Getting out there

It was great yesterday to get back into a craft shop setting. In recent years I'd been unable to work in The Made In Stroud Shop because the counter/chair arrangement was just not comfortable for my back and I ended up having to take the following day off work as well. Instead, while the shop was still a co-op, I did accounts and other admin tasks as my share of the work. At By Local there isn't that option but in any case the area behind the counter is much larger and there are ordinary chairs to support my back so I was pretty confident that all would be well for my two days a fortnight.

It was a busy day for people putting up new work and moving round existing displays, though a quiet one for customers. I got back into the swing of using a till (phew! it's a surprisingly intimidating experience!) but wasn't able to help with the shifting round because of my rib injury. Rosie had her laptop with her, though, and leapt at my offer of help with text-based stuff so I worked on the invitations for a private viewing and started on a press release. By chance I had already taken some nice pics of the shop first thing so when she mentioned the need for some new ones, everything fell into place rather. I so enjoyed working as part of a team again, which has been one of the down-sides of not being part of a co-op any more. It's always enjoyable to be in contact with customers, too, but without the inconveniences of the weather that you get at the Farmers Market. It was good to have time to take some photos both of my work and the shop as a whole.



I also now have work at Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum. This is on a more permanent basis (By Local only being open till 31st December) and I'm hoping will prove a good outlet in particular for my cards. Yesterday I delivered a batch of new photo cards to By Local. Most of these were photos taken during the summer in France and it will be interesting to see how they go. Photographic cards have always been the minority item but as mentioned before, I'd like to make more of my photography if I can.

The Laurel Tree at Bourton-on-the-Water still stocks my blue spotty range and colanders, serving bowls and utensil jars in plain blue. I'm pleased to have work there and to see it still selling in a shop which has lots of commercially produced ceramics which are necessarily cheaper.