<p>Every weekend in December, the <a href="http://houseoffairytales.org/make-it-market-at-winterville" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">House of Fairytales</a> colourful, fairy tale tent in Victoria Park will welcome thousands of visitors to the UK’s first ‘Make it Market’.</p> <p>Jo applied to HoFT with only three days to go to the deadline, and said: "I wasn’t very prepared, and it was late at night, but I decided to give it a shot and just sent off a few ideas for workshops, along with images of my work."</p> <p>The organisation describe themselves as "a parallel world of learning and imagination that travels through time and space".</p> <p>"They got back to me straight away and requested a phone interview," she said. "They were incredibly friendly and approachable, and I decided straight away to get involved, even though it meant I spent a whole evening researching cheap Megabus tickets to London!"<br /></p>

<p>Jo will be selling her delicate porcelain butterflies, and antique French lace porcelain jewellery, along with her fine art prints at the market.</p> <p>She will also be running textile arts workshops for children – to go with the theme they will be making a Pirates Treasure Purse, for storing gold doubloons, bones, teeth and fairy spells.</p> <p>Earlier this year Jo was selected to show work at the Design Museum's annual exhibition: Design Factory, as well as in Morley Gallery in London after winning Inspired By..., a competition for people in part-time adult education.</p> <p>"I have always wanted to sell my work in London, and to do so by being invited to be part of The House of Fairytales is the best possible option.</p> <p>“It makes it more creative, fun and less of a ‘craft cattle market’, as I'll be in a fun theatrical environment, with lots of other artists and craftspeople,” says Jo.</p> <p>The Make It Market will be buzzing with activity from roving reporters for The HoFT Examiner – a children’s newspaper – to guest curated live shows on their Media Planet Stage.</p> <p>“The selected artists are all running exciting and unusual workshops, that complement the House of Fairytales ethos and encourage people to make their own Christmas a very creative experience.</p> <p>“Its not just about having a great opportunity to sell; its also about inspiring an upcoming generation of craft makers and artists,” Jo explains.<br /></p>

<p>We’ll be hearing more from Jo in January on her return from the magical House of Fairytales, so watch this space...</p> <p><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-craft-material-practices" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">– Find out more about our BA (Hons) Craft and Material Practices programme</a></p>