Reetsweet at the Corn Exchange: Leeds.

Today I went along to the 'Reetsweet' craft fair at the Leeds Corn Exchange. With the hopes, after graduation, of going on to become a freelance illustrator and craft seller, it was a great opportunity to see more of the work and surroundings that I will hopefully be working in one day in the near future.

Initially, I found out about the event thanks to picking up one of the flyers posted around the University building- first attracted by the illustrations, which I knew were from one of my favourite illustrators, former BAGD graduate, Steph Baxter. Great bit of GD advertising there...

Banner outside the event- large enough to be noticeable from across the road at the end of the busiest shopping street in Leeds, Briggate. Consistent design- very eye-catching. 

A sneak-peek of the event before I walked in. Normally, I would of had a little more confidence to walk in and ask to take photographs of people's stalls and work, but being on my own, and being a small, intimate venue, I wasn't quite so brave this time!

All-in-all, a really fun event, and definitely the kind that I would like to see myself working at in a few years from now (if not before!). As the magpie I am, I couldn't resist picking up a few bits that I was particularly inspired by or took a fancy too- for instance, I would love to learn how to make my own acrylic jewelery, and really liked the quirky, illustrative style they used as decoration on the teapot earrings and the tooth brooch. 

I also bought a pack of Beano comic envelopes- really fun, and it has inspired me to make more of my own envelopes  Really easy to make once you have made your initial template, and I could use all manner of stocks and prints to make some really interesting designs to go on to sell in my Etsy shop. Also, I bought a fanzine about the house and flat buzzers of Bruges- since going there with my boyfriend at Christmas, I have fallen in love with it, and it warmed my heart a little to see someone with such a beady eye as myself- my boyfriend says I have "binocular eyes".

I also picked up a couple of interesting business cards to add to my ever-expanding collection. Interesting and fun designs- I especially like the panoramic style of Kayleigh O'Mara's card- a really unique shape.