A New Year’s Revolution
Aedos Aedos makes skincare products to heal the body and sooth the soul using the natural healing power of plants. We have revived the tradi@onal craY skills of the s@llroom, such as infusing herbs in oils, and we produce everything by hand in small batches. Our range includes balms with calendula to heal and protect and bath melts to moisturise the body while the essen@al oils sooth the mind. Our sugar scrubs nourish the skin leaving it feeling invigorated. Where possible we use locally produced ingredients, such as Ken@sh lavender oil, local beeswax and sugar scrubs using Bri@sh sugar. What products do you make? Hand & Body Balms with calendula oil and organic shea bu7er and local beeswax Lip Balm with organic sunflower oil, organic avocado oil and local beeswax Sugar scrubs with cherry kernel oil and Bri@sh sugar, choose from Bath melts We will be extending the range in Spring 2012. This will include: A range of moisturisers – very exci@ng as I have been working on this for ages, bath oils and massage oils What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? Un@l the end of December 2011 I worked for a global insurance broker in London working as a Lenders Insurance Adviser on Project Finance deals, par@cularly power plants. I retrained during that @me and set up Aedos in May 2011. I came to a point where I needed to choose between the two as doing both was too demanding. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? Over a period of @me I enjoyed insurance less and less. Like many major corpora@ons there was a constant emphasis on revenue growth, cuSng costs and shareholder value. It was no fun, just a constant grind. I thought long and hard about what I like doing and what I want to get out of life and work. From this process Aedos was born. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I haven’t being doing this very long. I have been privileged to find the people that I work with at Farmers Markets are very suppor@ve and keen to help each other. This is so different from the business environment that I am used to working in. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? If you think that making cosme@cs for sale is for you then I thoroughly recommend contac@ng Plush Folly, which is the cosme@cs college I re-‐trained with. They are exceedingly knowledable, very helpful and lovely! They do workshops and distance learning courses both of which are really good.
Ali Haydon I enjoy thinking up and making one of a kind items and I like to recycle materials as oYen as I can. I knit, crochet and sew different items such as dolls. I also decoupage which is a way of covering old items with a paperwork of coloured papers to product a item that will con@nue to be used for many more years.
What products do you make? I make dolls, headbands, suncatchers, decoupage items plus what ever takes my fancy What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I was a PA un@l I stopped work to have my four children and for the last ten years helped my husband run his business doing paperwork and his accounts. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I had skin cancer and was told there was the chance that if it had spread I would have five years to live. At the same @me my friend had breast cancer and was told she would be ok aYer treatment. She died and I didn't! What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? Through doing the craYs I love, I have gained confidence, made lots of lovely friends and discovered and learnt new skills. Also having bi polar, doing craYs means that my very ac@ve mind is always happy having something to think about and plan for. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? You only live once. Don't waste it and you are never too old to start living.
Amelia’s Wardrobe Amelia’s Wardrobe is a beau@ful mixture of handmade, vintage and designer items. We stock well-‐known brands such as Levi’s, Eleven Paris and Alice Takes A Trip alongside local handmade items. We hold craY evenings with the local schools trying to encourage young children to make handmade. We hope that our store gives talented people a chance to retail their items without feeling like they have to give away most of their earnings, we are happy to retail alongside the bigger brands we have. What products do you make? Jewellery, Clothes, Accessories, Candles. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I studied Computer Science and Ar@ficial Intelligence in The University of Liverpool and went on to work as a computer programmer. I have always craYed in my spare @me throughout my university degree. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I set up the store online when I was 20 and it has grown with me as a person, 3 years down the line I decided to move to Guernsey, quit my job and followed my heart.
What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? Everything is a benefit, seeing happy customers leave the shop, being able to use my crea@vity. The best for me is that I learn something new every single day. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Follow your heart and do the things that make YOU happy, It won’t always be easy but it will always be worth it.
Cuckmere Trug Company
My company is Cuckmere Trug Company, which includes Thomas Smith's Trugs, the original makers of the famous Sussex Trug Basket. We s@ll make our Trugs almost en@rely by hand, in our own workshops here in Sussex. Having moved from Herstmonceux about 9 years ago, we have been here in Berwick for 6 years now. What products do you make? We make Royal Sussex Tradi@onal Trugs, made from locally coppiced Sweet Chestnut and re-‐cycled Cricket Bat Willow, which is the by-‐product of the Cricket bat Industry. We also make South Down Modern Trugs which are made from Finnish & Latvian Birch plywood, again from sustainable resources. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I worked at various disciplines and companies. When I leY school I was a police cadet un@l I was involved in an accident and had to resign because of the injuries I sustained. I worked as personnel office for the Louis G. Ford Group in Eastbourne before working at Brewers Decorators' Merchants as both a salesman and then as personal assistant to the chief buyer. I then worked at Artex, originally as a sales clerk and learnt the technical aspects of the applica@on of our ceiling and wall coverings, eventually becoming their Export manager. Then I went to college on a management course and obtained a dis@nc@on pass in Management Studies. I then worked for 2 years at a car part importer and distributor as sales office manager. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? Blind chance! My brother wanted to make a change in his life and make the South Down Trugs, which had originally been designed and made by his father-‐in-‐law, Dudley Hide. He was invited to put forward a business plan for a compe@@on for a free factory for a year and wanted me to draw up the proposal as I had previously undertaken the college course in business management. We won! So I was started on a course in my life that has lead me to preserve and protect, as much as I have been able, the tradi@onal craY of the making of the Sussex Trug. Most of the makers out in the market place are my ex-‐employees. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I grew to love what I was doing! I have travelled extensively in Europe promo@ng our craY and have become World famous! I love mee@ng people from other countries and I have met a lot during my @me as a Trug Maker, and have visited some lovely places. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? DON'T DO IT MR. MANNERING! Stay in a good job and receive regular income and a pension! LOL
We live on a smallholding in the West Country with Cutlet our sheep. I have been craYing for as long as I can remember, my inspira@on was my grandma she was my world and taught me everything I know and do. I now do demonstra@ons and courses to try and keep craYing alive. My husband makes the peglooms that I use and sell. CraYs I do:-‐ • Extreme kniSng is being able to knit with mul@ples of yarn. • Pegloom weaving is one of the simplest forms of weaving. • Nuno Fel@ng is applying fel@ng fibres to silk or co7on • Sewing What products do you make? We make peglooms , extreme kni7ed garments and home wares, nuno felted scarves and shawls, I sew some items, all our craYs are prac@cal and affordable. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I have been craYing for as long as I can remember but set up a small online shop a year ago to increase income on our smallholding. I have worked in IT and Telecoms for many years. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? About a year ago I lost my job due to recession and stepped up my craYing to try and have an income to survive on. A few months later my husband also lost his job as well so I had to return to work that was not so high pressured so that I could con@nue craYing and doing craY fairs. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I have met the most amazing people during this @me and have been able to develop my own skills with the inspira@on around me. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Listen to your heart and follow your own path. Gain knowledge from those around and don’t let that knowledge die.
Cuttlefishlove Kanzashi Under the name Cu7lefishlove Kanzashi, I create intricate handmade Japanese-‐style hair accessories and brooches using quality materials such as habotai silk. ‘Kanzashi’ means ‘hair ornament’ in Japanese. The style I make these hair ornaments and brooches in involves folding or pinching squares of silk to form three-‐ dimensional petals. These petals are assembled to form flowers and other shapes. This technique is inspired by a tradi@onal Japanese craY in Japan, and you may have seen Geisha wearing elaborate kanzashi made up of hundreds of @ny petals. I am very interested in the tradi@onal background of kanzashi-‐making, but also in making modern and wearable pieces for modern women in the UK today. I find this inspires me to play with colour combina@ons and forms to find a balance between tradi@on and modernity. What products do you make? I make kanzashi, which are hair accessories and brooches in a Japanese style, made from folded squares of silk. These hair flowers can be worn everyday, but are also perfect for weddings and can be custom made to your colours, or designed bespoke with you in mind. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? Before I started making and selling kanzashi I was an outreach support worker with deaf adults with learning disabili@es, using BSL (Bri@sh Sign Language). I used to drive all over Surrey visi@ng clients and suppor@ng them to access the community. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I decided to change career by accident, when I hurt my back at work in September 2010. I had a long period off sick, in chronic pain. I realised I had to find something produc@ve to do with my @me, otherwise I would go mad! When planning my wedding I had come across kanzashi when looking up how to make origami flowers for my wedding party. At the @me I loved them, but knew I didn’t have enough @me to learn how to make them. To try and take something posi@ve away from a difficult situa@on I thought, ‘well maybe now is the perfect @me to learn how to make these!’ That year all my friends got handmade kanzashi as Christmas presents. By May 2011 I had decided I wouldn’t be able to go back to full @me care work, and I leY my old job and registered as self employed. I also took on some relief care work so that I wasn’t totally reliant on the success of my business at first. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? The most unexpected benefit from all of this is the new friends I have met through doing fairs and markets. I also found I had more @me to be doing the things I wanted to be doing, and because I was more in control of the way I spent my @me, I tended to see a lot of the ‘work’ more as ‘play’. There is also a real sense of freedom and adventure for me about the whole enterprise, which I hadn’t realised was important to me, and which I think I could only get from being my own boss. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? If I could pass on some words of wis dom to others I’d say this: It does sound incredibly cheesy, but I don’t think anyone ever regrets following their heart. If you are not happy and healthy doing what you are doing, why se7le for that? It might feel incredibly scary, so test the water before jumping in, but if you find support and interest there, then go for it! One proviso-‐ you may need to manage on a very limited income , at least ini@ally while you establish your business, so make sure this won’t be a source of stress for you and that you have some savings and a buffer zone or another source of income. There’s no point spoiling your newfound freedom with money worries!
EdgeInspired EdgeInspired is a small UK GiY Tags and Gree@ngs Card company based in the beau@ful New Forest in Hampshire. Working from our li7le home studio we are inspired by the simplicity of everyday objects, the beauty of nature and a vast collec@on of happy childhood memories. We care so much about the environment and will always try our best to make sure that our products are environmentally friendly as we can. This includes using lovely UK suppliers and buying locally where possible. Our customers are so important to us and you can be sure of a warm welcome. What products do you make? Gree@ngs Cards, GiY Tags, Accessories and Vintage Inspired Paper Products for all your events and occasions. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? Before I set up EdgeInspired, I worked full @me as a Business Improvement Manager in a local company. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? When I first started EdgeInspired, I was s@ll working full @me. I would spend break @me and lunch @mes sat at my desk in the office busily wrapping up orders ready for pos@ng aYer work. As @me progressed, my desk was becoming more and more covered with boxes and sta@ng to look very much like a small Post Office. My colleagues would oYen find me buried under mountains of @ssue paper and ribbons as the orders piled in and break @mes never seemed long enough! I would finish my day job, return home and work through into the night. Some@mes not finishing un@l the early hours, then be up and ready to leave for my day job again at 6.00am. Finally, something had to give and with my partner Stu’s and my families support, I decided to quit my day job and concentrate full @me on the business. I haven’t looked back since. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? One of the most unexpected benefits was entering Theo Paphi@s’s SBS (Small Business Sunday) On Twi7er. We were lucky enough to become an SBS winner! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Always be true to yourself, follow your dreams, be prepared to work hard and never give up. Never underes@mate the power of social media, especially Twi7er. We have met so many wonderful and inspiring people and it has given us so many fantas@c opportuni@es. Including being a part of this exhibi@on! Customer service is everything. Always be prepared to go that extra mile. A li7le extra effort on your part can mean so much to someone. We always include a personal hand wri7en thank you note with each of our orders. It’s the li7le details that make the difference.
Eleanor Bolton Jewellery & Objects My jewellery prac@ce focuses on an innova@ve use of materials, how a material can be manipulated using simple techniques to create something unexpected and unusual while exploring the boundaries of form and func@on. During my MA I developed my own craY technique, coiling and hand s@tching co7on rope to create large-‐scale lightweight tac@le structures. Through working intui@vely, the material provides the informa@on and inspira@on for the growing forms, which evolve through a sensi@vity to the micro details of the making process as well as to the precise scale of the pieces. This a7en@on to detail combined with the versa@lity of the material and technique means it also has many exci@ng possibili@es in other areas of design. What products do you make? Jewellery What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I’ve always enjoyed the physicality of working directly with materials, ini@ally I explored this through sculpture, but then an interest in fashion and the no@on of adornment, led me to jewellery. I studied BA (Hons) Jewellery & Silversmithing at London Metropolitan University and then did MA Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jewellery at the Royal College of Art. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? My previous work based in metal and readymade objects (par@cularly cheap ceramic animal ornaments) seemed to come to a natural full stop during the first year of my MA. I decided to spend some @me experimen@ng with other materials, during this @me I star@ng playing with the co7on rope which has become the main focus of my prac@ce. I really liked its poten@al for manipula@on, the technique I developed of sewing it into coils to create volume answered ques@ons which I have been struggling with the since I started making jewellery – that of how to make big jewellery that is very wearable and light weight but s@ll has volume and structure. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
Emma in Wonderland Fine Art Photography
I use a variety of equipment, from old-‐style pinhole and Lomography cameras, right up to modern digital SLRs. I shoot everything from landscapes and nature to s@ll life and portraiture, but most of my work is of a conceptual nature. Some recurring themes close to my heart include mental illness, Chris@anity and urban decay. I print to professional, archive-‐safe standards, on paper most suitable for the image (usually ma7e or premium gloss) and hold a maximum of 3 at a @me of any one print: one for my poroolio and another for poten@al customers. This reduces waste from using paper and ink unnecessarily. What products do you make? Fine art photographic prints; including issue-‐based and conceptual projects and using genres such as landscape, s@ll life and character portraiture. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I had been figh@ng long-‐term mental health problems for a few years, working in various (some@mes soul-‐destroying) jobs and trying my hand at a variety of new skills in an a7empt to ‘be7er myself’ and make a difference. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? In March 2006 my son was born and the urge to do something worthwhile, in order to make my son proud and give me something ‘of my own’ became so strong that in a moment of madness in Nov 06, I decided to study photography formally and signed up at Farnborough Tech college. I’ve never looked back! I’d always had an interest in photography and knew I wanted to do something crea@ve, which would also fit in with motherhood and allow for the unreliable nature of bouts of mental illness! I wanted to do something I was passionate about, so turning my hobby into a career made perfect sense. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I have recently been accepted by the Royal Photographic Society as a Licen@ate member and will soon proudly be eligible to the le7ers ‘LRPS’ aYer my name on all business correspondence and marke@ng. I never imagined in my wildest dreams I’d ever actually have le7ers aYer my name! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Everyone has a crea@ve giY, and I do mean everyone; even if they don’t know what it is yet!
Faversham Soaps I make luxurious, natural liquid and bar soaps by hand. The gentle effec@ve soaps are made from vegetable oils so contain plenty of glycerine to help your skin holds its own moisture. Many regular customers come back as they love the scents I create from essen@al oils and they feel safe knowing that I avoid ar@ficial colours and preserva@ves. I minimise environmental impacts by using PV panels to generate the electricity, wrapping soaps in recycled paper and re-‐using, recycling or compos@ng packaging. I sell the soaps via my website, farmers markets and craY fairs. What products do you make? I make liquid soap, goats milk soap bars and vegan soap bars. The current range is; Orange and Vanilla Liquid soap Lime and Ginger Liquid Soap Goats Milk and Lavender Soap Bar, Scented with Lavender oil and Goats milk for a soY creamy lather Goats Milk, Honey and Oat Soap Bar, unscented with honey and oat to help your skin hold its moisture Cas@le Lavender Soap Bar, lots of olive oil to make a gentle bar Lemon Zest Soap Bar, great scent for s@mula@ng the senses Vanilla Soap, gentled scented with vanilla Cleopatra bar, unscented bar with moisturising honey and goats milk What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? Before seSng up the business I worked as an environmental health officer. I moved over into public health for a few years and then was made redundant in 2011. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? Being made redundant made me ques@on how useful my previous work had been and I wanted to be able to see the useful product of my work at the end of each day. I wanted to make a product that was made in an environmentally sound way and avoid excessive packaging. I wanted my products to be pure and gentle and pleasurable to use. Making natural soaps fi7ed my values. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I enjoy a new confidence in my ability to make things. This has spilled into other areas and I enjoy making jams, marmalade, chutney, etc. and taken up kniSng again. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? I would suggest that money is less important than you might think and that making things is enormously sa@sfying. I had been worried about how I would survive aYer the redundancy cheque ran out. I found that I was spending money on frivolous things to ease the misery of my previous life. Now I am happy I do not want to buy things and so can live on much less money. I also relish having @me to do the things I love and spend @me with people.
From tradi@onal favourites to fresh new ideas, you will find that our delicious homemade chutneys & sauces are of the highest quality. We are proud to say that a majority of the fruit and vegetables we use we grow ourselves. We prefer to cook in small batches and we never use ar@ficial preserva@ves, colourings or addi@ves to 'enhance' our products because we don't believe they do! All peelings are composted and we save as many of the seeds for the next year. We use reclaimed baskets & boxes filled with straw from the farm estate we live on which give our hampers a unique & adorable vintage look! What products do you make? We make delicious chutneys & sauces from sweet flavours which are perfect for children to the very hot & spicy for the chilli lovers from the fruit & vegetables we grow ourselves. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I was a flight a7endant, I then was a full @me mum (who can't sit s@ll!) What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? Due to the fact we had an abundance of fruit & veg we would grow each year I decided to make chutneys & sauces for the school where my daughter a7ended as a way of giving something back by dona@ng the profits. The feedback I received was very posi@ve and was told so many @mes to do it professionally. I haven't looked back and within the 2 years I have been trading I have received 8 awards 6 x 1st prize (including 'Best Local Produce') and 2 x 2nd prize. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? The amount of new friends I have made within the food industry and the shows I have a7ended.
What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? The one thing I have held onto since the beginning is to have my own style and vision as I wanted to be different to other producers and stand out. I have never taken what I do for granted and have always listened to advice to help improve but have stayed true to what's close to my heart and my own beliefs. Think outside the box!
Human Zoo We are an internal communica@ons agency designing and delivering engaging conferences, events, seminar programmes and workshops. Clients range from mul@na@onal corporates, through crea@ve hotshops, to SME’s and start-‐ups. Our clients say Human Zoo provides them with: Inspira@on -‐ S@mula@on – Mo@va@on Our collabora@ve network of out-‐of-‐the-‐ordinary, like-‐spirited facilitators are united by a sense of adventure, wonder, joy, and a li7le magic. It includes poets, ar@sts, sculptors, a professional poker player, storyteller, musician, horse whisperer, flirt coach, UN conflict nego@ator, MET police training instructor, as well as academics, OD and L&D specialists, coaches, consultants and extraordinary individuals. What products do you make? The work we do is bespoke to our clients needs. We have: • designed a cross disciplinary training programme for the Disney marke@ng department • facilitated a workshop for Royal Mail to resolve implementa@on issues of their parcel tracking services • created and delivered an ongoing leadership development programme for PA Consul@ng • developed training programmes for the crea@ve departments of adver@sing agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi • designed and hosted conferences for companies including Air France, BSkyB, Skype and Apple Computer We create happy, engaged, mo@vated, inspired, s@mulated, energised, cohesive working teams who are prepared to stretch themselves, push each other and make a difference. I also conceived and produce The River Of Lights winter sols@ce event in Guildford, run and host PechaKucha Night in Guildford, and am in the process of star@ng some new adventures including crea@ng space pain@ngs, a Mad Ha7ers Tea Party, and an inter-‐village medieval football match... What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I worked in adver@sing with clients including Comet, Evening Standard, Amnesty Interna@onal, Allied Domecq, William Hill, B&Q, Warner Lambert, and Diageo . My proudest work was being part of the small team who launched the pan-‐African Michael Power campaign for Guinness – the most successful ever adver@sing campaign for Guinness. It consisted of five TV commercials of 4 minutes that together made a 20 minute high budget ac@on movie staring the first black African ac@on hero. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I met a great mate from my Guinness days in a pub. He also invited along one of our ex-‐clients. Half-‐way through the evening the client turned to me and said “I never realized you were so smart when we worked together. I wished I’d known.” I realized that I couldn't keep on toeing the company line -‐ and I had to break free. As I was trying to work out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, the Cordiant Group fell over and I found myself out of work. It was just the kick I needed. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? My wife -‐ We were introduced by my ex-‐business partner and her flat-‐mate who were themselves going out together. She worked in adver@sing. She was / is considerably smarter, more beau@ful, talented and wise than I could ever deserve. She found my life curious. If I’d s@ll been in adver@sing, she’d never have given me a second look. Together we have had many adventures including star@ng her catering company whose customers included Sir Alan Sugar, Thierry Henry and Griff Rhys-‐Jones . What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Be obvious – you cannot be more talented than you are. When you try to be clever, impressive and talented, you ignore your natural talent and create the effect of being just like everyone else. There’s no value, self-‐respect or adventure in being a counterfeit someone else.
Hannah McAndrew Slipware Potter
Thrown in red terraco7a my pots are created from the rich tradi@on of Bri@sh slipware but made I hope, with a feel and place for today. They are pots for using and enjoying and being a part of the home. They are decorated using coloured slips and rich honey glazes. My decora@on takes its form from a variety of sources, from tex@les and folk art, trees and the dragons and @ny people that inhabit my imagina@on. Just recently I have begun to wood fire my pots and 2012 will see me really begin to explore this new firing method. What products do you make? I make mainly func@onal pots, most are thrown and all are made within the strong tradi@on of slipware that has such a rich history within Britain. I make pots for use with the serving and ea@ng of food along with pots for the commemora@on of events that are important within people's lives. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? Prior to running my own business I was an appren@ce to a po7er who I had gone to work for aYer finishing at art school. It was with Jason that I found my passion for slipware. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I wanted to con@nue making pots but there wasn't the opportunity to con@nue working where I was and so I decided to give it my best shot on my own; that was in 2003. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? The most unexpected benefit has been the friendships I have been able to forge through my passion for this niche of po7ery. Other po7ers are fantas@c company and those of us that specialise in this area do seem to have a strong bond. Through wri@ng a blog about my work I have formed poSng friendships across the world, some of which took me last year to spend a month in America teaching what I do. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Give it everything you've got, follow your passion and don't be afraid to share your enthusiasm and love for what you do.
Jessie Jumbles "Vintage CraYy Loveliness" : Bits and bobs made from vintage and retro fabric found at car boots, charity shops and flea markets. Covered bu7ons made into original accessories with a vintage feel...I use the leYover fabrics that no-‐one else wants and give them a new lease of life. What products do you make? I started off making covered bu7on hairclips, I cover metal self cover bu7ons with mainly vintage fabrics and remnants and then make these into clips. This has now expanded to cufflinks, hair@es, applique pictures, bracelets broaches and earrings. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I have done various jobs. I worked for a Japanese bank when I leY university as I couldn't get a job in a museum or gallery. Ended up staying in the financial field for years un@l giving it up to manage a small independent music shop. Went back to banking to pay the bills aYer having an accident. Met my husband, moved to the seaside and had a baby.
What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I started craYing when my son finally started sleeping, didn't want to go back to work as felt very strongly I wanted to be a stay at home mum but needed to regain some of my own iden@ty. Discovered a passion for making old fabrics that I love into things that can be worn now. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I was so surprised that I sold the things that I made! Really geSng my teeth stuck into crea@ng a new business, have met a great community of people, it's really opened up a whole new world for me as I didn't really get involved with all the yummy mummy scene. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Great advice I was given -‐ people won't take you seriously un@l you take yourself seriously (when I was asked what my business was I tended to say I'm just a mum who makes some things out of bu7ons in my spare @me when actually I have a li7le business that is already stocking four shops in under 6 months. ) Also don't exhibit or sell your things through people that aren't enthusias@c about what you do. Very true!
Joanne B Kaar Fibre Artist
I experiment with fibre arts, par@cularly papermaking by hand and have been self-‐employed since gradua@ng with an MA (Tex@les dept) from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1992. Most of my papers are rag based -‐ Sheila Roderick from the Scalpay Weaving shed in the Western Isles, sends me all of her waste linen fibre to make into paper. I have completed many residencies including 5 months in Taiwan at the Chaoyang University and the Su-‐Ho Paper Museum. The Guild of Master CraYsmen Publica@ons published my book on papermaking and bookbinding in 2003. My work had since featured in other publica@ons I am currently working with the Horse and Bamboo theater company on the development for their produc@on about Angus McPhee Weaver of Grass.
What products do you make? Fibre ar@st inspired by journeys over land, sea & through @me. A maker of cake & bread! What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I have been self-‐employed since gradua@ng with a Masters Degree in Tex@les at Manchester Metropolitan University in Dec 1992. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I always wanted to do this. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I get to travel with my work and organise my own @me. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Make things you enjoy doing.
Johnnybwood I work with reclaimed @mber to make wall hanging mirror’s, picture frames, tables, and wooden decora@ve items, both bespoke and one off pieces. What products do you make? I make and design wooden framed mirrors, wooden tables, and cabinets, which can be engraved with a variety of pa7erns. I reduce my own waste by also using any off cuts of wood to create “wood chunks”. Wood chunks are designed to hang on a wall, stand on a shelf or adorn a desk. Most people request a favorite quote or poem to share with those who walk past. Others may choose to add a personal comment for someone special. I prefer to use reclaimed @mber for these things as it both help’s to reduce waste, recycles good quality natural materials and brings a unique quality to each item I make. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I have a city and guilds in plumbing and used to work as a builder/plumber for eight years, before that cleaned carpets in commercial buildings. Funnily enough I have never been formally trained in carpentry which is what I do now. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I have always wanted to do something a bit different and although plumbing and building work offer a fairly reliable source of work I found that I was enjoying making things out of the abundance of good materials that was being thrown away from the sites. This being the case I thought that if I had more @me to make more things I could possibly get an income doing so and help to stop good materials going to waste. The change in career came when I purchased a print and couldn’t find a nice frame in a shop in which to display it, so I decided to make one myself, all the complementary feedback from friends and family gave me the mo@va@on to get started with my own business. So Johnnybwood was born! What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? The job sa@sfac@on is far greater when someone has paid their hard earned money on something I have created, every day I look forward to working because I enjoy what I’m doing now. I read a quote – “you add five days to every week if you enjoy your work” I find this to be so true. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Be yourself, be strong, laugh and be kind. Take pride in everything you do, help when help is needed, learn from mistakes, never ques@on an angry woman. Be happy.
Judith Needham I am a willow weaver based in Farnham, Surrey. I specialise in fairytale playhouses and dens for all ages. I also make baskets and other smaller items from willow and welcomes commissions – anything that can be made from willow considered! I also teach basket making at various venues in Surrey and Hampshire including the West End Centre in Aldershot. What products do you make? I am best known for my range of playhouses or dens. Large structures for house or garden which can be used for children’s play or for adults to read, relax or just escape for a bit! There’s something very sa@sfying about making something that you can climb into. I also make plant supports, chairs, baskets and Christmas decora@ons – all from willow. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I was a fundraiser and project manager in the voluntary sector. My last job before I set up my business was as manager of the Edinburgh City Car Club. In the 1990s I worked for The Woodland Trust running a project to plant new public access woodlands in Cambridgeshire. I recently went back to visit some of the woods – an amazing experience. I felt very lucky to s@ll be geSng job sa@sfac@on from work I’d done over 15 years ago! What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? Having a child was, as for many people, the point at which I decided I wanted to be self-‐employed so that I could set my own hours. Making a playhouse for my daughter was what gave me the answer as to what I was going to do. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I really love being part of the craY world. There’s a lot of co-‐opera@on amongst crea@ve people so, although I mostly work alone, I always have people I can turn to for advice or just a chat. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? If you’re looking for job sa@sfac@on, you really can’t beat making things for a living. Having something tangible to show for your efforts at the end of each day gives you a real sense of achievement that you just can’t get from pushing bits of paper around a desk!
Kiki CraY I make quirky toys for the young at heart, cute felt brooches, hair slides and home accessories. All products are hand by up-‐cycling old garments and materials; turning forgo7en or unwanted items into things to fall in love with all over again. I make to order so each product is unique. I also take requests for bespoke toy giYs and sell my products at Heroordshire craY fairs each month. I like to connect with my on-‐line customers in a human way, to say thank you for suppor@ng a small craYy business with a real person behind it. A handwri7en thank you with a free giY is truly from the heart! What products do you make? I make quirky toys for the young at heart, cute felt brooches, hair slides and home accessories. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? AYer finishing a degree in contemporary dance & drama, I worked in various un-‐fullfilling posi@ons such as admin & finance to keep the money coming in. I undertook a few freelance jobs in costume design and construc@on, but I soon se7led down into the daily office grind. I kept my crea@veness alive by taking accredited evening courses in interior design and photography, of which I s@ll prac@ce for family, friends & fun! What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I was made redundant due to the credit crunch. Whilst job searching, I decided to re-‐visit my sewing skills having seen toys and giYs for sale I just KNEW I could make, and make be7er. I thought that this could be my chance to do something I truly enjoyed whilst making money too. My first a7empts making toys were appalling but I soldiered on, as I had faith in my abili@es. I read book aYer book, started to buy craY magazines, visited more craY exhibi@ons, hunted out that inspira@on and prac@ced prac@ced prac@ced. I have always been the sort of person to run with my ideas and make them happen, so I did and made my products, a whole 6Y table full and then booked myself in for my first craY fair in a local school in 2009. I managed to get back on the employment ladder only aYer 3 months and have been crea@ng in my spare @me ever since, growing my product base and learning the ropes of marke@ng and business as I move forward with a website, where my creatures have their own cartoons. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? In 2009 I moved house, to a more rural loca@on. I taught myself (with the help of books and the internet) to make jams, chutneys and other products from the land, to sell on the craY stalls. All of these new craYing skills learnt since being made redundant, unexpectedly, helped me secure full @me work closer to home, using these new crea@ve skills in a social care/hor@cultural seSng. I now have more @me to create at home and have set up a folky shop. I have booked myself into St Albans craY markets every month for 2012; am in talks with 'Kieran Sheehan Dance Theatre' to provide promo@onal toy giYs for their latest London piece and am in nego@a@ons to sell my products interna@onally with 'Maria Mellow' @ www.mariamellow.com, a portuguese based online retailer for handmade craYs. KikicraY is spreading!!! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Have faith in your abili@es and trust your ins@ncts. Dive in at the deep end, network and learn from your mistakes. Crea@ng puts you in a state of mind that is sa@sfying, peaceful and for me, has increased my confidence when seeing happy children & adults part with their money for products that I know they want and love.
Laura‘s Loom Laura’s Loom is a small handweaving business based in Cumbria, which creates bespoke handwoven silk scarves and produces ‘ The Howgill Range’, a collec@on of throws woven from Bri@sh wool sourced directly from farmers in the north of England and the Highlands of Scotland. The wool is organically processed and spun in Yorkshire, woven on some of the UK’s last working Dobcross looms at small weaving mills in Cumbria and the ScoSsh Borders, and finished at one of the last cloth finishing mills in Galashiels. I produce about 100 throws each year plus a collec@on of scarves, baby blankets and cushions. What products do you make? Wool throws, scarves, baby blankets and cushions What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I worked in the USA in the fields of land conserva@on and environmental protec@on as a GIS Analyst before moving to Switzerland with my husband’s job and raising a family. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? My turning point was sheer boredom at being ‘only’ a mother and wife. I needed to do something for myself so I turned to my hobby of weaving and started to make stuff, selling some of it at a craY fair. When we moved to the UK (where I’m from originally) I had the opportunity to work full-‐@me at my hobby and I’ve gradually over 10 years turned it into my job. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? Learning to teach! I started teaching people to weave about 6 years ago aYer someone asked me if I would teach them. I now teach about 20 people a year. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Give it a go, no ma7er what the skill and no ma7er what your age or stage in life. At some point you’ll discover a passion and realise you just can’t stop working at it.
Leicester Born & Bread Leicester Born & Bread is a small, part-‐@me business based in the West End of Leicester, selling tradi@onal home-‐made bread. I make my bread en@rely by hand from start to finish using organic flour from Claybrooke Mill. The bread has @me to rise and prove naturally giving you a tas@er, healthier loaf. Some loaves are hand-‐shaped; great for tearing chunks off. Others are baked in a @n so they make be7er slices for sandwiches. The range includes everyday & flavoured loaves and rolls and sourdough bread. What products do you make? I make bread by hand and sell it within my local community. I also teach how to make bread. My range includes standard and flavoured loaves and rolls as well as various sourdough breads. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I was a teacher, then a trainer for an educa@onal company. I s@ll train full @me and run my bread business part @me in addi@on. My mother made our bread, and her mother before her, so I come from a family of home bakers. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? My friends repeatedly telling me my bread was lovely, and had I ever thought about selling it?! The support of my partner is also invaluable. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? Mee@ng new people and learning new business skills. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? It's hard work, but worth the leap of faith. Make sure you're fully compliant with Trading Standards, Environmental Health, & HMRC.
Lucy Burley Ceramics I make wheel-‐thrown ceramic vessels which are intended to be useful and decora@ve: bo7les, vases, jugs and bowls. The forms are simple and elegant, and I use a semi-‐ma7 glaze which makes the surfaces smooth and tac@le, in a wide range of colours both vivid and subtle. What products do you make? I throw on the wheel using white earthenware clay; my range includes bo7les, vases, bowls, jugs and beakers in a variety of sizes. I use a smooth earthenware glaze of my own formula@on and have developed a wide spectrum of colours, oYen inspired by the landscape and the seashore. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I used to live in London and worked in the TV industry; I felt unfulfilled and began to go to adult educa@on art classes which I loved. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? That led to me enrolling on a Founda@on course at Wimbledon Art School at the age of 31 and then I was lucky enough to get a place on the Ceramics B.A. Hons course at Camberwell College of Arts. I graduated in 1996, moved to Farnham in 2000 and have been making pots ever since at my studio in Kingsley. I have work in a small number of galleries and also sell at craY fairs and online. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? In the last couple of years I have also started a new career, teaching Po7ery to adults and children, and find that I really enjoy passing on my enthusiasm for and knowledge of the subject; my own Ceramics teachers were wonderful mentors, and it's my great hope that I can be a quarter as helpful and inspiring as they were to me. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? I would encourage anyone to have a go at po7ery. The world of Ceramics is vast; it's incredibly absorbing and a great way to de-‐stress and develop crea@vity. It's also highly addic@ve and can lead as it did for me to a career-‐ and life-‐change, very much for the be7er.
Maesgwyncrafts I have been a spinner for over 20 years. I was a member of the Hampshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners, and Dyers for 15 years, and when I moved to a smallholding in Wales in 2010, I joined the Ceredigion Guild of WSD. I have had opportuni@es to a7end workshops in the States, both at SOAR and one with Lynne Vogel. My greatest pleasure is finding both new and tradi@onal fibres to spin. I have an on-‐going project, a blanket that I have spun and kni7ed from as many rare and tradi@onal breeds as I have been able to track down so far.
What products do you make? I spin yarn, weave and knit What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I was a carer for people with severe learning difficul@es What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? My husband and I moved to Wales and are star@ng up a smallholding and I was finding working as well as running this place with him working abroad for weeks at a @me just too much so decided to concentrate on something that I can do from home, we are s@ll in the process of renova@ng the house and a7ached buildings and once done I will have my own craY room What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? There are many benefits of working for myself, I am my own boss and the business relies on my ability to provide a product that I can be proud of and be able to share with both the public and other like-‐minded people What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? This is a difficult one to answer, you will have to ask me again in a year’s @me whether I am making money or just covering my costs, no craY person can put a true value on the work involved in making anything for sale, both in the @me making the product and personal thought that goes into each object.
Metal Monkeys I create sculptures and tex@le works that are essen@ally a personal response to the world around me; my own life, the lives of others, rela@onships, the natural world…you get the idea. What delights me is the way these works connect with others because of the universal themes my works naturally explore. I create in two and three dimensions in hand made felt, I make cast Iron and papier-‐mâché sculpture. I am a founder member of Metal Monkeys. Metal Monkeys is an unincorporated Associa@on that aims to develop the arts prac@ce of its members and share this prac@ce with the community. What products do you make? I make Hand Made felt; both func@onal & sculptural, like felt slippers and felt Hoods’ that portray Someone’s character & story. I also make cast Iron and papier-‐mâché sculptures as a response to what’s going on in my life/to tell my story and hopefully prompt people to reflect on their own lives! What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I became a self -‐employed/freelance ar@st as soon as I leY artcollege so I haven’t really done anything else; I have always wanted to be an ar@st! What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? My arts training was in Tex@les, both print & weave, I ventured into sculpture only 5 years ago aYer a7ending an amazing iron cas@ng workshop at The Bullpen Arts Centre in Oxfordshire. Engaging with 3 dimensional forms has been a profound experience for my arts prac@ce. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I am always shocked and humbled by the power the crea@ve act has in transforming those who engage with it! When you create you discover new things…about yourself and the context you find yourself in! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? If you want to explore the crea@ve process allow yourself to develop a rela@onship with it, the things you create have things they want to say to you!
NEDay Crafts NEDay CraYs offer eco friendly alterna@ve kits for children of all ages, run eco friendly craY workshops and offer a design service for those who love trying to help save the planet. Our aim is to encourage children away from the television and computers and promote crea@vity through arts and craYs. We are an award winning company based in the North East of England and love making children smile. NEDay CraYs was a Theo Paphi@s #sbs winner on 23rd October 2011. Words cannot describe what a truly amazing feeling that was! What products do you make? NEDay CraYs design and make eco friendly ac@vity kits for children of all ages. We encourage children to express their crea@vity through arts and craYs. Many of our products are recycled or reusable. From mask making to finger puppets, our designs are unique in every way. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? Before I launched NEDay CraYs back in May 2009, I used to work in engineering. Although I have always been crea@ve and grew up with Blue Peter, I never took a risk in launching my own business. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? AYer being very unhappy in my previous employment, working long hours and never seeing my young children much, I decided to look into star@ng my own business. At the @me, I was looking for craY ac@vi@es for my own children, both kits to buy and workshops to a7end. AYer realising the lack of current products and services available, I decided to launch my own. Being based in the North East of England and being passionate about the area, I wanted to put the North East on the map. I was originally going to name the business Any Day CraYs, but NE (North East Day CraYs) seemed to fit be7er. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? The last 2 and half years have been a huge learning curve as well as an exci@ng adventure. I have gained so many good friends and business colleagues along the way as well as learn so much about myself. I am so much happier to live with and totally appreciate quality @me with the family. I s@ll work long hours, but have the flexibility and freedom of working around my kids and husband’s shiYs. The fact I am making children smile and have fun is a huge confidence boost. I always wanted my own business to make a difference. This has been a massive benefit to us and many others who love our products. I never really knew where NEDay CraYs would take us, as our business is so different from the high street retailers you see. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? I have learnt so much since NEDay CraYs was started and think that “ listening to your head, not your heart” is a very good lesson I would pass onto others. Always think through an idea before deciding yes or no – it was a hard lesson for me, but I never rush into anything now.
Rag Rug Textiles Rag Rug Tex@les designs and makes rag rug kits. They are designed to help folk learn the craY and are based on the way the Open University. Each kit has a mini rag rug to aid learning; sufficient fabric and hessian to start; tool and instruc@ons. The lavender Bag kit is a complete kit and ideal present & holiday ac@vity. Recycled fabrics are used in the making of these kits. Bespoke larger kits are also made for schools, brownies & guide packs. As a qualified teacher workshops for all ages and venues can be provided tailor made to suit your requirements. What products do you make? Rag rug kits for Proddy Technique, Hooky Technique, and a complete kit with Lavender Bag Kit. A new product will be released on 25th January 2012 in ‘Popular CraYs’. The ‘Patchwork Readi Cushion’ for rag rugging into. A smaller complete item, no sewing to complete the item. There will also be the patchwork Lavender Bag Lavender coloured kit released in March 2012. Children’s kits to be released in June/July. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? Trained as a Hor@culturalist/Gardener/Farm Manager, BA in Music [Flute], MEd with the OU and con@nues to tutor for the OU [not tex@les]. Currently work for the WEA as a tutor in community work in Plymouth/Bideford and co-‐ordinate the work based training [PTLLS]; Denman Tutor for the WI college in Oxford. Addi@onal new trained skills include managing and wri@ng your own web site [total control and gets changes done immediately], training in another old skill of Goldwork Embroidery; OCN Level 3 in managing a crea@ve business from the Plymouth College of Art. The business grew out from my work at Clovelly in North Devon where I was commissioned to make a rug that is in permanent display in the Fisherman’s Co7age. I am in my 9th year demonstra@ng to the visitors. The new ‘drop in workshops’ in the visitors Centre last year were very successful and will con@nue this year. The kits developed from the visitors want to learn how ‘to do’. Having recently completed my MEd [distance taught] with the OU and I decided to develop my own ‘distance taught’ kit to teach the craY. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? The star@ng point was the move to Devon in 2003; visi@ng Clovelly in August 2003; the opportunity of the Commission and work at Clovelly. Without Clovelly it probably would not have happened and the Hon John Rous, owner of Clovelly, is aware of this. We now have linked out web sites. Clovelly is unique! What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? Friends! Opportunity to make a part-‐living in tex@les; it is quite nice being given compliments about my work and the courses I deliver. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Be prepared to work hard; organised, be thinking of the next step; do not get complacent; ‘go that extra mile’ for quality & service; ‘lost leaders’ frequently lead to new contacts and who knows where that will lead; sense of humour and be approachable.
R O K O S delivers playful, func@onal, sculptural products, that behave in unexpected ways, for elegant homes. R O K O S explores the physical proper@es of materials to generate visually beau@ful, intriguing concepts. The designs are available thorough shops and can also be purchased from the brand’s online store rokosdesign.co.uk What products do you make? The ‘22 36 48’ Stainless Steel Bowl The ‘77 30 13’ Wine Decanter What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I am a London based industrial designer who has explored many crea@ve areas before discovering my passion for Industrial Design. Originally I worked as a model-‐maker for the film and television industry (The Muppet Treasure Island, Band of Brothers, Tomb Raider, Victoria and Albert). I went on to work as a photographer’s assistant and then a film extra. I then went on to design an innova@ve cat-‐food bowl, which won the pilot episode of BBC1’s ‘Best Inven@ons’ broadcast in 2001. Over 50,000 bowls have been sold throughout Europe since then. I then taught at a special needs school in London, before comple@ng a Master’s degree (2006) in Industrial Design at Central Saint Mar@ns College of Art & Design, part of London’s University of the Arts. I now work from my studio in Acton town where I am passionate to explore materials to create original and visually beau@ful, refined concepts. I enjoy every stage of the design process: research, crea@ve explora@on, problem solving, refinement and execu@on. New crea@ve techniques are sought to generate original ideas. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? The buyer at Conran was very interested in my work. This gave me the confidence to create the R O K O S brand. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I discovered the ‘School for Crea@ve Start Ups’. Having enrolled on the School, I suddenly have something of substan@al weight behind me. It is highly suppor@ve. There is a team who I pose work puzzles to and they suggest possible routes forward. They are passionate and welcoming. It is very clear that they want us to be successful. I am now part of a large community of crea@ves who are also star@ng their own businesses. They are rich and varied examples of the crea@ve fields. This is also suppor@ve, as we can talk about our progress and learn from each other. I treat it as though it is a masters in business. We have lectures, home-‐works and tutors. The topic of the program is my own real business, so it is very exci@ng. Everything feeds my business and I am op@mis@c for the future of 'Rokos'. The course has become a large part of my life. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? People are all different. I could not offer a ‘one size fits all’ wisdom. However I am fond of this quote of Albert Einstein: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Skin Bistro I run an award-‐winning, responsible business making natural skincare products from scratch, using the highest quality of organic and fairtrade ingredients. My ‘perfect’ soap and best seller product is made of organic, extra-‐virgin olive oil and is loved by mothers and babies and those with sensi@ve or dry skin condi@ons. My products are sought aYer for their therapeu@c benefits and are free from parabens, sulphates, synthe@c fragrances, ar@ficial colours, petrochemicals, mineral oil, and other nas@es. I am constantly researching new ingredients, and developing new products. I offer a completely bespoke service, formula@ng for individual clients aYer consulta@on. What products do you make? I make bath and body natural and organic skincare which include cas@le soap, balms, bath salts, body scrubs, bath & body oils, body bu7ers, deodorant, lip balms, hand serums, and face masks. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I used to work for the pharmaceu@cal industry, and s@ll do it but now only as a freelancer. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I moved to London and my skin reacted badly. AYer years of failure with commercial products, I decided to start making my own. My skin healed, and I started making products for friends and family. It wasn't long un@l they wanted to buy it.
What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? The personal fulfillment and sense of achievement when I get a posi@ve feedback from a client. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Know what you want to achieve, have focus, work hard, and believe in your dreams.
Take It Slow Hand Sew I enjoy the whole process of making anything, but I have a par@cular interest in tex@les/clothing. When I started 'making' in my spare @me, useful items for our house, I thought maybe other people who could not create would enjoy home made cosy items too. So I knit, bead, felt, crochet, dye, embellish and embroider. What products do you make? From tex@les (some recycled and old) -‐ Bags, cushions, purses and domes@c tex@les. Swarofski Crystal -‐ Jewellery and Hair Accessories. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I've been a 'messer around with stuff' all my life really, but career wise I have been a costume maker, haberdashery shop assistant, theatre dresser, hat maker and wardrobe supervisor but my current employed work is as a part @me shop assistant and then craYer/maker on the side. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? Over the last few years I have opened my eyes to our throw away/greedy consumer culture. I think we should think first about what we need to buy, why we need to buy it. Then choose something ethical, well-‐made to last, beau@ful and useful for it's purpose. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? Great friendships, discovering myself again and the freedom from being a “worker drone”! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Have an open mind, life IS learning, educa@on is valuable, and finally enjoy it.
The Cake Crusader I make cakes for people who suffer from a variety of food allergies and intolerances. I started up back in July 2009 but didn't really launch the company un@l February 2010 as I had to go through all the environmental health checks, set the website up etc. What products do you make? Before star@ng my business I worked as a Business Improvement Consultant for a Manufacturing Consultancy not too far from where you are. When my son James was born in 2005 I asked to go back part-‐@me aYer taking 12-‐months maternity leave and they told me that I wouldn't be able to go back due to a variety of reasons, most of which I was able to argue and I then took them to an employment tribunal. Suffice to say, they se7led out of court 3-‐weeks before the tribunal and in the end up they had pulled me to pieces as a professional so much thinking that I would back down that I became totally disillusioned with blue chip organisa@ons and started looking for something which would work round my son. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I became a self -‐employed/freelance ar@st as soon as I leY art college so I haven’t really done anything else; I have always wanted to be an ar@st! What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I was diagnosed as being wheat intolerant back in 2001 and when James was born I wanted to be a good mum, part of which in my mine was making him his birthday cakes! Anyway, I realised that if I was to make James his 1st birthday cake that I would have to go back to basics and learn how to do it all over again and addi@onally I would have to learn using "Wheat Free" flour. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? Following a number of disastrous a7empts I became quite proficient at making cakes and realised that is was something I really enjoyed, I even enjoyed decora@ng them and bought a number of Cake Decora@ng books to help me. My friends seemed quite impressed and I was amazed. I thought that it might be a good thing to do as a home based business and this is where The Cake Crusader was born. I now love baking and especially crea@ng new and exci@ng recipes and designs. I s@ll say that I cant draw but I can carve most things in cake! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Star@ng up in business isn't easy -‐ this is the hardest I have ever worked in my life. You have to be prepared to work hard and keep trying -‐ I nearly gave up a couple of @mes when I had problems with my delivery network but if you can take a step back, look at what works and what doesn't and find a way around it then you're on your way!
The Paper Jungle The Paper Jungle aim to create fun, brightly coloured graphic prints that will make great giYs. Inspired by a huge love of animals and all things colourful, they are designed to make you smile. They are all drawn, designed and printed in a li7le house in Lancashire, shared by two humans and a li7le poodle puppy. What products do you make? As a print designer I aim to create fun, brightly coloured graphic prints that will make great giYs. I mainly focus on making paper goods such as cards, invita@ons, notebooks and fun, unique party supplies like my gli7er s@ck on moustaches. However I also make tex@le goods such as my best selling moustache cushions and stuffed hanging hearts. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? AYer finishing a BTEC ND in Art and Design I went on to study Tex@les at Norwich University College of the Arts and gained a 2:1 BA (Hons) degree. AYer leaving University I became a resident ar@st at a local High School, teaching tex@le workshops and illustra@on classes. I also got a fantas@c internship at an brilliantly quirky independent fashion company based in Manchester called “NotForPonies” I loved it so much and my boss (who’d started up her own business) gave me the confident and inspira@on I needed to give it a go on my own. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? AYer geSng married I decided I wanted to really concentrate on myself and my career, I took on many volunteer and internships in order to discover what it was I loved doing, I decided I didn’t want to look back in 10 years @me and wished I’d given something ago. During a fantas@c internship in Manchester I gained the confidence I needed to start out on my own, I was scared at first but aYer my first sale and suburb customer feedback I was hooked. Making things I loved and knowing other people love it too is such a fantas@c feeling, I’d never turn back. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I love geSng feedback off customers, someone telling me my products are “just what they are looking for” or perfect for their party puts me on such a high. AYer buying my Christmas Poodle cards a customer once sent me an email telling me all about his own pet poodle and how he was going to frame the card and bring it out each year. His poodle and my lovely poodle puppy (the inspira@on for the card) are now friends!! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Just go for it!! I have wanted to sell my own designs for years but was too scared and worried that no one would like my things. As long as you believe in yourself and make products your happy with chances are someone else will like them, and then someone else and so on, you’ll never know unless you try.
Thrashion At Thrashion we make beau@ful handmade pieces of jewellery, accessories and homeware from old, broken and recycled skateboards. Ever since the late 80's we have been saving our skateboard decks. Being skaters we know that a skateboard is not just a toy, it holds history and holds a huge amount of meaning to a skater from the start un@l it breaks. The beauty of our jewellery and accessories is in the thrashed state of the board as every scratch or ding is important. We are currently supplied with our skateboard decks from skateshops, skateparks, skate companies, pro skaters and friends and family. We only use broken or used skateboards and where the board has come from is part of each product. The decks and wheels are used in their original state and apart from being cut, sanded and finished materials and waste is kept to a minimum. Each item is handmade in our li7le 'Greenhouse' studio in Cornwall, we are always looking at new ways to recycle the boards and are constantly expanding our product range so you'll always find something new. What products do you make? We have a full range of products which include men's, women's and youth jewellery and accessories but also a growing range of homewares including coasters, frames, @les etc. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? I have always been crea@ve having completed a fine art degree but I also work as a collec@ons manager in an art museum so am always surrounded by art. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? I have always been the type of person who needs to be crea@ng whether that is woodworking, pain@ng or sculp@ng. But my recycled skateboard jewellery has become a passion as it combines my love of craY and skateboarding What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? I have met some amazing people and have worked with pro skaters and skateboard companies that i used to idolise when I was younger! What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? Network and support your fellow crea@ve. I have met some awesome people who I've been able to bounce ideas off and test products on and that in itself is invaluable. Also don't be shy to push your product!
VirtuArte VirtuArte is founded on the premise that there is a market for unique folk art and fine craYs from the developing world in the US, Europe and other high income countries. These products will offer substan@al aesthe@c benefit for the purchaser that will be a7rac@ve elements of the sale, however the fact that the purchase will contribute to the economic development of the ar@st/ar@san will bring added value and interest. VirtuArte creates interest in beau@ful works of art, handcraYed by ar@sans from the developing world and shares the stories about the ar@sans, their craYsmanship and their cultures. By selling these items we are helping developing world ar@sts/ar@sans to generate an income that will support their families, improve the quality of their lives and help them remain in their rural villages rather than migra@ng to urban areas to look for employment. Through the increase awareness of their art and the ability to generate an income, it is my belief ar@sts/ar@sans will be encouraged and have an incen@ve to con@nue their tradi@onal weaving, carving, sculp@ng and pain@ng and pass their skills onto the next genera@on. What products do you make? I do not make the products in the VirtuArte collec@on. All items in the collec@on are handcraYed by ar@sans from the developing world. The collec@on includes jewelry, scarves, shawls, handbags, tableware and serving pieces as well as other pieces of decora@ve art. What did you do before you started making things / set up a new business? In the early years of my career I worked at the Inter-‐American Development Bank, an ins@tu@on that focuses on economic development in La@n America. This was my first “interna@onal” experience, where I got my passion for developing country issues and found that I love to travel. I leY the Bank aYer 10 years and began the next phase of my career working for mul@na@onal corpora@ons. Each posi@on I held over the 15 years allowed me to con@nue to work interna@onally on developing world issues and travel extensively. On these travels I always took the opportunity to look for artwork and craYs that were unique to bring home either for my own enjoyment or to give as presents. What made you decide to start / change direc9on / your turning point? Events in Life oYen force you to step back and review where you are. In 2007 this is exactly what happened to me. I had spent 15 years working for three different mul@na@onal corpora@ons, the last one for six years. As is oYen the case in the corporate world, in early 2007 my job suddenly changed. So I took the opportunity to evaluate where I was in my career and to think about what I really wanted to do next. AYer doing some soul searching I knew I did not want another corporate job. I was ready to do something different. So I leY my corporate posi@on at the end of 2007 and decided to bring my experience and passion together in a new venture, VirtuArte. What is the most unexpected benefit you have gained from doing this? The most unexpected benefit I have gained is the opportunity to meet and get to know some wonderful people that I probably would never had met if I had con@nued on the same career path. This includes the ar@sts, other people who are in the same type of business, vendors I have worked with and, of course, my customers. What words of wisdom or lesson would you pass onto other people? You have to persevere. Things will happen that may cause you to ques@on your decision. If you believe in yourself and are passionate about what you are doing keep on going. Things will take longer than you think they will. Don’t be discouraged.