Craft market launching in New Mills to showcase best of community's creative small business sector

Lucy Godden-Payne, who owns the small business Amber Pixie Crafts, has organised the event at St George’s Parish Hall on Saturday, July 10, 10am to 4pm, and hopes it will become a monthly fixture.

She said: “New Mills is a very creative place, with lots of crafty folk with small businesses like me, so I thought it would be a good idea to organise a market where people can showcase what they’ve made.

“The response has been really positive so far in terms of how many people are excited and interested. I put a post on Facebook that got a really great reaction. The 14 stalls got booked up straight away, and I’ve got a waiting list for the next one if this all goes well.”

Crafters lined up for the first market include people making stained glass art, resin keyrings and jewellery, chocolate bouquets, bath bombs, wax melts and reed diffusers, fabric bunting, cushions, lambswool socks, greeting cards and much more.

The event will adhere to all current guidance on Covid safety.

Lucy, 35, also works part-time for her husband’s software development company, and grew her own business out of a hobby around caring for their two children.

Amber Pixie Crafts began with a single bookmark about three years ago and pre-Covid, had expanded to sell handmade gift cards and keepsakes.

Lucy said: “Like a lot of small businesses, things have really changed over the past 18 months and some of the places I was selling before aren’t back to normal yet.

“But it did give me a chance to sit and think about what I really wanted to do, and I’d like to focus more on developing the market. I’ll have my own stall there too.”

She added: “I know a lot of people who are making things, and this is a way for them all to come together in one place.

“Hopefully we can generate a bit of a buzz about it, and it might even encourage more people to take up hobbies which they could grow into a little business.”

For more details or enquiries about future stall bookings, go to facebook.com/AmberPixieCrafts.

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