CHRISTMAS Blue Magpie Contemporary Craft Fair

Online Registration - November 2026

Proposed timings: 

Friday 20th November 10.30 - 4.00pm

Saturday 21st November 10.30 - 4.00pm

Sunday 22nd November 10.30 - 4.00pm

 

Application Deadline: Tuesday 26th May 2026 (Midnight)

We're delighted to be opening up applications for this November's pre-Christmas Blue Magpie Contemporary Craft Fair! 

 

The deadline for applications closes at midnight on Tuesday 26th May 2026.

This November, we will again be arranging for large A1 posters to be displayed on Church Walk in Malvern (which runs outside Waitrose into Great Malvern centre). To populate this - we take some of the best images available from the applications - so please send us some stellar images and yours might be chosen!

 

 

Hello!

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have noticed that Spring is stubbornly not springing today - as I'm sat in the office with the heating on and wearing a cardi and yesterday there were hailstones. . much to the dismay of our three cats. But the hope of warmer days as Elmslie starts getting into Wedding Reception season beckons . .. as does the gardening!!

So - I'll keep this brief(ish).

We are opening the applications for November's Blue Magpie . . .!

We have decided that keeping it to just the three days is probably the best format; much as we enjoyed the preview evening last year, I think it's a bit too early to go full on Christmas late night shopping, and there are other local venues that offer this sort of event much closer to December with more success - I think for our particular demographic, daytime is best.

Following feedback from March's event, we're going to carry on with makers being able to swap over days. . as it does mean we can offer more places than if we kept everyone the same spot for the duration and this does also alleviate the pressure on us when selecting applications and encouraging return visits . . .however, with all our costs going up, sadly the cost of a pitch will also see an uplift too.

But - in exchange, there is still daily complimentary tea/coffee and cake - which in itself is a growing cost to us (have you seen how much butter is these days, it's almost criminal!) and with our growing reputation and increasing visitor numbers, we still think that for an inside event in a beautiful setting - we're still hopefully offering good value for money - or worth a punt at least.

All good wishes and we look forward to receiving your applications in due course

ANNA TAYLOR
Resident, CEO & Chief Baker
Part of the team at Elmslie House:
Anna, Bernard, Charlotte, Louise & Ruth

THE FEE & WHAT YOU GET

 

This year the cost of a table per day is £70.00 - so that's £70 for one day, £140 for two days, etc. NB - we will only be asking for payment from successful applicants, and much nearer the time, to secure your place. This rise is due to all the rising costs assocaited with everything in life at the moment. 

Your fee goes to fund the advertising, marketing and promotion of the Fair, which, year on year gets more ambitious; we also now produce an A5 brochure that visitors take away with a floor plan and your details. 

We ask that everyone involved in the Fair also helps to promote the event on their own website, Facebook page, Instagram and any and all other social media platforms out there. We will provide a marketing toolkit to successful applicants to utilise closer to the fair.

Blue Magpie is a family-run event within a family home and business. We really do care about the footfall and we also want for everyone exhibiting to be finanically successful too, so we also mind about the levels of your sales. It's not simply business - it's personal for us too, and, as an exhibitor, you automatically become an extention of our team. The more people that get involved, the more footfall we can hopefully attract. This, we hope, will translate into sales and is, therefore, a win-win situation for everyone. 

Elmslie House is a historic and unique venue, therefore we have some unique stall locations like our bar area and our beautiful hallways. If you have not been inside the venue before, please make yourself familiar by looking at our Instgram and website for photos from past fairs. 

Your £70.00 also gets you:

A 6ft x 2ft trestle table with white floor-length cloth

A chair (or two)

An entry band to the fair for your chosen plus one/guest/partner, etc.

Vouchers each day for a slice of Elmslie House's famous cake and a tea/coffee. 

Access to power sockets (if required)

Access to a Gallery hanging system (if required)

Maker profiles and product images on the Blue Magpie website - which features a permanent online directory for makers.

Regular Facebook & Instagram posts - both of all individual makers and also group posts - with your product images accessible to the Elmslie House (@elmsliehousemalvern) and Blue Magpie FB followers and Instagram followers too (@bluemagpiecraft)

Weekly emails to our extensive mailing lists which will feature each Maker in their discipline group (Metal, Textiles and so forth)

Regional and National advertising in local newspapers, journals and websites, and other publications.

We look forward to receiving your applications!

New Date(s): 

Friday 20th November 10.30 - 4.00pm

Saturday 21st November 10.30 - 4.00pm

Sunday 22nd November 10.30 - 4.00pm

Where: Elmslie House, 8 Avenue Road, Malvern WR14 3AG

Your work

IMAGES

Please read CAREFULLY!

As with other craft events, Blue Magpie regularly utilises images on the web and on social media. It is of vital importance that you provide images as specified below.

Although it may seem a faff to you - we will have - literally - hundreds of supplied images to look through, and so it really helps us if they are labelled correctly for us to easily identify which ones are yours - which in turn allows us to effectively promote each individual maker.

Only successful applicants will be asked for high-res files, and only if required.

Please send photos that are of a professional standard as we do use them all for different marketing, social media and print purposes. NB - there have been previous occasions when we have not been able to accept a makers application solely because their supplied photographs were simply not good enough for us to use. We work in a creative field and your images create an immediate impression - they need to look good!

Please could you name each image WITH YOUR NAME/BUSINESS NAME so they are easily identifiable.

Please include at least one image that is suitable for use on Instagram.

Please include one image of your STANDARD STALL SET-UP (does not need to be high res). If you have not done a fair before, please stage a likeness of what you plan to do at Blue Magpie.

For at least one image - please could you choose something that is either:

A Winter/Christmas themed item OR

A Winter/Christmas colours (red/green/snow, etc)

Please note that we sometimes use multiple images so if you send us a particular image, we would always recommend that you bring similar items with you if your application is successful. 

For November we are also going to be producing a series of 28 A1 posters for advertising in Malvern so please ensure that your images are also high res enough to be enlarged for this format. Thanks!

Please take a moment to tell us what you need from the space that will be allocated to you.

Space in Elmslie's hall is allocated based on those Makers/Artists who will use the availble hanging space. If you indicate you want hanging space, you must use it. Failure to do so may result in a relocation of your table space.

Our standard set up is a 6 x2 ft trestle table, white tablecoth with a chair and access to a power outlet.

You are permited to not use the table /chair provided but you must still only use the space you have been allocated.

For example, if you are a textile maker and require showcasing on clothes rails, these must fit into the space the removed table would have taken up. 

If you feel you need to deviate from this or have large items (tables, stools, etc); please contact us after a successful application with details but we cannot guarentee being able to accomodate this. 

Please note - this will be prioritised for those needing to hang their artwork on the wall (rather than for banners, or other incidentials). We use in STAS system (http://www.picture-rail.co.uk) 

FINAL BITS to CHECK

This does not commit you - it just gives us an idea of numbers. If you have selected any of these options we will be in touch nearer the time, once successful applicants have been selected. If you decide to go ahead, you will be invoiced with your stall fee. Thanks!

Many thanks for taking the time to complete this form.

 

We would be grateful if you know of other makers who might also be interested in taking part, that you forward them the e-mail you received containing the link to this form.

 

With thanks and best wishes

The Blue Magpie team at Elmslie House

 

 

The DEADLINE for this application is midnight on Tuesday 26th May 2026

All applicants will be notified of their application status no later than

 Tuesday 9th June (end of day).