Ok, it’s clearly NOT Christmas for the sane individual but for those of us inhabiting Retail-land Crimbo is firmly on our minds! I’ve started my Christmas stock and am trying out a few new things this year, both in terms of the way I sell and also the types of items I make for different venues.

I’m braving the weather for the first time as part of the hugely popular Craft*folk Christmas Market on The Hayes in Cardiff. I’m told it’s a fantastic event to be part of and am already getting lots of hints and tips from other artists and traders about the best methods to keep warm! I’m nervous but looking forward to the challenge.

I’m also enormously excited that I’m going to be part of a ‘real’ shop from September to the start of January. Rowley’s the jeweller in Penarth (a long established and lovely shop with a loyal customer base) is kindly welcoming me into their premises where I’ll have my own mini gallery. I’ll also be on hand to chat and take orders a couple of days a week and I’m looking forward to meeting lots of their customers and bringing my work to a new audience. Of course this does mean less working in my onesie and more actual getting dressed in the mornings, but I think I’ll cope!

Also for the first time this year I’ll be taking part in the fabulous Little Otter Handmade Christmas markets – one in Penarth and one in Rhiwbina. The lovely April is the powerhouse behind the events and I’m thrilled to bits to be able to take part.

Throw in a large scale Christmas school market that I’ll be helping to organise and that’s my diary sorted til the 3rd of January. Right better get back to my tinsel. ‘Nadolig Llawen’!