Markets and Otters
Time for a craft stall recap!
This spring has been a busy season for me, especially after a year of taking it easy with craft markets. I’ve come up with several new product ideas that I hope to bring to life in the near future. Although these new creations won’t be ready for a little while, I was so excited that I decided to start giving my market display a fresh look.
April 21st turned out to be a bit of a windy and rainy day at Ely Markets, but I was thrilled (despite my face saying otherwise) to finally use my new rack display to showcase all my prints! Honestly, I hadn’t really considered using two tables before getting there that same morning, but that means next time everything will look more polished.
It had been quite some time since Craft & Flea last visited Cambridge, so I couldn’t resist the chance to join in! While I love the outdoors, it’s nice to escape the unpredictable British weather once in a while. My rack display was grateful for that.
Now, all these illustration shenanigans are nice and fun, but a girl’s gotta eat! Who would have thought back when I was at uni studying Fine Arts that I’d end up working as a graphic designer, social media manager, marketing executive AND zookeeper at a wildlife park? Yet here I am! Over the years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to care for and get to know some amazing species, but one of my absolute favourites has to be the Asian small-clawed otters.
I’d never organised a fundraiser myself before, although I’d helped and participated in many at Shepreth Wildlife Park. So I thought it was about time to take the plunge! Inspired by the wonderful #ShareSavvy campaign created by Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, I decided to spend three consecutive days, May 24th to 26th, at Shepreth Wildlife Park raising awareness about the illegal otter (and other wild animal) pet trade and otter conservation, leading up to International Otter Day.
Alongside some incredibly generous illustrators (Lyndsey Green, Catherine Redgate, DuffleCat, JPC Photography, and Larl Rose Art) we sold our otter-themed creations to raise funds for the International Otter Survival Fund. I’m absolutely thrilled to share that we’ve raised an amazing £611 so far! Donations are still open until the end of June 2025 if you’d like to contribute.
As you can see in the images above, I created some special items just for this event: wooden pins, paper stickers and giclée prints. They’ll be available for purchase in my Etsy shop as soon as I get the chance to take some photos. A portion of the proceeds from these sales will continue to support otter conservation projects, so keep your eyes peeled!
The next confirmed craft market I’ll be attending is on 23rd December at Ely Markets. Although I’m focusing on my Etsy shop (and potentially a new Folksy shop, whoop whoop!) for the next few months, there’s a chance you’ll spot me at other events over the summer. Who knows? It all depends on what opportunities come my way! Just click here to know where to find me.
