It's a wrap - the ABC Gardening Australia Expo 2011

Between the 19th and 21st of August I was lucky enough to be involved in the ABC Gardening Australia Expo. What an experience!
I have done markets in the past but this was like walking into another realm.

It took me four and a half hours to set up my humble little space. It looked nothing like any of the other 'professional' stalls with their glossy photos, big displays, lighting and alike. My little stall oozed homemade-ness.
 
Set up was exhausting.... and that was followed by a night where I tossed and turned. I had never set up my stall and left it overnight before - I was worrying about all my little creatures out in the cold. Not helping was the huge winds and rain that pelted down at my place - I had visions of my tent flying through the expo in the middle of the night and destroying everyone else's displays!
I had no idea what was going to meet me on the first morning...

But Friday morning, the first day of the expo, came and all was ok!
Queues of green thumbs stood at the turnstiles waiting for the gates to open - and then the onslaught began! Bus loads of people arrived and my frown turned to a smile.
And so did everyone else's - I always love how when I take my critters out and about people walk past my stall and smile, some even laugh. Its nice to create such a reaction in people.

So the three days of the expo became one big blurr. 'Sculpt my Pet' was pretty much what everyone wanted to talk about; how they can get their pet 'im-metal-ised'. Gypsy, my model dog, was pulling in the crowds and doing a great job of just being cute. I have to say she did very well not to bite the many children that doinked her on the head!

The other talk of the stall was my croc (a big hit with the men when they saw the bottle tops!) and the kookaburra.
The croc was well behaved, not snapping at anyone as he was also the target of a lot of head doinking! One child even straddled him as if to ride him.... hmmmmm.

So Sunday afternoon came. Feet sore, lips cracked, head jumbled...
It was all over. Such a huge feat - not only the 4 days in setting up and being at the expo but the months of work that lead up to it. It was a huge experience - not something I would do every month, but well worth it all the same.

And to boot I got to meet a few of the ABC Gardening Australia presenters, had a laugh with them. Unfortunately they were out-starred by Shaun the Sheep and Bananas in Pyjamas.

 

A huge thank you to everyone who popped by to say hello... some I knew, some I had sculpted for in the past, some I will be sculpting for in the future. It's always nice to meet people in the flesh!
And an even bigger thank you to my fantastic helpers... you know who you are. Without you it wouldn't have been possible and no way as much fun!