The Handmade Expo VISITS The Craft & Stitches Show

Hello

So, Miriam and I went to the show yesterday and had THE BEST TIME. We arrived at around 10:30am (no, we weren't the first ones through the door)! and we headed home about 3:15pm, we just couldn't leave!

The Incubator section was amazing and so many talented stallholders...it was so nice to put faces to names (even if we only knew them by blogger name)!! cute hey?

Helen from Ruby2gogo www.ruby2gogo.blogspot.com was an absolute hoot and of course, we could not help ourselves...here is a photo of the goodies that we purchased:



From there, we headed down Kristie from Rourke & Henry www.rourkeandhenry.typepad.com

with her funky goodies and purchased a coffee cozy - for take away coffees...what a great invention..here is a photo:

We then headed to see Justine at Mixtape...Mixtape is a Maga"zine"..about making time for small things!  Mixtape is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch.  Keep an eye out for The Handmade Expo in this ultra cool ZINE..  www.mixtapezine.com

IT was lovely to meet Thea from www.thea-sami.com.au with her chic design fabric...Miriam could not resist this..how great are they? (sorry about the rotation)!

These awesome looking fabrics were purchased from HobbySew.

Look out for these new fabrics on www.bubbachenille.blogspot.com

You will see these in her fabulous new collection very soon

Talking about fabric...these were purchased from Amitie...they are located in Melbourne and we were lucky enough to see them in Brisbane  www.amitietextiles.typepad.com

 

Miriam once again could not resist the purchase of Meet Me A Mikes book www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com Miriam even got a few autographs from contributors of the book.  Miriam was like a kid in a candy store with this book.  She refused to even look inside before she got home..A very exciting purchase.

Another Miriam purchase was the 1 hour apron from made by miffy louisestuart.typepad.com/miffysworld

We missed Louise as she was busy doing workshops.  Miriam will surely take a photo of her finished product and blog it...so keep an eye out for that.

Trish and Alan from trishalandesigns.blogspot.com

were in the incubator section.. These guys have a regular stall at The Handmade Expo. So you can see them anytime with us.  We could not get in close enough to their stall as they were soooo busy...We don't have a photo, but they are the fab eco dyers.

We were also lucky enough to meet Samantha from Jettas Nest www.jettasnest.blogspot.com

It was so nice to meet you.  Also, Christine from Little Diva was part of the Incubator Section...once again, we did not get a photo, but you can visit her at www.littledivacraft.blogspot.com

Once again, it was really nice to finally put a face to a name.

We could not end this post without giving a plug to Brisstyle www.brisstyle.blogspot.com

Many of the members are participating in a 10% off deal. See their blog for further details.  We are massive fans of Brisstyle (Miriam is a part of it) and we will be heading to their July 4th market at Racecourse Rd, Hamilton...once again, see their blog for further details..

We of course had to wear our very fabulous "I heart The Handmade Expo" brooches made bySophie from sophieisobeldesigns.etsy.com  This was quite a big talking point as people would see that it was handmade and ask what it said...we of course chatted with them for as long as they could listen to us!

Well, that's all from us for now.

We hope you enjoy reading this and we hope that if you attend the Show that you say hi to all the girls mentioned and let them know that you saw this post.

HOORAY FOR HANDMADE.  We love it, we are passionate about it and we promote it.

From Liesa Miriam and Micky

HATS WANTED FOR THE IPSWICH SHOW

Hello

Once again, we are looking for particular items to sell and promote at The Ipswich Show for The Handmade Expo.

We are looking for:

HATS

As mentioned in previous posts..We are taking out 3 sites at the show to sell and promote HANDMADE.
The show is held on 7th, 8th & 9th May...9am-9pm.

There is a one off cost involved and we do not take commission on sales. You also do not need to be there to sell you items..Miriam and Liesa are doing this on your behalf for 36 hours.

The Ipswich Show gets up to 30,000 visitors through the doors over the 3 days.

If this is something that you do or you know someone who makes HATS and is interested...please email us at:

thehandmadeexpo@optusnet.com.au

From
Liesa, MIcky & Miriam

The Ipswich Show - kids canvases/framed work

Hello

Do you paint or scrapbook kids canvases or frame kids artwork?

We want you....

As you are most probably aware, we are taking out 3 sites at the Ipswich Show on May 7th, 8th & 9th to sell and promote HANDMADE.
There is a cost involved, however, you do not need to be there to sell your items...Miriam and Liesa will do this on your behalf over the 3 days (36 hours of trade).
We do not take a commission on sales...there is just the 1 off cost involved.

If this is something that you do OR you know of someone who does this, please email us at:
thehandmadeexpo@optusnet.com.au

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

The Ipswich Craft & Hobby Fair

Hello

As you are probably aware, we are taking expressions of interest for the Ipswich Craft & Hobby Fair which we hope to hold on Saturday 25th July at the Ipswich Showgrounds Exhibitors Pavilion.

The Handmade Expo is presenting this fair and are encouraging people who have supplies to grab a stall before its too late.

We are needing stallholders to pay to secure their sites before 13th June...this is when expressions of interest close and this is when we will know if we are going ahead with the fair.

We are a few short of the minimum requirement. We feel that there is a niche in the market for this fair and hope that South East Queensland will embrace this as much as they have The Handmade Expo.

So, if you would like to have a stall, or know of somebody that would like to have a stall, please email us at thehandmadeexpo@optusnet.com.au or phone Liesa on 0422876154.

Don't miss out on this annual (we hope) event.

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

The Ipswich Show - May

Hi Everyone,

As you may or may not know Micky (one of the Handmade Expo coordinators) also works for the Ipswich Show Society and she has asked me to send this email to see if anyone is interested in outdoor space at the 2009 Ipswich Show which is held from Thursday 7th May to Saturday 9th May.

She has advised that the ONLY indoor space she has left is a 2m x 3m spot - so if you think you can fit into this area please give her a call URGENTLY on Monday.

She has also advised that she has 2 lockable garages available on main drive as well. They are approx. 6m deep x approx. 3m frontage. If you would like a lockable outdoor spot please also give her a call URGENTLY on Monday.

Last but not least she has a fair bit of outside space still available - you would need your own canopy and sizes vary from a 3x3 and larger.

The Ipswich Show welcomes up to 30,000 patrons through the gate over the 3 days of the show.

Spaces are filling fast so please call her on (07) 3281-1577 if you are interested.


From
Liesa, Miriam & Micky

BACK ON LINE

Hello

Well, that didn't take long at all.
We are back on line...so please use the thehandmadeexpo@optusnet.com.au email address.

Thanks heaps
From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

OUR NEW BABY

Hello

Now, it is not what you are thinking!

Alot of our work is very email and computer orientated. As you all know, we like to keep you all up to date with whats going on with The Handmade Expo and to do that, we need a reliable computer. Well, my computer is slowing down and not much fun anymore, so we have invested in:





TADA

Isnt it beautiful. So, as from 12:15pm today (FRIDAY), we will be offline for a while. Please feel free to phone us on 0422876154 or if you prefer to email, we do have an alternate email address at: handmadeexpo@optusnet.com.au This is not the main email address, but if you have to email something, this is what you can use in the meantime.

I will blog once we are up and running again..

WISH US LUCK!!!

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

The Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show

Hello

There is a massive hype around at the moment about The Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show.

If you haven't heard about it already WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!!

We are so excited to announce that we will be there...Not as exhibitors, but as customers through the door. We are super excited about the new Incubator section that is happening plus everything else that will be going on.
We are heading there on the first day..Wednesday 29th April and it goes until Sunday 3rd May. It is being held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre at Southbank. Entry is $16 (single adult entry). We know a few of you who are exhibiting and can't wait to see you there.
If you are exhibiting, leave a message and let us know...If you aren't exhibiting but are going, let us know when and how excited you are about it.
Tell the world about it because WORD OF MOUTH is the best...

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

I Heart The Handmade Expo

Hello

We just had to share this with you.

Check this out:

Thanks to Miriam who found her on www.etsy.com

You too can order one...It doesn't have to say "I Heart The Handmade Expo"..I mean, it can if you like!...but she will make to order.

So, head on over to her shop at: www.sophieisobeldesigns.etsy.com

to check it out.

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

The Ipswich Show - Open Invitation

Hello

We have an opening at the Ipswich Show for anyone that is interested in selling and promoting their fab handmade goodies.

Now, this is little different to our normal handmade expos. With the Ipswich Show, The Handmade Expo is taking out 2 sites in the showspace pavilion to sell and promote handmade.

We have quite a few committed to this fabulous new adventure, however, we have gone through our list and it seems that we are missing a few things:

Soft kids toys
Funky Scarves & Hats
Brooches
Pet Accessories
Candles
and anything that little bit different and unusual

We have a big range of things that we are showing and a small amount of things that we are missing and would love to have....

Here is how it works:

You need a minimum of $200 worth of stock (plus extras to restock)
Please email us for the cost to be involved over the 3 x 12 hour days.
7th, 8th & 9th May (9am-9pm)
You do not need to be there, Miriam and I will be selling and promoting your items on your behalf. We do have a roster system going, if you are keen to volunteer an hour or 2 of your time.
You need to deliver your items on Wednesday morning at the Showgrounds (or
organise prior date/location if this does not suit) and collect your items
which we hope is not a lot) on Sunday 10th May (or if this day does not
suit, you can collect from my home on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday the following week)

Numbers that we have been provided by the Ipswich Show Society is up to
30,000 people come through the doors over the 3 days. With the growing
popularity of handmade items, this is a great opportunity to promote,
showcase and sell handmade.

So, we will leave this with you and hope that some of you will be interested
in joining us at the show.

From
Liesa & Miriam
www.thehandmadeexpo.blogspot.com
0422876154

The Ipswich Turf Club

Hello

So, we thought we would take a visit to the Turf Club and take some photos of some of the areas that we will be using for our Expo's to show you what it is like.

Please be aware that if you request undercover, we will do our very best to adhere to your request. As you can see from the photos, you will still need a canopy.

There are some other lovely areas as well..which you will be able to see from the photos. Please note that the vehicles will not be there during a markets..just thought I better set the record straight on that one.

We are sure that the weather will be fabulous on our market days as it was today.
WARNING...lots of photos.






















We hope this gives you a better understanding of The Turf Club and what we mean when we say that there are all sorts of areas, some undercover, but not fully!

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

Gundy Photos and Goss

Hello

Well, we have finally downloaded the photos for the Goondiwindi Expo. What an amazing event.

From Ipswich, it takes 3.5hours. On the way to Gundy, we came across a COTTON FIELD..OMG! This was amazing, we have never seen anything like this before, so we had to stop and take photos...It is like WOOL..or an even better way to describe it, it is like cotton wool...AMAZING


The Cotton Field


Cotton Wool Bud


Liesa getting close with the cotton!

We we also had the local wildlife showing off. Across the road on the football paddock was hundreds and hundreds of white cockatoos. Loud and amazing. Once again, we have never seen anything like this. I am sure that the locals would find them quite annoying day in and day out, but for the 2 days that we were there, we were amazed by them. Here is a photo:


The Sea of White birds

Of course, we had to take photos of our stallholders...here are their amazing stalls set up, ready to go...hope you love it:


Ann Bugden with her swimsuits


Miriam Bain with Bubba Chenille


Casa Verda with their plants


Trish from Trishalan Designs


Yvonne with her fabulous handmade hats


Our wonderful Marie Grofski with her gift hampers


Judy from Mango Wednesday Ceramics


Mary & Neal Souter


Pat & Tom with their wonderful art statues

We have so many other photos which I will add during the week.

Once again, thanks everyone for their continued support with The Handmade Expo.

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

Change of Name

Hello All

So, after much discussion, we have decided to change the name of The Ipswich Craft Fair to:

The Ipswich Craft & Hobby Fair.

If you are interested in having a stall, you will find further details on previous posts, or you can email us at:

thehandmadeexpo@optusnet.com.au

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

The Ipswich Craft Fair - Expressions of Interest

Hello

We forgot to mention that the Expressions of Interest closing date for the Ipswich Craft Fair is on:

13th June 2009

We need a min of 50 stallholders to go ahead...and these stallholders need to be paid in full for their site for it all to happen. We would like to reiterate that if we do not reach our min stallholder requirement, monies will be refunded in full.

Thanks heaps
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

The Handmade Expo Presents The Ipswich Craft Fair

WHAT! you are probably thinking?

Well, once again, our brains have been working overtime and with the 3.5hour drive to and from Goondiwindi, we had a lot of time to think and talk.

We are currently taking expressions of interest for The Ipswich Craft Fair.

During the 8 months of running The Handmade Expo, we have had many requests to sell supplies, which do not fit into our Handmade guidelines. So, here it is, an outlet for you to sell your craft supplies.

We do need a minimum amount of stallholders to be able to go ahead with the Fair. If you are interested in having a stall, please let us know.

Here are the proposed details:

Saturday 25th July 2009
8am-2pm
Ipswich Showgrounds Exhibitors Pavilion

Cost of a stall is $50 for a 3m x 3m site. (you are to supply your own tables & chairs)
Entry - $2 adults...kids are free.

We will need payment from you to secure your site, however, if we do not reach the minimum stallholder requirement, your money will be refunded in full.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Regards
Liesa, Micky & Miriam
email: thehandmadeexpo@optusnet.com.au
ph: 0422876154

GOONDIWINDI - FANTASTIC & THANK YOU

Hello

Well, we would like to give you an update on our market that we took on a road trip on the weekend to Goondiwindi...This is more of a thank you email as there are so many people to mention. We will do a follow up post with photos sometime this week.

We have 3 lots of people to thank for making this market a great success:

First of all, we would like to send out a big thanks to our Stallholders. Obviously, without the 60 of you, it would not have been possible. We had a lot of awesome feedback from you and found that 90% of stallholders had a fantastic day, some of them even had the best market EVER!. The other 10% still had a good day, but not their best. A big congrats to Derry with his folkart and Nat from Bella Rosa for selling out. That is a record for The Handmade Expo.

Second of all, we would like to thank the 500 customers who came through the door on Saturday. We did think that we would have got more of you, however, you knew what it was all about...browsing and shopping of handmade goods...and my, what a great job you did.

Last but certainly not least, we want to send a big thanks to the PCYC and crew. Dave & Fiona Lynch...without you and your support, we would have not been able to make it to your wonderful town. You do such a wonderful job at the PCYC and to the community. We can certainly appreciate the hard work that you put into the PCYC and we are sure that the locals do too. Thanks to the 2 fellas who helped us out on the Friday arvo unloading and setting up the tables, we dragged you away from your workout in the gym to the workout of your lives setting up The Handmade Expo...you know who you are! It would have taken us 6 hours instead of 3 to get the job done. A massive thanks also to the Police Officers who helped us pack up on the Saturday arvo (if only we knew your names..we do hope this thanks gets back to you as well).

Overall, Gundy is a nice little town, very friendly (with great little boutique shops & coffee outlets).. We will certainly be coming back to visit. We have made some friends that we hope to keep in contact with. Perhaps we will be back for Gourmet in Gundy in September...Perhaps our avid readers will be there too.

So, keep an eye out this week for some photos and more detailed update.

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

See you all on Saturday - 4th April

Hello

Well, this will be our last post before we head to Goondiwindi for our ROAD TRIP market.

We are so excited to be taking the Expo on a big road trip, seeing different little towns along the way and also meeting new and fabulous people. We are excited to be able to give Goondiwindi an opportunity to sell their wonderful handmade goodies.

So, if you are looking for a full day out or even a weekend away, Goondiwindi is the town to be in this weekend.

GOONDIWINDI PCYC
Saturday 4th April
8am-4pm
Entry $5 adults...kids are free

With over 60 stalls of lovingly handmade goods on offer. Something for everyone. The PCYC is cooking up a storm with bacon and egg burgers & sausage sizzle + Bec from Coffee on the move will be there to provide us with our coffee hit. So come on down for a day of browsing, shopping and eating whilst supporting the PCYC and also keeping HANDAMDE alive.

See you Saturday
From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam

WE HAVE A WINNER

Hello

A big thanks to everyone who entered the competition. However, as we all know, there can only be 1 winner.
AND THE WINNER IS: (drum roll please)
COMMENT #7
Nicole Zeidler from Brassall. Nicole first knew about the Expo when she saw all the signs go up around Ipswich. Fantastic!
Nicole made a comment and emailed our website to 5 of her friends. Thanks heaps Nicole and congrats on your $50 voucher.

From
Liesa, Micky & Miriam