Sunday 29 July 2012

Handmade Monday 77

Welcome to another Handmade Monday!

If you'd like to join in with your craft blog, you'll find more info here.

This week, as you may already know, started out with a mini-catastrophe when my hard drive crashed.  Pretty dreadful stuff, especially for someone like me who is so-oo bad at backing stuff up - fortunately I didn't lose much (apart from sleep, time and a little money funding a new hard drive!) but it definitely taught me a lesson!

I'm now backing everything up at Just Cloud - after the initial downloading it backs up atomatically every day for me, which is just amazing as I don't need to think or worry about it.  It means I can access it anywhere, too, and it doesn't take up any space.  If you sign up for it using this link I get some free storage space, apparently, but I do have bucketloads of space to use anyway.  If you don't use cloud storage, make sure you do back up. 

Some things are just irreplaceable.  Like...

My granddaughter Emily is fascinated by eggs (she plays with some wooden turned eggs at my house, plus she loves to collect eggs from the chicken coop - she loves the chickens, too).  Last week, she watched me break an egg and then tried - very carefully - to put the shell back together again!

it really won't fit...

I'm trying really hard...

hmmm...

well, it just won't fix, will it?

She gave up in the end - but she wasn't happy about the idea of putting it in the bin! 

In other news this week, it was lovely to discover that Abakhan had linked to my beach huts bag on their email newsletter!



It was also nice to discover that Popular Crafts had mentioned Handmade Monday in their magazine!  Unfortunately, the link was to my website, where most people probably just got lost and gave up, as there's no mention of Handmade Monday there.



Ah well, it's always nice to have a mention (and I did get a lot of people visiting my website)! Perhaps I should email the editor and maybe we'll get another mention!

I've not managed to get much done on the sewing front this week, but I have two deadlines looming so my sewing machine will be whirring into action very soon.  There's a couple of upcycling commissions on the horizon, too, which is quite exciting!

Over to you - and this week I'm hoping no disasters prevent me from enjoying a good mooch around your blogs. 

Friday 27 July 2012

Tea and a Chat with Katie from The Bead Boutique

 Welcome if you've popped in for a tea and a chat.  I'm talking to Katie, from The Bead Boutique...

Hello Katie!  Good to see you, the kettle’s just boiled – what would you like to drink?
Hi! Tea with one sugar would be great thank you. I’ve bought cake too – you can’t have tea without cake.

That's true - thank you! So, tell us a bit about yourself and your business.
I’m a 31-year-old London lass who works full-time in book publishing and part-time as a jewellery maker and teacher. Life is very busy but in a good way!  I love living and working in London as it’s where I grew up and there is always something new and exciting going on, plus there is a real creative buzz here whether it’s about crafts, music, food or the arts. I bought my first home a couple of years ago and I’ve loved decorating and personalising it so that it feels like home – I’ve spent a lot of time at vintage shops and markets as well as B&Q!

Although my day job does have an element of creativity to it (I edit, project manage and deign the inside of textbooks), I’ve been more and more drawn to jewellery making over the last few years as a creative outlet.  I came up with the name The Bead Boutique when I did my first craft fair a couple of years ago and they wanted a business name – it became a business almost by accident! My work falls into 2 main categories: my beadweaving work, which is where I sew lots of tiny seed beads together using various techniques to make either a beaded chain or a pendant, and my other work in which I use any materials I can lay my hands on, as well as beads. I try to make things that I would wear myself as I think it’s important to retain the enjoyment I have always found in jewellery making. Otherwise it would become another job to add to the list of chores – that list is far too long already.



What inspired you to start your creative business? How did it all begin? 
When I was a little girl my Nan used to do a lot of charity work and I used to help her by making and selling earrings. She had to go into a care home due to dementia a few years ago so I decided I wanted to raise money for the charity that ran the home as that is what she would have wanted. I wasn’t making an awful lot of jewellery at the time except for as gifts for friends and family so I frantically made as many things as I could and arranged a sale at work. I made around £200 which was a complete shock! It was a massive confidence boost and it was around that time that I decided to have a go at a couple of craft fairs and seeing where it would take me.


How has your business changed and developed since it started?
I try to make ranges of jewellery now rather than lots of different bits and pieces. It makes it a lot easier to create displays at craft fairs and also gives me a lot more focus. The other thing is that I started teaching regularly at a local bead shop in Enfield when it opened in 2011 (www.indivijewelistic.com). Teaching is now the part of my jewellery work that I enjoy the most. It’s so wonderful to see how students can become inspired during a class and bounce ideas off each other and I’ve met some lovely people. I definitely want to do a lot more classes and workshops if I can as well as jewellery parties.


What are the main ways you promote your business?  Which methods have been the most successful for you?
I have to admit that I’m not always that great at blowing my own trumpet – I guess that is a very British trait! However, I have found that the best way to get your name out there is to network with people who are into similar interests to you whether it’s via online means or in person. I’ve managed to get some of my work into local shops by simply sending a friendly email and seeing what happens.
I don’t really do that many craft fairs any more as I’ve been to several that have been very badly organised and my time is quite limited. I’m hoping that will change soon, though, as I’m helping to set up a craft fair in my local area (www.facebook.com/events/405170086190948/) . The idea behind the fair is that it will allow local craftspeople to get their wares out to the public without having to pay extortionate fees to an organiser – we are all helping to promote the event and will be splitting any costs between us. It’s something I feel very passionate about and hopefully it will help to promote the local arts and crafts scene to benefit everyone involved.


What’s your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek? 
I would love to show you a beautifully organised desk with nicely stacked beads but, alas, I have to pack everything away into boxes after a beading session, as I live in a one bedroom flat which I share with my boyfriend, Jude. Luckily beads are pretty portable craft so I sometimes take a box of beads and thread to work so that I can sit and make things in my lunch break.


What other small (or not-so-small) creative businesses do you admire? 
One of the most exciting businesses I’ve had the pleasure to work with is the East London Craft Guerrilla (www.craftguerrilla.com). It’s run by Debbie Daniel whose commitment and energy mean that they run some fabulous events and she has created a forum where local makers (whether they are running a business or have craft as a hobby) can support each other and share ideas. They run regular craft nights at a local pub, which I love attending  – we need more groups like this that think outside the box and get people involved who wouldn’t normally think of craft as something that’s cool or fun.



Finally, where are the places we can find you online if we want to partake in a little friendly cyber stalking?
My main shop is on etsy at the moment (www.etsy.com/shop/katiesbeadboutique) but I also have a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thebeadboutiqueuk)  where people can contact me with requests about individual pieces or classes/jewellery parties.

Thanks so much for stopping by – it was so nice to be able to take the time to chat with you!
Thank you! It’s been lovely to gabble on about my jewellery.

Wednesday 25 July 2012

... and Breathe ...

You know that moment when you realise just how stressful something has been?

When suddenly it's all right and you can - well, just breathe that big sigh of relief?

some things are irreplaceable

That's what happened today, when I got my computer's hard drive fixed.  Almost everything is intact, although a few emails and some things from my Outlook calendar went missing, probably never to be seen again.  I think all my photos and documents are there though. A lot of them weren't backed up (including some totally irreplaceable photos of my granddaughters) so I am actually quite lucky.

The computer has now got a brand new hard drive, and I've decided to invest in an online backup service: Just Cloud is backing up everything on my hard drive as I type (it's been a long job but actually painless, as it's doing it in the background).  It's also going to back everything up automatically every day, which I won't even need to think about - and (bonus!) I can access everything from any computer or mobile device anywhere in the world.

Now I just need a nice foreign holiday so I can test it out...

Oh, and the ability to remember my password. 

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Very Quick Update

I'm just popping in here very briefly today to let you know I'm in the middle of a minor computer disaster.

My hard drive has crashed and I'm having to work on an old, very slow and slightly wonky laptop.  It's not easy so I'm doing the bare minimum online and it's taking me twice as long even to do that.

I've no access to any of my files or images at the moment and I'm not 100% certain they're even safe, which is scary to say the least.

I've limited access to emails (I can read but not send) so I'm saving what can be saved for when I have full access.  If I need to get in touch, I'm using my hotmail account.

And I've not been to any Handmade Monday links yet - sorry.  I promise I will get round and read them as soon as I have a fully-functioning computer!




Sunday 22 July 2012

Handmade Monday

Hello and welcome to another Handmade Monday

It's been quite an exciting week for me - in case you haven't heard, my sewing kit made the front cover of Sewing World and I'm designing two new clocks for two magazines at the moment.

this was my inspiration!

One is a sewing themed clock and (apart from the mechanism and hands) is a fabric clock, made entirely from fabric and stitching.  I'm really enjoying planning the construction of this one!  There is a construction weight fabric involved (at the moment I'm experimenting with pelmet stiffening which is looking good).

The other is a teapot and there's a little bit of mixed media going on with this one.  Paint, fabric, maybe even paper with sewing and glueing involved.  I can't wait to get stuck in (probably literally, knowing me and my glue gun).

In other news, I'm currently looking for people to interview for my tea and a chat with slots - there's more info here about how it works.  I'd love to hear from you!

It's over to you - enjoy your Handmade Monday:

Friday 20 July 2012

Handmade: A Lifestyle Business?

I always disliked the term "lifestyle business".  I'm not sure why: maybe because it suggests a business isn't a "real" business or possibly because it conjures up (for me, anyway) images of yummy mummies more interested in wine, holidays and posh shoes than either their business or their children.

But during a phone conversation with someone trying to sell me advertising, which I didn't want, didn't need and probably couldn't afford, I mentioned that I had more than enough orders already and couldn't cope with any more.  My business isn't about trying to get as many orders as possible.  I make everything myself and there are quite obvious limits on what I can produce (even though it feels like a mini factory at times)

clocks waiting to be finished - my mini production line

The salesperson replied: "So, it's a lifestyle business, then..."  

Is it?

I look around me and wonder what sort of lifestyle it's all about!

The studio is messy.  The garden always needs weeding and the grass always needs cutting.  There's not really time for holidays, my shoes are splattered with paint and I can't drink wine as it gives me migraines.  I'm not a yummy mummy, not even a glamorous granny.  Bad hair days are the norm around here!

Can you sense a but on the way?  Here it is...

But I can get up in a morning at any time I choose.  Work in my pyjamas if I want to.  Babysit my granddaughter at short notice without having to ask for time off.  Wander down the garden and pick up an egg for lunch, still warm from the chicken (my toddler granddaughter is fascinated by the eggs as well as the chickens).  If I have a migraine coming on, I can lie down for a while and go back to work when I feel up to it.  I can take my elderly parents shopping or for lunch.  I can go the the gym at off-peak times.  I can take silly but pretty photos in my overgrown garden like this one of this purple clematis getting "lost" in the shrubbery but looking all the more lovely for it:


I can also get bogged down with work, have too much to do and suddenly realise it's six o' clock, people are wanting to be fed and I need another couple of hours to finish off today's tasks.  But I can work into the evening to make up for time off in the day (or when I have a heavier workload than usual).

It's far from idyllic but I would guess at least part of the reason I work for myself is the flexible lifestyle it can bring. 

So yes, it's a lifestyle business.

I think I need to work on the lifestyle part a bit more, though! 

What about you?  Is your business partly about lifestyle?  Is a handmade business always partly about lifestyle?  Which bits of the lifestyle are the bits you like?  Or don't like? And do you have any tips?

Thursday 19 July 2012

Sewing World Magazine

If you've been following this blog at all you might be aware of my travel sewing kit making an appearance in Sewing World magazine.

The magazine landed on my doormat this morning (well, technically, it got stuck in my letterbox but let's pretend it landed with a satisfying thud on my doormat because that probably paints a better picture) and will be available to buy in shops from tomorrow.  Yay!

The sewing kit looks quite at home on the front cover...


and made a little appearance on the editor's letter page...


as well as a full-page image introducing the project inside the magazine...



they even managed to turn my little sketches into professional-looking diagrams...



and gave me a little box to write a little bit about me...



Of course this blog got a little mention (hello if you've popped on here after reading Sewing World!) as did the website that keeps me busy and covered in paint most of the day. 

This feature was especially nice for me as it's the first magazine article I've written in about 15 years - and Sewing World was one of the first magazines I ever wrote for.  It feels a little bit like coming home and I like that very much.

I have a few more magazine articles lined up, so watch this space and I'll share them with you.


Wednesday 18 July 2012

The Beach Huts Bag

I think I figured that this bag might possess magical properties.  I thought when it was finished, the rain would stop and summer would finally stop being so shy.


 I think maybe I was wrong.

However, I do love the bag and it helps me remember that we're in July and not November, even if the weather hasn't quite worked it out yet.

It fits quite a lot of parcels in.  The parcel at the top of the photo has a square 14" (35 cm) canvas inside it, so it's quite roomy.



I might make a second bag for overflow and smaller parcels.  I should have planned this better, as I used up all the leftover fabric to make cushions.  I got a blue check cushion and a red stripe cushion from the bag fabric and the beach huts cushion was made from scraps from this project and others.



I also made a keyring (although I think it needs a run through a washing machine to fray the edges and shabby the whole thing up a little!)



Back to the bag...

I made plenty of internal pockets.  This may be the last time they're ever empty.



And there's a big external pocket too



which will work well for stuffing magazines in for flicking through on the beach on days off (well, a girl can dream can't she?) as I think this would make an excellent beach bag.  In fact, it would make a better beach bag than a taking-parcels-to-the-post-office-and-shopping-afterwards bag, which is what I made it for.


I used a Tesco bag as my size template, although I wish I'd made the handles slightly longer for over-the-shoulder wearing (much better for beach bags, I think).

I do like the slouchiness of the bag - it's two layers of cotton, so has a very nice feel.



Look at the depth of the bag - lots of room.



I like those buttons on the strap!  I was a bit worried about whether this stap would work - ideally, I would've picked cotton webbing but there was only acrylic webbing available.  I needn't have worried, it has a nice soft feel to it and makes an excellent substitute (not harsh to the touch like some synthetic webbings).



I like the beach huts on the front and the red stripe was just perfect for this project. 

The fabrics for this bag were kindly supplied by Abakhan as part of their £15 budget challenge.  I think I did rather well out of my £15 this month: a bag, three cushions and my little keyring.  Do pop over to Abakhan - you may be surprised at just how far your money can go.

Yes, there are still a few scraps left.  They may make a surprise appearance again somewhere soon.

P.S.  Sorry, I know I promised to post this on Tuesday and today is Wednesday.  There's not really any excuse, except Tuesday turned into one of those days when time disappears far too quickly and important stuff pops up needing to be done.  But there was also some excellent news, which I will share once I know more!


Sunday 15 July 2012

Handmade Monday 75

Welcome to another Handmade Monday.  



To join in, you just need to blog about something related to handmade, and:

  • link to this blog in your post
  • add your link below (just once per week, please)
  • visit and comment on other blogs
  • enjoy!
It's easy and we'd love to meet you!



I am finally putting the finishing touches to the beach huts bag I made as part of Abakhan's £15 budget challenge and will be blogging about it on Tuesday.  I made some cushion covers with the leftover fabric (don't you love that about sewing? How leftovers from a project are so useful?).


They're just filled with old cushions at the moment - I was disappointed to find that the Dunelm Mill in Warrington seems to have stopped stocking cushion pads - in fact the whole sewing department has disappeared.

Never mind - I'm thrilled to discover that my sewing kit is definitely on the front cover of the August issue of Sewing World magazine (out on the 20th July)!  I knew this was quite likely, but now it's actually been printed (and there's even a sneaky-preview pic of it on that Sewing World link ... go on, humour me and have a look).  It's very exciting, as this is the first magazine project I've done in more than 15 years.  I've also been commissioned to design a few more projects for them, which is has led to much fabric browsing (oh, how I suffer...!). 

It's over to you now.  Enjoy your Handmade Monday!

Friday 13 July 2012

Tea and a Chat with Danielle from Rubbish Revamped

I'm having tea and a chat with Danielle, who runs Rubbish Revamped.  Come and join us and find out more.

Hello Danielle!  Good to see you, the kettle’s just boiled – what would you like to drink?
Ooo I’d love green tea,  thank you, Wendy.

So, tell us a bit about yourself and your business.
I run Rubbish Revamped which is a small enterprise running recycled craft workshops in the Manchester area. The workshops cover a big range of different crafts transforming all manner of rubbish into attractive and often useful items. For instance old socks become cuddly creatures, juice cartons turn into wallets, greeting cards are folded into handy boxes, ties are sewn into purses, junkmail rolled into jewellery and loads more!

I live with my long-suffering husband, teenage boys and two cats, Felix and Vladimir. I try to convince them I brighten up their lives with my crazy crafting. 

I don’t have an arts or business background, in fact I spent 20 years working in a variety of interesting jobs in the Voluntary & Community Sector, including a year in Sudan where I met the long-suffering one, before lack of funding sent me to seek work in the public sector for the last four years. Working in a large, slow, old-fashioned, inflexible institution that did not seem to value different skills and experience (I’m not naming it!) was either going to kill my spirit or make me blossom elsewhere. Luckily it was the latter and I started Rubbish Revamped in January 2009. After three years I decided to go fully self-employed just this May!


What inspired you to start your creative business? How did it all begin? 
I had been crafting with friends and had a growing interest in reusing materials that are usually neglected or thrown away. A friend working in arts in mental health dragged me, shy and embarrassed by what I thought were not very professional creations, to her employers to show them my wares. And they hired me to run workshops for them!  I then started running small scale workshops for up to eight people from home. Organisations heard about Rubbish Revamped and approached me to run workshops for them – at special events, in schools, libraries, for the youth service, for housing associations etc.

How has your business changed and developed since it started?
I am focusing more on my workshops for organisations, in particular developing ‘train the trainer’ sessions so that organisations can then reach more people themselves.  I am also publishing my own Rubbish Revamped craft book – I’ve been working on it for ages but never seem to have time to properly focus on it. Next month I will!! I have several lovely people who do freelance workshops with me now as well as a fab volunteer, so it’s nice to seeing things growing with more people on board too.

What are the main ways you promote your business?  Which methods have been the most successful for you?
As I charge quite low prices for my workshops, I try to keep my outgoings low so I don’t spend loads on print, web design etc. Actually I’m a bit of an anorak and enjoy doing my own web design and all the new media stuff. For business cards I designed one that is half the sign of an ordinary card so I use less paper! Possibly a local What’s On website has been most successful for me as well as running stalls at craft fairs where I don’t make a bomb selling things but do make lots of useful contacts and attract people for workshops.


What’s your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek?  And do you have any workspace organisation tips for the rest of us?
I’m strange hybrid of hyper-organised and hyper-messy. You’d only want to look in a car-crash kind of way.  Having said that, visitors to my house – where I hold some of my workshops – say it’s attractive and inspiring. My family might choose to disagree if they could fight their way out of drowning in sock creatures, juice cartons, toilet rolls, odd bits of plastic and other things that will have come in useful the day after I actually throw them away. I will tidy up tomorrow, really, just got to get a couple of other things done first …  Another cup of tea did you say? Mmm, why not.


What are the best and worst bits of running your business?
Working in the voluntary sector where people are encouraged to take on a range of roles and tasks gave me a love of being a jack of all trades. This is also what I love about running a business. I can literally try anything – create my own website, deliver workshops, design publicity, hold exhibitions, write a book, be a sales person and, at the end of the day, slob out on the sofa with some easy viewing TV and make sock creatures to sell. How lucky am I?!  I also absolutely love trying out new crafts. As about 50% of my attendees are regulars it’s important I put on new workshops for them.

So what are the worse bits? Probably trying to discipline myself time-wise. Marketing and recruitment to workshops can sometimes be tricky as the same workshop can fill up very quickly one time and then not get many as many ‘bums on seats’ another. Craft fairs can be a minefield too as one is at the mercy of the organisers’ marketing. I have done a couple where the organisers have done well recruiting stall holders and seemingly nothing to bring in the punters. There are usually some lovely stall holders to chat to though.

What other small (or not-so-small) creative businesses do you admire? 
Oh there are so many amazing crafty people out there. I’m loathe to mention some in case I miss others and cause upset.  I’m following hundreds of them on Twitter so you could take look there! I have to say I really admire a lot of American crafters who are so generous in sharing what they do.

What tips can you give to others who run (or hope to run) a small creative business?
Follow your passion! Try doing as much as you can yourself rather than incurring costs. There’s so much help and guidance on the internet to use. For instance, you can do your own book-keeping and file your own tax returns instead of paying an accountant (yeah, I said I was a bit of an anorak).


What are your hopes, plans or ambitions for the future? 
The book! I’ve got to get that damn book done. It’s what I want to show the grandchildren when they’re throwing my sock monkeys at each other!

Finally, where are the places we can find you online if we want to partake in a little friendly cyber stalking?


Thanks so much for stopping by Danielle – it was so nice to be able to take the time to chat with you!

Thursday 12 July 2012

How to Make Hi-Res Images for Magazines

One of the things you need to be able to do if you want magazines to publish your gorgeous handmade goodies is to supply them with high resolution (hi-res)  images. 

I had a problem with this at first.  How do you make a 72 dpi photo into a 300 dpi photo?  I figured it must be impossible, but after asking for advice online realised you could do it with PhotoShop.  Expensive?  It could be...



Cue GIMP, short for Gnu Image Manipulation Program, which is free to download and use.

Go to GIMP now and download it.  I'll wait here for you.

Back so soon?  I knew it wouldn't take you long. OK...

This is how to make your images hi-res:


1. Open GIMP

2. From the menu at the top, click on file > open, then browse and open your image from the files on your computer

3. When you have your image in front of you, use the menu at the top again: click on image > scale image and a box will open.



4. In the box you'll see the X and Y resolutions are both set to 72.000 pixels/in (pixels per inch or dots per inch).  Change these to 300.000 then click the scale button.

5.  It looks like nothing has happened!  But it has - so save your newly-altered hi-res image in a new file.

Note: There are different endings you can use for your file name.  GIMP likes to save them as .xcf files so you can alter them using GIMP again.  It's better saving them as .jpg files as everyone can open these, no matter what programs they use.  There is an option to save your files in different formats at the bottom of the save as box (click select file by type and choose the .jpg option)

Your new hi-res image is now ready to send to a magazine. Yay!  


You won't be able to attach many of these to an email as they're so big and may have to send only one at a time.  But they will only ever be sent on request when needed for print (never send a hi-res image on spec) so it's unlikely they'll need more than a few at a time anyway.  If they do, you can use a free file transfer service such as We Transfer - it's really quick and easy to use and you get an email telling you when your images have been downloaded at the other end.

I'd recommend having a separate file on your computer for your hi-res 300 dpi images then you'll know exactly where to find them when you need one at short notice - and they won't get mixed up with your low-res images.  And back up your images!

If you missed the post last week about how to get your handmade products featured in a magazine, have a quick look now.  It's only a click away.


Sunday 8 July 2012

Handmade Monday 74

Hello and welcome!  If you need any info about Handmade Monday, you'll find it on this page - please take a few moments to read it if you're new here.

This week, as the rain has been pelting down relentlessly, I've been painting, sewing and writing.  I'm not sure there's much to show for it though!  Some of it I can't show, because it needs to go elsewhere first and some of it just isn't finished.

So, I'm blogging about blogging...



Blogging for Sales


While writing the blogging article for Craftseller magazine, it occured to me that when I asked the question on here about how your blog has helped you sell, most people didn't think their blog had helped them to sell.  I was actually quite surprised and even a bit shocked by that - but it made me realise that there probably is quite a particular way to blog that can make a big difference to sales (it doesn't need to be done that way all the time).  It really isn't just blogging aimlessly that leads to sales - although a well-read blog will obviously help in the same way that chatting to people offline will.

I can tell you quite categorically that blogging is most definitely a huge help to sales, and certain blog posts can carry on bringing you sales even years later - but I think (just occasionally!) maybe a few posts need to be written in a specific way.  These are the posts that become your "evergreen" posts and will show up in search engines over and over again for years.  It's the most effective, easiest and cheapest form of search engine optimisation I know of.  I discovered this accidentally and refined it with experience - and it works.

I've kept that firmly in mind while writing the article for Craftseller but have already written something on the subject.  If your blog hasn't helped you sell yet - and you'd like it to - do have a quick look at these posts:

Why Your Blog is the Signpost to your Website

 Top 10 Tips for Selling Successfully Online

I will write another one soon specifically about how to create a post which works hard for you over a number of years.  Those of you who sell may also be interested in the one I wrote this week: How to get your Products in a Magazine



I'm off to the railway station in a few minutes.  My middle daughter and youngest granddaughter are arriving on a train from London (the image above is my youngest daughter and middle granddaughter - confusing, I know...).  I'm quite excited to be having them stay, and I hope to be able to take every afternoon off all this coming week to spend some time with them.

They'll be sleeping in my office/sewing room (converted to a bedroom via the magic of sofabed and travel cot and a lot of picking up of pins) so the office/sewing room is relegated to living room and hallway.  Another reason to take a little time off I think!

OK, so here's Handmade Monday: enjoy browsing!

Friday 6 July 2012

Tea & a Chat with Sue Bulmer

Today I'm having tea and a chat with Sue Bulmer, whose striking black and white illustrations are eye-catching, cute and trendy.  Her blog is well worth following, too, because ... well, I'll let Sue explain as we drink our tea...

Hello Sue!  Good to see you, the kettle’s just boiled – what would you like to drink?

Ooh, I’ll have a cup of Assam tea please, nice and strong,  milk and a small sugar, in my big favourite mug! Mint club biscuit on the side if there’s one going!



So, tell us a bit about yourself and your business.

Ok, so my name is Sue Bulmer, I’m married to a fab fella called Steve and we live in a little cottage with our Border Collie dog, Mac, in rural Nottinghamshire. Up until about 5 years ago I was working four days a week as a Pharmacist until I enrolled on a Foundation Course in Art and Design.  Over the next two years I rediscovered my love for Art and being creative and I knew I wanted to continue along this path once the course had finished.

I decided not to pursue it to a degree level as I wanted to go down more of a self-taught/discover it yourself kind of path so we had the building at the top of our garden converted into my lovely studio and I spent the following couple of years developing my work and playing around with ideas, setting myself briefs to work to, taking part in the odd craft fair, and trying to decide what I really wanted to do.

In 2010 I was on the verge on giving it up and I hadn’t really found any direction but I applied to a Nottinghamshire Creative Business Scheme run by the County Council and I found this really helped me get back on track. Since then I have never looked back and have taken part in several group exhibitions, have taken part in my first trade fair, and now have my work in 20 galleries and outlets across the UK.



What inspired you to start your creative business? How did it all begin? 

I think my sister initially inspired me to start my business. We had thought we might start and make handbags as a joint business venture but when she decided to leave her job and set up her own  design business it wasn’t to be. It was her idea to enrol on the course initially and as she is a Graphic Designer herself, I knew how rewarding it could be work for yourself in the creative sector.

As I said previously, I was lacking in direction before I really started my business, I knew I wanted to do something creative but wasn’t sure what. Being a part of a great mentorship scheme I mentioned gave me the boost I needed to see my break down my own barriers and start to take my business forward. As a result  I branded my business as from ‘sooziebee’ to ‘Sue Bulmer’ taking advice from others in the group, and I am now concentrating on my ink illustrations, instead of ‘a bit of everything’!



How has your business changed and developed since it started?
I think when my business first started I didn’t really know what I wanted to do and found myself dabbling with different media, ideas and designs, heading off in too many different direction and not getting very far as a result.
Since then I have sought lots of advice from a variety of different people, attended courses and workshops through the Creative Greenhouse in Nottinghamshire, become a lot more focussed, and as my confidence has grown so has my determination and drive. I’ve read a few good creative business books, listened to a lot of creative business podcasts and have put into action the things I have learned along the way.
I’m a lot more organised and have learned lots about the way I work, and I’m quite ahppy with how things are going. I am a bit of an obsessive list maker, and I rely on these lists of tasks and jobs, to track my progress and find them really useful to look back on and chart how things are moving along. I think it’s good to reflect on what you have achieved on a regular basis and focus on what has gone well, rather than dwelling on the negatives. It certainly helps keep you motivated!


What are the main ways you promote your business?  Which methods have been the most successful for you?

I’ve written a blog for a quite a few years, which in the beginning was more of a diary of what I was up to. Now I use it more as a platform for forging links with other creatives, featuring others work as well as my own, inviting guest-bloggers, peeking into the sketchbooks of other designer-makers, and also sharing my experiences along the way. My series of ‘BCTF- what worked for me’ was hugely popular and I think a lot of readers found it helpful. I’m a firm believer in karma, and I think if you help others out with knowledge, contacts, advice, it’s a great way of getting your name and your business name out there.

I also use Facebook, but am constantly confused by the ever-changing nature of it. It seems to work well but I’m favouring Twitter in the long run. LinkedIn is also fab, and I’m loving the group feature on there.

What’s your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek?  And do you have any workspace organisation tips for the rest of us?



My workspace is a converted pig-sty at the top of my garden. It used to be our garden shed and oil-tank house. We had it converted a few years ago and it’s gorgeous, I LOVE IT! I’ve got two big oak double doors looking down the garden, under floor heating and a sofa-bed for extra sleeping space for when we have guests. It’s light, bright and airy and full of my art stuff! At the moment I’m in dire need of some new storage space so it’s not the tidiest it’s ever been but I had a big spring clean a few weeks ago when I had about 6ft square of floor space. It’s now looking loads better.

My main workspace tip that works for me is: keep it tidy! I can’t work in an untidy space so if it’s a mess I need to clear up before I make a mess! I like to have ideas boards on the walls, which I change depending on what I’m working on and I’ve got loads of gorgeous pictures on the walls to keep me inspired.

What are the best and worst bits of running your business?
The best bits have got to be the feeling of all of the small achievements and progress, and the feeling of freedom of working for myself.
For me, the worst bits are the fact I only have two days a week to work, so I need to be really organised to maximise my time. I sometimes get frustrated when I end up spending my days doing paper-work, emails and phone calls, running around to get supplies and collecting work from galleries and framers, but all of these jobs needs doing and as there is only me to do them, they are things I need to do it keep business ticking over. 



Which other small (or not-so-small) creative businesses do you admire? 

I admire people who get off their back-sides and ‘do it’, people who have made something from nothing and have grown their businesses from scratch.  I really admire Heather Moore, of SkinnyLaMinx, whose blog I have followed for a long time. Also Holly Becker, from decor8, Grace Bonney from DesignSponge, whose blogs have grown into something huge over the past 5 years. Closer to home I love reading about Rachel Taylor who has some amazing surface pattern designs and now runs her own e-courses,  Isa Maria Seminega, who writes a great marketing blog and is growing her own business. In podcast land I admire Pat Flynn of Smartpassive Income fame, and also Anne Marie Cross of  Ambitious Entrepreneur and also I have loved reading the book ‘Wake up and Change your Life’ by Duncan Bannatyne, one of the Dragons from Dragons Den, who writes about his experiences in business, building up his empire from owning an ice-cream van. I think all of these people prove what is possible with a bit of grit and determination.
  
What tips can you give to others who run (or hope to run) a small creative business?
Take advice, believe in yourself, be determined and don’t believe your dreams can’t come true.

What are your hopes, plans or ambitions for the future?  
My immediate plans are to gain five more stockists by the end of the year, and to take part in a couple of good selling shows before the end of the year. I’m being patient and just want to do things slowly but small steps get you there in time!
This year I have been lucky enough to be accepted onto the new Design Factory Mentorship Scheme as a Mentee, and I’m really looking forward to working with my Mentor over the next 6 months to develop my business and myself further.
I’d love to have a solo exhibition at some point in the future, I’ve secured a space exhibiting with two other artists for next Christmas which will be a step closer to that dream! All in all, I just want to keep growing my business, expanding my product lines into other areas, ceramics and glass perhaps and I have a couple of ideas for an e-book in my head at the moment (whether they will ever see the light of day is another story!)
I want to keep learning, keep growing and keep enjoying life!

Finally, where are the places we can find you online if we want to partake in a little friendly cyber stalking?

Twitter: @sooziebee71


Thanks so much for stopping by, Sue – it was so nice to be able to take the time to chat with you!

Thanks for having me x

Thursday 5 July 2012

How to Get Your Products in a Magazine

One of the best ways to promote your handmade products has to be getting them featured in a magazine or newspaper, doesn't it?



Well, to be quite honest, sometimes it produces a mad rush of orders for you and sometimes the response is much slower.  However, each mention widens the number of people who notice you and it can't help but increase your credibility.  It always looks good to be featured - and it gives you a little confidence boost too!

With that in mind, here's a quick guide to some of the things that can help you get your work in a magazine.  Bear in mind that I'm in the UK and this guide is aimed at the UK market.  However, I think much of the advice here will be useful in other countries too.

It helps to remember that magazines are always looking for something new, currently relevant or different to fill their pages - if your product is all three rolled into one, it's going to be a big help.

 magazines

Your Images


Before you start on your quest for publicity in print, make your product photos the very best they can be.  This doesn't mean you need to pay a professional photographer (although if you can get a good deal, go for it) - you can improve your own photography and editing skills quite simply:
  • take lots of photos and pick the best
  • use natural daylight instead of flash
  • use a plain white background (or even better: if you know how to do cut-outs, you'll be a journalist's best friend!) unless you're a professional stylist and want to do lifestyle shots.  Lifestyle shots are less likely to be used on shopping pages, though.
  • crop and edit your photos to make them brighter and clearer
  • read a book about product photography for more information

Shopping Pages


Most magazines have shopping pages, with product photos along with information about where to go to buy that product.  These are the pages you're most likely to get featured on (and they're a great place to be, because they subtly suggest your product is worth buying) so pay attention to what sort of things they are featuring.  Not all magazines are going to be suitable for your product.

 shopping pages

Start off by thinking niche markets.  Cats, caravans, knitting, sewing, crochet, gardening, chickens, computers, dogs, babies (and more) all have something in common: there are whole magazines dedicated to them.  If something you make is of interest to their readers, the magazine may well be interested in featuring that product.  Niche markets are often easier to target but their reach is smaller.  However, if your product is one that is aimed at that market, it could be very successful for you.

 niche magazines

You don't have to leave it at niche markets.  Bigger magazines may feature you too, although it can be harder to find the journalist you need to approach - in this case it probably won't be the editor.  Bear in mind that for a small business where one person is making all the products, it can be hard to keep up with the demand that can come from a feature in a large-circulation magazine - another reason to start with the niche magazines.  They may be all you'll need.

Contacting the Magazine


In the first instance, study each magazine carefully and decide who your best point of contact is. You might find more information online, so check the magazine's website too.  Write a short, polite and friendly email telling them about your product.  Attach a low resolution (sized for the internet) image and a link to your website.  Leave it at that.  They'll either be interested or not - so don't hassle them with follow-ups or phone calls (although a lot of people recommend you send just one follow-up email a week or so later).  Don't send lots of images: one or maybe two is enough.  You can always email them again in a couple of months with a different product (which I think is preferable to a follow-up email using the same product).

If they're not interested, don't take it personally.  It might just be that your product isn't a good fit with everything else they're putting in the magazine - they often work with themes. Or maybe they've already got something a bit too similar.

If they are interested, you'll probably get an email back (or they may phone you) asking for a high resolution image (they may want the item posting to them so they can photograph it themselves, although this is increasingly rare).  You'll need to be ready, as they're often in need of that image urgently.  Deadlines are always looming!  A high resolution image means 300 dpi, and if you don't know how to make your images that size have a look at this tutorial..  It's easy, I promise, and you don't need to buy anything to do it.

Other Ways to get your Products Featured in Magazines:


  • Sign up with a PR site like UK-based Press Loft - be warned, they're not cheap.  However, they do special offer introductory no-obligation trials, so be sure to ask first.  This special offer will give you a taste of whether it's worth you paying for a subscription.  Journalists can download your high-res images and the advantages of this approach are many: 
             - you'll upload your images just once
             - you don't need to contact journalists or editors
             - you'll see journalists' email details so you can contact them directly
             - you might get published in magazines you would never have considered approaching.

 wine o' clock clock available here

After taking up Press Loft's special offer, my wine o' clock clock ended up in the Metro free newspaper, which wasn't even on my radar.  I was flooded with orders (this was three weeks before Christmas), which was really exciting, fabulous and awful all at the same time.  I had to stop accepting orders a few days later as I was worried I wouldn't get them all made, packed and posted in time for Christmas.


  • Sell your goods through a website like UK-based Swanky Maison who sell handmade home accessories and unique gifts.  Part of their promotion strategy is to promote their partners' products in high profile magazines and newspapers.  You'll pay a signing up fee and a commission, but they work hard to get products noticed - and believe me, the work can literally flood in if one of your products is placed in a prominent, high circulation newspaper or magazine.  Via Swanky Maison, my campervan clock was placed in the Sunday Mirror magazine, which I would never have achieved on my own.  Did I get a flood of orders?  Oh heck, yes.  My studio (and living room) became a campervan clock factory and I was sick of looking at them for a while.  Be careful what you wish for!

  • Follow magazines on Twitter and like them on Facebook.  Sometimes they share what they're looking for and your lazy half-hour on the sofa with your feet up can suddenly work in your favour and become productive!  Yes, it has actually worked for me and a tweet has resulted in a feature - although don't use it as an excuse for a duvet day too often!
There are of course many other ways to get featured, especially if you have an interesting life story or beautiful house!  However, if you're interested in selling your handmade products then getting them onto a magazine's shopping pages is one of the easiest and quickest ways to bring that product to a large audience.  And, apart from a little time, it's free. The feature is usually quite small, but the response and boost to your business can be huge.

I found a bit more reading for you:

Handmadeology: this one's especially useful for Etsy sellers

Wiki How

The Entreprenette Gazette - lots of tips

Good luck!  As always, if you have anything to add, please leave a comment.