Etsy

I have finally got around to setting up my etsy shop...Just cards for now, but I will be adding lots more items before Christmas...so please check back soon.

Hebden Spirit

Hebden Bridge is a beautiful creative town, found in the Calder Valley, Yorkshire. 

It is astounding that one place can have so many beautiful shops...but it really does, to give you an idea, these are just a few of my favourites, 

Radiance, Heart Gallery, The Yorkshire Soap Company, & Snug

but there are so many more to visit, as well as number of lovely places to stop for some delicious food and a rest.

It was heartbreaking to hear of the floods in June that affected so many of these beautiful shops,  (Hannah from Radiance did a post about it on her blog), but it was so inspiring to hear the stories of how the town pulled together to help each other with the clear up, they then went on to set up Hebden Spirit a community group for the town to help support businesses affected by the floods. 

When I heard they were putting on a creative auction to help raise money, I wanted to contribute so I sent them the cushion shown above.

So if you like the look of it or if you want to see any of the other lovely items that have been donated, and would like to make a bid, get down to Hebden Bridge Town Hall on Friday 28th September at 7pm and support this wonderful town.

Going International.

I'm so pleased that I have made my first international sale. I made this one in celebration of the Jubilee and when a British expat living in Australia saw it on Instagram she just had to have it.

Custom Orders.

As I said in a previous post I'm more than happy to make something by request.
A customer liked the below Home Sweet Home print but wanted me to make one with a different word.

I secretly love doing the naughty words but I know a lot of people can find them offensive so I don't offer them as standard, but please do get in touch if you have something in mind.

Shell Zenner.

If you are into your music then you are probably aware of Shell Zenner, Channel 4 called her the 'cognescenti of the Manchester music scene' To be honest her knowledge of new music isn't limited to the Manchester scene as there isn't much this lady doesn't know about the new music scene in general.

We have been social media friends for a while now, meeting on Twitter, later becoming Facebook friends and more recently Instagram. It was on Instagram where Shell saw this cushion I had made for my nieces 1st birthday.

Shell left a comment saying she wanted one for the radio room she was setting up at home, Shell presents  new music shows on Beatwolf Radio and Amazing Radio.
The only instructions I had were that she wanted a Z for Zenner, a retro feel and she sent me a snap of her wallpaper to match colours.

So this was the result.

I was really pleased with how it came out and think it looks great situated in the space it was intended for.

Shell has also recently been nominated in the Indie Champion category in the AIM awards. She's up against some big hitters including Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens. But she has a pretty big fanbase herself so fingers crossed.

Home Cushion.

 I was asked to make the above cushion after the customer had seen the L.O.V.E cushions (shown below) She had fallen in love with them but the set was more than she wanted to pay, so she asked me if I could do her a single cushion in the same fabrics but saying HOME.

 

 If you ever see anything of mine at a fair or online but it's not quite what you want please get in touch as I am more than happy to create custom orders.

Pricing problems.

My first two selling fairs have gone really well, and I have received a lot of interest in my products...interest being the operative word! I sold a lot of cards and pin badges but people just cant seem to pay the asking price for the cushions.

Lots of people were saying how much they loved the H.O.M.E and L.O.V.E cushions and genuinely seemed interested in making a purchase until told the price, then they back away. This happened a lot at the fairs so I know people do actually like the cushions..also friends who have seen photos of the cushions through, twitter, facebook or Instagram text me and say, 'I love them, how much are they?' then don't follow up once given the price!

Now I'm not asking for a fortune, each letter cushion is £35 or £120 for a set of four (which is a saving of £20). The letters are all stitched by hand with each cushion taking 5 hours from start to finish. So if you add it up they are a bargain really.

I had a look around some online marketplaces to have a look at what other makers were charging and loved these cushions I found on etsy so wanted to give them a mention. The designer is Emma Dilemma and she makes awesome embroidered pillows which are influenced by 1950s pop culture. I love these Day of The Dead style pillows.

 

 Emma must have had the same problem with people not understanding the amount of effort that goes into each cushion so she has come up with a brilliant 'blister rating' for each cushion. (They are all hand embroidered)

Blister Rating: 4*.
1. Piece of Cake.
2. Honest day's work.
3. My fingers are numb!
4. I need to take a rest till the cramping and numbness subside...
5. Cramps, numbness, callouses, possible bleeding.

 How cool is that. So please next time you have an intake of breath when reading the price tag of a handmade item, please consider the amount of work (and love) that has gone into making it.