Sunday 29 April 2012

Designer Interview: Pete of Bodrighy Wood

Welcome to another designer interview! Let's get started . . . 



Hello!  Who are you and where can we find out more about you?
My name is Pete, I trade under the name 'Bodrighy Wood' and can be found in the following places online:- http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/bodrighywood

What do you make?
In short pretty much anything that is round and made of wood. I am a wood turner doing items for sale in the shops and fairs and also doing commissioned work which can vary from the legs for art deco chairs to handles for swords.  Apart from the usual things like bowls, vases etc I also do artistic pieces and collaborate with a designer / jeweller to make things of mixed mediums as well.


Where does your inspiration come from?
Other turners, pottery, especially oriental pieces, historical things such as chalices, platters etc and from the wood itself which often seems to dictate what is made, especially in the artistic work.

How do you record your ideas?
I have a book where I draw very rough sketches of an idea which my designer friend then turns into decent drawings for me.


What tips do you have for motivating yourself?
As a fair bit of my work is done to commission I have to get it out for a customer so that motivates me. The rest I find that when I get an idea I usually go for it until it is done. I also find that collaborating helps as there are two of you to nag one another LOL.

Do you have any time management tips?
If you are trying to do your crafting as a business, even part time, set a specific time to get the work done each day even if it is only half an hour and stick to it. If you try and do it as and when you feel like it you will get nothing finished.


What's your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek?
It's a 20' x 18' space, and I'm lucky enough to have access to another workshop and its equipment as well.  This is a panoramic view.


Where can we find your designs for sale?
Mainly through my Artfire shop at the moment but I also put work into my Facebook page as well. As I have a very intermittent connection I am struggling at the moment to get more of my work up online adding it as and when I can.


Do you have any top tips for other designer makers?
Try something that is outside your comfort zone regularly and make things that are different. Rolling pins (for example) don't have to be bland beech tubes with a handle, they can be made of attractive woods as well. Think outside the pale, if you see something that someone else has made, don't just copy, use it as a basis for your own idea.

Anything else you want to add?
Trying to earn a living with a craft involves making things that others like. If all you make is what you like yourself then you are a hobby crafter, nothing wrong with that but if you want to sell your work you need to please the public, not just yourself. Also make sure that whatever you make is of a quality you are proud of.

Thanks Pete for agreeing to be interviewed - I love your work.  There's just something so beautiful,  special and tactile about turned wood. 

For a really good mix of creativity and inspiration, head over to Handmade Monday and have a mooch round the blogs that are linking up this week!

Saturday 28 April 2012

Handmade Banner

Handmade Harbour is getting a new handmade banner . . .



I hope it works out.  I'm hoping it will double up as a banner for this blog as well as a banner for any shows or fairs I might do!  It's proving to be a lot of fun to make, in any case.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Staying Motivated - Ten Top Tips

One of the most difficult things about working from home has to be the whole "how do you stay motivated when there's no boss breathing down your neck?"  In fact, not necessarily a boss, but when you work for someone else in a standard job, there are always other people who rely on you - customers, colleagues, students, clients, patients, etc.  Nobody ever really asks a nurse how she stays motivated, do they?

I think maybe that's the biggest part of the problem.  There's only yourself to answer to.  And if you feel like sloping off to the shops, or curling up on the sofa with a big cake, who's going to stop you?

 cake is tempting

I am.

Yep, you heard me.  Well, I'm going to try.  I'm sharing my top ten motivational tips with you here.  They don't work all work all of the time, but some of them do work a lot of the time.  So, without further ado, here we go...

Top Ten Motivational Tips for Artists & Crafters who work from Home


1. Make a list.  Actually, it might end up being several lists.  A wipeboard on the wall, a planner with moveable post-its (download a free one here), a diary, a to-do book... (the most important thing to note here is that I didn't say write your list on a piece of paper, otherwise the first thing on your to-do list might be: find to-do list)

2. At the end of each working day, take time to write up the list for tomorrow.  It might change, as urgent jobs come in, or life makes plans for you, but having a list already in place each morning is a great way of getting your day kick-started.

 3. Be realistic.  I'm not so good at being realistic and always expect too much of myself.  This is where my planner with moveable post-its works well - a visual reminder of when I'm taking on too much.

the post it planner

4. Post your plans online - blog, tweet or facebook about it.  Tell people what you're going to do - a great way to get yourself motivated into action.  People are waiting to see what you've done!

5.  Join in a weekly linky party with your blog.  Handmade Monday is a good one, because you can blog about your makes.  If you commit to it, you'll find yourself making with the aim of showing off your creations.  It's become a great little community too!

6. Stay healthy.  I know as well as anyone how hard that is when you have serious health problems - but actually that's when diet and exercise become even more important.  Take time to eat properly, drink plenty of fluids, exercise (whether it's a gym session, digging the garden or just a walk round the block), and generally look after yourself.

 home made fruit smoothies are full of goodness & energy

7.  Get started.  Getting started is often the hardest bit, so tell yourself you're just going to start this project and see how you feel.  Chances are, it'll all start flowing nicely once you're started and you'll get more done than you thought you would.

get started


8.  Visualise the end result.  For example, if you're finding it hard to get making for an upcoming fair or market, try imagining your stall, with customers buzzing round it.  They won't be buzzing for long (or at all) if there's nothing to look at.  What are you going to wow them with?

9.  Meet up with others.  It might be a class, a craft club, a coffee or a meal - or it could be an online chat in a forum or on Twitter.  Take time to talk about your motivation and what you need to get done.  Other people's positivity might rub off on you, you might generate ideas together - or you might just feel renewed and energised from mixing with others.

 book some time off


10.  I've found that "booking" time off, like you would in a "real" job is a great motivator - you need to fit the jobs you have into the time you have left and you do actually end up working harder.  It might be a day out or a weekend away - or just an afternoon with friends mooching round the shops.  Book it in your diary and plan round it.

I ended up with too many tips to squash them all in to just ten - so think of this one as a bonus:  Just do it.  Yep, I know you've heard that one somewhere before, but that's because it's such a good tip.  When you're hesitating or procrastinating, stop all that and - just do it.  Get on with what needs doing! 

I hope there's a least one tip in there that might be useful in getting you more motivated!  I'd love you to add your own motivational tips by leaving a comment.





Tuesday 24 April 2012

Kindle Cover Tutorial by Sarah from Tilly Mint

This fab and easy-to-follow tutorial was written by Sarah from Tilly Mint Boutique


This tutorial will guide you though how to make a simple button closure Kindle cover, to fit the Kindle with the keyboard. It should take approx 1 hour to make and some sewing experience would be beneficial.

You will need the following:
Sewing machine
Fabric (one fat quarter will make the kindle cover, however you'll need more if you want a different coloured inner an outer)
Wadding (medium/light weight, can use fusible) For the tutorial I have used non fusible.
Thread
Scissors/rotary cutter and cutting mat
Needle for hand sewing
Button and 5.5 inches of ribbon
Iron and ironing board
Pins

Throughout the tutorial, use the edge of the foot as a guide for seam allowance (approx 3/8")

1) If using 2 different colours for outer and inner fabric, decide which will be the inner and which will be outer. Cut fabric 6.5 x 9 inches - 2 pieces of outer fabric and 2 pieces of inner fabric. Cut 2 pieces of wadding to the same size.

2) Place each piece of wadding next to wrong side of the outer fabric, then place right sides of fabric together. Pin the pile of wadding and fabric together (both wadding pieces should be on the outside, sandwiching the fabric which is right sides together)




Sew down the long sides and bottom, trim corners, turn ride sides out and poke corners.

3) Place right sides of inner together, pin and sew down long sides.




4) Place inner 'tube' over outer so that right sides are together. Fold ribbon in half and place in the middle of the inner and outer fabric, half way across the top. Make sure a small amount of the raw edges of the ribbon are poking out of the top. Pin all in place, making sure side seams of outer and inner are aligned.



5) Sew around the top of the fabric



Turn right sides out



Push inner into outer and press.

6) Top stitch around the top, ensure ribbon is out of the way.



7) Pull inner out. Decide where you would like your button to go (ensure ribbon will reach button) and sew button on - the ribbon will flap over top of cover, therefore button goes on opposite side to the one ribbon is on.

8) Fold in the raw edges of the bottom of the inner, press, then sew as close to edge as possible.





9) Push inner into outer and press. Your Kindle cover is now ready to use!



I hope you have found this tutorial easy to follow.

If you have any questions please feel free to email tillymintboutique@gmail.com

Thank you so much for sharing your tutorial with us Sarah.  I love the fabrics you chose for this.  If anyone else would like to submit a tutorial, I'd love to hear from you - email wendy@1stuniquegifts.co.uk

Sunday 22 April 2012

Designer Interview: Annie of Knitsofacto

A warm welcome to Annie, this week's designer.
***

Who are you and where can we find out more about you? I’m Annie and I blog at Knitsofacto

You’ll also find knitsofacto on Twitter, Ravelry and Flickr.

I live in rural North Wales with my husband, children and numerous dogs. Some years ago I was unlucky enough to fall seriously ill and was housebound for some time. My recovery has been long and slow and is still far from complete. Never one to let such things get me down I kept myself occupied, as far as was possible, with embroidery and knitting, both favourite hobbies since childhood. Developing those hobbies into a viable business has been a dream I know many will identify with.

What do you make? I have a number of strings to my bow. I am trained in fine art, textiles, and photography, but most recently have been developing my knitted baby wear designs. With four children of my own and a large extended family I have  knitted more than my share of baby clothes over the years, always designing my own patterns. Recently I have been making the newest of these patterns, and others for knitted accessories, available via Ravelry, and a ‘knitsofacto Baby’ collection will be published later in the year.


Also, and by popular demand, some of the photographic images I post on my blog will soon be available as postcards and prints. And I have begun experimenting with natural plant dyes – another old hobby revisited – so there may yet be eco friendly knitsofacto yarns and embroidery threads available to buy. I would find it hard to just stick to doing the same thing every day, the variety is essential to keeping me motivated.


Where does your inspiration come from?  I am lucky enough to own a great number of vintage knitting patterns dating from the early 1900s to the 1960s and all my knitsofacto baby designs are inspired by the baby wear styles of old. I also find inspiration in classic children’s literature,  both the well known, Little Red Riding Hood or The Princess and the Pea for example, and the more obscure, like The Bee and the Orange Tree or Undine. Both the old stories and the vintage illustrations spark so many ideas. And I take a walk through the local countryside as often as I can; I’m sure my preferred colour palette – mostly browns, greys, greens and yellows - is hugely influenced by the colours of the natural world, just as its textures influence my stitch choices. Gardens and flowers are a great pleasure and a constant source of inspiration too.

Knitting though begins and ends with yarn. Fine wools, alpaca, and silk are the fibres I turn to again and again, whether spun singly or as blends. Sample swatching gives me a feel for the kind of drape I can achieve using my chosen yarn  knitted up in a variety of stitch patterns. Drape then dictates the garment shapes I will choose. Even when a garment is tiny the knitted fabric’s drape is important.


 What tips do you have for generating ideas for designs?  Grab anything that inspires you visually - photograph it, scan it, sketch it, cut it from magazines – and keep everything loose-leaf. Flicking through sketch and scrap books you’ve put together is good, but being able to experiment with different juxtapositions of your visual inspiration is even better. Sometimes a totally unexpected combination of colour, shape and texture will fire the best ideas. Having a pin board for your current favourite images, that you can see while you work and jump up and rearrange from time to time, is also a good idea.

How do you record your ideas?  Once an idea starts to form I both sketch it out and create a word cloud that describes it. But when I start to write the pattern I switch to a pocket size note book that I can easily jot things in while knitting, and my laptop. A lot of knitting design is technical stuff and there’s a fair bit of maths involved so the process rapidly moves away from the visual to the written.

What tips do you have for motivating yourself?  Keeping motivated is only ever a problem for me if I get too bored with doing the same thing over and over. So not only do I practice more than one craft but I always have a few projects of each kind on the go. There’s a fine line between variety and chaos but when I’m well I need a bit of pressure to keep me keen and when I’m not so well if I tire doing one thing I can easily switch to something that challenges me in a different way.

My blog is also a great motivator, not only does it generate a lot of useful feedback but the need to regularly have something to blog about keeps me going when otherwise I might flag.

Do you have any time management tips?  I’m probably the wrong person to ask about that. I start each day by writing a to-do list, with the highest priority tasks at the top. This would probably work well, but I never stick to it!

What’s your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek?  There’s not much to peek at I’m afraid. Scribbling knitting pattern ideas and hand knitting are lap-sized activities, and most of my photographs are taken when I’m out and about. I have storage for yarns and cameras and such in a couple of large cupboards, but I mostly work in my living room, sitting on a very comfortable, squashy red leather sofa that is well placed to get the best of the light. Imagine Radio 4 playing and a pile of sleeping whippets at my feet and you’ll get the picture.

Where can we find your designs for sale?  Currently my published knitting patterns are available free via Ravelry. News of when and where the ‘knitsofacto Baby’ collection and the photographic postcards/prints will be available will be posted on my blog.

Do you have any top tips for other designer makers?  Although I have years of past experience teaching art and craft, and have been designing and making things all my life, I am only just beginning my ‘designer maker’ journey, right now it’s me who needs the top tips! But I think the most important thing I’ve learnt along the way is be realistic about your talents but don’t listen too hard to your inner critic, it can be crippling. My motto in most things is  Leap and the net will appear.

Thanks so much Annie for sharing your creative life with us.  I love your motto - it seems to apply to the way I approach things too!

For more handmade loveliness, go and check out all the blogs linking up over on Handmade Monday

Thursday 19 April 2012

Theo Paphitis and #SBS

I've wittered at length on over at 1st Unique Gifts about the #SBS winners' event so I won't repeat all that here.

But I wanted to mention that if you have a small business in the UK, Theo Paphitis' weekly Twitter competition is well worth entering.  You'll find lots more info about it on his new website.


While you're on his website, check out some of the winner's profiles.  They've all added business tips.  Well worth a flick through!

 My official photo.  
Amazing that Theo manages to have 300+ photos taken - all with him looking fab.  
I have just the one and end up looking slightly manic!

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Let's Get Organised!

Do you sometimes need a kick up the backside?  Yup, you - with your feet up on the sofa, slippers on, sipping your coffee, browsing blogs when you should be working...

Heck, maybe you're even kidding yourself that reading blogs actually counts as working!

is that you with your feet up on the sofa?

Here's a secret for you.  Come closer so you can hear me whisper...

you're not alone!

The trouble is, working on your own at home, the only person who can kick you up the backside is yourself.  Hmm.  That's not always easy and you could quite easily put your back out trying!

Don't give up yet though.  I have another secret:

I recently made these little planners for myself, and thought I'd share them with you.



All you need to do is click this button...



...to download all three planners for yourself:  They're completely free to download and will come to you as one PDF document.

Just print them off onto A4 paper, and you can use them however you like*...
  •  laminate them and keep a dry wipe board pen handy
  • Use them with post-it notes
  • Print several off and write all over them
  • Keep them on a clipboard if you want to carry them round with you, or ...
  • Stick them up on your workroom or office wall! 
 I love using post-it notes.  
They're so forgiving if you have a bad day and have to move them forward!

I like the idea of having something visual on the wall - and I like very much that my post-its are a moveable feast.  I like that I can see at a glance if I'm expecting too much of myself (I do that a lot) and I can juggle my plans around easily.

I usually have an average of about five hours' worth of painting & packing a day to keep up with customer orders, so (in theory anyway!) on most days there's time to fit something else in.  This is where my little planners will come in sooo handy.

 I cut post-its in half for this one but you could just buy the post-it page markers

I hope you might find my little printable planners as useful for you as they are for me!

Let me know if you think I could make them better at all (or even add to them) but still keeping the A4 format for easy printing.

*these planners are for personal use only - they are not to be sold (or even given away).   If you want to blog, tweet, pin, facebook or generally rave about them to other people (ha! ok, maybe not!) do of course feel free - but please send people over here so they can collect their own copy if they want one.  

Thank you so much!

Sunday 15 April 2012

Designer Interview: Stephen of Soy of the North

Today's interviewee is . . . well, let me hand you over and he'll tell you himself . . .


Who are you and where can we find out more about you?  I'm Stephen, owner and designer for Soy of the North, (website: www.soyofthenorth.co.uk ; blog: www.soyblog.soyofthenorth.co.uk ; Facebook: www.facebook.com/soyofthenorth ; Twitter: www.twitter.com/soyofthenorth).

I seem to be all over the web :-)

What do you make?  I make candles from eco-friendly soy wax in a variety of colours, scents and styles, (votives, chunk candles, aromatherapy candles, etc). I also design hand-painted, glass candle plates and candle holders.




Where does your inspiration come from?  A lot of my inspiration comes from when I'm walking around, either in the nearby woods or down my high street. I just spot something out of the corner of my eye that draws me to it and I ge an idea from it. I also get some inspiration from images and photos I see when using the Internet. I was recently inspired in this way by a photograph of a bright blue poison dart frog.

What tips do you have for generating ideas for designs?  The best tip is to keep your eyes, ears and mind open at all times. It may sound kind of spiritual but you never know when an idea may spring up. It also helps if you can doodle. Draw little images of whatever idea pops into your head and pretty soon those doodles may merge into a brilliant design.

How do you record your ideas?  Most of my ideas are recorded in my mind, as once I get a new idea that I'm excited about, it tends to stick around there. Of course if I'm near a pen and paper or sitting at my computer, it helps when I write my ideas down, just in case my mind loses an idea or two. It hasn't happened yet though.



What tips do you have for motivating yourself?  If I find I'm starting to lack motivation, I go for that great British classic - a cup of tea. A complete break from designing, where I can sit down in a quiet area, just me with my thoughts and a cup of tea, helps recharge me and brings back my motivation.

Do you have any time management tips?  Whenever you think to yourself that a task is going to take X amount of time, double it. Time can seem to speed up, leaving you rushing to get things done. Always give yourself more time than you think you need. If you then end up finishing with time to spare, you'll feel a bit better about yourself and you'll have time for another all important cup of tea, (sorry to any coffee drinkers out there. I just don't like coffee : -) ).

What’s your workspace like?
 I'm afraid I couldn't call what I have a workspace. Living in a small house with quite a lot of stuff means I have to work on whatever surface I can find free. I use a small area of my kitchen for candle making, which then gets taken up by food at meal times, while I have a small space in the attic for glass painting, on top of a small set of drawers. It's quite chaotic but it gets the job done.

Where can we find your designs for sale?
 My designs can be found on my website www.soyofthenorth.co.uk. I also sell at various arts and crafts fairs and markets in the Tyne and Wear region, details of which can be found on the Events page of my blog.

Do you have any top tips for other designer makers?  Don't be afraid to try new, bold or unusual designs. We live in a country where everyone is unique and has their own sense of style and design. That design you have been considering but have not made yet, may be just the thing someone out there has been searching for. We are a nation known for our quirkiness, so let that show in some of your creations.

Anything else you want to add?  Never doubt yourself. With your designing, you are doing something that very few people in this country do, so you should be proud of what you have achieved and of what you can create. A big thank you of course to Wendy for this opportunity and for all she's doing to help and promote the handmade world we live in.

Thank you for taking your time to share your tips and insights, Stephen. Oh how I wish my mind didn't lose ideas - I think my ideas are a bit like naughty children: running around all over the place and trying to escape as soon as my back is turned!  Or maybe it's just my age and I can't remember anything any more!

Don't forget to pop over to Handmade Monday for a whole load of craft blogs to inspire you.

Friday 13 April 2012

Managing your Time - 3 Top Tips

Effective time management is something that I've struggled with for a while now.  I'm not a naturally organised person, which doesn't help - but I know I'm not alone.

 moustache/must dash clock

One of my problems is that I just want to do everything . . . 


  • I paint and make stuff for my own little online business which (although small) is most definitely busy. 
  • I grow vegetables and fruit (I always aim to grow more than I actually do!). 
  • I make jam and chutney with the harvest gluts. 
  • I keep chickens (lovely eggs and not really all that time consuming, to be fair).
  • I make meals from scratch because I want to be healthy and I need to eat gluten free - and I always make extra batches for the freezer. 
  • I sew and want to sell the patterns I design. 
  • I write and want to publish and sell e-books. 
  • I draw and want to share my images in some way - probably as digital stamps for cardmakers.
  • I have two blogs and occasionally guest post on other blogs, too. 
  • I run Handmade Monday every week and make a point of visiting every participating blog. 
  • I'm still trying to "finish" the house & as a result I have a few furniture projects on the go and ready to start.  I love the personality and sturdiness in a shabby-chic'd piece of old furniture.
  • I have four kids and four grandkids. 
  • And I have elderly parents who increasingly need my time and attention.

I guess you can probably see why time management is something I feel I need to master!

Consequently, I've read quite a bit on time management now.  And, whichever book I pick up, it seems to boil down to two main things:

 lists on my whiteboards

1. Lists

Everyone's idea of what makes an effective list varies, but I found that a combination of a book (because it's harder to misplace than a scrap of paper and because you can see how far you've come, when you flick back through it) and a dry wipe board on the wall (because it's an obvious, instant reminder and even harder to misplace than a book!) works for me.  My main lists are really for setting targets for the day (I always set them the night before - it's a great way of kick-starting your motivation each morning as the decisions are already made).  I think maybe I need to make long-term lists, too - weekly and monthly (and maybe annual) targets and plans.  I've had an idea about that, and I have something to share with you - watch this space for more info!

lists in books

2. Break your time up into chunks

I've discovered that when you have a lot to do, it pays to focus on one thing at a time, otherwise you spend all your time running around looking and feeling busy but actually achieving very little.  You could try committing to something for just 15 or 20 minutes at a time, or maybe even 2 hours.  Whatever suits you, really.  Shorter time spans are great for working on things you really don't want to do (like tidying up or doing the accounts).  It becomes easier when you know you're only going to spend 20 minutes on it.  It's amazing what can be achieved in just one 20-minute session, but when you add them up over a week, well... just try it and see what you think.

And that's really the crux of it. 

What? I promised you three tips?  Oh, OK then...


3. Treats and Breaks


I remember, as a adult education teacher, finding out that the optimium learning time for any subject was an hour and a half.  If you spend longer on a subject, the chances are you don't actually learn more.  I suspect that an hour and a half is also just a nice time to work solidly without a break  - and then treat yourself to 15 minutes with a snack, a drink and  a chat on Twitter or some blog reading.  Hell, even pick up a paperback or magazine and switch off completely for a little while.  Treats are important if you don't want to burn out!


there's always time for coffee and cake


I'd love to hear your time management tips - please leave a comment if you have anything to add!

Thursday 12 April 2012

Craftsy - Where Have You Been All My Life?

This was one of those links I clicked on somewhere ... and then I got so engrossed I can't remember which website took me there.


Craftsy, I'm in awe!  Seriously, where have you been all my life?

I'm quite excited, because Craftsy seems to have everything sewn up (groan!) for the crafter.  Classes, courses, patterns, tutorials.  I shall definitely be exploring more once I've got time, but for now I will be concentrating on getting a few patterns together so I can list them on Craftsy. 

 I'm working on this at the moment

I'm also guessing that all the things I have lined up (in my head) to learn about will all be on there somewhere.

I am officially quite excited! (OK, I know, maybe I should get out more...)

If you'd like to find patterns, sell patterns, take online classes or learn stuff, pop over there! You don't have to get as excited as me about it.  But you might do - you have been warned.

Craftsy

Craftsy Blog

Sunday 8 April 2012

Designer Interview: Cory of Coryographies

Introducing Cory from Coryographies...

 

Who are you and where can we find out more about you?

My name is Cory, a Canadian living in the UK with my wonderful English husband.  I have an Etsy shop, Coryographies, which has been running for almost a year: http://www.etsy.com/shop/coryographies.  My accompanying blog is www.coryographies.blogspot.com.  I write about what it's like to be newly self employed, and also share interesting online craft shops, craft tips, tutorials, and giveaways!

I also have a facebook page, www.facebook.com/coryographies, and am on Twitter @Coryographies

What do you make?

I make fun and quirky jewellery out of wood and polymer clay, namely bookshelf necklaces and sushi jewellery. 


Where does your inspiration come from?

My designs all come from things that make me happy - teapots, books, food, and stone tools (I have a degree in archaeology!)

What tips do you have for generating ideas for designs?

Create things that make you happy - it doesn't have to necessarily be what you would use or wear yourself, but it should be something that makes you smile.  If you try out tonnes of different ideas, you'll find your own uniqueness.

How do you record your ideas?

I haven't up until now, eep!  I'm actually quite disorganized, but I like the 'organic' way I work.  It's very freeing.  But I've bought a little notebook to keep beside my work desk.  I forget too many good ideas!
What tips do you have for motivating yourself?

The biggest motivation I get is from messages people send me after they receive my items.  Making something that someone else appreciates is such a great feeling, and makes me really thankful to be in this position.  I don't know if I could ever return to the office!

Do you have any time management tips?

When I have something on my to do list, I can't think about anything else until it's done.  That tends to keep me on top of things and not get bogged down.  It has it's good and bad points, but it does tend to make me efficient and fill out orders relatively quickly.


What’s your workspace like?  Can we have a sneak peek?

I live in a small flat in the center of an English town.  Therefore there isn't much space!  I have a workstation set up on a shelving unit in the corner of my bedroom, and the shelves are full of shoeboxes with my materials and tools.  It's not very impressive - a tad chaotic, but it works!  What is the saying... bless this mess?



Where can we find your designs for sale?

At the moment my items are only for sale on Etsy, but I will hopefully be launching my bookshelf necklaces at a shop in London in the coming months!
Do you have any top tips for other designer makers?

I'd say to remember to be proud of yourself!  Being self employed and creative in your day to day work is a pretty lucky thing - not everyone has the chance or the opportunity to take that leap and give up the office cubicle!  That pride in your work should show though in its quality, and give you the determination to keep on keeping on.



Thanks so much Cory for sharing this with us.  I adore your bookshelf necklaces!


Pop over to Handmade Monday for more craft related blogs!