds of beads, charms  and pendants.

How long have you been crafting and what is your first crafting memory or experience?

I have done something like this pretty much since I could sit up. I've always been into making things, drawing, writing, building, sewing, you name it. My whole childhood is more or less one big crafty memory, but one thing that stands out is the three-story mansion I built out of cardboard boxes for my Barbie doll when I was about eight or nine. It had a working elevator (shoe box, string), an oven that opened (macaroni box), walk-in wardrobes, stables, and a music room with a guitar made from a match box, an ice-block stick and sewing cotton.

What inspires you?

It's so not an original answer, but I have to say nature inspires me. My favourite pieces from my own range are the leaves and acorns, and I love wood and semi-precious stone and coral and bone and all those sorts of things. I like clean, simple forms and bold colours (like my coral branch pendants) but also quirky vintage things, things with some history to them, as long as they're not too sweet – I like things that have a bit of an edge.

What is the crafting achievement you are most proud of?

I'm pretty stoked to be making money, to tell you the truth. I'm not quite at the stage where I could pack in the day job, but I'm very happy that people want the things I design and make enough to pay actual money for them.

What item from the craft, art and design world would you most like for Christmas?

Ooohhh... there's so much to choose from! I would love some sort of padded travelling sleeve for my Macbook, and I've been on the hunt for a new leather kiss-lock purse for some time. It's hard to find the right size.

What is your favourite blog  / book and food?

My favourite books are the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'brian, alongside anything by Tove Jansson. I don't spend a huge amount of time reading blogs but I like Crafting an MBA, The Creative Empire and Etsy's Success blog. I have a LOT of favourite foods, but if I had to pick one it would have to be chocolate, in any form.

Why buy handmade?

I think it's important to have contact with the people who make the things you use and love, it  reminds us of the true value of possessions. People have become used to paying ridiculously low prices for everything, but the things they're buying aren't really cheap – someone somewhere is paying for it, through low wages and crappy working conditions and unsustainable materials and wasted resources and polluting transport. This is no secret, but it's easy to disregard it because you've never met any of the people affected, they're on the other side of the world and speak a different language. 

When you are not at The Devonport Craft Market where can people buy your things?

You can find me on Felt and Etsy (soon). I also sell in Texan Art Schools or email me.

I have people contacting me after almost every single Devonport Craft Market, and I love it – you shouldn't rush to buy anything. If you see something, and then find that you are still thinking about it a day or two later, that's when you know it's for you.  

Meet the Seller - Kim Whalen from Kute Kiwi

Meet Kim Whalen and I am the artist and designer of all things Kute Kiwi. 

Kim's Designs are quirky, fashionable and edgy - read on to find out where she draws her inspiration, and some of her recent successes. 

Make sure you stop by to meet her at the market on Sunday

Who are you and what do you do?

Wool is my passion. I create lots of different items and it is all mostly centered around wool. I make fashion accessories such as bow ties, necklaces, and funky glasses. I also make some home wares including pom pom flowers, pretty garlands, and original art. I also make lots of other random bits and bobs like my notebook sets.

How long have you been crafting and what is your first crafting memory or experience?

I have been crafting ever since I can remember. I guess my first crafty memory was when I was little on sunny days I used to group different colored crayons together in a small pile on the cement in my backyard and wait for them to melt all together. Then I was able to color in my coloring books with multi-colored crayons!

What inspires you?

Everything, I am very easily inspired! I gain inspiration by everything around me...from beautiful natural scenery and animals as well as films, music, books and photography. I find vintage design and fashion very interesting and this has a large influence on some of my work. I also love many historical periods especially the Georgian era! I also love to just wander craft stores or home stores and look at all the beautiful furniture or items I can possibly create something new with. Sitting in a park and people watching is inspiring as well, people are fascinating.

  

What is the crafting achievement you are most proud of?

Kute Kiwi collaborated with World (NZ’s top fashion house) for their 2011 Autumn/Winter Collection. Watching my bow ties, chain scarves and glasses walking down the run way last week at New Zealand Fashion Week was a proud moment. I cannot wait until next year when Kute Kiwi will be in World stores all over NZ and Australia

What item from the craft, art and design world would you most like for Christmas?

I am so in love with Dear Colleen’s "Skills to pay the bills" print! 

What is your favourite blog / book and food?

I hate picking favourites…but If I had to just choose one blog it would probably be Design*Sponge. I love books too. I love science/ fantasy fiction novels and of course all the classics like Jane Austin. Oh and my favourite food is anything Mexican!

Why buy handmade?

Buying handmade means you’re buying something that is special, unique, one-of-a-kind, and made with care. That just doesn’t exist in the world of mass production. You’re also usually directly supporting an independent artist which I am a big fan of.

When you are not at The Devonport Craft Market where can people buy your things?

I am an artist on Foxes. I also sell on my personal online stores Etsy and Felt. Tiny Space, a cute shop off K Rd. in Auckland stocks Kute Kiwi. And more stockists to come soon (hurray!)! Oh and other markets around Auckland, which can be tracked weekly via my website.

Poster and Sellers

Check out the cool poster developed by Emma Walsh! Thanks Emma.


You will also find a list of our lovely October Sellers on the left hand side of the blog!


Can't wait to see you there.

Thank you and Applications open

Thanks to all who came along to the market yesterday. Especially the large number of Dad's that made it along :-)

Applications for October's market are now open, go to the Sellers Information page above to find the forms.

Applications will close on Friday 10th September.

Have a great week.

Free Trains today!

If you live over on the City side of the Harbour Bridge but still want to come to the Devonport Craft Market today, why not catch the train and then hop on a ferry over to Devonport? The trains are free see here . The market venue is just a short walk from the ferry building. You can see a map here or ask a friendly local.

The market is on today, Sunday 5th September, 10-2, 32 Clarence Street, Devonport.

Have a great day!

In honour of Snowplough - A Great Cat

We've been missing our little buddy, Snowplough, the Devonport Village cat a great deal and decided that we had to have a reminder of him.  We purchased a beautiful print from Sandra Waine at the August market and donated it to the Devonport Community House, where our market is held each month,  yesterday.

It was beautifully framed at a great discount  by Peter Scott (another fan of Snowplough!) of Devonport Picture Framers. Thank you Peter! The little gold plaque was engraved in Takapuna. It reads "In Honour of Snowplough. A Great Cat. The Devonport Craft Market 2010." The lovely man on the engraving counter added two little paw prints after hearing about Snowplough.

Centre, seated: Pam Churchill, Devonport Community House Manager

Standing, L to R: Sandra Waine (Artist), Sarah Bird (DCM organiser), Sarah McLeod (DCM organiser)

Pam told us some hilarious stories about Snowplough's antics including coming in to the Community House one weekend to do some work and hearing someone upstairs. She was worried that someone was breaking in, but bravely snuck up the stairs only to discover the yoga instructor chasing Snowplough around the art studios trying to catch him to put him outside.

The picture of Snowplough will be proudly displayed in the Community House by the next market (September 5th). Do pop in and have a look if you are passing before then. Sandra has another Snowplough picture on display at the Depot Artspace just next door at the moment.

September Market Poster Available

Check out this lovely poster designed by Nicola Smith - Graphic Designer and friend of Devonport Craft Market.

Very elegant indeed!

A4, small flyer and web images available from the downloadables page above.

Thanks Nicky!

Craft/ Knit Social Tonight

Where: Mecca Cafe, Devonport

When: Monday 9th August - Tonight!

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Hope you can make it.   Feel free to bring a friend. 

Beginner Knitter Suggestion - a scarf is a great way to start - your wool shop should be able to advise you on what wool and needles you need.  We can show you how to cast on and start knitting on Monday. 

For free patterns - view this site (Ravelry) that Carolyn has recommended. 

You do need to sign in and create an account - this may take a few days to confirm - but it's free to join and has an amazing repertoire of free patterns.

Winter Wellness Festival this weekend at the Devonport Community House

This Sunday, 8th August, there will be a Winter Wellness Festival at the Devonport Community House (same venue as the market) in Devonport, 10am - 4pm. It looks like it's going to be a great day out so why not pop along if you are free?

Applications are now open for the September (Fathers Day) Market

Sorry for the delay but you can now access our application forms for September by clicking here or heading to the Sellers Information Page above.

Applications will close Friday afternoon.

The August lowdown

Unbelievably, it was wet and windy for the third month running for yesterday's market. We didn't let it stop us having lots of fun though.

1. Liberty Lane, 2. Beau Papier, 3. Arctic Ice, 4. Gretel's gingerbread, 5. Thelma's gorgeous preserves, 6. Sensorie, 7. Cotton Kiwi, 8. 0 to 2, 9. Cat Taylor Design, 10. Muzroom, 11. Lily's Make Believe, 12. Inspired by Nature, 13. Kashgars, 14. Happy go Knitty, 15. Mosaics by Adele, 16. Yours Naturally, 17. Songbird Designs, 18. Cotton Kiwi, 19. Ruby in the Dust, 20. August market 059, 21. AW Design, 22. Muzroom, 23. Songbird Designs, 24. 0 to 2

Thank you so much to all the lovely customers who braved the weather and came shopping. It was great to see new customers in amongst our regulars.

And we had an extra special visitor. Jesse came visiting with his autism assistance dog, Dylan. We were thrilled to be able to help with the fundraising needed to buy an assistance dog for Jesse last year. Unfortunately, Jesse's first dog, Doug, didn't work out but the new dog, Dylan has settled right in and is working out a treat. You can read about Jesse and his family's story here.

The applications for the 5th September (Father's Day) market are now open. Pop on up to the Sellers information section if you want to apply for a stall.

Sad

We are very sad to report that the wonderful Snowplough the cat is with us no longer.

Snowplough was a huge part of Devonport life. He was adopted by the Harcourts office and by the Depot Artspace (who had a catflap fitted for him so he could go in and out as he pleased!). He would do a daily tour of the village and spent a lot of time hanging around us at the Community House when the market was on. We have had lots of fun with him over the time the market has run. He has been unofficial market inspector and spent many a happy hour curled up on a chair with us at the Craft Socials. He would always be there to help us set up the market and there when we closed up.

Snowplough at the November 09 Craft Social, hanging out with Kimberley (Pure Extracts),

Hayley (Blankies) and Trish (Fireworks Agnes)

We missed him at the 4th July market but presumed he was off attending the concert at the Depot Artspace. Unfortunately, he had been killed by a car a few days before. RIP Snowplough. We'll miss you you crazy cat!

August Market Poster Now Available

Print and Web Versions available from the Downloadables Page.

Sellers for the August Market now available

Check the left hand side of the blog for a list of all of the sellers for the August Market!

Craft/Knit social - 12th July

A reminder that the Craf/Knit Social is on this Monday at Mecca Cafe in Devonport.

Details:
When: 12th July
Where Cafe: Mecca Cafe, Devonport.
Time: 7.00pm - 9.00pm
No need to email - just come along and bring anyone else that is interested.

Beautiful Day

In a stroke of bad-weather-luck, it was raining again for today's market. We had a wonderful day though. Thank you so much to all you lovely people who came to visit us today. Lovely to see and chat to the regulars as well as see lots of new faces from near and far!

Click on the picture to see the images larger.

1. 4th July Market, 2. 4th July Market, 3. A four legged visitor to the market, 4. Facepainting, 5. Liberty Lane, 6. Collinswood Designs, 7. Sew Funky, 8. Karric, 9. Deborah Hillman, 10. Tui, 11. Pure Extracts by Adamar, 12. Cult Redemption, 13. A Little Vintage, 14. Tui, 15. Kute Kiwi, 16. Funky Rainbows, 17. Sew Funky, 18. 0 to 2, 19. Bookbeads, 20. Songbird Designs, 21. On Top of a Lilypad, 22. Itchy Fingers, 23. Cotton Kiwi, 24. Emma Ioane, 25. Cotton Kiwi, 26. Zippitydoodah, 27. Cat Taylor Design, 28. June Jane

Thanks to everyone who came along!

The next market is Sunday 1st August.

Applications for stallholders open tomorrow, 5th July and will close on Friday 9th July at 5pm. Please click on the stallholders tab at the top of the blog to find the application forms.

Meet the Seller - Nicole from Sweet Surrender Cupcakes

If you have tasted one of Nicole's cupcakes, you will probably be heading back to the market to buy one from her every month - they are addictive! Find out more about Nicole below.

Tell us a little about yourself – who are you? Where do you hail from?

My name is Nicole and I was born & raised in West-Berlin the very exciting, arty & now once again capital city of Germany. I crossed the big ocean via giant steel bird and set foot on Aotearoa in December 1996.

Tell us a little about what you make?

I make/create edible Artistry for the sophisticated & discerning customer. I have to say a little “toned down” for the markets but give me a special occasion and you’d be surprised what I can come up with.

I specialize nowadays on cupcakes (No they are NOT muffins!) small table cakes and small top tier cutting cakes as part of cupcake towers.

I love baking with liqueurs, champagne or port wine…needless to say I cater mainly for the “grownups”.  I just absolutely love to decorate my little sweet creations in a less then ordinary way) lush & opulent appeals to me naturally. I also study Interior Decorating & Design, I am in my second year

Have you always been a cupcake maker?

No, not exactly…I started baking at the age of 4 with my beloved Grandmother (nope, not your typical Nan but a very flamboyant woman, read about our story on my website but I have been in the Industry for a long time. When I came to New Zealand I bought & hands on operated a Café-Bar-Restaurant on Ponsonby Road for 11 years (Café Logos formerly Expresso Love) it was one of the funkiest places in town. It was all about healthy and tasty Food & a (very) unusual stimulating atmosphere. I was baking up to 6 large cakes a day and heaps of vegan muffins, wholesaling my savoury pesto filled muffins to other cafes, making all soups for “SUJU”, making Birthday-Wedding & other Special Occasion cakes and being the head chef were only part of my daily tasks. Prior to that adventure I was trained & worked as a nurse for 17 years in Germany, mainly in Intensive Care Units, Organ Transplant Units, Operating Theatre, as a Head Nurse, Nurses Teacher & a few years at the second largest Psychiatric Clinic in Germany. Oh, and I was a chauffeur for a while in my life to a few posh business clients..that was great fun and I got to drive the most amazing and expensive cars one could imagine..once a Corvette Stingray with 24 Carat gold interior and mahogany dashboard....hilarious…

  

Your flavour combinations are amazing – where do you draw your inspiration from?

I have traveled a lot and have tasted the most amazing foods. I like unusual flavours and taste sensations and I just have to close my eyes, imagine a place or an event from my past or hear a certain music/look at a picture/ feel a beautiful fabric etc and voila -  a new flavour combination pops right up in my head. I am an intuitive baker, I never follow recipes and my cupcakes are not made using a standard cupcake recipe. Once you understand how ingredients relate to one another it is (almost) “a piece of cake” to put it all together.

What is your favourite cupcake?

Ooohh..too many to pin me down on just one. My mud cake combinations are definitely in the top part of my fav list but at the moment I really like my “Marie Antoinette” - Black Doris Plum-Almonds & Pinot Noir. 

Aside from The Devonport Craft Market, where can people find your work?

People can order directly from me on my website.

July Market Sellers

The sellers for our 4th July Devonport Craft Market have been listed in the sidebar of the blog (take a look over to the left hand side). As usual, they are an extremely talented bunch and we're looking forward to another fun day of market fun.

{Mosaics by Adele}

Some of the sellers have links to their blogs and web pages. Why not take a look at some of them and get a sneaky peak of what they have to offer?

{Lisa Hooley Photographer}

If you haven't already, do sign up to our newsletter. It will be emailed to you just before each market and will contain lovely pics of some of the items that will be on sale as well as useful bits of information about the coming market. We will never spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time.

{Liberty Lane}

In the meantime, keep warm and keep well!

all the best
Sarah and Sarah x

Feeling Crafty?

Come along to the new Craft Social at Mecca Cafe, 1 Victoria Road, Devonport from 7-9pm tomorrow (Monday 14th June).

{image: Cotton Kiwi)

Craft Social is now being organised by the lovely Trish Van Bussell of Fireworks Agnes. The first night will have a knitting theme to it. Here's a message from Trish:

"Come and join us for a relaxing evening, being creative, chatting and winding down after the day. Bring along your craft e.g. knitting - that is appropriate for a cafe.

If you're new to knitting and craft - come along and have a look through some books and talk to us about what and how to start. Or if you would like to learn to knit bring along some needles and wool, and we will start you off. Or just come along and chat.

Don't worry if you don't know anyone else that is coming, wander down to Mecca and ask for the table reserved for " Trish Knit/Craft"

Hope to see you then!
Sarah B & Sarah M

Applications for the July Market are now open

Sweet Surrender cupcakes

Applications for the 4th July Market are now open

Visit the 'information for stallholders' button at the top of the page to apply.

Applications will close on Friday 11th June at 5pm. Stallholders will be informed if we are able to accomodate them by the evening of Sunday 13th June.

Please note that we do our best to fit everyone in but don't always have enough places, especially during Winter when inside space is very popular. If we can't fit you in this time, we will try to fit you in at a later date so please do reapply.

You don't scare us Mr Weather...

Today's market was rather beautiful

Even if the weather wasn't!
(click on the photo mosaic to see it bigger)

1. Pure Extracts by Adamar, 2. Inspired by Nature, 3. Classic Kiwi Rocking Horses, 4. 0 to 2, 5. Zippitydoodah, 6. Krafty As, 7. Songbird Designs, 8. Sweet Surrender, 9. Liberty Lane, 10. Natural Hand Knits, 11. Cat Taylor Design, 12. Glennie Knits, 13. Songbird Designs, 14. Bookbeads, 15. Kahikatea Haven Preserves, 16. Two Hand Jewelry, 17. Two Hand Jewelry, 18. Classic Kiwi Rocking Horses, 19. Linen Tea, 20. Kerry Mihu, 21. Collinswood Designs, 22. A Little Vintage, 23. Zippitydoodah, 24. Cotton Kiwi stall June 2010, 25. Bettys Boards, 26. Cheeky Pinchy, 27. Sandra Waine, 28. Kute Kiwi, 29. 0 to 2, 30. Natural Hand Knits, 31. Exter Creative, 32. Hope Jewelry and Art

Keep your fingers crossed for sunshine for 4th July when the next market takes place.

The links to the stallholders who exhibited today will remain in the sidebar for another week or so.

Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you wish to get in touch with a stallholder in between markets.

You can email us or call on 021 0378882

Meet the Seller - Helene from Happy Go Knitty

 

Meet Helene Dehmer. Helene has had a stall at the market since the market opened last year. Famous for being able to ‘knit and walk’ at the same time, we thought you would like to find out a little about what makes this knit-a-holic tick!

Happy-go-knitty – where did you come up with the name?

I have just re-branded my knitted crafts and I'm very pleased with the name. I wanted a name that is fun and clearly describes what I'm doing. As a person I'm quite happy-go-lucky but most of all I'm happy-go-knitty!

Where did you learn your craft?

My nana taught me how to knit when I was 11 years old and I have knitted since.

I have always made things and have tried a lot of different crafts - sewing, knitting, tapestry, pottery, silver smithery, glass blowing, beading... Nowadays I stick to the knitting and I'm a knittaholic! I can walk and knit so a lot of my crafts are made walking to and from work!

What can people expect from Happy Go Knitty?

Various knitted things! I make knitted cuffs from NZ merino and alpaca. A few years ago I learned how to do beaded knitting so some of the cuffs are bead knitted. It's a traditional craft from the early 1800s. Wealthy women used to wear bead knitted cuffs to cover the edges of their worn-out dresses. Nowadays they are used as a warming and beautiful accessory.

I also hand-dye cotton yarn and make knitted kid's beanies. The yarn is soft and nice to wear and the colours are bright and beautiful! I also make knitted flowers from the cotton and put them on rings, brooches, hair clips and hair ties.

I recently dyed a big lot of cotton yarn so now I have my yarn for sale at the market.

There is one other thing that I do..... Some people might have noticed knitted graffiti around Devonport and I have to admit that I’m the person behind most of them (not all of them though). Why I do it? To make people smile! Haven’t seen them? Check out my 'other blog' www.knittygraffity.blogspot.com

Where do you get inspiration from?

New ideas pop up in my head all the time. While working on one piece I'm already working on the next ten pieces in my head! I love colours and my big stash of yarns and beads is a big source of inspiration for me.           

Your favourite books and food?

I really enjoyed the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larson.

Mmmm, I like thai and indian food. And sushi. And Spanish tapas. And Italian food is yummy...

Do you find inspiration online?

I love my sister's blog, she is such a clever crafter.

Yarns and colours en masse can be found at Yarn Inspiration

And I keep an eye on many blogs by my crafty friends, links can be found on my blog.

When you are not at The Devonport Craft Market – where can people find you?

I sell at other Auckland Craft Markets – check out my blog for details.

I will in the near future list my crafts on felt.co.nz and I can be contacted via email happygoknitty@hotmail.com

Knitting and Crafting Social!

Looking for a social way to learn some craft? or perhaps knitting? Check out the Knit/Craft Night being organised by Trish of Fireworks Agnes!

Knit/Craft Night

Where: Mecca Cafe, 1 Victoria Road, Devonport.  Table reserved under Trish - Knit/Craft.

When: Monday, 14th June, 7.00pm - 9.00pm

Contact: Trish  for details or to let her know you are coming along.

 

Come and join us for a relaxing evening, being creative, chatting and winding down after the day.  Bring along your craft  i.e knitting -  that is appropriate for a cafe.

 

If your new to knitting and craft - come along and have a look through some books and talk to us about what and how to start.  Or if you would like to learn to knit bring along some needles and wool, and will start you off. Or just come along and chat.

 

Don't worry if you don't know anyone else that is coming,  wander down to Mecca and ask for the table reserved for " Trish Knit/Craft" 

 

This is our first night  - the plan is to meet once a month - and confirm the next date at the end of the night.

 

We are appreciative that Mecca has reserved a table for us - as a courtesy can we suggest purchasing something i.e tea/coffee/wine/food etc.... ?

Please also no big craft items - or anything that could cause damage or be messy.

June Market

The June Market is fast approaching. Just in case you haven't yet noticed, we changed the date of the Market to the 6th June which falls during Queens Birthday weekend.

There are a large number of new stall holders this month so there will be lots of new things to see.

If you aren't a subscriber to our newsletter, make sure that you sign up on the right hand side of the blog!

Look forward to seeing you at the market!

Applications for June Market now open!

Thanks to all who came along yesterday for the May Market and to celebrate our first birthday.

Applications for the June Market are now open. You can apply via the Sellers Information Page (above).

PLEASE NOTE: The date for the June Market is 6th March - it has moved from the date previously advertised.

The Market will also have opening hours of 10am-2pm over the winter months.

Introducing Sarah Bird of Cotton Kiwi and Devonport Craft Market Co-ordinator

Its taken me a while to get to this Meet the Seller but it is well worth the wait!

Read below to find out all about the brains behind the Devonport Craft Market and the brand Cotton Kiwi.

Introducing Sarah Bird

How did you come up with your stall name?

It was one of those 3am moments of inspiration. My stall was originally called TOTO (which means 'child' in Swahili) but I wanted something that was more catchy and reflected a little bit more on what I made. I googled the name and was amazed to find noone else was using it and relaunched as Cotton Kiwi last October.

How long have you been crafting?

Since I was little. My Mum is very creative. I grew up travelling the world with my parents and we often couldn't buy nice clothes where we lived. Mum would make all of our clothes and all of hers so I learned how to sew and knit by watching her.

What is your craft?

Sewing mainly with some knitting and the occasional bout of painting.  I started off making childrens' applique t-shirts, bibs, aprons and soft toys (particularly sock monkeys and babysafe toys) but then branched out to include a few bits and pieces for adults. My most popular item is probably the Tape Measure Rose Brooches I make. I also make tea-towels appliqued with tea cups and cupcake and coffee cup pincushions which are made using felted sweaters.

How did you start creating?

As with many crafters out there, my Mum had me crafting from an early age. I was constantly getting in trouble for cutting great big holes out of the centre of expensive pieces of fabric to make a dolls outfit or messing up her embroidery threads and patterns. She was very supportive though and taught me a great deal (still does!). I was given my Nan's old sewing machine when I left home but rarely had the time to use it when I was living in London. Since having children, I've been inspired to make things for them and comments and requests from friends and families started the whole ball rolling. I've been actively crafting for about 2 years now and make time to learn as much as I can. There is so much information to be found online from fellow crafters and bloggers, it's really easy to pick up new skills.

What inspires you?

My children, my Mum, other bloggers, pictures, books and photographs from 1950s- 70s (I'm a big fan of retro and vintage items), old sewing patterns and seeing what other people are making all over the world online.

What is your favourite book?

I love sewing books by Emma Hardy. Her instructions are so easy to follow and are always beautifully photographed.

I have so many other favourite books but recently read The Time Travellers Wife and loved it. I seem to spend most of my time these days reading Milly Molly Mandy and Cat in the Hat stories!           

What is your favourite food?

I do love sushi but most food is a hit with me if it eaten with friends or family and a few glasses of wine.

Favourite inspiration site; blog or online shop?

 I have so many but these are favourites:

ETSY (American based handmade website)

FELT (NZ handmade website)

And these bloggers are favourite places to visit for inspiration:

International:

Rosy Little Things

Pink Tea

The Crafty Crow (this is aimed at kids but I still love to visit!)

At home:

Mon Petit Poppet

Domestic Bliss NZ

Polka Dot Daze

The blogs of many of the Devonport Craft Market sellers are very inspiring too. You can find them in the side bar of the blog.

Aside from the Devonport Craft Market, Where can people buy Cotton-Kiwi?

Online at my FELT store or my ETSY store and I usually sell at Crafternoon Tea Market in Kingsland as well as the Devonport Craft Market. I also get a lot of orders from people just emailing me so feel free to do that on cotton_kiwi@hotmail.com

Sarah has a giveaway over on her blog this week to celebrate a year of being online. Why not pop over to the Cotton Kiwi blog and enter to win some lovely goodies?