X is for xmas - # 2

Three weeks ago I attended a Fimo demonstration at The Art Shop in Darlington that was presented by Kathryn Sturrock. I should have planned ahead and researched who she was but I kept putting it off and never got round to it so I had no idea what to expect.

I don't want to reveal too much of what I learnt from her but she is an amazing artist and if any of you get the opportunity to attend one of her events I would 100% recommend it! For more information on Kathryn Sturrock go check out her website at www.karacterkrafts.com.

My Fimo work.

As mentioned in my last post I spent all weekend working with Fimo. Saturday was dedicated to a batch of snowmen and on Sunday I made Christmas puddings. Both projects were done to be made into earrings once I source nickel free jewelry fixings. To be honest I'm really proud of them! I'm going to take them to one of my customers this afternoon to see if they want to order any for their shop in the run up to Christmas - fingers crossed!

I'll let you know how I get on in my next post. Jxx

X is for Xmas - # 1

First things first, I really don't like this term BUT when I first drafted my alphabet I had "X is for X-Rated" and my mum didn't think it was a good idea. Looking back she was right considering I make a lot of toys for children. Plus I couldn't think of an alternative letter for my catnip collection!

Festive Feltie waiting to be stitched.

Most of last week was spent cutting out shapes from felt to make Christmas tree decorations with. There was a fantastic article in the #15 issue of Craftseller which had the pattern in that I'm using. They've also printed an article to make little penguin felties which I've altered slightly to add to my set. I might still make some little free standing penguins yet or even blow the pattern up to make penguin families but not sure yet!

I'm going to spend the weekend working with Fimo which I'm really looking forward to! Ta ta for now! Jxx

Pinterest Challenge

Since setting up my Pinterest account I've been trying to figure out a way to make my page interesting. I also needed a way to keep myself inspired and motivated so I decided to set myself the challenge of creating a new board of products for each letter of the alphabet. It could also help me when I come to coding my stock!

I started out by splitting the weeks of 2013 into fortnightly slots so that every two weeks I'll be working on a new project. I'm hoping this will keep things interesting for not only myself but also for my online followers. Originally I was going to start this challenge in January but with moving house and holidays next summer etc I thought it was a better plan to start now to give myself some flexibility.

To anyone out there who is sat thinking this doesn't sound like much of a challenge - choose a subject and write your own a-z. This alone took a fair bit of thought!

So far my alphabet looks like this:
A = amigurumi
B = bracelets
C = catnip
D = decopatch
E = earrings
F = fairies
G = gargoyles
H = halloween
I = infants
J = jewelry sets
K = key chains
L = lavender
M = mobiles
N = necklaces
O = owls
P = personalised
Q = quilling
R = rings
S = sock creatures
T = tattoo inspired designs
U = upcycling
V = valentines
W = watermelon
X = xmas
Y = yarn
Z = zodiac

Obviously some areas will have to fall at specific times of the year depending on the season so I won't be able to work on them in order. This won't really effect my Pinterest page but it puts my blog in a peculiar order - sorry guys!

If anyone has any better suggestions for the letters then please feel free to contact me - your input would be greatly appreciated! Jxx

It's been a while!

Paper pulp gargoyles.

Another post with an apology of silence - I'm so sorry! In my defence it's been a very emotional few weeks. We've decided to move house and put an offer on an amazing place but it fell through because someone topped our offer a week later. Lack of money has got me down too so I have been looking into a lot more upcycling projects. The main thing I've been working with is paper pulp. It's quite a slow process but I've been shredding all our old bills to pulp so not only is it therapeutic but it's also free material - wey hey! The first batch was used to make snowmen (Christmas tree decorations) and gargoyles (paperweights). I have a second batch currently soaking and three bin liners of shredded paper waiting to be soaked. Safe to say I won't run out any time soon! Unfortunately the snowmen went mouldy in the airing cupboard and had to be binned but I have a base coat of paint on the gargoyles. It's still debatable whether or not I can get them to sale quality but we'll see!

In other news I now have a Pinterest account to showcase my work, go check it out at www.pinterest.com/whitefairyshop :-)

Finally, I have two craft fairs booked! I keep switching from excited to absolutely bricking it though - why? Because not only have I never done my own stall for the general public but both fall on the same weekend! I spent last night planning how I'm going to build enough stock up which made me feel a little better but it's still a very scary thought! I've taken a photo to show all the great new projects I'll be bringing to you soon! (see timetable below)

Anyway, that's enough for one post! Hugs and kisses to you all! Jxx

Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning

All the cakes I'd made

A few weeks ago I saw and advert on TV for the Macmillan Cancer Support advertising their "Worlds biggest coffee morning" event that was taking place on September 28th. I didn't enter the "Race For Life" this year so I ordered an event pack to get more information on it. I know money is generally tight for everyone at the moment but I'm a firm believer in every little bit helping so thought even if I only made £10 that's £10 they didn't already have. I spent all day yesterday baking loads of cupcakes ready for the event but I went to a friends house to do this because I'm a great at putting things in the oven and forgetting about them. Becki is wanting to start her own cupcake business so knew she'd be able to help me out with any advice I needed. I'd spoken to my auntie about ideas to improve the event and she offered to come along early to help set up. I was really looking forward to it! 

White Fairy products

Setting up this morning went fairly smoothly but was quite rushed towards the end. We were just finishing up when the first person arrived. It was one of my Gran's friends so she was lovely about having to wait a few minutes. There was a big table full of cakes, a footstool full of raffle prizes that family members had donated and we'd set up a small table of White Fairy products to sell - I'd decided that half of any money made from these would go to the charity. 

The event didn't go too well in the end. Only a handful of people turned up and looking back I should have put a lot more planning and organisation into it but that's definitely a lesson learnt for next time! I managed to raise £43 though so it wasn't a massive flop! I had a great catch up with a few friends too which was nice. One of my friends, Smoggie, was quite poorly as a child with various forms of cancer and recently underwent some quite dangerous surgery to remove another lump.. He still managed to make it today to show his support which was fantastic! We joked at one point that he's the only person we know who would attend a cancer charity event with cigarettes in his pocket. Before he left he posed for a photo to remember this by - it just had to be done!

My best friend Smoggie. One of the reasons I held the event

I was fairly downhearted at the outcome so mum bought me the latest issue of Craftseller Magazine to lift my spirits. I'm shattered though so probably won't get a chance to read it tonight. 

Hope everyone is well! Jxx

Busy, busy, busy!

So much for writing before bed, sorry guys!

Do you ever get the feeling that you're constantly busy but then never have anything to show for it? That is the definition of my life at the moment. I can't believe it's been six days since I've written on here! Looking back over my diary it's mostly been volunteering or paperwork taking up my time.

Facebook Insights

I had a meeting with my Enterprise adviser this afternoon. She was quite impressed with my book-keeping but gave me a friendly reminder that working a fifteen hour day is too much. Oops! :-) We drafted up an invoice so I can start chasing customers who owe money and she's given me information on how to work out  my weekly hours. I turn 25 at the weekend so first thing Monday morning I can apply for Working Tax Credits. I'm not very happy with my Facebook insights this week so I'm going to re-read all my research on how to boost your business.

I don't really have much else to report back on today. Money is pretty tight so I'm not able to finish any products at the moment. I have lots of prepped items though so hopefully once I have a few more parts I can get loads of new goodies up on Etsy! If you haven't visited my shop yet then make sure you go check it out! :-) www.etsy.com/shop/WhiteFairyShop Jxx

Research day

3.30pm - I've decided that today I'm going to research how better my Etsy.com shop and boost my customer database online. Figured it was best to do it now while everything is fairly new and quiet. Plus if I get into better habits now then it's less to go back over to improve. I skimmed over the Facebook Page 'Steps to Business Success' last night but most of it was pushing the Facebook Ads which I can't really afford right now. Yes you have to spend money to make money but business cards and materials are slightly higher up the priority list right now!

Will update you on my finds before I go to bed so watch this space! :-) Jxx

Low Week

The annoying thing about living with depression is you never really know if/when you will ever relapse. For me it tends to be big changes in circumstances around me. Apparently I can't take criticism from my family too well either because someone called my business a hobby and I've been in a grump ever since. Usually I'm great at taking constructive criticism but the feeling of lack in faith of my abilities has got to me. I realise they're probably just concerned about my financial status but still, family are meant to support you through thick and thin!

Logo designed by Andy at Rustic Snail

On a brighter note - MY LOGO IS FINISHED! I absolutely love it, it's so perfect! I've spent today trying to design a suitable business card but so far haven't found a layout that I like. I was still in a bit of a mood today though so going to try again tomorrow. I emailed my Business Adviser to show her the logo and tell her about my self doubts and she made me feel heaps better. Fingers crossed for a good work day tomorrow! Jxx

Becoming a blogger!

Any of my regular followers out there will already be aware that this is my second attempt at becoming a blogger. Turns out I wasn't great at updating my activities on line so I have decided to try again using a different technique - carry a paper diary to jot down my thoughts and post them when I get a chance. I'm not going to transfer all my posts from the previous site, instead I'll give you all a brief update on myself and then hopefully I'll get into the habit of writing to you all on a day to day basis.

My certificate from The Prince's Trust

To any new followers out there, hello and thank you for visiting my page! You haven't missed a great deal, I'm basically just another stereotypical statistic. I'm 24 years old and since leaving university two years ago have decided to turn a hobby into my own business as being on job-seekers was really starting to spark off my depression. I work with an Enterprise Adviser through Avanta - one of those referral places and I have completed The Prince's Trust Explore Enterprise Course. To anyone who is considering starting their own business I would definitely recommend the course, it's tough but well worth it! 

I've always been keen on making crafty things for as long as I can remember. My mum is always doing some sort of knitting or cross stitch so I guess that's were I get it from. 

My sock monsters

I started my business with sock monsters then started playing around with new designs, for example, making mini monsters and turning them into key rings. I've recently started making fish shapes out of socks and stuffing them with catnip as a cat toy range. 

So far working as a sole trader has been pretty hard but hopefully I'll get my head around it better soon! Jxx

Who-Ray

I first met the owners of Who-Ray about a year ago. I was running a 'Books For Free' shop in Stockton for Healthy Planet ( a London based charity that I volunteer for) and one of the guys was a regular. On one of his visits he mentioned that he ran a Doctor Who themed shop that was located just around the corner from where I was based.

On my first visit there I completely fell in love with the place. As you walk in you're met with a gorgeous aromatherapy smell and relaxation music. On one side of the shop is the 'girly' products, homely gifts, incense etc. The other side hosts film and TV memorabilia; bags, figurines, mugs, general merchandise. It's one of those places that you feel instantly welcome, at home in and that you've known for years.

Crochet Snail.

I'd visited Martin and Brian a few times before I became a supplier. We were discussing handmade products and I mentioned that I enjoy knitting and crocheting soft toys. Martin said he would love a basket full of something similar on the counter but all the patterns I follow are from books so due to copyright I didn't feel right selling these items. I also showed him a photo of my sock monsters which again he loved!

Since becoming a supplier I feel that I have developed a very strong relationship with both Martin and Brian. We frequently work together on how best to serve the current demands and they are fantastic on pointing out how to get a more professional edge that I need.

To Martin and Brian, thank you so much for your help and support so far! I wouldn't be where I am without you! :-) Jxx