Ally Pally – 2 stands in 1!

Ally Pally – 2 stands in 1!

Hi there.

Good of you to pop in.

Just got back from Alexandra palace. We seem to have dodged the traffic; not too bad at all – both going and coming back. We commute back and forth to Kent/East Sussex each day. It’s just cheaper, and we get to sleep in our own beds. Provided you don’t get snarled up on the M25 at the Bridge, you can usually get through in under 2 hours.

And the stand looks so smart!!! We tried something new this time. I do hope our visitors like it. We built a wall down the middle with a central opening, and divided the products up logically.

So I’m on one side, with stamps, stencils, dies, designer papers and anything mixed mediaesque,

and Paul is on the other side with all things parchy, Groovi and Pergamano. See the opening in the middle?

So this is what we started with at 11am…

…and this was what it looked like when we stopped the clock at 4pm. Groovi over here –

Stamps & Stencils over ’ere!

The product departments are very clearly delineated, so our hope is that customers won’t be so crushed, and will be able to easily navigate the stand. Or should I say stands?! See the dies to the left? And the stamps to the right? And the tills down the side this year, one either side of the wall. But both sides are very accessible from all angles, so let’s see, shall we? Nothing like a little rethink every now and then…

It has been getting too much of a crush recently. We’ve been adding more and more product over the years (no shit, Sherlock!!). The stand was just getting too crowded and once you were in the mosh pit, you really couldn’t see what you were looking for! I am excited to see how this works out.

Anyway, time to make some supper and kick back for a couple of hours, before we poodle back up to London, round the North Circular.

I hope you can join us this weekend; this IS the busiest of the Southern Shows for Clarity. I think of it as our HOME SHOW. Really looking forward to it! As to demos, I think I’ll do what I did at Leyburn on Saturday; that went down well – and I’m a dab hand at it now!! Hahahaha!

Love & Hugs,

Barb

xxx

41 thoughts on “Ally Pally – 2 stands in 1!

  1. Oh that looks really smart!! And spacious… Mind you it needs to be!!
    Hope Dave’s back is a little better and Steve’s too!
    Try and relax tonight… You’ll need all your strength over the next two show days! Have a good one.
    Love and hugs xxx

  2. Your stand looks amazing! Sorry I won’t be there, it’s a bit too far from Blackpool. But I did treat myself at the Leyburn Open Day so I’m not too jealous. And I can confirm that your demo’s were brilliant! You will wow them at Ally Pally. Have fun!

    1. Hello Helen from a fellow Blackpudlian. I left in 1976, and ended up in Milton Keynes, via Johannesburg, but my family still live there, so I still visit. I do love Lancashire.
      Just wanted to say hello. Annette 😊

  3. It all looks fabulous Barbara. Sorry that I can’t make it but I might try and pop down to the NEC in November if you are going to be there. All depends on the other half but time will tell. Have a brilliant show. Xxx

  4. Ooh now getting excited my friend Linda and I always make your stand our first port of call when we go. We will be there on Sunday so look forward to seeing you all and your two stands x

  5. The stand looks fabulous and should work well with the products being separated and the area more open. Last time I went to Ally Pally was 22 years ago and the crush was horrendous. Looks like it has changed a lot. You did marvels setting up that lot in just 5 hours.
    Hope Dave and Steve are better and able to help you over the weekend.
    Have a good rest tonight and get ready to wow the punters.

  6. OMG what an Aladdin’s cave of goodies! You have done an amazing job in such a short time and it looks fantastic. I hope it all goes well and that the travelling to and fro isn’t too tiring.
    Have a relaxing evening before the madness. Hugs Annette X

  7. Looks fabulous, Ally Pally a bit far for me these days but hope you enjoy the day. Demos at Leyburn were brill so think they will go down well.

  8. Ally Pally is so close but more effort to get to than NEC, so hope to see you again there. I mean I didn’t quite buy you out at Leyburn.

  9. Well that looks the business. Looking forward to browsing, asking and buying. As for the mosh pit – waiting until November to go and see Pete Tong at the O2 – yes me at my grand old age. Life in the old dog yet.
    happy weekend to everyone x

  10. The Stand looks brilliant, good work all of you to do it that quickly. Looks as though it’ll be much so much easier to get around this time, a change is as good as a rest they say. Hope Dave and Steve are more comfortable this evening. Have a relax Barbara, you’ll be full on tomorrow and Sunday, no doubt. So looking forward to being there.xxx

  11. Cool Barb, very smart, and very logical. Logical always very good, well for folk like me anyway!!! Wee suggestion, get folk going round each stand in one direction only, like a one way only road circuit. That should help too, and help you to see more of what is going on as well. I do hope there are no thieves this year, and if any dare try your team catch them.

    You’d think they’d make the floor nicer, especially when the rest of the room is all decorative, eh!!! How do you know what exact area of floor is yours? I can picture lots of battles on set up day of folk accusing others of encroaching into their allotted area!

    Glad you can put your feet up for a bit this evening.
    Hope the show is very successful for you, and you have a happy time xxx

  12. I have been to the Ally Pally show a couple of times and really liked the feel of it. Was very busy and hot when I visited so hope the weather is a little cooler this weekend for everyone. The new layout looks very organised so I’m sure it will be easy for people to work their way around so they visit all the different facets of the Clarity jewel. Good luck with the demos. Xx

  13. The stands look amazing – what a lot of work for you all. I hope the show is really successful for you too. Now with 2 tills and 2 stands will it be Barb vs Paul for the weekend – nothing like a bit of friendly rivalry!!!

  14. Everything looks fabulous. Can’t wait to see you all on Sunday. If anyone is going please message me on fb and we can meet up for a coffee and a chat x

  15. Love it, good luck with the shows and those that are going enjoy. Me, I’m off on my holibobs, a week in the sun with our gorgeous granddaughter x

  16. Great setup indeed. Fab demos at Leyburn so the visitors are in for a treat. Finally got round to using my Gemini with the lovebirds die that you used Barbara and it worked a treat, even managed to add the “waste” to an adhesive sheet, very pleased with myself. Just need to get some 4×4 canvas boards now. Thanks again.
    Have a great weekend xx

  17. Looks brilliant. Unfortunately couldn’t make it this year.. Probably just as well cos really under the weather for last two weeks and still rough. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

  18. Stand looks great, hope it’s all a huge success. My picot dies arrived today(you know…those dies I wasn’t going to buy all at once -lol!) so will be having a play tomorrow, then thro to CC Headquarters for Linda’s Groovi class on Sunday. xx

  19. I’m mostly housebound just do appointments out of Home lots of them so cannot do the shows but I received a clarity parcel today and one dispatched will I will receive on Monday so I’m pleased I can do that .
    Thank you clarity towers as I got my birthday parcel ready for tomorrow.
    Hope you have a wonderful two days hope the thieves stay away love and hugs xxx

      1. Hello Sheila as it’s after midnight I can officially wish you a very happy birthday. Enjoy your clarity goodies. Love and hugs xxx

  20. It looks amazing could wiz around in my wheelchair easily no crashing oh but sadly unable to come have a really bad painful leg nurses coming in to see me today in compression bandages today nurses in everyday. Going to miss you all so much pictures make me even more depressed been a hard few weeks and just gets worse but hope nurses have it under control and getting it sorted just love are day up there seeing you are lunch date well Katie is unhappy too but understands , hope Dave and Steve backs feel easier haven’t over done it so sending love and hugs to you all have a great weekend xxx

  21. The stand looks wonderful Barbara and you can see just looking at it that the size has just grown and grown over the last few years with all the new things you are doing. Hope both Dave and Steve’s backs are on the mend, and hope tomorrow is a good day. x

  22. The stands look amazing! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I am going to he Theatre Royal on Sunday. You never know, if I get time, I might jump on the tube & come and visit!

  23. Stand looks fabulous, can really see how you have grown over the years. Wish I could be there but maybe I spent enough at Leyburn. I have a Birthday party to host for the new dad in our family then Maria’s wonderful class on Sunday. Take care on your travels hope that M25 is kind to you. xx

  24. Gosh what a lot of goodies. Would love to be there but it is too much of a trek from Cornwall and I find that too many people and the noise bothers me now. Never did like crowds. Happily there’s no crowds on the website! Have a great weekend xx

  25. Hi Barb,
    Wow! The stand looks amazing and huge! Let’s hope the new layout deters the horrible thieves this year. I hope Dave and Steve are feeling better. Your demos were great at Leyburn last weekend so I can’t see why they won’t go down a storm in London. Can’t believe a week has gone by already! Would love to go to Ally Pally one year but definitely won’t be this year as we are heading down to Pembroke for the week which I’m so looking forward to even though the forecast isn’t too good. Hope everything goes well, take care of your neck and have safe journeys to and from the show. Love and hugs Alison xx

  26. Hi Barbara
    Wow the stand looks amazing, so many goodies. I hope there’s still some left on Sunday! Safe journey and I hope all goes well tomorrow.
    Love Diane xxx

  27. Hi Barbara
    I do hope those three men in your life are feeling much better today. Xxx
    I can’t believe how wonderful the stands look, and how quickly you managed to set them up.
    You will have to see which of the two tills takes the most money, will it be stamps, stencils and dies or Groovi and all things parchment ??
    Good luck with your weekend.
    Love & Hugs
    Xxxxx

  28. OOH IT ALL LOOKS SO GREAT BARBARA. I’D LOVE TO BROWSE ALONG ALL THOSE ROWS OF GOODIES ESPECIALLY AS SUNDAY IS MY BIRTHDAY, BUT SADLY I CAN’T. I HAD A SPINAL INJURY SOME YEARS AGO SO I’M HOUSE BOUND.. BUT I DO HOPE YOU ALL HAVE LOTS OF FUN..AND SELL LOTS OF GOODIES. LOVE BARBARA XX

  29. I’m pleased your Dad is on the mend and hope the “backs” are holding out! Hope to see you all at Ally Pally on Sunday, this is a real treat for me. The stand look great hope it will be a good weekend for everyone.

  30. Hello Barb, I think the thought that has gone into the stand layout will really pay off. I hope all goes well, and that all the injured/suffering men in your life are recovering at a speed. Wish I could be there, but they may complain at the day job. Take care all and enjoy. Bx

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