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Christmas at OorPatts

This year more than ever, I am looking forward to Christmas. I have had a fun year so far. The new homes of OorPatts this year, have been the Summer market at New Lanark and the Christmas/summer market at royal exchange square, Glasgow.
I have loved reconnecting with customers from my old market at the weekend craft fair in the merchant city, Glasgow. I have also loved meeting new customers and making friends with many of them.
Over at New Lanark, a great group of traders have made the sometimes tough times easier. The people who visit the market from Lanark and the surrounding areas have given me loads of laughs and to sell my work in such a beautiful setting is a joy.

Santa loves Scotland

I have been busy preparing for Christmas both online and at the Market. To keep up to date with where I will be. The easiest way is to follow my twitter feed at @OorPatts.

https://oorpatts.com/product-category/chrismas/

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Markets opening again

It’s great to be back out there selling face to face again. It feels very different but at the same time, all too familiar. You still have great conversations, meet interesting people and have big belly laughs. You still have great trading days and the Celtic v Rangers game still kills trade.(Note to self… take Those days off)

I’m loving New Lanark, Outdoors Market and I’m super looking forward to being in Glasgow again ( First dates June 5th and 6th) Exchange square, Glasgow has been my business lifeline as well as my online store OorPatts.com

I look forward to meeting you at these markets or making up your orders from OorPatts.com.

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2021

What will 2021 bring?

Hopefully OorPatts can continue to grow in size and popularity. It has been a joy to continue to produce and sell my prints and greetings cards here online at OorPatts.com

It will be great to spend time again with ArtOnScotland in exchange square Glasgow ( On the dates shown)👇🏼

It would be great to see you there. I will also be spending a few weekends at New Lanark World Heritage centre at their outdoor market. A beautiful place to be and a fitting backdrop for my work.

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One step closer to…

Well done Scotland for winning the Calcutta cup.

Normality.

The pandemic has been a long, tough road. We are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. OorPatts has a few illustrations to mark these difficult times. The step by step illustration shown was a gift to the young lady who gave me my first injection of the vaccine. Her name is Shannon and it was painless and professionally done. Thankyou Shannon.

The 2 washing lines show in simple terms the subtitle changes that have happened and are now the normal in daily life.

Remember and stay safe. We have a way to go and a lot of other people to protect by our actions and doing the right thing.

As for small businesses. We are losing them. Especially those the Westminster government has chosen to abandon and withhold the financial support that all others have been given. The old saying of “ Use them or lose them “ has never been more true.

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February 2021 Valentine’s Day cards and gifts

This year is now full of hope. 2020 started well for OorPatts and then March brought Covid-19 and everything stopped. What we have/are going through has been a nightmare on many levels. I hope you and yours have found ways that work for you to get through. Now we have 3 vaccines, we can have some hope for the future. We understand that masks, social distancing and sanitiser, will be a part of our lives for a long time to come.

I can’t wait till I can sell face to face at another market. I love meeting the people who want to buy my art. I love the laughs, the stories and the relationships that we have built together. Even during lockdown. I have been in contact via the internet, with several of you. It’s been a joy. I’ve loved making Christmas presents for your loved ones. I wish I could show you them here. There have been some crackers. I loved illustrating the Christmas couple. The cute animals, The Staggies fan, The Chefs extended family, Scottish Indy pals and loads of other personalised illustrations.
Until the markets can be opened again. I have OorPatts.com to keep us going. If you can, please buy from small businesses. We have lost quite a few and once they are gone. They are gone. 👍🏻🥰

Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to buy your loved one a gift. Buy them from the small businesses.

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Finally the start of the Christmas market.

The Christmas market begins.

Today is a return to normality for OorPatts and myself. The first day of face to face trading for months. 11am till 6 pm. Exchange square, Glasgow.

I’ve been busy framing and packing and signing prints and cards. I had forgotten how much work is needed to make a trading day. There’s lots of choices to make. What products to take, how many, what will my setup look like? Do I have everything I need. Sanitiser, kitchen roll, scissors, pens, water… it’s endless🤔 but has an end🤔😂

Then there’s the fun I have talking to people. Meeting old customers and new, friends and family, other stall holders. It’s just a great feeling. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a lot of hard work and there’s lots of standing in the cold, but it is well worth it. I wish I had started this earlier in my life.

Mrs Patt asked for bling… and this ‘I love us’ framed bling print sold out before today’s market.

I’m not carrying to many frames as they are heavy and I am…old😂😂😂 Here is an idea of what may be available and (if you buy an Unframed print) how good my art looks when it is framed.

Home

Enjoy the adventures of the #WeeWummin and see the love in my ‘I love us’ range.

Enough of this writing. I’m getting ready to set off. Wish me luck and if you can. Pop in to Glasgow and see what your missing.
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Finally I can get back to selling in person

Normally I would be in the Merchant square in Glasgow. It’s usually a magic time. This year it’s closed so I will be at the @ArtonScotland Market next to the Gallery of modern Art Glasgow.

Saturday the 12th of December (Next weekend if your reading this… this weekend 🤔😳😂😂) in the outside Art market in exchange square Glasgow. This has been a long time coming. I’ve missed the whole event. From getting my work ready to sell. Packing the car. Setting up the stall. Having a laugh with the customers and the other traders. I even like breaking it all down and starting the whole process all over again.

I’d love to see you all there. Framed prints will be available but not to many. Pre-order them and I will bring them in on the day specified for collection.

OorPatts Christmas cards… just in case you missed them…

https://oorpatts.com/product-category/greeting-cards/christmas-cards/

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Christmas is coming…

These are strange times indeed… Halloween has passed and we now have Christmas to look forward to.

This will be my 3rd Christmas as a one man business. I have to say it has been a blast. I’ve met and made so many new friends during this time. The People you meet and interact with make this life. I am pleased to have met lots of customers in person. I have enjoyed the chats, the tweets and the laughs.

Since March it hasn’t been easy and I mean that for most of us. For OorPatts. The closure of the market in Glasgow where I sell face to face has meant a huge drop in income. Rishi Sunak decided not to give government support to new starts like mines. Happy to take taxes from me for the last 36 years. This has happened to 3 million individuals in the U.K.

…So. If you can. Please support any small businesses in any way you can. Buy a card, buy something bigger, Forward a Facebook post. ReTweet their twitter posts.Tell your friends. I say this for all wee businesses. We are in danger of losing vast numbers of talented people who run these businesses. If we do nothing, we will be left with only mass produced products from soulless corporations . We need to preserve the talent. Like myself many will have been burning through their savings. Many businesses have been lost.Many people have now become unemployed.

So as Christmas is coming… please give small businesses the support that the Westminster government have not given. Spend a few £’s on a card, a candle, a hand made knitted item, art, … anything. When you buy directly from small business. You get the personal touch. Your money is not funding giant corporations it’s helping pay the heating bills or clothes for the children.