Experimental Sewing

There has been quite a bit of experimental sewing going on at Handmade Harbour HQ!

 sewing

It's been a bit on the slow side because of orders coming in here

and more sewing (can you tell what it is yet?)

leading to painting and not sewing . . .

 painting home sweet home plaques

and I've really got to get used to balancing the two more effectively! 

It might take a while . . .

start them early!

But all this experimental sewing will eventually lead to patterns and tutorials being completed, which will find their way onto this site!  There will eventually be a page dedicated to instantly downloadable patterns.

a bag from a skirt!

Check back soon, or click the follow button to keep updated. I'm quite excited by it all!

How do your Customers Find You?

If you have a small online shop, have you ever stopped to wonder where your customers find out about you?  Do you assume it's probably from the craft fairs you do every weekend?  Or maybe Twitter?  Or Facebook?

 summer craft fair

If you use PayPal on your website pages, there's a really easy way to find out for sure.  You can ask your customers as part of the checkout process how they found out about you - and I've noticed that most customers do actually answer the question even though it isn't compulsory.

I've also noticed from doing this that a high percentage of my customers come to me from a search engine. A healthy percentage are word-of-mouth recommendations.  Only a few found me originally at craft fairs, so that route was less effective than I thought it might be in bringing website customers to my virtual doorstep.

 come on in!

If you want to set up your PayPal so that it asks customers a question about how they found you, open your PayPal account and go to:

Profile > My selling preferences > Customise your Payment Page.

Then click on the options tab and check the add a customer survey button.  Write your own question and your own multiple choice answers!

It's not perfect, but if you're running a small online business, it gives you a really good idea of where your customers are coming from and that, in turn, might make you rethink how you promote your website.

For me, my blog is key in getting those search engine visitors into my shop!  What about you?

Designer Interview: Lucy of Moseley's Giftware

This week's interview is with Lucy fom Moseley's Giftware.

***

Welcome Lucy! Where can we find your designs online?  My business is called Moseley’s Giftware, and my website is www.moseleysgiftware.co.uk

What do you make?  I’m a bit of a serial cross-crafter, so I make jewellery, cards, candles, tea cosies and bunting. I like my stall to look like a treasure trove, where people can root around to find their own treasure!

Where does your inspiration come from? My inspiration comes from quietness. I like to sit peacefully, and from there I tend to get my best ideas! I also like spending time in nature for the same reason.

What tips do you have for generating ideas for designs?  I think it is good to be playful and creative. Get out your craft materials, and let loose! If you find that something isn’t working, just go back to it another day. And if you don’t like how something has turned out, jot down how you would prefer to do it next time.

Sometimes our mistakes lead us to make good products in the end.

How do you record your ideas?  I have a notepad, which I take round everywhere with me. When I get an idea, I write it down or sketch it out. I don’t always have the time to make my ideas up straight away, so with them jotted down, I know I can look at them again and make them at a later date.

What tips do you have for motivating yourself?  Enjoy what you do! I find it quite easy to motivate myself when I know I will enjoy it. When I am feeling a bit stuck, I will normally do something nice for myself like have a bath or read a magazine… that usually leaves me feeling relaxed and refreshed, ready to get back to what I need to do!

Do you have any time management tips?  Lists, lists, lists! I am all for writing down all the tasks that need to be done, breaking them down into smaller tasks if needs be. If I have lots to do, I’ll order them in terms of their priority.

What's your workspace like?  My workspace is wherever I feel like it! I do my knitting in bed, on the sofa, on the bus – wherever takes my fancy, or wherever I feel is most comfortable at the time. I do my card making and my sewing at my desk though, as you need a hard surface for those tasks.

Where can we find your designs for sale?  I’m a regular at South Lambeth Market in South London, and I do other ad hoc fairs around the area. I’m also a part of a local collective of designer-makers, called Makerhood. But unless you live near, I suspect the internet is the best place to find my work!

Do you have any top tips for other designer makers?  Do what you love! You will enjoy working, and find what you do very rewarding.

Anything else you want to add?  Starting up a craft business is tough work, but if you’re committed to it, you will make it through the hard times.  When you are at fairs, remember that other people in the craft business are like your colleagues, and it is much more fun if you have them as friends than as business rivals.

You can follow Lucy in all these places:

Blog: www.moseleysgiftware.co.uk/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/moseleysgiftware

Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/lucy_moseley

Thank you Lucy for agreeing to be interviewed and sharing your crafting insights with us.

If you're interested in small craft businesses, tutorials, and just handmade in general, pop over to Handmade Monday where you'll find a whole load of fascinating blog links to peruse!

Marketing on Your Blog?

Sooner or later, all fairly popular blogs will be asked to do a bit of marketing for someone else.

On my other blog, I've been quite surprised by who has asked me to do marketing for them!  Often, it's gift companies, thinking I can promote them because my blog is partly aimed at the gift market (although I make them all myself).

 giftwrapped

Once, I was even approached by Not on the High Street (who of course have a whole marketing department on their payroll!) with articles they expected me to publish on my blog (with links to their site).  Flattering, but quite irritating, that they thought little-old-me could help them! Irritating? Yes, because of course they are a direct competitor and there's no way they'd mention me on their blog unless I signed up (with a big fat wad of money changing hands) to open a shop on their site.

Most of the time I just ignore these emails.  I've come to realise that if you considered each unsolicited email carefully, you'd never get anything else done.

However, you may be able to negotiate something that benefits both of you, depending on what you're being asked to promote.  I can see this might work for some craft bloggers, especially within tutorials.

bunting tutorial

It isn't just about big companies.  The people who are really important in this are the micro businesses - the people who are painting, sewing, woodcutting, crocheting, making, baking and knitting in their little garden studios, garages, sheds, kitchens or spare bedrooms.

 painting caravans

These are actually the people I had in mind when I set up Handmade Harbour and I'm more than happy to promote them.  Of course, this blog might get promoted in return when it mentions a micro business (although I don't make this a stipulation of being featured here, it is of course welcomed). 

This really well-thought-out blog post on Oh My! Handmade is something that you might want to read.  It will help you formulate in your mind whether you want to promote other people, craft suppliers, businesses, etc., on your blog and decide whether you want something in return for doing so.

Tutorial - Making Bunting

Welcome to what I hope is the first of many tutorials on Handmade Harbour!  Today's tutorial is bunting. 

It's a great project if you're new to sewing and want to practise some basic techniques.  It's a lovely easy project for more experienced sewers too and the results are almost guaranteed to make you smile! 

Bunting just has a happy, summery, hopeful feel about it.

If you have a craft stall, bunting will add a wonderfully welcoming and cheery feel to it. It's easy and quick to make and will last pretty much forever.

You could use your brand colours, or go completely random - the choice is yours.  Be warned - you will be asked if you sell bunting, so make your decision in advance (with a price, if you decide you do want to sell it).

My bunting was made entirely from waste fabric: old clothes, duvet covers and scraps left over from previous projects.  Yours could be just as eco-friendly, too. 

OK, let's begin.  The basic triangle shape is the only pattern piece you'll need and it's easy to make your own, using these measurements:

But you can change the size, if you like. Bunting comes in all shapes and sizes!

Before you start, decide how long you want your bunting to be.  (I wanted mine to go round three sides of my gazebo, so I made 9 metres.  I wish I'd made 3 lots of 3 metres instead as it would have been more versatile - I could have used it more easily just on the front of the gazebo, or on a craft table too. If I decide to do more fairs, I may be getting the bunting out and doing a bit of chopping!).

You'll need to do some measuring and a bit of maths at this point - but don't worry about it because you can always add more or chop some off if your calculations are wrong.

I'd advise leaving one flag width between each flag.  You can space them more closely if you prefer.

Cutting out:

Start by cutting out the triangles.  You'll need two per flag.

Also cut out some lengths of fabric - this will make the binding that strings the bunting together and hangs it up.  Cut the length you need (you can join several pieces together) x the width (8cm).

Make sure to allow extra on the binding for tying the ends of the bunting up.  I made an extra 60cm on each end and added an extra piece so I had two ties on each end (so I could tie them together). 

Making up:

Place the triangles right side together and stitch along the seam lines along two long sides of the triangle.

Trim the corner, where the triangle comes to a point - you're aiming to reduce the bulk of the fabric here.

Turn each flag so the right sides are now on the outside.  Press to neaten.

Topstitch along both seams - to do this, machine stitch 1/4 inch away from the edge, using a slightly longer stitch length than usual.  You can use the edge of the presser foot as a guide to keeping your stitching straight (keep the edge of the bunting aligned with the edge of the presser foot).

You've now got a nice collection of flags with a raw edge at the top.

Now take the strips of fabric you've cut for the binding.  Join along the short edges to make one very long strip of fabric. Press the seams open.

Fold both long edges to meet in the middle.  Because you're doing a lot of measuring to make these strips of fabric the same all the way along, make youself a little piece of card with a notch cut out. 

It's invaluable for repeated measuring and only takes a few seconds to make.  It's easier than using a tape measure again and again!

Now fold almost in half again.  At this stage, if you make one side very slightly wider (0.5mm is plenty!) it will  make sewing easier.

Pin the flags into the binding, and sew with the slightly wider side of the binding underneath. 

This makes sure that you catch both sides of the binding - because the bottom edge is wider, you're almost certain that both edges end up stitched firmly first time.  Using a zig-zag stitch here makes the binding stronger and if your stitches are liable to be slightly wobbly, it will matter less.

The ends can be just tucked under and sewn into place.

You can make another strip of fabric and sew it to the first, so you have two ties on each end of your bunting, making it easier for you to tie it into place.

Now take your bunting and enjoy those summery days I just know we're going to be blessed with this year (oops, hope I haven't jinxed it!)

If you'd like to write a tutorial for Handmade Harbour, please email me with your ideas: wendy@1stuniquegifts.co.uk  - you will of course be credited in your article, with links).

Designer Interview: Caroline of Carolee Crafts

Introducing first in the series of interviews with designers - today the spotlight is on Caroline, the designer/maker behind Carolee Crafts 

***

Hi Caroline!  What do you design and make? Textile gifts and cards using machine embroidery designs, patchwork, appliqué, vintage lace, recycled beads and fabric turning them into cushions, bags and more.

Where does your inspiration come from? Nature, Magazines, walking around antique markets my favourite is the Packhouse Antiques centre in Farnham, Surrey a plethora of colours and textures, browse around there gives me ideas for a plethora of designs.

What tips do you have for generating ideas for designs? Open your eyes, take a walk on a beautiful day whatever the season there is so much beauty around us in the colours of plants, take a camera to capture a scene, sketch book to record ideas as you think of them. Browse magazines and cut out pictures that speak to you. I have loads of journals created over the years and a quiet afternoon can often be whiled away just flicking through the pages, creative block for me rarely happens in fact the opposite I have too many ideas I would love to make but doubt will ever achieve in my lifetime.

How do you record your ideas? Journals, photographs, sketch books. I also use a system called Bento, a brilliant software enabling a digital record of so many things.

What tips do you have for motivating yourself? As said before rarely have a lack of motivation just need more time but if I am stuck often just taking a walk and doing something different inspires me back to work.

Do you have any time management tips? I am not that strict over time keeping, if busy with an order can knuckle down until done, sometimes forgetting to take a break when I should. I find a 'To Do' list (although it can read like War and Peace) an ideal way to keep track of things to do and the time scale. Again use iCal to record and prioritise what I have to do and find only looking at one task at a time is better than thinking I have so much to complete, little steps.

What’s your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek? I have 3 rooms, the sewing room, workroom and the office - does that make me any more organised? No!

Do you have any top tips for other designer makers? Be proud of what you do and never cut corners. Make sure each piece made is a work of art and made to the highest standard.

Anything else you want to add? Follow your dream and believe in yourself, never look back and regret always look forward with anticipation as to what is coming next. Finally a big thank you to Wendy for giving me this promotion opportunity.  

Thanks so much Caroline for being my first interviewee!  

You can follow Caroline on Facebook and Twitter as well as on her blog. You can browse her shop and buy beautiful handmade products at CaroleeCrafts.com

If you'd like to be featured in an interview on Handmade Harbour, you'll find more info here

I'm linking this interview to Handmade Monday, where you can be inspired by the beautifully diverse collection of craft blogs that link up - have a peek, you'll be glad you did!

Updating Your Facebook Timeline Page

Thise of you who know me will know I'm not Facebook's greatest fan - I've always found it a bit clunky and confusing to use.  I'm not the best one to advise you on the new timeline!

I think the new timeline does look more attractive and I'm hoping it's more user-friendly.  I will be putting some time aside for updating my Facebook page very soon.

If you'd like to do the same and don't have much idea of where to start, have a look at Handmadeology's post about getting creative with your Facebook timeline page - it even includes exact dimensions for your images, to make things easier.  There are also some impressive pictures of people who have made the most of their cover image.

I've not started on my new page yet, but when I do, then Handmadeology is where I'll be heading for help!

P.S. If you're a bit of a Facebook expert and would like to write a post for Handmade Harbour to explain how it works for you in promoting your shop, then please do email me: wendy@1stuniquegifts.co.uk

Why Your Blog is the Signpost to your Website

One of the really amazing things about blogs is how much content you build up over a period of time.

 keep blogging and your blog will be full of useful content

On your website, you might have, for instance, 20 or 30 pages.  Whatever the number is, it doesn't usually grow at a rapid rate and might stay at a similar level for several years, despite updates.

Your blog, on the other hand, grows every time you write a blog post.  If you write, say, three posts a week, then you will have around 150 posts at the end of the year.  So, what happens to all these posts?

At first, it might seem that all these old posts get buried by new ones.  However, in the search engines they are all still highly visible - even the ones you wrote three years ago (or more).  Google and the others bring up relevant blog posts every time they "fit" a new search.

pay attention to key phrases

Think about this carefully - and think long terrm . . . 

If each blog post can come up in search results, how many key phrases can you use to make your blog work hard for you?  Bear in mind that most people search using phrases rather than single words.  Then think about all the variations they might use.  Your blog could potentially use pretty much all your relevant key phrases (eventually, given several years!).  Your website couldn't possibly hope to do the same.

I've just been over to my other (more established) blog to copy and paste yesterday's search engine results (the key words and phrases my blog was found for) just to illustrate my point and realised it's just far too big to reproduce here!  Some of those people were possibly lost (hen pecking on glass, frosting nannas [huh?], broken floorboards - I've no idea what they were looking for or if they found it on my blog!) but others were clearly potential customers (toilet door plaques, bathroom door plaques, money box new york, 50th birthday gift ideas for women, mothers day plaques uk, etc). 

 This second group formed the vast majority of my visitors and some of them did buy something.  I know this because customers sometimes contact me via my blog to ask questions, they ring or email when they're looking at my blog (the message here is to be easily contactable) and the stats clearly show them clicking through to my website!

 sometimes blog visitors want to buy exactly what you make -

plaque available at 1st Unique Gifts

There are a few things to remember if you're aiming to attract search engine visitors in this way:

• Make it easy for your visitors and potential customers.  They won't all realise they've landed on a blog so provide a very clear link through to where they can buy whatever it is you've just talked about.  Providing a relevant link embedded into text seems to be the best way of linking as far as the mighty Mr Google is concerned.
• Don't blog about too much in one post - it dilutes your message in the search engines.  If your post is short and sweet, it might just score better for your key words and phrases. If you have a lot to say, see if you can separate your post into maybe two or three posts.
• Speaking of key words - pop them in your post title, your tags/labels, and give your image a relevant name too.  Images come up on Google image searches if they are appropriately titled.  Key phrases should be in the main body of text, too - but don't overdo it. 
• Sales messages can be quite subtle - you shouldn't need to persuade anybody - because these are people who have found you because they are looking to buy what you make.
• Blog frequently.  It shows the search engines that your blog is an up-to-date site with relevant, up-to-the-minute content.
•  Don't alienate your regular readers by only blogging sales messages.  People follow you for all sorts of reasons and many want to see something of the real you - and maybe some hints and tips, or tutorials.

So why is your blog your signpost?

It's where all those people on the big search engine motorway take a turn off to come and  knock on your front door (hopefully not literally).

 the information superhighway 

(OK, so maybe it's just the M6 on a rainy day)

The more signposts (key phrases) on different routes (search engine results pages), the more traffic you'll get. 

Best get the kettle on then if we're expecting visitors.

Why Would Anyone Follow You?

We all know Twitter is a good marketing tool - don't we?

 follow me

Well, at least we get told it's a good marketing tool.  And quite frankly, it is.  But only if it's used right!

The biggest mistake I see people make with Twitter is this: posting link after link after link, with all updates looking similar to each other.  I know at first you can feel a little disconnected from people on Twitter (like being the new girl on the first day in a new job) but, think about it: why on earth would I follow you if all you do is post links??  And why would I click on those links?

It's spam. I get enough spam in my inbox - I'm not going to follow you for more of the stuff!

I've made a point not to follow people if all they do is post links.  If you catch me on a good day, and you've got a very different handmade product that I really like, I might go all soft and follow you back.  But probably not.  However, if I can see you're a real person, who engages in conversation, then I'll certainly follow you back.

What I recommend on Twitter is this (and I don't always do it myself - but it's good practice and will make a difference):

• get involved in conversations.  Before you tweet, see if you can reply to or retweet a couple of people.
• be nice, thoughtful and considerate, just as you would in real life.
• be funny
• tweet about your own products with links or photos only sparingly - definitely no more than about 1 in 3 tweets and probably even less than that. And try to give people a reason to click on those links.
• don't go asking celebs for retweets, especially for your business (except when they invite it, like Theo Paphitis and his #sbs Small Business Sunday tweets - look out for them on Sunday evening as being retweeted by Theo will bring you lots of followers and website hits)
• use real words and not text speak wherever possible (although I know how constrictive Twitter can be)
• to begin with, follow people you know (online or off), likeminded people with similar interests to you, small businesses and people you admire.  Most will follow you back (as long as you don't just tweet links at them!).  You'll eventually not need to look for followers - you'll start to gain followers on a daily basis as they find you first.
• don't automate! But if you feel you must, don't make it too obvious.  Twitter is about connections not broadcasting.
• finally, don't get sucked into spending all day on Twitter!

 

 Twitter is about connections

If you've not yet caught the Twitter bug, let me tell you:

• I've bought from people on Twitter after following a link or being part of a conversation.  I even had something designed especially for me after chatting on Twitter.
• People have bought from me as a direct result of seeing me on Twitter
• Customers have tweeted photos of their purchases from me, with recommendations
• Customers sometimes ask me questions on Twitter
• I've had work published in magazines after seeing a tweet from a magazine editor or journalist asking for ideas (this is possibly the only time that sprawling on the settee tweeting all day pays off)

If you have any Twitter tips, please share!

I'm listening!

P.S. The photos are of my chickens.  I know they're not quite Twitter birds but they seemed vaguely appropriate - they tweet a bit, follow each other all the time and well, they're quite cute.  Especially the last one, showing off her black beard.

It's Pinteresting

There's been a lot of buzz about Pinterest lately

 image from the Vintage Apple

and as the new kid on the block, it's come in for its fair share of stick too.

The main concerns have been centred around the issue of copyright, which I think have stemmed from some seemingly clumsily-worded and ill-thought-out policy which appears to claim Pinterest owns rights to pretty much everything.  However, it does also state quite clearly that it supports copyright law.

The other copyright issue, a slightly smaller one I think (although it might feel like a massive one!) is that your images may get repinned with titles like this is easy, DIY, I'm going to make this, etc.  Of course, because Pinterest is ideally suited to being a collection of images for inspiration and ideas, some people are going to use it to copy your ideas.

But, quite frankly, people were doing that anyway.  They just weren't telling you.

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not supportive of copying. Much better to use other people's ideas as a springboard for developing your own.  That way we all grow and develop - and you bring new things into the world.

 image from Pleasant Home

If you choose not to use Pinterest, I think you're missing out.  But you should also know that images from your blog or website might already be on there.  You can check by going to pinterest.com/source/yourwebsite.com (obviously insert your own URL).

For my part, I'm more than happy to use Pinterest (check out my pins here).  At least those who do decide to copy have a link to my own website should the copying prove too difficult and they decide to buy!  And the people looking at their pins can see where to go for more info.

Oh, and the other problem with Pinterest?  Its addictive properties.  It's way worse than cake.

Reasons to Blog

If you're new to the world of online crafting and wondering whether you should blog or not, I'm going to give you some reasons why you should.

I'm not saying blogging is for everyone - it's not.  But if you like chatting and writing, you might just find carving out your own place in the blogging community isn't that difficult.  Here's why you might like to get involved:

1. It's pretty easy to get your blog up on the first pages of Google for key words (really.  I'll show you in another post soon!) - it's easier for a blog than for a website.

2. Once you've got people popping in from Google, you can send them over to your online shop, just like this. Of course, it makes more sense to link to a place when you're talking about a particular item for sale, or a new one you've just made.  So do keep your links relevant (Google loves relevant links).

3. You can become part of a vibrant online community, just by commenting on people's blogs, joining in their giveaways and/or mentioning them on your blog.

4. Your blog can be the hub of your social networking - you can tweet and facebook about your blog posts and invite people round (just like inviting them round for tea and cake!).  You can talk about your latest blog post on forums and gain more readers.

5. It's yours.  You can be yourself, play it your way and just enjoy it.

6. It's a lot of fun.

7. Commit to it and it becomes a motivator.  You need to do or make something to have something to blog about!

8. You can run giveaways and competitions from your blog, and promote them on Twitter, Facebook, by email, etc., which is a great way to bring attention to your shop.


9. It's really satisfying and a big confidence booster to see something you created from scratch become something that people actually want to read!

10. You'll make friends through blogging, some of whom you'll go on to meet in person.

I'm a big fan of blogging (can you tell?) and whether you're about to embark on a blogging journey or you're a seasoned blogger, I hope you found at least one thing that's a little bit motivational in my list reasons to blog.

I think one of the important things to realise about blogging is that it increases awareness of you and your products.  It shows there's a real person behind the shop front - and people buy from people they like.  Your customers will get to feel like they know you by reading your blog.

Do you have any more reasons to blog?  Let me know by leaving a comment.

Welcome to Handmade Harbour!

Hello and welcome to Handmade Harbour.

You may have noticed this is a brand new blog!  Let me tell you a little bit about what I'm hoping it's going to grow up into.  I'm hoping to be able to share this sort of stuff with you on here:

• information about marketing and selling handmade crafts
• information about blogs, social networking, online communities, etc
• printable designs for cardmakers (instant downlaods, affordable or free)
• ebooks for designer/makers (downloadable on various systems - again, affordable or free)
• interviews with designer/makers and shop spotlights (watch out for an invite!)
• book reviews
• tutorials (maybe...)

I'm open to suggestions, but be aware that it might grow slowly to begin with.  I'm still running my own business 1st Unique Gifts which is definitely a full time job - and there are times it's a lot more than full time and takes over my life...

However, I'm very excited and can't wait to get the show on the road!