Starting a business selling your own handmade cushions is hard work!
Unless you sew at the speed of light there are never enough for sale. My ideas for new cushions are not always practical and I have learned never to sew with metallic thread unless there is absolutely NO other option available. I also create at least a dozen designs for every one I actually sew. But to sew and also manage 2 online shops at the same time...there just isn't enough hours in the day!
I love sewing my designs and seeing them take shape but with only a limited few available I knew I had to bulk out the things I sell.
My idea for selling charms came from making cushions. I wanted to add something to them that showed they were handmade. Trawling through the millions of charms available was daunting to say the least. Until I found Craftime. Their Creative Charms were just what I was looking for. They are high quality and so easy to work with.
Then of course came the hanging hearts and lavender bags. I needed some ribbon to finish them off and finding high quality ribbon was a lot harder than I imagined! Until I discovered Berisfords and Club Green.
To finish off some of my cushions and hangers I also wanted buttons...back to Craftime. Wow what an assortment of buttons to choose from.
You can see how Kay Dee's progressed from a tiny shop selling a dozen cushions to a small shop selling cushions, hangers, ribbons, charms and craft buttons!
Friday, 23 May 2008
My first Blog post!
I have absolutely no idea why I am doing a blog.
I was never one for keeping a diary or even keeping tabs on special events....all of my friends can confirm I have no memory for birthdates or special events.
What on earth will I write about everyday or every week?
Do people really want to know how long I was out walking my dogs for and where we went? Do they want to know how many trips to the Post Office I have made...delivering small packets to people I have little or no knowledge about?
I work from home so have no office gossip to share, nor insider knowledge to pass on. I can comment about my neighbours activities, but as I have no interest in what they are doing or indeed why they are doing it why would someone else?
I do not frequent bars, clubs or restaurants so cannot pass on pictures of people doing silly things because of the amount of alcohol they have consumed. (Although I do have several photographs and a long memory for events of this nature from my younger days.)
My lovelife although very fulfilling to me is of little consequence to anyone else. I am in love with one man who is in love with me. Nothing seedy or torrid about us, we just love each other. We are planning to get married this year which would only be of interest to many who know me purely for the shock value! We will probably get married wearing jeans at our local registry office so there are no wedding dresses to make, suits to hire, venues to book or even stationery to design.
So what will I write about? Maybe my business and the pitfalls I find small business owners face? Maybe my designs, products and finished goods? Maybe I could comment on how my illness affects my everyday living...but that would be a touch depressing which is not me at all. Perhaps it would be better to write about obstacles it creates and how I get around them?
There, it's settled.
My blog will be about me, as a small business owner with a chronic illness.
I was never one for keeping a diary or even keeping tabs on special events....all of my friends can confirm I have no memory for birthdates or special events.
What on earth will I write about everyday or every week?
Do people really want to know how long I was out walking my dogs for and where we went? Do they want to know how many trips to the Post Office I have made...delivering small packets to people I have little or no knowledge about?
I work from home so have no office gossip to share, nor insider knowledge to pass on. I can comment about my neighbours activities, but as I have no interest in what they are doing or indeed why they are doing it why would someone else?
I do not frequent bars, clubs or restaurants so cannot pass on pictures of people doing silly things because of the amount of alcohol they have consumed. (Although I do have several photographs and a long memory for events of this nature from my younger days.)
My lovelife although very fulfilling to me is of little consequence to anyone else. I am in love with one man who is in love with me. Nothing seedy or torrid about us, we just love each other. We are planning to get married this year which would only be of interest to many who know me purely for the shock value! We will probably get married wearing jeans at our local registry office so there are no wedding dresses to make, suits to hire, venues to book or even stationery to design.
So what will I write about? Maybe my business and the pitfalls I find small business owners face? Maybe my designs, products and finished goods? Maybe I could comment on how my illness affects my everyday living...but that would be a touch depressing which is not me at all. Perhaps it would be better to write about obstacles it creates and how I get around them?
There, it's settled.
My blog will be about me, as a small business owner with a chronic illness.
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