shophandmadeuk

Q&A with The Spinneyfield Stitchery A little bit about you... I am Harriet from The Spinneyfield Stitchery and I'm from Rotherham, South Yorkshire. I live with my family, my husband, my son, my stepdaughter and our cat. I do have a regular job too just in case! What you do... I make modern and simple cross stitch designs and kits that I sell both online and at craft fairs. My ethos is community over competition and I like to reflect this in my advertising. I am about to extend my range to include themed mystery boxes where each box is based around a theme and filled with lots of cross stitching goodies, patterns, supplies and treats. The first one will be Christmas themed. It will champion five other UK small businesses too as I'm adamant I'd like to support others in getting their name seen and heard in the correct market. All my kits are suitable for beginners and come with a 'How To' guide and I feel are priced very competitively for the mar...

Q&A with AJ Illustration A little bit about you... My name is Amy Jackson aka AJ Illustration, I’m 24 and I’m from South Wales. I’m currently working  as a freelance illustrator, focusing on building my portfolio and business. What you do... Although I mainly work as a freelance illustrator, taking commercial and private commissions such as  family portraits or wedding stationary, I also sell prints, greeting cards and stationary.  I’ve recently launched a t-shirt and tote bag design with 50% of the profits will be donated to the  Plastic Oceans charity (plasticoceans.uk), a great organisation that aims to stop plastic pollution  which is something that needs to happen sooner rather than later. In an effort to be as  environmentally conscious as possible, I have launched the design through Print Social, where the  tshirts and bags will be printed to order to reduce waste.  I specialise in a dotwork style of drawing, using a...

Q&A with Hairy Yeti A little bit about you.. Hi All! My name is Harriet from Hairy Yeti and I'm in my 20's working my full time job as a graphic designer in a garden machinery company, while also trying to stay creative making handmade polymer clay earrings. I'm originally from Wolverhampton in the Black Country but now live in Nottingham when I met and followed my boyfriend Chris (not in a creepy way) about 5 years ago! From marketing in my day job to marketing my own work of an evening - it can be tough! However making and seeing my small indie business grow makes it all worthwhile. As well as growing my own shop, I love to support other creative's and making new friends. From organising group loop giveaways to collaborations with other makers!   What you do... At Hairy Yeti I hand make all my earrings from Fimo polymer clay. The great thing about polymer clay is it's extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear, even our larger pi...

Marketing tips and general advice for your small business With the small business / handmade business sector ever growing it is becoming harder and harder to set your business apart from the rest.  As a small business owner pricing your products competitively can have a detrimental impact on the success of your business, so to keep your head above water you need to make sure you stand apart from the crowd in other ways. Whether that is done by the uniqueness of your product that nobody else can compare to or the exceptional customer service that you provide. However if nobody knows about your business then it doesn't matter how unique the product is, how well made the product is, nor the price or the customer service, people aren't going to come to you as they aren't aware you exist. Algorithms and website statistics make being seen even harder but there are some things  you can do to improve how your business is marketed to potential customers. Audienc...

Gift ideas for her ♡ Here are a few gift ideas for a special woman in your life, whether it be a birthday, anniversary or just because... Personalised keyrings by Crafty Little Me Crafts   Instagram / Facebook / Etsy Shop Vegan soy wax melts by Handmade by Hanna Rose   Instagram / Facebook / Etsy Shop Hand painted leather purse by Leather Notions   Instagram / Etsy Shop Sterling silver and Amethyst wire wrapped pendant by Minimal Additions Instagram / Etsy Shop Bath bombs by Molly Lu Bath Boutique Instagram / Facebook / Etsy Shop All of the ideas mentioned above are all affordable, handmade and would make lovely gifts. Visit shophandmadeuk on Instagram for more small handmade businesses in the United Kingdom for more inspiration!

Sustainable, Vegan, Recycled and Reusable   Throughout 2018 there was a rise in the amount of 'talk' about sustainability and the way things we buy are produced. Consumers became more and more conscious about the background of the products they were spending their hard earned cash on. This year, 2019, is going to see this 'trend' grow and grow in popularity. However I think there are still a lot of people who see this as a 'trend' just because it seems to be popular on social media platforms with celebrities and influences talking about it more and more. Veganism is the rise at the moment but it isn't just food that veganism is about. It also about using vegan materials in clothing, face and body care and home-ware. Recycled products are becoming more popular too, with some businesses deciding to take one mans trash and turn it into treasure and to extend the life of the items so it lasts much longer and gives it another use. Reusable item...