February 2026 Notes

Well January flew by… and honestly, for once it didn’t feel like the never-ending month it usually does. I don’t know about you, but I normally find January drags its heels a bit. We were very lucky to squeeze in a week’s ski holiday in the middle, which probably helped with the “blink and you missed it” feeling.

I’m also very happy to report that I got my accounts done and filed by the end of the first week, just like I promised myself (Woo!). A huge weight lifted. We actually have a day set aside each month for me to work on accounts so it’s not a mad rush at the end of the year… but if I’m being totally honest, I just don’t work like that. I need the pressure of a looming deadline, without it, my brain simply refuses to engage.

Other than number-crunching, I’ve been spending time working on my calendar for the year ahead. I’m already confirmed for quite a few events (very exciting!), and I’m waiting to hear back from a few more applications, fingers crossed I’ll have news on those soon. I’ll share the confirmed dates below, with the first event coming up in March.

I really like knowing my calendar well in advance it makes planning so much easier. Last year I found that some Christmas market applications didn’t even open until late summer or September, which made things feel a bit last-minute, and I was feeling quite panicky in August not knowing what my Christmas season was going to look like. This year I’ve been much more organised (go me 🙌). I’ve managed to get early applications in for some bigger events that I missed last year, and I’ve made notes of potential dates for smaller local ones I really enjoyed taking part in last year that haven’t opened applications just yet.

These are the dates I have confirmed in my diary already. However I still have quite a few applications still pending, if all come through then certainly the end of the year will be looking very busy again.

The first event in the diary is the Chelmsford Vegan Market held in the centre of town in the heart of Bond Street. Whilst, yes, as the name suggests all the food sold at this market will be vegan, there will still be something for everyone. The event promotes sustainable shopping and ethical production. All traders at these events adhere to policy like using no single use plastic, all packaging must be recycled or recyclable.

Now that most of the admin and planning is out of the way, I can finally shift my focus back to the fun stuff. This month I’ll be starting work on a new collection, which I’m hoping to release around the Burnham Art Trail again (pending a successful application).

My inspiration this year is coming from something quite unexpected, the humble barnacle. Often seen as a nuisance (especially by sailors endlessly scrubbing them off boats), but I find their forms completely fascinating. A bit weird I know. But the way they cluster together on rocks, that shock of chalky white and texture against dark, shiny surfaces… I just can’t stop looking at them.

More on that very soon.