The start of this week saw the upstairs bustling with 22 creatives all busy setting up their stands. I was mainly wandering round getting under everyone’s feet! Set up over ran as I didn’t fully appreciate how long it would take to transform an empty space into the beautiful place it now is. The over run however was totally worth it in my opinion, as the first floor is now a haven of handmade wonder. Since our trial event in April we have grown the number of creatives with work for sale in the shop. There is a really lovely mix of products and should be something to tempt most people!
The Handmade shop will be a permanent feature at Magpie Nest, with meet the maker evenings planned through out the year and workshops already in the pipeline. Every 3 months we will be swapping in and out creatives to keep things fresh, however we will be looking to keep a core group on for continuity. The Handmade shop is open at the same time as Magpies Nest so you can pop upstairs for a look anytime your in the Nest. There will be a break between our Autumn and Christmas event as we have so much Christmas stock arriving we need the space on the first floor to process it all! This will give the creative’s a break and time to stock up on their work before the next stint.
The addition of the handmade shop to Magpie’s Nest also brings more choice, and truly unique gifts or treats for yourself! Many of the creatives can personalise their work for you with a name or special message. It isn’t just about personalising gifts either, for a truly unique gift many of the creatives are happy to take on commissions for bespoke one off pieces. I think the handmade shop beautifully compliments our existing offering on the ground floor and really does make Magpie’s Nest stand out from other gift shops. Where else can you get a Radley handbag and a handmade stained glass sun catcher? Don’t just take my word for it, call in and enjoy having a wander around our little slice of handmade heaven.