Exciting news – I have been selected for an award by Creative Brighton and British Design Innovation for business development. The award will pay for me to attend my first trade show – Design Edge – in September. I’m nervously excited about this show. I’ve just downloaded the manual and have to slog my way through all the regulations and requirements. But the financial and other support from the award will make the whole lot easier, and it’s a great confience boost.

Last week I was at a training day for Origin, the new Chelsea Craft Fair, which I am showing at in October. I’m showing as part of a 12 person exhibition featuring ‘new craft talent’ in the first week of the event. There are another 12 in the second week. I’ve got a small space – a 70cm plinth – to show my work on. So I am debating what I can squeeze into that space and what would be my most saleable work. It always seems the way that whatever I am a bit bored with starts to sell and my newer work languishes. Maybe the world will have caught up with me by October and my newer and more exciting collections will sell like hotcakes!

Meanwhile the sweatshop (as my studio is at the moment) continues to churn out things to sell in Hampstead this weekend and samples for the course I am running next week.

As for saturday, there apparently haven’t been many bookings for the braidmaking sessions, so if there are any locals reading this who fancy trying it out, then drop me a line and come along! It’s only £3!