Tampere's Craft Exhibition

I got the chance to go to a super huge Craft Show in Tampere with my friend Anna and her mother.  We drove down (about 2 hours) to Tampere and paid our fees and walked around.  It was held in a sort of stadium and there were two separate halls for various kinds of vendors.
Unfortunately no photos were taken as there were signs at the entrance noting no photos to be taken.  Which is a shame (yet understandable, to protect artist's work) as there were SO many cool vendors there.

I didn't buy a lot, shockingly, and it was in partial thanks to the Sampo bank for having a system crash (yet again).  I did manage to remember to bring cash with me (however early during the morning of our trip, I stopped at the library to return DVDs in the drop-off slot and noticed the closest ATM was boarded up!) and was able to use my card at some vendors.
I picked up 3 hand-made glass figurines: a snake, an ox and a tiny tiger for my family, as these animals represent my husband, my son and my (respectively) Chinese zodiac symbols.  I'm sure a Feng Shui rep would think it's the "wrong animal" to have in the home - but ah well.  They were super cute, reasonably priced and lovely to look at.
I only picked up 1 ball of yarn, it's a sock yarn and psychedelic.  When you knit it, it looks like dyed blotches in a sort of pattern going up the length of the sock - very cool.  It's an item that I know has been ordered by Popelli (or will be) and hasn't been received and put on the shelf yet...sooooooo it was a must.
I went back to the glass vendor before we left and found a little green dragon for my son.  I told my husband that I want to get V�in� one little animal/creature a year (as this is a hobby that's going extinct and these were made in Russia I think) that really defines his character.  Unfortunately a monkey was not available.
Then there were so many scrap-booking stands....wow.  I settled on a "Stack of Boy Stuff" papers with lovely boy-related prints (super hero, cowboy, etc.) and some black ink.
I'm sure you're thinking, "Black ink? Why not get it back home?"  Ink in the art shops are ridiculously expensive...I recall last year, thinking of hand-printing V�in�'s hands onto cards with ink, and I was looking at a price of 14-16 Euros for a pad of ink.  So 50% off at the craft fair was definitely worth it.

I attempted to purchase (at a different stand) some really adorable English written, Christmas-related stamps (AND SUPER CHEAP!) but that's when the card got declined.  Stupid bank.  Anyway, maybe it was a sign I shouldn't get it?  I texted a friend who was selling there today and hopefully she was able to get away to pick them up for me...if not - I'll just be sad and go on the hunt for other affordable stamps.
I'm nervous about carving my own - but maybe I will have to give it a shot!

It's been getting colder in Finland....still have snow - so I do not worry about having a grey/brown/icky Christmas - so it seems!
Because of the darkness being so dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, there is a law that everybody must wear reflectors of some sort - to make themselves visible, so they do not get hit by vehicles.
I recall last year when the early darkness was settling in, I mistook a night reflector, for a price tag on the back of someone's coat...I was also pregnant and not thinking and it was day time - so I couldn't see the purpose of a "price tag" dangling from the back of his coat would do to anybody.
There are various shapes, characters, colors and levels of brightness that you can purchase.  Some of the fancier ones are 3-D when you un-fold them....you can knit or crochet yourself one (which I have done)...and you can hang them from anywhere.  We have one on the stroller and one on each of our jackets.
If I go walking with a dog at night, I have a Mountain Equipment Co-Op (Canadian hiking/outdoor equipment company, also known as MEC) bike light hanging from my coat and from the dog's harness- so people can see not only me, but my dog too!
Another common reflector is in the shape of a wrist bracelet and you attach it to the outside of your coat sleeve.  Most children's outdoor clothing comes with reflectors stitched onto the clothing - which is lovely, as I have a children's sized coat! :P