I took part to my very first maker's market last Sunday!

Crafty Fox organised the market at the Mercato Metropolitano, which is a fantastic foodie venue between Elephant & Castle and London Bridge. I was a bit stressed but so excited to introduce my prints to new people. In the weeks prior to the Big Day I had a new obsession; looking at stall pictures on Pinterest, Instagram, Google Images, you name it! No time for random browsing, I was a display researcher on a hunt to find the perfect print holders, accessories, and frames… all that on a strict budget to add to the challenge.

My idea was to recreate the grid installation I have next to my desk. The one I have is too high and heavy, not at all public transport friendly. My new mission was to find the perfect grid and to spray it in gold paint. I found THE one and was very smug about is until I found myself locked in a closed pet food shop, surrounded by unidentified bones and smelly things. Everything ended up well, the bones were dog treats and I collected my purchase. That’s the story of how I bought a grid from a random but nice guy on eBay.

So many thoughts were running through my head:“Did I think about all the details? Would it look nice? Which prints should I bring? Is it enough? Is it too much?” Thinking of every detail was difficult, but once my stand was ready, it was all worth it and I was proud of the outcome. I was lucky to share a space with some kick-ass market friends: Sabine from S-Gerth and her beautiful leather goods, Aimee from Woodle books and her handmade notebooks and Steph from Knembroidery with her stunning freemotion embroidery.

I absolutely loved seeing people’s reactions when walking by; there were lots of smiles and positive faces. As you can imagine, my illustrations received a lot of interest from the ladies, but there were also some gentlemen intrigued by the array of colours and all the faces. I could see them looking with just one eye and then coming back near the stand a few times (pretending like there were just casually NOT looking)... and they would finally come back to buy something quickly and disappear with the chosen print! It was so fun to observe; you are all welcome to buy my prints don’t be shy 🤗

It really made me happy to see my illustrations so positively received. I discussed with many people and was curious to know what they liked in the illustration they chose. The thing that came up the most was that people saw themselves in the prints; they feel like they are represented on the artwork and they relate to it. I started drawing more seriously a few months ago to express my feelings and materialise my thoughts. Seeing people relate to what I draw is mind-blowing.

I believe in bringing people together through love and positive values and I’m grateful for the wonderful people I’m meeting in real life and in the Insta world. Thank you for your support!