Hobbycrafts and Creative Stitches

On Thursday I went to the Hobbycrafts and Creative Stitches craft fair at the SECC in Glasgow, and here's what I bought - lovely papers and fabrics, pens, glue, a template (I'm not showing what it looks like because it may be getting used for some cards later this month) and some very reasonably priced wooden eggs (just 40p each). I'm making a little spring display at home, and the eggs will form part of that once I've decorated them.

Although I enjoyed the fair and bought plenty of stuff, I feel it could have been so much better if there had been more of a variety of crafts represented, and I think the retailers should be thinking of how they can attract a younger audience (who perhaps have less time for crafts but more disposable income). The majority of people attending the show were middle aged to older women, which is not surprising given the traditional lean of the crafts represented. About 90% of the Hobbycrafts hall was devoted to card making / scrapbooking / decoupage. While these are crafts that do interest me, I would also have liked to see other crafts, for example polymer clay. I also think there could be some more masculine crafts, such as those incorporating technology. And while the Creative Stitches hall had more of a variety, it would have been good to see some more hip, modern designs.

What I did find impressive were the displays of recycled crafts and embroidery, in particular the Glimpses of China embroidery competition winners. The one stall that really stood out for me was Homespun Hearts where I bought the wooden eggs.