take it to market

Our Thumbnail Pop-up Shop attends Live Events all over the South of England; Art Markets, Fayres, Fetes, Festivals & Shows. We are so sorry to have missed many events due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and are delighted to be making plans to return soon. Please scroll down to see past events.

Salisbury Artisan Market 5th May 2019

Double Pitch! We were more than pleased to book this supersized stand for the May outing of the Pop-up Shop and were thrilled by all the keen visitors to the Stand. We EVEN saw some folks brave the day without their coats! Check out Jayne Bateman's Bee up a Tree pic - fun in the spring sun at Thumbnail.

Milestones Museum Indoor Two Day Christmas Market

Wow - what a weekend we had! Our Stall was ideally positioned at a junction in a bustling Victorian Street, surrounded by ironmongers and cobblers shops. This Living History Museum has succeeded in recreating a typical town scene of yesteryear in an aeroplane hangar right in the middle of Basingstoke!

We met lots of lovely visitors with a footfall to the event of 2000 ticket holders each day. The Christmas vibe was definitely in the air, I even saw little rosy faced children with their noses pressed up against the Ye Olde Sweet Shop window!!

Witney Town Hall Christmas Market

This is a great little event in the delightful Oxfordshire Market town of Witney. Our stand was loaded with gorgeous Art Prints, Cards, Calendars and Canvas Prints. Calendars were popular, needless to say. One lady had come out shopping to try to find 2 different giraffe cards for her Giraffe-mad children - Thumbnail was able to oblige with 2 very different long necked beauties, one photographic by Anne Clark and one a painting by Fiona Forbes!

We were thrilled to meet our Member Artist, Jessica Parker from Kingfisher Studios who visited our stand on this day and is photographed here holding one of her beautiful Prints available at Thumbnail. (For interest, Jessica on the right and Amanda on the left of pic!)

Basing House Tudor Barn Christmas Fayre

Come to our Tudor Tythe Barn for our Christmas Fayre they they said. It'll be beautifully romantic and Christmassy they said....and in sub zero temperatures from our arrival at 8am until our frozen departure at 6pm!!!

Whilst the Stallholders put on a brave face, the visitors to Basing House, Hampshire were treated to a day of Living History, Battle Re-enactments, Tudor Fayre and I understand the Mead was flowing! The boom of the gunpowder kept us well and truly on our guard throughout the day, but next year definitely extra layers would be recommended!

A fab day with lots of interested customers - one lady in particular - who fell in love with the work of Karina Goodman and purchased a selection of no less than TWELVE of her cards!

Salisbury Artisan Market 1st September 2019

The September Sun shone all day, no wind across the exposed marketplace - just a relaxing ambiance of late summer shopping fused with some live jazz and the aromatic delights of street food on every corner. What a beautiful day we enjoyed. Thrilled to sell Kevin Haynes' 'Leaning on a Lamp Post' print to an equally thrilled customer. We will return for the October Market and then begins the CHRISTMAS SEASON - yes people, you heard it here first - here come the Robins and Reindeer of 2019!

Salisbury Artisan Market 4th August 2019

Keith attended this event solo! Hence there is 1 x Photo and 1 x amazing piece of video of said stand!

Well done Keith - it's remakable that you even had one spare eye for the camera, let alone a spare hand! It was a great day of sales and once again we thank the good people of Salisbury for their loyal custom.

Salisbury Artisan Market 7th July 2019

Unable to find a Dog Sitter for the Thumbnail pooch, we decided to take our dear little friend, Billie-Jo with us. Talk about Dog in the City! She absolutely loved it as being a country dog, she had never visited the City before and so Salisbury really took the biscuit. It's true to say that Billie did pull in the customers - most couldn't resist a Cuddle with every Card! Another successful day in Salisbury.

The Walled Garden Summer Fete 5th June 2019

This is our second year of attending and we were thrilled to be back! It's a charming place and all budding gardeners should take a trip to enjoy the thoughtfully designed gardens, sculptures and cafe with farm shop. Summer? Mmmmm, the wind stopped play early, but while the sun shone, people were genuinely very happy and warm! A visit to the Farm Shop confirmed that several of our Members now have their designs on display, plus we dropped a lovely new order in whilst there. We will definitely be back next year...

Salisbury Artisan Market 5th May 2019

Double Pitch! We were more than pleased to book this supersized stand for the May outing of the Pop-up Shop and were thrilled by all the keen visitors to the Stand. We EVEN saw some folks brave the day without their coats! Check out Jayne Bateman's Bee up a Tree pic - fun in the spring sun at Thumbnail.

Salisbury Artisan Market 7th April 2019

It was great to be back on the Thumbnail Stand!

We are thrilled to be presenting a brand new Collaboration between two of our talented Members; Trisha Wood and Joanne Spencer in the form of our 'Healing Hearts and Flowers' range of handmade jewellery and birth flower cards. Also lovely new signage for all Members on the stand to show visitors a taster of the art as they search for their favourite designs!

… & Way Back in 2018

Warminster Spring in the Park 6th May 2018

What a glorious day we had in Warminster Lakeside Park! The sun shone the entire day and the atmosphere was good enough to bottle - UK summertime at its very best. We were touched by the genuine interest we received for our stand and for our Members’ work. This event was definitely about networking. We found ourselves talking about several of our Artists in depth, giving out their business cards and answering enquiries about their work for other products like large prints, canvas wraps and even original paintings. The top spot has to be shared this week between Peter French and Chris Langley. Both sold a good selection of cards and I have a list of interested parties to contact this week for product quotes. Happy day watching the good people of Warminster messing about in boats!

Chippenham Town Hall 28th April 2018

A striking building with dramatic furnishing, statues, chandeliers and ornate original features. Our stand had prime position and we were delighted to receive a bumper number of visitors to our stand. Top seller was Anne Clark Photography whose British Wildlife and Animal Portrait Cards sold time and again, helping her to fundraise for Reverse Rett. We are thrilled to have met an artist who saw our post advertising our plans to attend, came along on the day and has subsequently joined Thumbnail as a Marketing Member. We will be launching her beautiful collection of artworks shortly at our websites and on our stand at forthcoming events. Watch this space...

Hatherell’s Yard 21st April 2018

This delightful Artisan’s Market is located in the picturesque town of Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire. The Market is in an attractive re-development of an old Yard to house creative shops and coffee bars. There is also a river path through to the supermarket lined with mature Willow Trees. We had a purpose built Market Stall alongside other crafters and  a beautiful plant stall. Top seller for Thumbnail was Bridget Winterbourne with her signature Florals and Seascapes of Bude. Feedback from other Traders was that customers return weekly and ask for specific products, therefore a repeat visit is a must! We will be returning later in the season.

Marlborough Town Hall 7th April 2018

The sun shone for the very first time in 2018 -  The venue looked stunning against the unbroken blue sky and visitors wore shorts, licked ice creams and were all smiling! Our stand was in a great position and we attracted a constant stream of artistic visitors. Top seller on the day was Trisha Wood whose Cartoon Cats stole the show. We were thrilled to meet a new artist who has gone on to print a range of cards with us and also made the acquaintance of ‘The Blue & White Company’ who were our neighbours for the day.

The Walled Garden at Moreton 2018

This venue is a ‘must-visit’ if you are ever in the vicinity of Dorchester, Dorset.  

It’s a beautiful example of a Walled Garden, designed knowledgeably and delightfully in tune with seasonal colours. There are Sculptural Installations placed, seemingly incidentally, in arbours and open spaces, some providing a thoughtful resting place or photo opportunity, others to celebrate the more mathematical processes of garden layout, exhibiting symmetry and balance with other surrounding features. Camera in hand, I did leave our stand to attempt capturing some of this for our little Blog here, but really, my advice is to go and see for yourself for there is no way my snaps do it anywhere near justice!

The event was small and quintessentially English, the marquee served Cream Tea and Finger Sandwiches, picnic blankets were provided and children played in the June sunshine on soft grass and across fairy-tale footbridges spanning a rippling stream. A Cello and Violin duo provided an atmospheric musical backdrop to this relaxed summer scene.

AND...Thumbnail was one of around a dozen independent stallholders who attended. All offered handmade or locally produced gifts or products and so our hand finished Art Cards were right at home.

We were pleased to welcome new work by Joanne Spencer and Jill Glover to our stand and even more pleased to say that they both made sales on this first outing. By quite a long chalk, Bridget Winterbourne was top seller at The Walled Garden at Moreton, with her floral bursts of colour and sun drenched coastal scenes - small wonder, given our glorious backdrop for the day!

Hatherells Yard Market  June 2018

It was Carnival Day in Chipping Sodbury, large crowds were expected to line the streets to watch the colourful Floats go by, the sun would shine and the visitors would browse the delights of the Artisan Market for Gifts and delicious treats… A rainy, slightly cold day in June, dog walkers in coats, loyal market shoppers and brave joggers passed through all morning. We are always pleasantly surprised however by the art loving community, present at every event we attend, who make a beeline for our cards exclaiming about the enormous variety of styles and techniques available at the Thumbnail Stand. These art super-fans are not bothered by weather, content to stand for long moments, flicking through artist by artist, taking their time to choose their selection.  We thoroughly enjoyed our day and the sun made a welcome appearance in the final hour. Low sales compared to previous success, but those who did purchase were thrilled to meet us and impressed by the range of talent on offer. Hatherells Yard is a delightful Market, do visit if you are in the area on a Saturday, park in Waitrose and walk across the footbridge under the weeping willows and enjoy stalls of local produce, handmade crafts, cafes and gift shops. Our next event is Warminster Market on 6th July and we have booked the sunshine!!

Warminster Market 6th July 2018

Following our recent Event in Warminster Park, we decided to try out a regular Market Stall Pitch in the monthly Farmers’ Market in town. We were not disappointed! This delightful Wiltshire town has maintained a busy vibrancy, so often lacking in modern centres; friendly, talkative, engaging visitors frequented our stand all morning. Feedback on our Members’ work was, as always, highly positive and we had some good enquiries for Prints and Commissions. It was a real pleasure to meet all our customers that day, many stopped to admire and discuss the Peter French Collection of Warminster Views, commenting on changes this little town has seen over the years and complementing this talented artist for capturing them so thoughtfully.  A Big thanks to our new customer who stopped to meet us and ask about our services and we are pleased to be supplying her Card Order as we speak.

Top seller was Carol Symon with her watercolour studies of all things quirky, characterful and artistically amusing - in particular her NEW HOME card design which depicts a rather inviting Pink Loo!!uilding and place of historic interest - we can quite see why! The stilted Market Hall boasts a dramatic Clock Tower complete with exposed ticking pendulum inside which perfectly timed our two day event in the beautiful town of Tetbury, Gloucestershire. We were hosted by K and S Crafts and by a stroke of luck were given a double sized pitch due to cancellations. Other stallholders purveyed hand-made artisan products; jewellery, wood turning, yarn spun/woven garments, trinkets and of course CAKES.

Visitors were able to take shelter from the blistering heat of the hottest day so far this summer in the cool interior of the Market Hall and took their time to visit and enjoy all the stalls.

As well as the soaring temperature, we were in competition with the World Cup Final, Wimbledon Finals, Fairford Airshow and the annual Tewkesbury historic re-enactment event. Footfall was disappointing and we understood why, that said, customers who came were, as always, full of complements for the talent on offer at the Thumbnail Stand. Congrats go to Joanne Spencer, Trisha Wood, Carol Symon, Anne Clark, Bridget Winterbourne, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth Barnikel and Chris Langley for sales over the weekend.

Salisbury Farmers Market 29 Market 2018

Another morning Market in the Cathedral City of Salisbury so an early start required yet again. This time we were pitched in the shadow of Poultry Cross, a rather stern looking historical monument, presumably once for the procurement of live Chickens? But nowadays a rather lovely place to stop, enjoy the beautiful surroundings or shelter from a shower. No showers on this day, we were lucky to enjoy a full day of dry, sunny weather and we began to sell before we were even finished un-packing!

This day was to be our busiest to date, we were so pleased with our constant stream of customers that we agreed to stay on into the afternoon and finished up leaving at the same time as the Salisbury shops were closing for the day.

A special mention has to go to Lynda Thomas who sold 20 Cards in one transaction. All to a lady who planned to make up ribboned mixed packs of Lynda's Bath City designs for her 4 children who all live and work in the Spa Town. Great Gift idea!

Royal Wootton Basset 25 August 2018

Our first pitch at this popular Wiltshire Market and the sun obediently shone for us, although Keith and I were caught short a little on the temperature, still donning our shorts and cotton dresses, setting up in the chilly autumnal dawn!

This is a High Street Market with the Stalls facing onto the pavement full of busy shoppers and visitors to this town of great historical interest. We were next to the beautiful stilted Market Hall, surrounded by blooming hanging baskets, cobbled streets and traditional ironwork. Check out the background in some of our photos to appreciate the scenery we enjoyed in Royal Wootton Bassett.

The Town Crier visited our Stall, posing for a lovely shot for our album. He was able to give us fascinating facts from yesteryear about the Criers who have served this town, dating right back to the 1850's when the Criers were also the local Constabulary!

Cards Sales were good all morning with customers choosing a wide range of subjects. We put some Calendars out but there were politely by-passed, perhaps after the August Bank Holiday?

Tetbury Market Hall 9th September 2018

We were pleased to make a return trip to the beautiful English Heritage Market town of Tetbury complete with our stand of gorgeous Art Cards and Prints by Thumbnail Members.

Check out the photos below showing Sue Townsend's view of the Market Hall itself which was our home for the day and of course attracts many visitors through it's historic doors. We were thrilled to have Sue's brand new 2019 Calendars with us which provided our first Sale of the morning.

Being a tourist town meant that we met many travellers from all over the world; USA, NZ, SA and China. We saw a trend of very 'English' designs selling at this event, perhaps to show the folks back home that people in the UK really do hang out in ancient old stilted, beamed Market Halls selling cards of Thatched Cottages and views of Ye Olde London Town.

Salisbury Farmers Market 5th September 2018

It's Wednesday at Thumbnail so it must be a Salisbury Farmers Market Day - This time we went armed with Autumnal designs, golden leaves, gardening theme card, pumpkins and wintry trees! We were not disappointed, even though Salisbury had very much more of a 'Back to School/Work' feel about it than last week, our stand was busy all morning. Some Customers had returned because they hoped we would be there again which is of course a wonderful complement to even the most seasoned Stallholder.

Sales were a total mix of Artists on this day, but it was a trend in POPPY images which came through on the Sales Sheets, perhaps ahead of Remembrance Sunday in November? Or perhaps folks clinging to the scarlet wonders of a long hot summer now definitely passed.

It was agreed that Thumbnail Pop-up Shop was close to being a Thumbnail Swept-away shop...Note to self DO NOT FORGET LEG WEIGHTS!

Warminster Market 7th September 2018

This little Market is fast and furious ...We are talking serious early morning shopping here - the people of Warminster seem to know exactly what they want and they don't hang around until lunchtime to get it! Our first sale of the day is always before we have even finished the stand or opened the cashbox and the last is normally around 12.30, whereupon tumbleweed starts to drift by the now empty Warminster Market square.

I think we can safely say we are now regulars on this pitch, we see familiar faces and have even received feedback from the recipients of some of the Greetings Cards. One lady's partner is overseas with the Armed Forces and will shortly be receiving Karina Goodman's design called Home Sweet Home <3  Another lady particularly wanted a Flamingo card for her Flamingo-mad niece's birthday and we were happy to supply Carol Symon's design featuring this beautiful bird. Proving Thumbnail Pop-up Shop literally has something for everyone.

Mynt Image Art - Chippenham Town Hall 22nd September 2018

Thumbnail commanded a double-sized corner stand of this event. The Town Hall is a beautiful facility in this Wiltshire Market Town and attracted many visitors all day. We really enjoyed getting into conversation, listening to what people are looking for at these events and sharing the gorgeous products on offer featuring our Members' works of art.

The rainy weather was on or side as people took shelter browsing and purchasing from our stand. Great day on the Pop-up Shop, we will definitely be back!

Salisbury Farmers' Market 26 September 2018

Back in what has now become our favourite regular pitch!

Pleased to report Calendar Sales here for Jane Hyder, Sue Townsend and Bridget Winterbourne. Christmas is definitely on our shopppers' lists!  A small print of Race to the Finish by Elizabeth Barnikel also found a new home on the day. Last sale of the day went to a gentleman who purchased all 10 of Trisha Wood's Siamese Cat cards from our stand - better do a reprint!!

We were pleased to meet John Baxter at our stand in Salisbury, a chance meeting for us both which has led to him building a new and exciting relationship with Thumbnail to market his photographic collection, so watch this space....

Royal Wootton Bassett Art Market 29 September 2018

First and loudest shout-out to son of Thumbnail, Dexter Jones for stepping in to run the stall with me on this day.

The sun shone all day for us and the streets of this beautiful historic town were full of smiling shoppers, wearing they summer clothes and enjoying the delights of this Artisan Market. Handmade, crafted, organic, bespoke - all the stands complemented each other well and added to the overall success of the day.

Cards, Prints and Calendars were all sold on this day, Dex likes to think due to his improvements made to the stand!! (He may well be right, shhhhh!)

Salisbury Farmers' Market 10 October 2018

Our stand was notably colder and quieter. Customers who ventured out to visit us did so with the same enthusiasm to which we have become accustomed at Salisbury and we thank those shoppers who have now become our 'regulars'.

One lady specifically asked for a brindle haired Dachshund and we were pleased to oblige with Trisha Wood's delightful drawing of said dog! On this day we also had our fist stocks of newcomer artist, Jayne Bateman on the stand. We wish Jayne all the best and hope our shoppers will enjoy the new range she has brought to our Pop-up Shop. Next event in Tetbury...

K & S Craft Market Tetbury Town Hall 20 October 2018

A chance to show off our new Cards by Jayne Bateman as well as re-visiting this beautiful venue. Our stand was thankfully warmer than the outdoor events and we noted a general climb in Christmas Card and Calendar sales.

One lady was thrilled to bits to see a card of Welsh village Pantmawr by Chris Langley as she grew up there! Needless to say, she bought the card and took down Chris's website details where we hope she found even more images to jog her nostalgia.

Another notable sale was a woman who came to our stand dressed from head to toe in purple - and then proceed to buy cards by Karina Goodman - Karina will no doubt find this amusing due to her own passion for the colour which shines out from her palette in many of her artworks.

Salisbury Farmers' Market 24 October 2018

Top memorable sale of the day goes to Maggie Smith Artist whose delightful designs attracted a lady to purchase 7 all in one go! The same customer who bought the Brindle Dachshund returned, this time asking for a Springer Spaniel which we happily fulfilled with Anne Clark's black and white photo study - another happy customer! The sun continues to shine on our outdoor events even at the end of October but we look forward to some of the indoor Festive events lined up in November and December...

A very elderly man came to our stand this week and spent half an hour looking through our card designs, prints and calendars. He settled on purchasing 5 cards, all by Bridget Winterbourne - Art to Inspire and he spoke to me for a while. He told me that 18 months ago he had a stroke and now considered himself lucky to be alive and walking and talking. He also said that he had not picked up his paints or brushes since his illness, he had felt so drained by the recovery and felt he had lost all creativity. With tears in his eyes he thanked me and said that his time looking at our stall had awoken that part of him again. We struck up a deal that he will come and see us again at the Salisbury Christmas Markets and give us a progress report on his return to painting. His sister thanked us and said she had not seen him this happy for such a long, long time.

Heartfelt thanks to all our hard working and talented artists who continue to supply beautiful images to be shared and celebrated by all.

As Bridget's tag line says, this creative gift truly is 'Art to Inspire'.