Our First-Ever Pop-Up: Art Whims at Family Day @ Angullia Mosque

Every small business has its share of firsts — the first product created, the first order received, the first customer who believes in what you do, and the first time you step outside your comfort zone to try something completely new.

For Art Whims, 15 August 2026 became another milestone in our journey: our very first physical booth event.

We had the privilege of participating as one of the vendors at Family Day @ Angullia Mosque, bringing along a selection of our handcrafted pieces from the Little Luxe Collection, as well as our cute Islamic keychains.

It was a day filled with anticipation, conversations, generosity, support and many little moments that made the experience memorable. But our journey to the booth actually started several weeks earlier — with a simple question.

It All Started With an Invitation

Sometime in July, someone dear to us asked whether Art Whims would be interested in participating in an upcoming booth event at Angullia Mosque.

Our first reaction?

We weren't sure.

Until then, much of the Art Whims journey had taken place online and behind the scenes. We were familiar with creating artworks, photographing them, sharing our latest pieces on social media and preparing orders for customers.

But setting up a physical booth?

That was completely new territory for us.

As this would be our first-ever booth event, we had no idea what to expect. Naturally, many questions started going through our minds.

What should we bring? How many artworks should we prepare? How should we display them? What would the crowd be like? Would visitors be interested in our pieces? How much equipment would we need? And how were we going to transport everything to and from the venue?

There was a certain comfort in continuing to do what we already knew.

But there was also an opportunity in front of us.

After giving it some thought, we decided that perhaps it was time for Art Whims to experience something new.

So we took the leap and informed the organisers that we would be interested in participating.

Alhamdulillah, we were accepted as one of the vendors for Family Day @ Angullia Mosque.

The uncertainty quickly turned into excitement.

And then came the preparation.

Preparing for Something We Had Never Done Before

Being accepted was the easy part.

Now we actually had to figure out how to run a booth!

We began planning almost immediately. There were logistical matters to consider, products to prepare, displays to think about and plenty of small details that suddenly became very important.

One of the biggest questions was deciding which Art Whims artworks to bring.

Our artworks come in various sizes, and some of our larger pieces would require considerably more space and care during transportation. Considering the nature of Family Day, the booth size and the type of crowd we expected, we decided that our Little Luxe Collection would be the most suitable choice.

These smaller artworks allowed visitors to experience the handcrafted textures and details associated with Art Whims in a more compact and accessible format.

They were also much easier to transport and display — something we would later be extremely thankful for.

Once we decided to showcase Little Luxe, another thought occurred to us:

We needed more pieces!

And so we hurried to work on additional artworks for the collection.

The weeks leading up to the event became a combination of creating and planning. While new artworks were being completed, we were also thinking about the booth itself.

There was a surprising amount of behind-the-scenes preparation involved.

How should we arrange the table?

How could we display different artworks without making everything look cluttered?

Which pieces should be placed higher?

Where should we position the smaller products?

How should prices and payment information be displayed?

These may seem like tiny details, but when everything has to fit onto one table, every bit of space matters.

It gave us a newfound appreciation for businesses that regularly participate in bazaars, markets and pop-ups. What visitors see on event day is only the final result. Behind every nicely arranged booth are hours — sometimes weeks — of preparation.

Eventually, after all the planning, creating and packing, the day finally arrived.

15 August — Here We Go!

On the morning of 15 August 2026, we made our way to Angullia Mosque with everything packed and ready.

We arrived at approximately 8.40am.

Our first task?

Finding a carpark as close to the venue as possible.

With artworks, display materials and everything else we needed for the day, the shorter the carrying distance, the better!

Once we managed to settle that, we proceeded to the venue and began setting up our booth.

For something we had spent weeks wondering about, the actual setup was surprisingly manageable.

Perhaps all that planning had paid off.

As first-timers, we had imagined that setting up might be chaotic, but everything gradually found its place. The artworks went up, the smaller products were arranged, and our little Art Whims booth began taking shape.

It was also at that moment that we realised we had made the right decision to bring only the smaller Little Luxe artworks.

They were easier to carry, easier to arrange and much more practical for the available booth space. We were able to showcase a good selection without overwhelming the table.

Lesson number one from our first pop-up: sometimes, less really is more.

Meeting Our Fellow Vendors

With our booth ready and some time remaining before the crowd began arriving, we decided to walk around and explore.

After all, we were visitors too — just visitors wearing our vendor hats for the day.

We went around to see what the other participating businesses had to offer. There was a variety of products and food available, and it was nice to see so many different small businesses gathered in one place.

One particularly sweet moment happened right beside our booth.

Cinnamon Art Stories, who was next to us generously gave us two children's books for our children.

It was such a simple but thoughtful gesture.

We had only just arrived, and already there was a sense of friendliness among the vendors. We may all have been there to showcase our respective businesses, but it did not feel like everyone was simply there to compete for customers.

Instead, there was generosity and a sense of community.

That kindness would become something of a theme throughout the day.

And Slowly, the Crowd Arrived

Close to 11am, small groups of visitors began streaming into the area and making their way around the booths.

After spending the morning setting everything up, it was exciting to finally see people approaching.

As lunchtime came around, the crowd grew to a fair size.

This was the part we had been most curious about.

For the first time, people could walk past an Art Whims display and see our creations physically rather than through a photograph or social media post.

Some visitors paused and gazed at our artworks.

Some came closer to examine the pieces.

Others approached us and asked questions about the artworks.

Those interactions were especially meaningful.

Textured art is something that photographs can only communicate to a certain extent. When viewed in person, you can see the layers, depth, texture and the way different materials react to light. Being able to watch people observe those details up close was a completely different experience for us.

Alongside the artworks, we had also brought our cute Islamic keychains, and these caught the attention of several visitors as well.

Then came the moment every vendor remembers:

Our first customer of the day.

And our very first customer at our very first Art Whims booth was...

A family member. :D

They purchased some of our Islamic keychains, officially giving us our first booth sale.

Hey, support is support — and we are grateful for it!

From Fellow Vendors to Art Whims Customers

As the day progressed, something else happened that we did not necessarily expect.

Some of our fellow vendors became our customers.

One vendor decided to purchase an artwork for her own home.

Another chose an artwork as a birthday gift for a friend.

There was something particularly special about those purchases.

When someone chooses an artwork for their home, it means that something about that piece speaks to them enough for them to imagine living with it in their personal space.

And when someone chooses an artwork as a gift, there is another layer of meaning involved. Our creation is going to become part of someone else's celebration and, hopefully, a piece that will be appreciated for many years.

Those are the moments that remind us that an artwork does not simply leave our hands when it is sold.

Its story continues in another home.

We are grateful to every person who stopped to look, asked us about our work, purchased an artwork or brought home one of our keychains.

Every interaction mattered.

A Small Gesture That Meant a Lot

As Family Day gradually came to an end, another heartwarming moment unfolded.

Some of the food vendors began giving food away to the other vendors.

It may seem like a small gesture, but as fellow small business owners, it meant something to us.

Running a small business is not easy.

Every item prepared for an event comes with a cost. There are ingredients, materials, packaging, transportation, rental, time and effort involved. There is also never a guarantee that everything prepared will be sold.

Knowing that reality made it especially heartwarming to see vendors willingly sharing with others.

From the children's books we received in the morning to the food being shared towards the end of the event, these little acts of generosity left a lasting impression on us.

It reminded us that supporting small businesses is not limited to purchasing something.

Sometimes support looks like buying from the booth next door.

Sometimes it is recommending another vendor to someone.

Sometimes it is having a conversation.

And sometimes, it is simply giving someone something with sincerity and expecting nothing in return.

May those who gave and shared so generously be blessed with greater rezeki and goodness in return. Ameen.

Packing Up Our First Pop-Up

Soon, it was time to call it a day.

We quickly began packing our artworks, products and display materials so that the organisers could proceed with cleaning up the area.

Piece by piece, our Art Whims booth disappeared back into boxes and bags.

The table that we had spent weeks thinking about was empty again.

There was something slightly surreal about it.

So much preparation had gone into a few hours — and suddenly, it was over.

But we left with more than what we had arrived with.

We left with experience.

Our Biggest Takeaway From the Day

Looking back, we are glad we decided to say yes when we were first invited in July.

Our first booth event taught us many practical things — what to bring, how to prepare, how to arrange a display and how to make things easier logistically.

But beyond the practical lessons, it gave us an opportunity to experience Art Whims differently.

Most of the time, our relationship with customers happens through a screen.

At a pop-up, that barrier disappears.

We get to watch someone notice an artwork from a distance, approach it, look closely at its details and ask us about it.

We get to have conversations with people who may never have encountered Art Whims before.

We also get to meet other entrepreneurs who understand what goes into running a small business.

For our first attempt, we would say it was a great experience.

Was everything perfect? Probably not.

Did we learn things that we would do differently next time? Definitely.

But that is exactly what a first experience is supposed to be.

You learn by doing.

Thank You for Supporting Art Whims

To the organisers of Family Day @ Angullia Mosque, thank you for giving Art Whims the opportunity to participate and experience our very first booth event.

To the vendors we met, thank you for your conversations, kindness, generosity and support. A special thank you to our neighbouring vendor for the children's books — our children appreciate the lovely gesture.

To our family and friends who came down and supported us, thank you for always cheering us on.

And most importantly, to everyone who stopped by the Art Whims booth — whether you admired an artwork, asked us a question, bought a keychain or chose one of our handcrafted artworks for yourself or someone special — thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Supporting a small business means supporting the people and stories behind it.

When we received that invitation in July, we wondered whether we should participate.

A month later, we packed up our very first booth knowing that we were glad we did.

Alhamdulillah for the opportunity, the experience, the lessons, the kindness we received and every bit of support shown to Art Whims.

Our first booth experience is now officially part of the Art Whims story.

And perhaps this is only the beginning.

Thank you for supporting our journey. See you at the next Art Whims pop-up, InshaAllah!