Creative Fibre Festival-Day Three 23 April 2006

I woke up at 3.30am and couldn't turn over so I could get up. Thank goodness for wrought iron beds with hand holds.

Day three was much slower for me with hours going by with no sales. Sold my last two brooches (bringing the total to 15) and was hoping that the pendants would move but although people were admiring them nothing went. I sat painting a tiger pendant when a man and his son came in and were admiring the wolf one so I said "Yes men like wolves....." and was about to say "and tigers" when he said the same thing. He had a look at what I was painting and then showed me a tiger tattoo on his arm. Came back half an hour later and asked to buy the pendant. Paid me and asked me to drop it at his mother's place in Napier when I next come into town. Turns out he's the gardener at Pettigrew Green Arena.

In the morning I'd only sold $30 worth but it slowly picked up in the afternoon and I sold $40 in the last hour including a calico cat pendant to Irene. I think I made $125 the whole day which would bring my total to $447 for the weekend. I could have made more if I had more brooches and also spun yarn and garments as these would have sold to the public. Winter project is to learn to knit again.

At about 2.30pm Jan (my rooster friend) came round and said she was getting me out of there so we went and looked at the fashion display for half an hour. Amazing work- real art in some of those dresses. The Supreme winner was an elegant red evening dress machine-knitted by Laurel Judd who also took out a couple of other awards.

Spent some more money- on alpaca at the Riverdale Alapacas stand. $12 for 100 gms washed and carded. I bought two packets of brown and grey and will ply it with my bunny wool. Then the lady came back with me and bought some angora for her to use in her felting. She took my details as she reckons she'll want more. She's based in Waitomo.

Irene says you're usually overwhelmed with orders once you get home. I know at least 30 angora cards went plus many sheets of spinning instructions with my details on the back. 42 art business cards were taken as well.

Two ladies who were interesting in my art on Friday came back. One said "Have you not painted a ginger tabby brooch like you said you would?" No I didn't have time plus I had left my two glued brooches home mistakenly. Then her friend who had a pendant in her hand said "Where's my St Bernard? I ordered one from you" On Friday she asked could I paint them so I said yes and told her to take a card. No way did she place an order. When I told her it takes a while to paint the pendants she threw the one she was looking at down on the wooden stand and she and her friend stalked off. That was the nastiest part of the whole weekend.