La little Week Alittlemarket Printemps 2017

French, for English version, see below

Du 31 mars au 10 avril 2017, c'est la little week, sur le site alittlemarket.


 

Pour celebrer le printemps, je vous offre de petites reductions sur une partie de mes creations.
Profitez-en, cette promotion sur mes bijoux ne dure que 10 jours, et certains modeles sont des creations uniques.
Bon shopping !

To celebrate Spring, I am offering little reductions on a selection of jewellery on the French  website alittlemarket . This promotion called la Little Week will last for 10 days, enjoy stacking up on new jewellery creations from earrinsg to rings! La little week runs from March 31st to April 10Th 2017.

Tea Cosy for Mad Tea Parties

Let's meet a talented UK designer. Her name is Ann McGuinness, she is great with needles and for creating fun, funky and adorable home accessories. She has accepted to answer our little questions for us.

- Bonjour Ann, tell us, how did you get started ?
I have been crafting in one way or another since I was very small, and everyone always said "you should try to sell these" The internet is a great tool for people just starting out, so without much in the way of investment I was able to open an etsy shop as an outlet for my crafting tendencies. I all moved on from there.

- Where are you from?
From Glasgow, Scotland originally but now settled in a tiny village about 25 miles to the south, in rural Lanarkshire. A whole different world to the busy city I grew up in.

- Are your creations limited editions or unique?
Everything I make is one of a kind, as it is all hand-knitted, hand-cut, hand-stitched, etc. Even 2 tea cosies will never be identical, the wool I use is not highly processed and the beauty is that the colours and textures differ from one ball to the next.

- When did you start knitting?
My Mum taught me to knit when I was about 8 I think, but I picked up the needles again when I was pregnant, around 4 years ago and it is only since then that I have followed patterns and learned fancy stitches.

- Where do you get your yarns?
All the yarn I use comes from New Lanark Woolen Mill, which is a water powered victorian mill on the banks of the Clyde. New Lanark itself is a world heritage site... well worth a visit if you are ever in Central Scotland.

- Which one is your favorite?
I love working with the pinks and purples, I just love the way the wool takes on the dye.

- Are you a professional artist or is this a hobby?
My crafts are my income, I also run our 'mini-holding' and home educate our daughter so I am a busy lady.... I guess 'artist' is one of my professions.

- What inspires you?
Walks in the woods, flowers in bloom (my sweet peas have just come out now... I just love the colours) I also love a cosy home and I get lots of ideas from looking at magazines and websites about homes around the world.

- What is your favorite piece and why?
I love my tea-cosies, they are chunky and cosy and I love the way they come together.... needless to say I have a few myself.

- How do you promote your work?
I use facebook and twitter, I have my blog and have give-aways occasionally, I try to keep active in relevant on-line forums (especially on Etsy) but there are only so many hours in the day...lol. In real life I hand out my business card and talk to people about my crafts and any fairs I might have coming up.

- Where are you showing your work?
At the moment, on-line - on my own website and at etsy. I have some interest from gift shops, so that is something I hope to move into soon.

- What advice you wish someone had told you when you started?
Keep active, make friends with the on-line crafting community and work on your presentation.

- Do you have any advice for fellow artists?
Keep on keeping on. Don't get disheartened by lack of sales and always consider how you can improve your product.

- any special promos?
Everything from Snowdrops and Daisies comes gift wrapped and can be delivered directly to the recipient. I occasionally have give-aways and special offers through my blog so check in there for offers and promos http://snowdropsanddaisies.wordpress.com/blog

- what would you like to be when you grow up ?
Content and happy :).... or maybe an astronaut.

- favorite jeweller ?
Alibali - just love her style.

- favorite websites ?
Design sponge  I could just spend hours flicking through the pages here.
Etsy, of course, amazing range of handcrafted work from artisans around the world.

- Anything else you'd like to add?
I have recently re-opened my shop after a harsh time with some very naughty builders. I am getting back into the swing of things but sadly my home has been destroyed and I have a long slog ahead of me to get it sorted out. Selling boosts my confidence a lot and knitting really helps calm me down.... now, if I could just find my sewing machine and work table I could get making my new ranges... :)

- Her site www.snowdropsanddaisies.com
- her blog http://snowdropsanddaisies.wordpress.com/blog/

Creative wishes

1. What is your business/craft and give a summary of your handmade process.
I create handmade costume jewellery, greeting cards and other handcrafted keepsakes and gifts.

I use all manner of items to create my 'wishes', from found, reclaimed items to brand new bought raw crafting products. This allows me to offer unique pieces that are either one of a kind or are in small quantities.

I have been a crafter for as long as I can remember and have dabbled in many different crafts over the years, honestly I can’t think of a type of craft that doesn’t interest me and this can leave me feeling like time is running out, as I would love to try my hand at everything. My main stays have always been paper based crafts and more recently over the last 8+ years creating jewellery, in last 6 months I have become truly fascinated with creating wearable art and so plan to explore this avenue more in depth.

2. What event, series of events, or situations allowed you to start your business and make money with your crafts?
I am recently new to the world of selling my creations, only started Oct, 09. I have always been told by family and friends that I should turn my then hobby into a business but I finally decided to bite the bullet last year when I found myself finally a stay at home mom with a lot more time on my hands.

So I decided to put my time to good use and started creating items from my craft stock cupboard, I was accumulating items with no real plans on what to do with the finished products and so decided to open a little blogshop to flog my wares so to speak.

3. Where does your inspiration for your designs come from?
I get inspired by many different sources;
Magazines, tutorials, other crafters and designers all sometimes lead me in another direction or help me to challenge the way I would normally do things, allowing me to put my own spin on an idea.
Nature and the natural world also greatly influence the materials I use, the colours I lean to and some of my design ideas.
But most times I simply sit in front of my work table and just let my ideas come freely. I rarely draw out my designs before hand. I am though planning to create various mood boards to help me find inspiration for when I am having a crafters block moment.

4. How does your culture, upbringing, and/or environment influence your designs/crafts?
My father was an architect and my mom was an accomplished seamstress while I was growing up, I was also very lucky to have a couple relatives whose careers were art related, this along with a very supportive extended family lead me to enjoy and pursue my creative side as a youngster.

The adults from my childhood always seem to praise the individuality and uniqueness of the kids in their charge, which constantly gives me, even now, the confidence to think and create outside the box so to speak.

5. What are some of the ways you market and promote your business/Craft?
Like I said before I am new to this and so I am still finding my way in self promotion of my brand so to speak. Currently I use the following:
Blogging and all that it entails.
Twitter.
Free ad type websites.
Craft forums.
Face to face self promotion such as business cards, etc.
And this year I also plan to do a few local craft shows, school bazaars, jewellery parties, etc.

6. Do you use myspace, facebook, flickr, ning, or other social networking sites? If yes or no, why?
You can find me on Flickr, Twitter and UK Handmade ning forum. I had initially been on lots of others but found I was spending more time networking rather than creating. I am still trying to find the right balance.

Flickr - I use to show case some of my work mainly when I join groups with other creators concentrating on a specific creative topic/ medium.
Twitter - I use mainly to advertise when I add new items to my shops and to advertise me shop overall. I also use this site to let others know when I have updated my blogs and as time go on I will also use it to inform others of shows, bazaars, etc I can be found at.
UK Handmade ning based forum - is a great place for me to network with other UK based creators, its where I can share and get feedback on my ideas and make new friends with others who have similar interests.

7. Based on your experience, what advice would you give to other crafters selling or looking to start selling their crafts?
Like I said before I just started my business on a whim but when I have ran businesses before I found and experienced a steady upward growth quicker when I laid a good foundation before launching the business.

I had no experience selling online when I started and though I am learning a lot every day, I would have done better to research what it entailed before jumping in. there certainly would have been less mistakes and better uses of my time if I had followed this fundamental rule of business.

Thankfully it hasn’t cost me any loss of money the way I did it but I‘m sure it has affected some of my earning potential.

8. Aside from running your business what are some of the fun things you like to do in life?
Gardening is a big love of mine; it’s another thing I have been doing for as long as I can remember.
I also enjoy being a stay at home mom and home schooling my youngest at the moment.
Reading, long countryside walks/ bike rides (with/ without my family), dancing and hanging out with girlfriends are some of the other things I enjoy doing.

9. Please add any links here:

My store name is Kella’s Creative Wishes and…

My Blogshop is for UK shoppers: http://kellascreativewishes.blogspot.com/
I also have a store for international customers: http://kellascreativewishes.storenvy.com/

My blogs are:

http://mebutalittlebitmoreindepth.blogspot.com/ Where I blog about family life and my crafting projects.
http://kellasvegeplotandothermusings.blogspot.com/ Where I blog about my gardening exploits and growing my own food for my family.

Other places to find me are on:
Twitter.
Flickr.
UK Handmade forum.

Thank you

grey Sunday...

a lovely selection in beautiful shades of sky variations
Thank you Fe by Stan for showcasing my Day and Night ring

ADVENT CALENDAR on Dawanda

From November 24th, until 16th December,
Every day there will be a little surprise waiting for you in one of these lovingly handknit stockings,
12% off the category of the day, all sellers taking part will be indicated by a little red boot icon

dawanda will feature a different DaWanda main category (Fashion, Accessories etc.), where you can receive a 12% discount off the sale price in all participating shops - products in the promotion can be recognised by a little red stocking symbol on the listing. The reduced price will be calculated and displayed during the order process, and in your shopping basket.

to find out more about this promotion, click here

Discover Renaissance

Renaissance M. Austin is multi talented. She has an amazing sense of style and lovely (Blue) hair ans started crochet at a young age.
Reminds me of someone ...

She has kindly accepted to answer some questions for us.

- How did you get started ?
My crochet beginnings started when I was 8 years old. My grandmother taught me the beautiful craft and from then, I took it and ran with it. I crocheted throughout my schools, doing it because I simply loved it. I didn't crochet much throughout my high school years. But in the year 2000 I picked up the crochet hook again when I was in a store called J.Crew and I saw these crocheted head ties that sort of looked like bonnets and I said to myself, "I can make this!". From that point on I started making head ties and selling them at different fairs and marketplaces. That was my true entrance into the world of crafting. It's amazing how I went from that one product into everything I have now.

- Where are you from?
I am from Los Angeles although I am often thought to be from the South, Jamaica, Nigeria, or London. I think the London thing has to do with how I dress! lol.

- Are your creations limited editions or unique?
Some items are definitely limited. There are a few designs that I've just stop making, not for any particular reason. I believe I am always thing of something new and fresh to make while leaving the old behind. Majority of my designs I would say are unique as well.

- How long have you been doing it?
I've been running my business since 2000. It's been an awesome journey.

- Are you a professional artist or is this a hobby?
Definitely a professional artist. All that I do is for the purpose of my life. My art, breathing, and living is all for me to share with others. I know that I am hear to inspire through what I do!

- What inspires you?
Speaking of inspiration. Beauty really, really inspires me. Beauty in a certain fiber yarn, in photography, in a painting, in music, the pure and kind hearts of people, beautiful women are all very inspiring. Fashion magazine are wonderfully inspiring and Love above all is highly inspiring, especially being in and out of love...

- What is your favorite piece (that you still have for sale) and why?
I would say the body knits because I truly love them, but I would have to be final with the wooden bracelets. I am a huge fan of wood, especially the chunky ones. I love the way they look on my arms when I stack them and I love how they make me feel. I am truly one with natural materials like wood. I feel smooth and bold just like them.

- How do you promote your work?
I promote mostly on etsy by staying visual as much as I can in the treasuries, chat rooms, virtual labs, the forums, and The Storque. Second is my blog. I try to filter everything through my blog as much as possible because it is home base really. That is where the videos, article, the fun, and life of my handmade brand happen. Thirdly I use twitter. I really like being involved with multiple conversations. I tweet everything that I do from my blog and from etsy. I love myspace as well. Myspace comments are a really great tool.

- Where are you showing your work?
Right now I am showing my work in Upland at the 2nd Street marketplace. It's a weekly marketplace.

- What is your favorite material?
Definitely wood and cotton yarn. I really love cotton. It is very cool in the summer.

- favorite food ?
I really love Japanese cuisine with a passion. Then next, I love veggies and fruits. I am a very simple eater. I am not very small, but I don't eat much. I just love making my own smoothies and snaking on nuts and dry healthy snack.

- What advice you wish someone had told you when you started?
Hmmm... this is a good one. I wish that I had know to research more. R&D are the most important element to a business. More research in the beginning would have been more helpful to me.

- Do you have any advice for fellow artists?
Sure! First believe in yourself and your craft. Negativity gets you nowhere. You have to have faith and be positive and see things the way you visualize them and not the way that they really are. Research, research, research everything! I can't stress that enough. Know your brand, other brands, your competition, and all of the marketing and promoting outlets and objectives. Also remember that when you open an etsy shop, you become a business, which means sales aren't just going to happen. You have to go out and get those sales by being visual. Lastly, it is hard work! Know that from the start and take the best photos you can take. I happened to already be a photographer. Study photography as much as you can. It is key to selling online.

- Anything else you'd like to add?
Business should be unselfish. When you are unselfish you get more in return. It's the principle of giving. I really believe in it. Have masterful knowledge about your craft. When I am at craft shows, people's faces just light up when I start showing them my etsy shop on my laptop and talking about yarn and different fibers. They can see that I am passionate and knowledgeable about what I do and it puts a smile on their faces!

- Do you make anything else that you keep just for you?
Yes, I do now. At first I would never make anything for myself, but I had to remember that I am the walking advertisement of my brand. So I make sure that I make a few things for myself to wear. I a couple of my own body knits and crocheted skirts, hats, and head pieces...

- Her site - raghousenternational.etsy.com
- Her blog - http://artfulchatterbyrenaissance.blogspot.com/

MOCA shop

A fantastic venue is going to sell my work
Thank you MOCA Shop

ShopHandmade

That’s right. ShopHandmade is putting up an incredible handmade event for the first time on the internet.

Starting November 28, the website transforms into a giant sale page.

For 6 days only!

So grab your shopping list and get in front of the queue. Score the best deals from over 2,000 talented artisans! Before somebody else does!

Clothes, jewelry, toys, decoratives, furnishings, spa products…more than 12,000 imaginative gift ideas for everybody on your list.

Have fun! Enjoy the surprises!

And mark the sale dates on your calendar: November 28 - December 3.

Chrismas Shopping

shameless promo:

An early bird offer to celebrate Christmas in style, FREE postage on all orders placed by the end of November

Enjoy spoiling yourself and your friends http://kalicat.etsy.com/

shopping in Euros

It is possible to shop in Euros, paying with paypal or by bank transfer.
Here is a selection of items available on Dawanda.

Cocoricooo

Today 14th of July, FETE NAtionale,
the French designer kalicat has been featured on the UK website Desirable.



Come and check it out now:

The site dedicated to finding the best British fashion, home-wares, decor, jewellery and accessories that are available to be purchased online.

Meet That's Headley

Jewelry by That's Headley

That jewelry has a color intensity rareley seen out there.
"That's Headley! Jewelry Designs is about a journey in wearable art in semiprecious gemstones, wire, and glass. Color, texture, balance, and richness are the design goals".
As you can see when you visit her shop, this artisan is multi talented.

Most of tieces are unique or limited edition.
That's Headley also loves to do custom work, so if you have something inspirational you would like to have a custom piece to wear with or to, please get in touch!
In teh meantime, visit the website

PInk Poppies by TiffanyTeske

When I saw this photo, I was thinking of wild fields and summer days. The photographer Tiffany has managed to capture all the feeling linked to Sunny days and wild flora with just a few flowers, and I find that amazing.


© Tiffany Teske 2007

You can see more of her work in her shop. It would be a pity to keep having commercial posters on your walls when such great art is available

Dotty blue earrings by Kalicat

Dots dots dotty blue, by Kalicat
Cute, appealing, understated yet sublime in its simplicity

Get them now
You can also see more of her creations in this blog

Elektra Jewelry

Ooooh, Aaaah, wow!
...are the words that come to me when I see all her mouthwatering Jewels
At Elektra Jewelry Design you can find jewelry to suit your personality and mood. All the pieces you see in her shop are handmade and never duplicated.



Hurry up, each item is Unique.
Her designs have been influenced by her travels to Greece, as seen here.


MOre to see

Le Miel et les Bonbons

What does this title mean?
Oh, to be fair, what I first thought of was Le Miel et les Abeilles (Honey and bees), but instead, I chose Honey and Candies, or rather Sweets, 2 very sweet and delicious things to indulge in.
This blog is about showing you little pleasures in life, made by talented artisans, craftsmen (and women) and artists around the net.
I will be showing you little treats and delights which I hope will be useful ideas each time you need to find some gifts, and with Christmas just around the corner, that should be just the little extra push these talented designers need.
So ready? let's start

FSOJ - week 26 - Beach Party

Ce soir je serais la plus belle pour aller danser...
A fun little bracelet that will enhance any beach swimwear.

A mix of gemstones dangle from a sterling silver bracelet.

The blue hues of the stones will set off any tan.

Snowflake obsidian, amazonite, turquoise, pearls...

Shopping Time

I want to work on my stonetting skills next week. I ended up in Hatton Gardens to buy a handful of pretty gemstones. The real problem is that as soon as I set foot in a shop, I end up wanting to buy most of the stock!
All the gemstones I started enquirying about were over $600 each LOL!
After many agonising moments of reflexion, I managed to narrow down my choice and ended up with a nice little selection of good looking stones to set ranging from 4mm to 12mm.
I was about to leave when, O guilt, I added a few diamonds to my shopping spree.
Oh well, a girl's got to do what she's got to do :)

FSOJ week 17 : La Raie Manta

In response to this week's theme: Fishin', Scary Sharks, or Friendly Dolphins

Here is my creation: new theme, new Jewel.

I cannot help but being inspired by all the combintaions of colors, stones, metals. But today, I stay simple. A Raie Manta Fish
can be worn as a pendant up the neck or lower down
Surely you can see it IS a Fish...
What about now then?

May BOGO sale - Eclectic Jewelry Artisans

Hello
Just a little note to ket you know that May 1-2-3, you will get 50% off every 2nd item you purchase from My Shop just type in BOGO in the notes or convo me for a discounted invoice.
for more info: http://kalicat.etsy.com
and http://www.eeja.org