Hello! Where can we find out more about you?
I'm Claire
Mackaness owner and designer of Beautiful Things by Claire Mackaness
@clairemackaness
What do
you make?
Handmade
gifts and home wares from vintage and vintage inspired materials
Where
does your inspiration come from?
Everywhere. People, places and the tinterweb. I am a huge fan of blogs and have a massive
blog roll that if I don’t settle down to look at every night can easily stack
up to hours worth of reading!
What tips
do you have for generating ideas for designs?
Keep your
eyes open and listen to your customers.
If they are after something in particular see if you can design
something to suit their requirements.
How do
you record your ideas?
Mainly in
my head to be honest, but I do have a notebook and like to take sneaky pics on
my iphone when I am out and about!
What tips
do you have for motivating yourself?
I have to
admit it’s monetary! Since biting the
bullet and going self employed this year, I have to keep a roof over my head
and food on my table. I also enjoy the
freedom of working for myself and seeing my children growing up and the thought
of going back to working for someone else fills me with dread!
Do you
have any time management tips?
I have a
clip board which I work from on a weekly/daily basis with all the things that I
‘must do’ on it for the week. I then fit
in my ‘would like to do’s’ and my ‘should do’s’ around those important jobs
I wrote a
blog all about it which has had a huge amount of visits called ‘How to be
Superwoman’ http://beautifulthingsbyclaire.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/how-to-be-superwoman.html
What’s
your workspace like?
I’m
planning a studio blog soon so watch this space
Where can
we find your designs for sale?
On my
website (although I am naughty and don’t keep my shop very well stocked), at
craft fairs (see the events section on my website), via facebook and also on
folksy www.folksy.com/shop/artyfartymack but again I am terrible at
keeping it stocked. Best thing you can
do is visit my facebook page where I take pictures of everything I do and just
shout. 9 times out of 10 I’ll have
something in stock for you and if I don’t well then I’d be happy to make it.
Do you
have any top tips for other designer makers?
Stick at
it. It’s not easy, it’s far from a quick
win financially but if you persevere you will get there. I’m not there yet in fact I have a long way
to go, but I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
It's always good to know more about a fellow crafter. I love your bags Claire - really good. Hope you have a good week.
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