We Make Christmas*Black Rose Creations

It's going to be my first fair and it's going to be grand!!
The "We Make Christmas" fair will be held in London, on the 6th of December.
The Craft fair is taking place at the The American Church, 79A Tottenham Court Road, London.
You'll find a great variety of handmade items!
I know it's only August, but time goes by really fast and in the meanwhile you can meet the sellers you'll find at the fair and start your Santa Letter."
See you there!

Today's Seller: Black Rose Creations



1. Your name and location?
Valerie living in London (Central - my place and South East at my boyfriends) I am originally from Sheffield in SouthYorkshire.

2. Shop/Brand name?
Black Rose Creations

3. What's the story behind this name?
Black Rose was the name I chose and used when I did psychic email readings for www.crystal.green.co.uk (for just over a year ago upto January of this year). It seemed apt then, to use this name for my creative endeavours. I will be using Black Rose again when I establish my own website and advertise my own readings. The origins Black because I am of dark skin (Jamaican parentage) and rose is my favourite flower. Also a black rose is said to signify new beginnings, changes, creativity, etc. Which resonates with what I'm doing in terms of my creativity and the stuff on my website and my working towards fulfilling my own goals and ambitions.

4. When did you start crafting?
I've been crafting for years on and off. I've done different things (i.e. sewing and knitting from pre-teen days). Salt dough modelling was my passion for over 10 years. These past couple of years I've been more into fabric, embellishments, buttons and more buttons, crystals, herbs and knitting.



5. Do you have a special place to craft?
I am in the process of moving in with my boyfriend and the spare room is slowly turning into my 'studio' (when I can get him to clear his tools out and other paraphernalia), but at the moment the large coffee table in the living room is currently being used by me as my work space (as and when) - to the (slight) chagrin of my boyfriend Mark who keeps finding sewing needles and pins in the pile of the rug or my scissors left on the new leather sofa (plus he is not that enamoured of the smell of my herbs and essential oils which I mix up in the kitchen). Oh, and sometimes I knit in bed :)

6. What's your favorite craft supplies shop?
I love John Lewis and little shops that sell fabric and notions etc , market stalls for buttons and embellishments and I love art supply shops, but since joining Etsy, I have bought quite a lot of fabric, yarn, embellishments and buttons from fellow Etsian sellers and I buy from Ebay too. Also as I'm becoming more conscious of recyling, I look at what I can do with fabric scraps that I've accumulated, or old clothes in excellent condition that I can perhaps cut up or remove buttons from for reuse.

7. Your favorite piece?
I don't really have a favourite piece as such - but perhaps my art dolls because I give them a character as I'm working on them in stages and they take a bit of time to make. I'm also quite liking the wardrobe sachets I'm currently making and must make sure I make some for my own use (I just love the smell of dried herbs and essential oils and love work ing with then)! Also I must remember to wear one of my fabric brooches to work to show off and advertise :)



8. What are your expectations for the "We Make Christmas fair?
This will be the first craft fair I've done for a few years, so I feel like a novice all over again and a bit nervous and every now and again I have to tell the little thoughts pop up in my head -that everybody else will be selling fantastic stuff and no one will look at my crap things - to sod off and leave me alone. But generally, really, I'm quite excited about it all. It's a great venue and Tottenham Court Road is always busy so I'm sure there will be lots of people popping in out of curiosity as well as those that are coming intentionally because they have heard about it and love handmade unique things and want to purchase for themselves as well as do some Christmas shopping. I wish for lots and lots of sales for all of us selling that day!
For myself, I see this as a great opportunity to test the waters in terms of getting back into doing craft fairs and selling more of my creations. If it proves successful for me, then I will certainly do more of them next year. I was perhaps naive to think that selling online would be better, less time-consuming and easier, but, in many ways it isn't and I now realise, you need to be doing a variety of things to get your name out there and your products seen.

9. Have you started to worked for the fair yet?
Just! I've not got a great deal of stock (life sometimes gets in the way), so have quite a lot of work to do between now and December!

10. Leave us a little appetizer for the "We Make Christmas" Fair
Lots of ideas in my head but not sure just how much time I will be able to find to realise them. And I'm kicking msyelf for not yet started in familiarising myself with and using my sewing machine. So all my fabric creations are hand sewn. You can expect to see some of my wardrobe sachets, Missy Comfort Pillows, fabric brooches and maybe some knitted stuff and art dolls (if I find the time)!