Hello friends! I’ve finally recovered from an exciting weekend! I decided to take the plunge and enter some of my crafting projects into the local Vancouver Island Exhibition.

I had noticed so many people in the crafting world participating in their local communities, and I realized it was the perfect chance to do something I’ve been wanting to do: really establish and get the message of my website out there! My main focus was on getting my work seen and exposed to the community.

My Prized Entries and Fair Preparation

I carefully selected about seven or eight of my favourite pieces to submit. I had quite the collection ready:

• Ellie the Elephant
• Ruth the Horse
• My little mohair bears, Salty and Sassy
• My little Sugar Bear with the beautiful embroidery beads.
• My “Birds of a Feather” duo: the rooster and the chicken.

I also entered a home décor grouping for Christmas. It was made from two dollar store tea towels in a Canadian red and black tartan motif, and it included a holder for the knife, fork, spoon, and crackers, along with a couple of stuffed centerpieces.

I made sure to prepare my cards with my name, phone number, and all the necessary information, which is a requirement for the entry pieces. I did run into a small snag, however! I had created some larger formats, hoping to really advertise my website, but I couldn’t use them. The rules stated that judges couldn’t see any names while picking the prizes, so those pieces had to be put out after the judging. It cost me $2 a piece to enter, making my total entry fee just $17.

Ribbons, Ribbons, Everywhere!

Despite the small hiccup with the promotion, I must say, the experience was absolutely worth it! It got my work out of the house and in front of people, and I was really pleased with the results. They were excellent at putting up “Please Do Not Touch” signs, which eased my worry about people handling my pieces. I won a total of about eight ribbons!

Here are the highlights from the judging:

• Birds of a Feather: My rooster and chicken grouping won First and Second Place! Interestingly, the chicken came in first, and the rooster came in second, which just goes to show… women are much better than men!
• Ruth the Horse: Ruth also secured a solid First Prize.
• Salty and Sassy: My mohair bears brought home a First Prize.
• Home Decor Grouping: This piece not only won First Prize but also snagged the major award for Best in Division for table decor.
• Ellie the Elephant: And the biggest win of all—Ellie took home the prestigious overall award for Best in Division for Needle Craft in 2025!

Reflections and What’s Next

I’m really quite tickled with the response to my work, and I was especially pleased that they grouped all my pieces together for display!

I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t promote the website as effectively as I wanted, but in essence, the exposure was fantastic. I learned a few things, like that the detailed templates I made for describing my pieces couldn’t be used because of the confidentiality issues.

All in all, it was a great experience, and I’m so glad I did it. The organizers were lovely and have even offered me my very own table next year, so we’ll see what happens! Now, I just need to come up with another way of really promoting my website.

Thanks for watching and reading about my fair adventures! See you next time!