IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE AND WE'RE HALF WAY THROUGH JULY
So somehow we're already halfway through July and this is my first blog post of 2017! So far this year I have done 6 markets in London, started stocking a few of my designs in a lovely shop in Ealing called All Original and I challenged myself to take part in #The100DayProject.
One of my goals for 2017 was to start approaching shops. As much as I enjoy doing markets it's very time consuming and exhausting transporting stock and being on your feet all day. I often get asked if I stock any shops and embarrassingly I have been to scared of rejection to try. Last Christmas at one of the markets I was trading at, I met a lovely lady called Jane. We got chatting and she enquired about stockists and wholesale. Rather than shying away from the question like I usually do, I bit the bullet and said it was one of my goals for 2017. We exchanged details and I put it to the back of my mind as I had more markets ahead to prepare for. The new year arrived and after a few emails with Jane, I now have a selection of my designs for sale in her lovely shop. It's been fantastic working with someone who is a designer maker herself and taking the brave leap into own an independent gift shop fully supporting local designers and British design. If you ever find yourself in Ealing pop into All Original and a have a look around the shop!
The 100 Day Project, created by Elle Luna and Lindsay Jean Thomson, started back in April and finished last week. I chose a 100 days of surface pattern, where I looked at different themes for inspiration and created new designs. It was a last minute decision to join the challenge, so my planning always felt like it was on catch up. It was tough to maintain for 100 days, but I managed to think of something to post on Instagram for each day even if I had to back date them on a few occasions. Even though I didn't physically do a different design each day, the project made me think of sources of inspiration and more importantly made me make time to be creative rather than going with the flow and waiting for designs to magically happen amongst making of stock, daily admin and doing events. You can see what I got up to during the project by searching #100daysofsurfacepattern on Instagram or visiting my Facebook page.
2017 also started with my husband and I finding out I'm pregnant! It was a real relief that January through to March is a quiet time of year. I'm due in mid September so this year's planning has been very different. Unfortunately, the Christmas season is out for me this year. The markets I have done so far have been more challenging with a growing bump and asking for help has been hard and frustrating at times when you are used to doing things mostly on your own. No more heavy lifting and realising my limits!
Even though it's quite scary going into the unknown, I do have plans for next year and new designs I want to develop from the 100 Day Project. Preparing for change has been hard, but the support from my husband, friends and the London Local Etsy team has been amazing.
My last event of the Summer is the Maker's Crusade charity market in Hackney Wick on Sunday 30 July, which is raising funds for Médecins Sans Frontières, Doctors Without Borders. The event coincides with the Hackey WickED weekend. I hope you can come and say hi and support a fantastic cause.
