Dark Mills 2010

What an amazing weekend! Where do I start? We travelled up to London on Friday so we would be ready for an early start Saturday morning, having picked a hotel literally a stones throw from Merton Abbey Mills. We even bumped into the events creator on the tube on the way there! After an evening catching up with old friends I didn't sleep much as had too many 'did I pack that?' going around my head!

A big breakfast then I dragged a body bag sized case to the venue and started setting up at 8 am. Although the event didn't start till later, I got plenty of interest from locals out walking dogs and grabbing coffees. I had a few manic flurries, but the day was fairly quiet - well almost! I didn't realise quite how close to the stage I was, and from midday I started having to do a lot of shouting! After about 6pm I could feel a sore throat coming on, not to mention the sore feet! It was a really hot day but being close to the hotel I did manage to dive back to change while Ellie, my OH, took charge of the stall (including getting the first sale of the day!)

I got to talk to lots of people, so many were really complimentary about my glass, it was so nice for people to be able to see the colours and depths to them. Some people said I'd given them too much choice! Although I'd planned to stay open till 10, by 8 we were dead on our feet so threw everything in the case shut for the night. We'd originally planned to go to the 10pm bar/club, but after a quick bite to eat we were ready for bed! So much for my rock-'n-roll lifestyle!

Sunday was a much more relaxed day, but turned out to be more amazing still! We were able to set up later, so got a bit of a lie in, before forgoing the rather disappointing hotel grub for breakfast in the Waterwheel cafe, a smart move as it was soooo tasty! We were due to have a stall next to us on Saturday selling wigs, but sadly her car broke down. When Ghoulia Peculiars http://www.myspace.com/ghouliaspeculiars managed to make it on Sunday everyone was suitable overwhelmed by the amazing handmade creations she bought with her. Wigs don't even come close to describing them, even a full head masks to transform the wearer into a wolf! Her Ophelia wig was so long she said it still trailed the floor when a 6ft model was wearing it (with heals!) There was quite a bit of trying on, even the compare Dave Disaster ran away wearing a rather fetching floral one onto the stage! One of the things that made the event so enjoyable was that all the organisers and co-ordinators were so friendly and helpful, and very, very well organised!

I managed to get more breaks during the day, and after 8pm we slowly started packing away just as a troupe of fire performers started to heat things up! Ellie got some fantastic shots of them (I'll upload more on my facebook page from the weekend.) About then an Alien wandered into the venue as they started an open air screening of the film. Someone must have called for help, as an exact copy of the 'Ghostbusters' car turned up to deal with the Alien menace! It was a slightly surreal but very fun end to an weekend full of amazing sights and sounds - I just had to get a shot of me by the car!

I've not counted the pennies exactly, after the extra expense of the hotel room and travel I may not have done more than break even, but it was such a great weekend it was so worth doing. It was great to meet so many people, thank you to everyone who came up to see my glass and chat, I certainly hope I'll be able to do it again next year!

The stall set out ready! I need more coffee!

Pondering customer - too much choice!

Wow! Wigs and masks from Ghoulia's Peculiars

Julia from Ghoulua's Peculiars fits an amazing blue wig

It's not a full moon is it?

Stall organiser Steph tries out the Medusa wig!

And Compare Dave Disaster tries something in pink!


The gathering crowds and the very smartly dressed singer from Ghostfire

Look - You forgot to polish those boots!

Fire!!!!

Alien Vs Ingela from http://www.veilofvisions.com/

Ooops! Alien decides this is a good time to leave!

Can I get one of these?

Last Minute Threading!

A quick reminder that I will be at the Dark Mills festival this weekend in Collingwood in London http://www.darkmillsfestival.com/market.html , I'm still working like mad putting everything together, I have my tick list so I hope I don't forget anything! One thing I have been checking is the weather, especially after the winds and torrential rains of last weeks bank holiday weekend. The good news is it looks fine and warm, ideal as so much of the event is outdoors, and I am sure there will be some amazingly dressed people at the event to make my currently purple tinted hair look rather tame! I am very much hoping my new cyberpunk pendants will find some new homes to go along with some amazing outfits!


A quick couple of photos of some luscious red pendants, each with some lovely Gilson Opal heart-shaped inclusions! These will be on the stall this weekend, so long as I get a move on and get the ends crimped and them boxed and packed in time! Must dash, there are some last minute glass snakes that need putting on cords! If you are coming along I hope to see you there, if not have a great weekend! :)

It's all gone a bit mad here!

Isn't it always the way, that everything suddenly happens at once? The big one for me is the Dark Mills festival, which I've been making lots of pendants and stoppers for, and as you can see here some of the pendants ready for quality control!

Quality control in this case is my other half, who volunteered to help out. I'm my own worst enemy, I tend to be very picky on the smallest details, so it's great to get an independent eye (and ex-quality controller at a jewellery warehouse to boot!) I had realised how many pendants I'd actually made until they were all laid out, so it's been a quick (and expensive!) order for more silver crimps and cords!

Even with the extra help my 'to do' list seems to be lengthening by the day, when I got confirmation of the opening of a new gift shop and gallery in York where I will have some of my marble stoppers and jewellery on display! It is opening at the start of September, and I need to have the first parts there..... just before the festival! Ekk! On top of that a 'day job' project is about to come to ahead too. So it's going to be a manic few weeks, so please excuse the intermittent listings and blog posts until normal service is resumed! If you are in the Colchester area I'll also be having a stall at West Bergholt on Saturday 20th November, more details here! http://creationsfayre.blogspot.com/2010/08/meet-stallholders.html

Announcing.... Dark Mills Alternative Festival!

It's finally confirmed, I will be having a stall at the upcoming Dark Mills Alternative festival in London on 4-5th September! This is also a FREE festival - and there aren't many of those these days!

The event is at Merton Abbey Mills, Merantun way, SW19 2RD, close to Colliers Wood tube station . There are going to be quite a range of strange events, from Burlesque dancers to alternative art, live bands, even seminars with actors and actresses, directors and writers of top horror and sci-fi films. A few of the events have to be paid for, but there is lots going on for free too, and I think there is even a regular arts and crafts fair on too. I'm going (unless something changes at the last minute) to be on a corner stall opposite The Coles Shop which houses a restaurant and cafe, and near to the 'Goth Market' at the bandstand.

I'll be taking along many of my new cyber pendants, some which will be UV reactive glowing, so ideal for clubbing! Also I've been hard at work perfecting some new improved versions of galaxy marbles which I'll have as bottle stoppers, along with a whole load of other bits and bobs. There will be a great deal of new things that I have barely listed up, so please do pop along and see me and the glass! It's going to be quite an unusual mix of people going along, so I'm planning on taking a good selection of items from nebula pendants to flower drops so hopefully there will be something for everyone.

Don't forget, it's FREE to get in, and you don't have to be 'into' alternative fashions or lifestyles to come along, it's open to all and it would be lovely to see some of you there!

More info on the Dark Mills website here,
http://www.darkmillsfestival.com/