Found this today:
Handmade in Britain was set up by designer maker Piyush Suri to support and promote young and upcoming designers/makers who produce their work in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The organisation works to promote professional design excellence through productive partnerships between the designer and the public.

Their website:HANDMADE IN BRITAIN

Something I can look into for future shows, promotion, sales.

Bristol’s Create Centre supports sustainable and ecological businesses. They have exhibition space, a Christmas Fayre and wall space for small shows. I have links and contacts in Bristol, this could be an ideal way to promote my work in the South west of the UK.

CREATE CENTRE

Nice use of colour, pattern, humour, characters by this designer (unique styling on the website too):
FRANKENSTYLES

A european version of etsy.com has appeared online:
DAWANDA

I was considering putting my work on etsy to see what feedback I get, but this european version allows you to pay in euros instead of dollars – I for one would feel more compfortable with this.

Here is a serious contender as my competition:
LUCY JANE BATCHELOR

I love the presentation of her products in what looks like a tabbed book, the whole website is beautifully presented and her creations are delightful!
Running with the eco theme, style and humour Lucy Jane’s prducts are the closest I have found to what I am doing.

I found this link through the Crafts Council listings:
Kunsthåndværk i Centrum
KiC is the largest censored fair for crafts and arts in Denmark. The fair is a returning event since 2005, and it takes place every year around the beginning of November.

The opportunity to show at this type of event would provide an in-route to Europe and Scandanavia (where there is a strong history of hand knitting and felting that is still going strong). I also have family in Denmark which could help with connections. Applications for November 2009 are to be in by 1st April 09.

Scott Green, head of subject for art at Derby University cam to talk with us about the Connect exhibition. within the gallery space he gave his first impressions and then went onto speak in detail about each part of the display and individual’s work.

The questions and responses were helpful in allowing me to develop an overall view of the show as well as some insight into a first reaction from an outsider to my work. This will be used to add to my exhibiting module assignment 2 – critical review.

Heather rigg covered aspects of cash flow and finance, including forecasting for the first year of business / career.

It terms of comparing my prices in relation to the competition Heather suggested looking at the Crafts Council’s DIRECTORY OF MAKERS.

Today’s session with Maggie was covering the history of galleries and their use within education. 

Of the information provided the most useful was in relation to how we can incorporate some form of learning experience into our exhibition.  The examples of packs and booklets from a range of galleries really inspired us to do something that involes questions to engage visitors and provide feedback about our audience at the same time.  Gizella will make a draft copy of th format and we will each give a question and image to be included in a gallery worksheet.

For Maggie I need to get the value of the work (price list), text for the exhibtion panel and text for the display labels ready for 14th April.

PETE MOSS is a ceramacist, he presented the group with ways in which we can develop our own voice and turn our making into a business.
This session was invaluable, he provided useful handouts (mainly lists of ‘to do’ or contacts) and spoke with enthusiasm and passion about getting out there and doing what you love best.  A great overview of working for yourself as a craftmaker.  I’ll be referring back to this session in future without a doubt.