Ordered my first batch of business cards!

I must say am starting to feel like a proper grown up little business now as I have just ordered my first batch of business cards from Moo Cards.  I like these as they are funky and a little different a bit like myself!

New Year New Ideas!

So we are all back to work, well in a fashion.  The snow has meant that I have had 1 child off school for the past 2 days and little one has had to go because hers is open (she was not a happy bunny!).  Hubby is a salesman so travels a lot this means I have had him working from home as well.  So back to business! 

Web design course is now over and I am waiting on the results.  To be honest I was not that impressed with the course and if I had the ability of hindsight I would have saved the money and bought myself a book!  So now time to put it all to the test with a new sparkly website which is currently being constructed.  Eldest daughter had new, do everything camera for Christmas and will be taking me some decent photographs of my handbags and accessories for the new site, no more shaking or blurry!  I have also been asked to create a website for gentleman next door who has driving instructor business, my first commission!

Over the holidays I went shopping for fabric and yesterday dusted off my sewing machine, gosh I have missed her!  This is the front piece of a bag I am making with the new material.  The picture doesn't do it justice but the silky green fabric is an amazing colour and the buckle is from my local charity shop, I love mooching about in there. 

I have also been looking for inspiration to kickstart my new year and stumbled across this lady, Hopscotch Corner, on UK Handmade.  Her work is amazing and made me immediately want to get my machine out and start embroidering!  Have a look at her work on Flickr. 

Apologies for this being a bit of a whistle stop post but I am suffering from too much to do and not enough hours in the day and now hubby is asking for another brew and biscuits...mmm!

Wow what a Year!

Well it is hurtling towards the end of 2009 now and time for some reflection.  This year has been a mixed bag both professionally and health wise.  At the beginning of the year I had everything planned out and the plan was to finish my 2 year art and design course and then progress onto a graphics course.  This was to ensure that I had some sort of 'trade' to fall back on should the crafting/creating side not work out.  However, the powers that be had other ideas and I was prevented from even applying at one college for the graphics course,  apparently they didn't want old farts!  In truth I overheard a conversation between tutors and the reason was that they received no funding for mature students, therefore, didn't want them to apply!  Yes, I was a little slack jawed as well.  Anyhoo, my interview at another college was I thought a done deal, however, they too had the same policy so now I was out on my ear with no course and no plans!!

After consuming a lot of sugary treats and a few glasses of wine I regrouped and considered my options, these were:
1. To return to my desk job be bored out of my brains and run the risk of running amok in the office armed with a stapler!
2. To stay at home, hide under the duvet and eat jaffa cakes all day.
3. To dust myself off look to my strengths and what I enjoy doing and somehow create a business from it.

Having weighed up the options I decided to plump for number 3.  To achieve this goal I enrolled on a web design course in order to build my own website.  This resulted in me discovering that I am in fact a closet tech geek, who knew??  I really enjoyed building my own site from scratch.  However, it is like looking back at your first crafting attempt, although you were really proud of it at the time now it looks a little bit sad.  I am currently building a sparkly new version that will go live towards the end of January with a new line of stock, vv exciting.

So here I am at the end of the year a long way from where I began and I can honestly say that the ride so far has been fantastic!  I began absolutely petrified with absolutely no confidence in my ability at all and with absolutely no business experience either. I have met a wonderful range of people through this experience and want to thank you all for your support so far and for allowing me to pick your brains when needed. 

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful successful New Year! Elissa x 

This week I have been concentrating on getting my website http://www.notjusthandbags.co.uk/ spick and span, whilst trying to organise it into a more professional layout.  However, my copy of dreamweaver is not working and I am having to resort to a combination of windows publisher and html coding which whilst it gives you a buzz to know that you are doing it all 'by hand' so to speak leaves you at times banging your head on the keyboard! 

I am going to add an accessories section to my site and capitalise on the success of my fabric brooches at the recent fair.  So fingers crossed.


Also, this week I have discovered something called crazy quilting.  Having partially assembled some Christmas fabric into patchwork cushions (photos in later blogs) I was mooching on the internet and discovered this practice, amazing!  At last something that a) uses up all those bits of fabric you keep because they will be useful one day! b) I don't have to think about the layout and c) allows my creativity to flow as it is made up as you go along.  Some of the pieces I have been working on already scream to be bag fronts so will keep you posted!

I have noticed that I know have 22 lovely people following my witterings so hellooo to you all, I also have 39 on my facebook page,  ooh I can feel a give away coming on??..............

Sew, sew excited! (yes I know am recycling my titles ;-)

Ooh had my first two sales yesterday and am now a very happy bunny as I thought that day was never going to come!  Talk about timing I was having a bit of an icky day as I was still a little down about the events of the weekend and having to go to the hospital for my appointment.  Anyhoo it was nice to come home and find that one of my bags had sold so I tootled off to the post office and promptly posted it off.  Now I have the thought about whether it will get there in one piece, having waited so long for a sale my worst nightmare is that it arrives a shredded mess!  So I am on my way now and very glad...   These are the ones I have sold, will have to get creating again now, once I have got my head around banners and tables in html!.................

Craft Fair was it worth the wait..................

Ok so it was my big day on Saturday I have been building up to this day for a few months now.  I had been beavering away building websites, cutting and sticking, and sewing like a lunatic.  The big day dawned and I was very nervous as I had not yet had a sale and was feeling a little, shall we say pessimistic about the whole business experience thus far!  Anyhoo we tootled off having previously been given dimensions of the stall we would have we had a trial run as suggested and had a layout in mind.  I had also worked hard and created a large sign advertising my little site that I was quite proud of.  We arrived and unpacked only to find that the stall was about half the size we were expecting and I was also sharing it with a friend. EEEkkk was not expecting that!  So we had to suck it up and quickly re-design how we were going to display our wares and to be honest despite the initial panic we rose to the challenge.  So an hour later the stall was set and we had quick refreshment break before the hoards descended.............. we waited, .......... and we waited.  Alas, they did not come and after about an hour and a half I decided that we needed to make the best of a bad situation and handed out as many leaflets as I could, I even handed them out to the other stall holders!  However, by the end of the day I had sold 5 fabric brooches and three of those were to other stall holders, so I at least made my money back for the price of the stall and may also have a few leads from the leaflets.  So my big day did not go to plan, ho hum so it is back to the drawing board.

To re-assess the situation yesterday I decided to post a thread on a craft forum that I use, that possibly was not my wisest move given the delicate state I was in after Saturdays disappointment.  I was aware that the website needed some rejigging as it was my first project of my web design course and like your first craft project when you look back on it even though you were proud at the time you cringe a little!  However, I was not prepared for shall we say the honesty of some, talk about not sugar coating it!  Whilst honesty is the best policy there is also room for a little tact and diplomacy so the next time you are replying on one of these web forums please be aware that the person asking for advice maybe in need of some truth and also a spoonful of sugar to make it go down!  I forgot my camera and had to take a pic with my phone (reason for it being a little blurry)..

So the plan for this week is to re-jig the website completely still keeping the pictures but displaying my wares in a more business minded way, heres hoping for that first elusive sale..............

Sew sew close!

The fair is getting closer and my to do list is getting longer! I am so, so tired now and will be a little relieved when it is over as I can then get my beloved sewing machine back out instead of sitting for hours on this darned computer!!! (phew and breath lol) Anyhoo like I said preparations are underway, leaflets are being printed, business cards are not because my printer has decided that it is doing far too much work and business cards are just too much. I have just had a practice set up working on the dimensions given to me by the nice people organising the fair and have realised that I have got lots of stuff, bearing in mind I am doing it with my partner in crime who also has lots of stuff to sell. These on the right are what I spend my nights doing in front of the tv they are fabric brooches which I attach to handbags, I have so many now I think I may have a bit of a problem....

I have also been doing a lot of social networking via forums and facebook and am pleased to see a few of you here! It is so much more fun blogging when you don't feel as though you are talking to yourself! lol. One thing that I have found annoying and if I have done this to anyone reading please feel free to shout at me (but not loudly because I am a bit delicate at the moment!) is when you take the time to comment on somone's blog and they don't even acknowledge it, ooh. I know that some may be in the fortunate position of having lots of followers and well I don't, I like to think quality over quantity ;-) but if you don't have the time to acknowledge then don't blog! ok rant over, wish me luck. Ooh for those that asked by the way fair is at Mid Cheshire College in Hartford, Cheshire and is in aid of charity ASAP (African school that the college sponsors). Toodles x

Remember, remember the 5th November!

After last weeks excitement of Halloween this week we have bonfire night a night in which we remember the chap who tried to blow up the houses of parliament! I guess that even in those days there was discontent with the expenses, however, attempting to blow it up was a tad extreme..... Anyhoo we shall be having fireworks, hotdogs and trying to dodge the rain as part of our annual bonfire night activities.

On a business note had a very exciting package delivered the other day my paper bags in readiness for my first craft fair, very exciting, yes I have acknowledged that I need to get out more! I have adapted my carriers as I have insufficient funds to have proper ones printed, lets actually sell a handbag first! Also, whilst I should have been doing website design course homework I decided that I would make an apron instead! As you do. So, this morning has been spent ironing, checking bags, stuffing and packing away in readiness for my first fair. Starting to get very nervous now as I have spent so long (well a couple of months!) building up to this moment, wish me luck! Ooh also, would love to know what you think of apron, not bad considering I just plucked out a lot of bits of fabric and didn't use a pattern! By the way homework still hasn't been done, need to find a cure for procrastination......

Halloween!

Been very busy this week hence no posts! I have now ordered snazzy carriers (recycled of course!) and tissue paper for upcoming craft fair. I have kept the order low in order to keep costs down, so have just ordered 25 although the way sales are going at present I feel that is very optimistic and I may have them for a very long time!

Back to halloween the curse of every busy mother! Big child decided that being a horror buff she wanted to go as one of The Strangers which was very handy as it only involved painting a mask. I was quite proud of the result myself!

Smaller child on the other hand wanted to go as a cat, which involved ears and tail, although she did look very cute! Also, was quite proud of the ears as they stayed on, result. So costumes completed window decorated we waited patiently for trick or treaters..........

This week no bag making as I have been concentrating on social networking to get my name out and about (with moderate success), making up business cards, leaflets and this afternoon the painting of a sign to go on said craft fair stall. Hopefully my next post will not be as delayed as this one. Anyhoo halloween decorations are down and now it is truly my favourite time of year countdown to Christmas!

We have lift off!!

After what seems like forever we now have lift off! These last few days have been the worst, bit like pregnancy. After finishing the last few tweeks on Sunday we decided to go live, however, webhost had other ideas. Last night was spent banging my head on the keyboard, a lot of screaming and shouting and this morning voila it works. Although I am wondering now whether it is a little temperamental and have delayed my little victory dance around the living room until later, just in case. Anyway what are you doing still reading this waffle go and have a look and let me know what you think, need feedback now...... http://www.notjusthandbags.co.uk/ x

So close now I can smell it!

I have been working hard this week on my website and am quite proud of myself even if I do say it myself! Admittedly there has been lots of swearing and cursing, which is why I do it when the kids are at school, so only the house bunny and the budgie to scare. I have created it using a combination of my own html programming, yes I know it was a shock to me too that I could do it. I have discovered that, and am finally admitting, I am a closet geek much to my hubby's amusement as he has been an out and proud geek all his life. It has come so easily that I am starting to wonder if I am the re-incarnated Ada Lovelace! Anyhoo these are the first drafts let me know what you think ......

ooh by the way the image is a detail from one of my bags.

Going it alone!

I have had some decisions to make. I have just finished two wonderful years of art college having planned to go back in September to study graphics it was a bit of a shock when I couldn't! With various government cutbacks the amount of courses available had been cut and those that were still running were not taking mature students!

So two interviews later and although they loved my work and said it was of degree level I had no course! My last interviewer was interested in my bags and said that she thought that was the way to go. After having a few hours of poor, woe is me time I realised that she may have a point. What better job could there be than being paid to mess about with my sewing machine all day?! The current economic climate was such that even if I did lose my mind and decide to return to the office I would find it difficult because there is no jobs. Therefore, the only solution was to launch my own website and to research craft fairs in the area.

My first job was to research handmade handbags on the internet and what was available. Without blowing my own trumpet too much I quickly realised that although there was a number of sites selling handmade handbags a) they were quite different from mine b) they were v.v. expensive for what they were and c) I felt that I could do just as well if not better! Thus my road was set and all I had to do now is to decide on a name, create a website and voila we were in business, literally!

The bag I have been working on this week consist of an old jacket I found in a charity shop. I love the colour of it and it proved quite lucrative as I have been able to make 3 bags from it. The pockets on the front are the original functional pockets handy for lippy and mobile!

Back to College!

I have been finding it difficult to get much done at the moment as the school holidays have yet to come to an end. Whilst I have enjoyed having the kids at home and our time together I will be glad to see the blessed angels skipping back into school!

This week I have enrolled at college on an evening course for web designing. I have chosen to go this way as it will help not only with setting my own site up for my handbags but also my husband has decided to set up his own site, content is top secret! Creating these sites will give me a portfolio of work to show prespective clients should my handbag business not reach Prada level!

Talking of handbags here is one I made. It is a clutch bag I made for a 40th birthday party we went to. I transferred an image I liked to cotton and then machine embroidered over the top. That is the one good thing about my hobby I am never at a loss for bags to match my outfits!