Etsy and Craft Fairs: My Top 10 Tips For Success

Back from Iceland, and what an amazing summer, I'm ready to get back into the studio and start working towards...dare I say it, Christmas. This year I'm stepping up my game, challenging my confidence, and getting my work out there at local craft fairs. I'm taking part in not one but two local Etsy fairs and will be busy for the next few weeks prepping my prints and products ready for Etsy Autumn & Christmas markets. I'm super excited about them but am also very aware of how much work the previous 'Art in the Park' (image above) took, but meeting other stallholders and, hopefully, lots of you guys make it all worthwhile. So let the planning begin and the creating continue.

I'm already excited for this year’s run-up to Christmas and the fairs I'm working towards. I haven't done a lot of local craft fairs but those I have, have been very successful and a lot of fun so I thought I'd share my top tips for setting up and running a stall. If you're thinking about having a stall at a fair, then go for it, what's stopping you?! And, if you have signed up and it's your first time, enjoy it and let me know how it goes.

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10 top tips for a successful fair:

1. Presentation

   First impressions count. Think about your potential customers and their first reaction when they see you and your stall. How do you want to connect with them? How will you make your products stand out? Consider your branding and colour scheme so they know and remember who you are. 

2. Perfect Products

   Think of your range and its bestsellers, what has previously worked at markets, or in this location. Consider the theme of the fair and the type of visitors it might get. Aim to have your products, with prices and any further information, clearly displayed. You can have all your stock on the table or a small amount displayed and more kept aside, under the table, all packaged up and ready for customers. 

3. Organization + Finances

   Bring petty cash (lots of change) in a lockable box or container to act as your till, look into a card machine, enquire about wifi, use a money wallet so you can stash cash on you, bring a calculator so you don't have to use your phone all day, notebook and pens to keep track and record sales, and inquiries list for anyone who wishes you to contact them, an inventory of stock and make sure everything is in place for a busy spell on your stall. 

4. Business cards

   You must use these events to network. This might be for wholesale, commissions, new customers, or new followers on social media. Have business cards on display, leaflets explaining what you offer, and possibly a wholesale info pack giving more information which can be followed up by a call or email if you get their details.

5. Packaging

   Make sales and packaging easy for yourself so you can help customers quickly and send them happily on their way with a well-packaged product that will not be damaged, shows your branding (especially on the bag they will now be walking around with), and has your contact details on a sticker or business card inside to encourage them to visit your shop or website. 

6. Hype

   Create a buzz. If you are on social media then get tweeting about your fair. Join or set up a Pinterest group and get pinning the work you will be selling. Talk about it on Facebook and maybe set up an event to invite people to. Announce the event(s) in your newsletter or email your subscribers. Oh, and write a cheeky wee blog post to self-promote. 

7. Sort out transport

   Rope in a friend/family member to help, that way you can worry about getting your products safely to the fair and setting up the stall, and they can get you there and worry about parking.

8. Stocktake

   Know what you are taking with you to each fair, especially as you may be doing numerous fairs in a month and be rolling stock over from one fair to the next. It's a good idea to know what worked well, what's left over, and what you might want to run as a special offer/stock clearance. 

9. Keep warm

   A lot of fairs are in old community centres, church halls or industrial buildings so wrap up warm in layers, bring snacks you can nibble on throughout the day and between speaking to customers, and a flask (or two) of tea.

10. Think of your poor wee feet

    Wear comfy shoes, you will be standing a lot. Bring a mat (of the camping or yoga variety) or square of carpet to stand on - this will help keep you warm if standing on a concrete floor all day and will cushion you too. 

My Message To Students and Graduates

Life as a design student can be intense. Deadlines, presentations, reports, retakes, and the dreaded “computer crash at 2 am” moment. Add in calls from family when you have no time to talk, living on a budget, and you might wonder: why do we put ourselves through it?

Because it’s an investment in your future, your skills, your personal growth, your confidence, and even in the friendships that may last a lifetime. Yes, it’s hard. But it’s also exciting, inspiring, and full of moments you’ll look back on with pride.

My Education Journey

I studied Architecture for the full seven years. I moved away from home, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and met friends who are now part of my professional network. My degree years were a mix of socialising, studying, and late nights in the studio, and I graduated proud of my 2:1. After a year’s work experience in a large practice, I used my savings to travel through Asia and Australia before starting my master’s degree.

Learning in Two Worlds

My degree was at a technical university, but my postgraduate studies took me to a creative art school. I was awarded a scholarship to complete my master’s in Japan, an experience that changed me completely. Living and studying abroad pushes you to grow in ways you can’t imagine. In Japan, I learned more about myself, my abilities, and my adaptability than I ever would have if I’d stayed in the UK.

The Unexpected Turns

Returning home, I found a great job in an architecture office, thinking, “This will do for now.” A few years later, I qualified as an Architect, packed up my desk, and moved to India.

Here’s the thing: when I was a student, I thought I’d work as an architect for the next 20–30 years. I imagined teaching at a university would happen after retirement. I never expected to be doing it in my 30s, loving it as much as I do now.

To My Students

Many of my students are either on their first work placement or finishing their final year projects. Some have a clear path ahead, others don’t, and that’s okay. Your career won’t be a straight line. It will have twists, detours, and surprises. The key is to stay open, adaptable, and ready to make the most of every opportunity.

10 Tips for Students & Graduates in Design and Architecture

1. Enjoy your time at university | it will probably only happen once.

2. Soak in the details | the laughs, the lectures, the study trips, even the tough days.

3. Make your work your own | show your personality through it.

4. Fake it ‘til you make it | you’ll learn more in the process than you expect.

5. Stay open-minded | don’t let your CV dictate all your decisions.

6. Think outside the box | and live there too. Travel, explore, seek adventure.

7. Document your journey | photos, sketches, journals. You’ll treasure them later.

8. Stay inspired | read, listen, talk, and share ideas with others.

9. Trust your path | it will work out, even if it doesn’t look how you imagined.

10. Aim higher than “fine” | if you want more, go out and make it happen..

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Final Thought: Be proud of what you’ve achieved. Keep doing more. Inspire others. And if you know someone studying right now, send them a note, a parcel, or even just a few words of encouragement; it can mean the world.

5 Tips To Create Your Perfect Studio/Office

Welcome to my studio, aka home-office but I'm guessing that's what many people are rocking. Today I'm taking you through my studio setup and offering up my 5 top tips to help you in creating yours. Art, design, and crafting can [and does] take over our homes, and whilst this can be amazing, it can also drive others insane. My Dad used to threaten to 'clean' with a black plastic bag. 

But that doesn't stop us. 

In my apartment, of course, I have a studio. It’s in the corner of our living room and separated by an open bookshelf for privacy. I have amazing daylight from our south-facing windows out to the balcony and a wall with my certificates and some artwork on it.

My desk has everything I need on it, or by it, and it can get pretty cluttered...it's organized chaos.

1. Pick a location with lots of natural light

   but also power sockets for artificial light. I sit near the window so I get natural light, and a view of the neighbours but I am not too distracted by what is going on outside.

2. Surround yourself with inspiration

   This will be different for everyone but for me, it’s pictures of family and friends, inspirational quotes, images and art, stationery, and so on. I have some of my work framed to remind me of my recent works and I use objects I use regularly as display pieces too.

3. Set the atmosphere

   I do this with music. I have a Sonos speaker and I use the Apple Music app or the Calm app. I love a bit of background noise to distract my mind and all those random thoughts, or an audiobook on audible - I'm currently listening to The Happiness Project. I also love scented candles and often have one or two burning as I work.

4. Stay organized

   we all love stationery and washi tapes and paper and so on but clutter will only distract and put you off. Make your desk welcoming and easy to work at. Use cups, glasses, empty candleholders, or whatever you can to help store all those pens and pencils you have.

5. Workspace and surface

   keep this relatively empty so you always have a space to start a new project and remember to protect the surface you're working on. I use a large cutting mat to protect the tabletop and often put down a large sheet of white paper as a background for photos. The more you have lying around, the more your mind will wander to it. Even if that pile of to-do papers aren’t a priority, the fact they are sitting on your desk means your mind is thinking about them, even when you think it’s not.

Interior and Architectural Ink rendered Hand Drawings

Rendering, by hand, with Ink Marker Pens

Over the last few weeks, I have been creating a series of hand-drawn renderings for my Design Communications class. I always believe it is best to show students my work rather than pulling examples from Google, as it is proof that I can actually do what I am teaching, and it builds their trust.

In today’s fast-paced design world, we are often too quick to jump onto a computer to create polished images. While programs like Photoshop are industry standards, there is an undeniable beauty and value in mastering hand-drawn and hand-rendered work first. This tactile skill sharpens your eye for detail, helps you understand light and shadow, and brings a unique warmth to your drawings that software cannot replicate.

I am sharing these examples with you, walking you through my process, the materials I use, and tips so you can start creating your own architectural and interior design renderings by hand.

Ink Marker Pens for Interior Design Rendering

Over the years, I have built up a small collection of marker pens, from ProMarkers and Tria to my current favourites, Copic markers. I am not loyal to a single brand, for me, colour range and ink flow matter most. Whatever I have to hand often does the job perfectly.

If you are just starting, I recommend investing in 3 to 4 essentials:

• A light grey and a darker grey for shadows and depth

• A warm brown for wood tones

• A blender pen if the budget allows

You can also layer in details with coloured pencils over your marker work; it adds texture and subtle variation that brings an image to life.

Choosing the Right Paper for Ink Rendering

Working with marker pens can feel intimidating at first, but it gets easier with practice. My biggest tip is to always make multiple copies of your line drawing before you start rendering, that way you can experiment without the fear of ruining your work.

Paper choice can make or break your result. Poor-quality paper causes the ink to bleed, feather, or soak through, while thin sketchbook paper can warp or become semi-transparent. I have had the best results using:

• Thick card stock with a smooth finish

• Watercolour paper with light absorption, great for layering ink

• Marker pads, ideal but often pricey if you are not using them regularly

Look for a smooth surface to avoid streaking, and always test your markers on a scrap before starting.

Try It Yourself

If you have never worked with marker pens, remember, less is more. Build up your tones gradually. Add a wash of your lightest colour first, step back, then layer in mid-tones and shadows. Keep checking your work from a distance so you can see the balance of colour and contrast.

If you do not have your drawing to render, take an image from a design magazine, sketch it out with a fine liner or pencil, and start there. Begin with light tones, then layer darker colours for depth, adding texture and highlights last.

The hardest part is knowing when to stop. It is tempting to keep adding more, but sometimes the most beautiful results come from restraint, allowing the white of the page and the looseness of the lines to shine through.

The Big Apple, New York City

Back at work for a few weeks and I am already reminiscing about my summer travels. So today I share my few days in NYC, madly rushing around to see as much as physically possible, with you. Personally, I think New York is one of my favorite cities. I've been twice and can't wait to go back. I love the energy, you can really feel it in the air, I love the architecture, the food, the 'cwaffee' and the shopping!! I can go on...

Even though it's a huge city, you get the feeling whilst walking around that it's much more of a personal scale with its different districts and villages.  People smile, they say Hi!, they stop and take a minute to ask where you're from...and they are actually interested.  

On this visit, I walked my little feet off. I tried to do an area a day but when you start walking you just can’t stop and you know there is something really interesting on the next block...before you know it you have walked miles, and there’s no point getting the Subway back cos you would miss out on more. This is basically what happened and I didn't miss much out.  

NYC has it all; the parks, the bridges, the shops, the bars and restaurants, the culture, the fashion, the art and design, and of course the Architecture. My favorite building is the Chrysler (by far), then the Guggenheim, and I love the Brooklyn Bridge but I had a new project to discover this time; The Highline. The Highline is a fantastic project which saw the old rail tracks transformed into a new urban parkland in the Chelsea area.  It has access at street level, benches along it with areas of mini amphitheaters highlighting views, paths exposing the old rail tracks, local wild plant life, water features, green living-walls, music, bars, and cafes, lighting at night and is generally a very cool addition to the city.

NYC has an iconic skyline, one which plays hard on our memories, but a very beautiful and impressive one. The Memorial Plaza, located on the site of the former World Trade Centre, is a tribute to the past and a place of hope for the future. It features two large waterfalls and reflecting pools, set within the footprints of the original twin towers, and surrounded by over 400 trees. The project is one of the most eco-friendly Plazas ever constructed and you can really feel that contemplation and reflection are at its heart.  

I will leave you with this picture, I think many people would agree that the Chrysler Building is the most beautiful building, sparkling in the sunlight and standing proud over Grand Central Station.