Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market

A Pick 'n' Mix Christmas

2011-11-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

Before we threw open the doors on Saturday, a few shoppers snuck in tempted by all the sparkle and colour transforming the hall. One man announced that he thought you get only the best people at these type of things. We completely agreed with him. The hall was filled with wonderful makers and throughout the day we met many shoppers who loved all they found in the peppermint green hall.

Gabriella of Moobaacluck was ready and waiting to greet all with the happiest smile.

Christmas trinkets and kitsch jewellery added yet more smile inducing happiness.

Can't say it better than Roberta of Ripping Yarns can you. The feeling of the day overall was that buying handmade makes you feel good. It's a very good kind of happy finding something original that has been created with passion.

From finely knitted fairisle berets to chunky bright knits from Fiona of Highfibre there was something for all woolly lovers.

For lovers of vintage accessories and fashion Tracy of Faded Splendour had an amazing selection of her stunning brooches handsewn from vintage felt.

She even brought along a couple of wee friends to comment on all who passed by.

Sam of Mamphii Button brought along her colourful button jewellery. A great choice of large brooches, the tiniest of earrings and button rings made choosing all the more difficult.

Thankfully the talented printmaker and illustrator Celia Hart managed to make her way to Pick 'n' Mix after a morning of off road diversions across counties.

Deb and Helen of Baby Loves Vintage catered for the tiniest of shoppers needs with their delightful childrens wear.

Laura Lindores sparkled with her divine glass pieces. Later she was joined by the adorable Monty her wire haired daschund.

Ruth of Glory Days brought her selection of fun makes and those of the makers who she sells for at house parties.

Emma of Silverpebble brought along her new range of silver jewellery and vintage pieces. If you want to see Emma again soon, then she'll be exhibiting at the Selvedge Christmas Fair on the 10th December.

Throughout the day Penny of Planet Penny was busy needlefelting. I wonder how many new creatures were born on Saturday?

Sasha the talented toymaker, who captures an individual personality in all she makes, filled her stall with creatures large and small. To catch up with Sasha she'll be at Clutter City in Norwich on the 10th December.

Amongst all the colour were the beautiful accessories created from French vintage linens by James & Joanna.

Claire of Miss Poochie brought along her witty canvases of Norfolk dogs. One in particular called Norf even has his own book.

To complete the line-up Lisa of Bobo Bun and the organiser of Pick 'n' Mix brought along a jolly array of vintage inspired knitted and crocheted accessories.

Throughout the day Sally of Daisy Boo's cafe kept tempting visitors with the most mouthwatering of cakes.

One lady said Pick 'n' Mix started off the Christmas season for her. It feels good that our bit of sparkle and talent does that. Very soon we'll be looking forwards and planning the springtime Mix. Keep you posted.

Six days to Go

2011-11-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

Six more days to go and we'll be flinging the doors open to welcome you to this years Christmas Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market. Alfie Blue our black Pug will be on the door once more to greet you.

As Bobo Bun I'm busy stitching, hooking and knitting trying to finish up all the brooches, garlands and lovelies I'll be bringing along.

Celia will have lots of new designs hot off the press to delight visitors to the market.

From prints, to cards and notebooks all capturing wonderful creatures.

Fiona will be bringing her jewel yarns and knitted accessories.

Faded Splendour will be there with their vintage textiles and the stunning handworked accessories created by Tracy from vintage notions.

Claire of Miss Poochie will be selling a selection of canvases and handmade wallets, alongside copies of a book she has recently illustrated about the adventures of a dog called Norf.

Emma's beautiful and delicate silver jewellery will be there to tempt you for an early present to yourself.

Ruth of Glory Days will be bringing a selection of retro and kitsch makes made by herself and some of the other makers she represents.

If that's not enough once you've feasted your eyes, you'll need to stop a while in our cosy cafe corner to decide what you'll be buying first.

Christmassy Critters

2011-11-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

Time is whizzing by, in less than two weeks an array of talented makers will be setting up shop in Holt to solve all your christmas gift dilemma's.

We have some wonderful makers joining us once more. Sasha is a toymaker who creates the most delightful and quirky toys which tempt children and adults alike. All made from vintage fabrics and notions in a truly individual style, the hardest decision is which one will be coming home with you.

There are seasonal characters that bring so much joyful cheer.

Wee dogs and cats small enough to fit into a pocket and larger fabulously dressed animals. Some lay in wonderfully decorated beds, others sit ready to be carried off home with a new owner.

Penny is a very talented artisan who creates needle felted accessories and stand alone pieces.

For this christmas she has been creating these neon bright baubles to hang on the tree or around the house. They bring so much cheer they might end up staying up all year long.

My personal favourite's are these cheeky robins perching on a festive log.

She'll also have a robin or two that can hang from your tree too.

Be lovely to see you on Saturday 26th November, in Holt where you'll be able to see more of these talented makers work.

Buttons & Doodles

2011-10-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Sam, the maker behind the joyful button jewellery of Mamphii Button, will be bringing her colourful collections to the Christmas market this year.

From rose earrings ...

... to flapper girl rings, you'll definately find something you won't be able to resist.

Sam will also be bringing Woollydoodles felt wands along just in case you need to cast some magical christmas spells.

As well as stars, Tracy of Woollydoodle makes butterflies, hearts and colourful Gerbera wands to add colour to the greyest of days.

To see their work before the 26th, why not click on the link to visit their folksy shops. They'll also be selling at the Hingham Christmas Fair which is organised by Sal the talented baker behind Daisy Boo's Kitchen.

Sal has run the Pick 'n' Mix cafe for the past three years now and brings more and more delights to tempt our tastebuds each time. My personal favourite are her delicious stilton and walnut scones, but then there's always the strawberry and meringue slices or perhaps a brownie or two. Decisions, decisions.

French Vintage

2011-10-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

James & Joanna create each of their gorgeous handmade home accessories from vintage linen and notions.

French sheeting is used for the printed phrases that are stitched on to individual pieces.

From lavender pouches to hanging hearts and cushions all are made using vintage fabrics and buttons.

True salvagers, they even recycle eiderdown feathers to fill their hearts and stars. To see more of their beautiful work come along to the Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market if you're in our neck of the woods on November 26th.

Woodland Kitsch

2011-10-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

The new designs for the Christmas Pick 'n' Mix postcards have arrived from Jane of Teawagon Tales. Once the old cards had been used up I wanted something fresher, full of fun and that perfectly captures the mood of the market.

The postcards will be coming back from the printers this week ready to be left here and there. Look out for one and why not pop over to visit Jane. She has a lovely blog and some real treats in her etsy shop.

Ripping Yarns

2011-10-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

The next maker new to the mix is Roberta of Ripping Yarns.

She designs and knits up colourful retro inspired Scandinavian and Fair Isle hats, gloves, socks and anything else that takes her creative fancy.

A self-confessed knitting addict, Roberta will rarely be found without needles in hand.

All made by the Norfolk coast where the North wind demands we wrap up warm in the winter months. What better thing than to stay warm in such richly coloured and fun accessories.

If you want to see more of Roberta's work before the 26th November, then why not pop on over to her etsy store for a visit.

Oh Baby

2011-10-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

Introducing our next new makers to the mix, we have Baby Loves Vintage.

Helen and Deb applique vintage and vintage inspired fabric designs onto a colourful selection of new childrens tops and babygrows.

From bubblegum pinks, apple greens and navy stripes there's something for every baby and child in their collection.

You might even find yourself wishing you could squeeze into one.

Their website is currently under construction, but if you want to pay them a visit before Pick 'n' Mix on the 26th November then you can view and order from their facebook page.

Roll Up Roll Up for a Peek

2011-10-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

Of the first of our new makers for this seasons Pick 'n' Mix. We get so excited about the amazingly talented makers that we get to meet through Pick 'n' Mix. It's a fantastic opportunity for our visitors to see their work in a pop up shop for the day and to actually meet the talent behind the creativity.

We're thrilled to have Gabriella Buckingham joining us this year. Gabriella is an incredibly talented painter who also illustrates, her works are quite simply pieces of handmade happiness.

From her home in Norfolk she produces a variety of joyful gifts which she sells from her online shop, Not on the High Street and through a variety of markets.

There are gorgeous seasonal pieces to buy alongside a stunning selection of handpainted wooden bunting, gift tags and cards. We love this sparkly hen in its festive finery.

To see more of Gabriella's work why not visit her at www.gabriellabuckingham.com/.

Christmas is a Coming

2011-10-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

Dare we I say it? I think I probably can now that we're finally in Autumn. It's the Christmas word. Behind the scenes lots of Christmas preparations are already under way. This years Pick 'n' Mix Makers are busy creating gifts, decorations and lots of wonderful things to bring to Holt on Saturday 26th November.

As always we like to keep the mix fresh so that there's always something different for you to be tempted by. Alongside some familiar makers there will be six new makers joining us on the day. I'll be posting over the next few days, so come back soon to find out more about them and their work.

Making a Market

2011-06-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

Months in the planning and over in the blink of an eye. Saturday's Pick 'n' Mix saw a wondrous collection of makers all gathered together to set out their wares under boughs of bunting.

Mr Alfie Blue (Pug of exceptional talent) was part of the welcoming group. He was thrilled when a posse of female Pugs arrived to peruse the stalls.

Sara of Wildwood brought her exquisite linen fairies. The more elegant sat to chat and comment on all who passed by.

Whilst the smaller fairies waved in delight.

New and wonderful creatures came with Sasha. An extremely well mannered bunch of gnomes sat patiently waiting to go to new homes. I'm told they will soon be having baby gnomes.

Lucky Black cats stared, hypnotising all who saw them with their velveteen charm.

They were joined by a basket of mostly well behaved miniature dogs.

Away from all the chatter of the little creatures visitors found Cathy's colourful and original ceramic work.

Ros and Ed of Stabo brought their ecclectic mix of leather accessories and t-shirts.

Knitwear designer and yarn supplier Fiona of High Fibre joined us once again.

As the maker behind Bobo Bun and the event organiser, once I had set out my crochet and knitted accessories I had to rush here and there making sure all was running smoothly.

Beside me was Ruth, the owner of Glory Days. She brought a selection of her own work and the makers who sell through her store. Sadly Daniella of Acorn & Will was unable to come due to illness. A quick 6am phone call meant that Ruth could bring some of her makes so that she was there in spirit.

On my other side was the talented silversmith Emma. The attention to detail in her work is what makes a piece of jewellry by Emma so desirable.

New to the mix was Suzanne of Heart of Glass. She was as vibrant as her stunning stained glass pieces.

Another new recruit was Trishe Darling. The hats and fascinators are designed by Trishe and modelled and promoted by her daughter Zoe. Zoe wore a fabulous selection of hats throughout the day. One very happy lady went away with a beautiful fascinator to wear at the next race meeting.

After three weekends of Norfolk Open Studios Penny's needlefelted creatures and jewellry had a change of scenery. Penny made a wonderful paddock for her juicy coloured sheep to graze in.

Tracy and Craig of Faded Splendour displayed their stunning vintage clothes and vintage inspired makes. Tracy uses vintage felt and notions to make all her exquisite accessories.

And lastly, Celia, another newcomer to Pick 'n' Mix brought her exceptional prints, cards and notebooks.

We had a fabulous day and all visitors went away thrilled with their purchases. Sally of Daisy Boo's Kitchen ran an excellent cafe with mouthwatering cakes and soup which made it more of an experience for all who came.

A wonderful comment was overheard early on. Two ladies agreed that "this is most definately not a craft fair, they're real artists in here." Why not come and see for yourself when we set up shop in November for the Christmas Pick 'n' Mix.

The final Line-up

2011-06-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

Ready for the final line up of the wonderful makers you can meet at this summer's Pick 'n' Mix.

We love Sasha's quirky and retro inspired toys all handmade in vintage fabrics and notions. Most of my children's pocket money is spent on them and so our home is filled with quite a few cheeky creatures and dolls peeking out here and there.

New to the mix this year is Celia Hart of Magic Cochin's Emporium. I'm biased towards her work as I adore hares, but I know you will love her work as her visual eye and printwork is exceptional.

Then there is Bobo Bun which is me. My inspiration is from the happy days of childhood, the bright colours of fairgrounds and the idyllic world of the post-war years all worked in vintage fabrics and yarn.

Cathy Daniels will also be joining us this year, bringing her stunning ceramics. Much of her work is inspired by textiles and quilting.

Emma Mitchell is not only a talented jeweller, but draws wonderful quirky pen and ink pictures too to show her work to its best. Much of her work is inspired by the natural world, she also incorporates vintage pieces into her work.

Fiona of High Fibre will be bringing the softest and most vibrant yarns with her as well as beautiful pieces of her own work made from her hand dyed yarn.

Ruth Johnson who owns Glory Days in Norwich will also be at the market selling some of the makers work who she showcases in her shop. In addition Ruth will be bringing some of her wonderful handpainted furniture.

A last minute addition to the mix is Sue of Heart of Glass who will be selling her stained glass work.

We've had some great press for this years market. We look forward to seeing you there on the day.

Meet the Makers

2011-05-22T02:43:00.000-07:00

Only a few more weeks to go before the summer Pick 'n' Mix, we can't wait. Once the bunting is hung and all the makers have set up shop it is a gorgeous feast for the eyes.

Faded Splendour will be there with their stunning collection of vintage fabrics and clothes. Tracy also makes the most beautiful fascinators, brooches, belts and garters all from vintage felt, ribbons, lace and velvet.

Trishe Darling, a vintage inspired milliner, will be joining us for the first time. Perfect timing for all those summer weddings.

Stabo from Cambridgeshire will be bringing their mix of printed leather accessories and t-shirts. From robots to scooters and bees in a rainbow of colours you'll find it hard to know which to choose.

We're really pleased to have Susan Cariello back with us. Her new collection of embroidered bags are stunning.

Sara of Wildwood will be bringing her beautiful handmade fairies and fairy potions. Aswell as these smaller fairies she makes exquisite linen and vintage fabric fairies.

Currently taking part in Norfolk Open Studios, Penny of Planet Penny will also be setting up shop with us. Her needlefelted creations make us smile with their whimsical charm.

More makers to follow.

Meet a Maker - Acorn & Will

2011-02-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

We're really pleased to have the lovely Daniella of acorn and will joining us again at our summer market. She is absolutely passionate about all things vintage and uses vintage fabrics in many of her gorgeous accessories.

She makes beautiful things that can be used everyday, from jewellry, hair accessories, book markers and cushions to pocket mirrors.

All of her work is complemented by a wonderful mixture of the fun and gorgeous things she finds on her travels.

Her stall is as colourful as a sweet shop and just as tempting. Pop on over to her shop to see more of her work or say hello at the Spring Country Living fair.

Lisa x

Pop it on a Postcard

2011-02-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

It's all getting very exciting. The designs are in for this years Pick 'n' Mix postcards and posters all designed by the super talented Jane of Teawagontales. She is also a fabulous maker aswell as a designer, so check out her blog and then I dare you to try and resist a visit to her etsy shop.

These will be off to the printers very shortly so they can be sent off and start spreading the word.

Very soon I promise to introduce you to some of the makers who will be coming this summer.

Lisa x