Craft and Wellbeing Fair

Well I didn't sleep well at all on Saturday night. So many thoughts running through my head, will the stall holders turn up? will customers turn up? I was so worried that it would be a total disaster but quite the opposite. From the doors opening t 10am right until 4pm there were people there. Carrie and I were so happy and relieved. We certainly put the work in. A local newspaper ran an article and will do a follow up for us and we both delivered a lot of flyer's. this was all in addition to online advertising.

We've booked another one for the 7th March at the same venue just in time for mothers day. We are going to hire all the rooms and have more stalls. I'm going to have to limit jewellery stalls as over a quarter of the stalls were jewellers. My dilemma is that I now know a few jewellery sellers and I'd love to give stalls to everyone but I can't so I'm going to have to book on a first come first served basis. I think we do need more variety this time.

Many of the craft stall holders said that they weren't expecting to make much money as it was a first fair. I was very happy that they came despite their lack of expectation, I really appreciate their support and was very happy that their expectations were exceeded and most made a healthy profit.

Ultimately despite my nerves I knew we could do it and we were right! I'm very happy.

Only two days to go!

I have to show you this...

I know that you have all seen these pieces before but I'm showing off the Photography more than the jewellery. It's the hardest part for me and every now and again I see my photos getting better and it makes me very happy.

A work in progress

It's amazing how much time running your own business takes up. I made a long to do list today and I've not got through half of it. I've compiled a data base of all bookings for next weeks fair, taken photographs of my new pieces (as we finally had some sun) updated Etsy, updated my website, updated my facebook page, visit the craft fair venue and updated my blog. This is the last thing that is going to do today. I haven't made any jewellery which is annoying. I really want to finish the piece below.


It's a little wasp like, made using black obsidian and crystals with yellow fresh water pearls but I like it.

Economy's gift

How cool is it that the recession officially ended in the UK today? What's even better is that today is my birthday. What a nice present to receive!

I'm 28 today and I think I'm going to enjoy it. Firstly I don't like odd numbers, I always look forward to my next even number. Not sure that will be the case when I'm 29 though!

Secondly 2010 is officially my year! I have a good feeling about it. I received an order of silver wire today. I have lots of beautiful gems pearls and crystals but no wire so I haven't been able to make! then once I have made lots of lovely new pieces I can photograph them and add them to Etsy and Coriandr. I've never really given my shops the TLC they deserve. I've never spent enough time doing online marketing but now i have this beautiful Laptop I can.

Thirdly, my first Craft fair is less than two weeks away and I am so excited about that. Organising it hasn't been as easy as I hoped. Last week we had to change the venue as the local council were being very obstructive. I had to practically beg the market department to give us permission to hold the thing and then when they finally relented the charge for a license to hold it was so extortionate that we would have made a large loss. Our stall fees are low because I want to provide sellers with a great venue that wont break the bank. I was paying £50+ per stall before Christmas and making a loss. I'm happier with the new venue at www.thewhitcliffehotel.co.uk It's a lovely hotel, I got married there!

Well I have a half made amethyst and pearl bracelet that isn't going to finish it's self so I best be off.

If you are a seller and interested in holding a stall please email me at apriljaneellis@yahoo.co.uk

New laptop

I am happy to report that I am typing this post on my new laptop. James and our families have very kindly bought me an acer aspire called Alexis for my birthday.

I'm having a little trouble with the A key. It wasn't working properly but I've restarted it and it all seems okay now, fingers crossed! I've become quite attached to Alexis and I don't want to have to take her back to the shop.

So now I don't have to sit on a barstool hunched over PC in the spare room. Na, the A didn't work then. Ah sorry Alexis, you're going back!

Update

Took her back and swapped her. Alexis mark 2 is good to go!

Elegance

More Newbies - Opulence

Aprilis 2010 new collection - Decadence

Here we are, now this is just a taster of my 2010 collection. There will be three collections

Opulence, Elegance and Decadence.

Here's a teeny taster of Decadence

Pieces within the decadence collection are made using handmade lamp work beads, Swarovski crystals, fresh water pearls and sterling silver.

The Lampwork beads are made By Nial at Flame Jewellery http://www.etsy.com/shop/Nial Nial makes the beads and his lovely wife Sarah turns them into gorgeous Silver Jewellery.

Hope you like..

New decades resolution

Like many people towards the end of any year I become very reflective. The instant boxing day is over I look to the year ahead and back at the glowing embers of the one passing. I was thinking about how my life has changed this year and I visited Rachel's blog and she made me realise that we are not just looking back over a year but over a decade.

My first decade as an adult has been incredible. Ten years ago I was in the final year of my A-levels, eight months away from university, I hated school and couldn't wait to escape. A summer job and several weeks of nervous anticipation of exam results were all that stood between an excited 18 year old and the rest of her life. University was all I hoped it would be, although I still lived at home with my parents I had a great time.

Six months after graduating I met James two days before my 22nd birthday, three months after that we moved in together four years later after buying our first home we married on the 25th May 2008.

Somewhere in and amongst all that I met a lady who worked for a cosmetics company - you know the party planning kind. She wanted to recruit me and I was genuinely considering it until James said, If you're going to do parties why not sell your jewellery? Why not work for yourself? That's two years ago now and whilst I may not have had the meteoric rise to success I had initially hoped for I can see that I am well on my way.

The first of January 2010 is the launch date of my newest venture Aprilis Events Management. The launch will be sadly lacking in Champagne and canopes as it only exists in my head and on my blog but it exits none the less. I have sold my wares at good and not so good fairs and I have learnt a lot from each one. I have realised that a sellers perspective is absolutely intrinsic to the success of a fair. Many organisers see the selling of all stalls as the ultimate goal at a fair which of course is their wage for the day. I however will only see my fairs as a success once I have provided my sellers with customers. I wish to cultivate a successful and loyal band of sellers by helping them to make a profit.

I realise that this is a challenge, especially so due to the financial climate. Lets face it, huge retailers throughout the world are collapsing before our eyes. I still believe though that as big business falls small business can rise. This all sounds very grand when in fact I'm a little nervous of my new venture but I'm confident that the only way I'm going to make my life my own is with the stubbornness that comes naturally, the confidence that does not and working my arse off.

Ten years ago in 1999 a 17 year old looked up and the fireworks filled with nervous excitement at the years ahead, tonight she does the same.

Here's to making this decade worth writing about.

Merry Christmas!

Oh boy what a few weeks I've had. Markets all weekend, work all week, normal life squished in and amongst. Tomorrow will be my first day off in weeks and I am soo happy I get to sleep in! Yay!

The markets haven't been very successful. I was hoping to better the success the summer offered me but alas I haven't even equaled it. A new strategy will be developed for next year as I've learned a lot this year, it's been an informative experience.

Anyhoo, got to go, QI is on in a mo and then it's early to bed so Santa can do his thang!

I wish you and yours the most wonderful Christmas

XXX

another year goes by

Once again I had a great time at Ripley yesterday and this time I did make a profit but it wasn't huge. It's a shame because the location is beautiful but just too quiet but you never know till you try! I think in the summer months when there are other events on locally it will be an excellent venue but in the cool autumn months the majority of people I saw were ramblers.

I was in reflective mood yesterday on the way home and I was thinking about how the last year had been. I was so nervous about my first Craft Market at Holmfirth back in February yet by Christmas I will have done 31 market stalls and a few jewellery parties and local events too. I was made redundant around the same time and things were scary for a while. Luckily that turned out okay in the end. I have around 10 markets between now and Christmas and they will really set the tone for next year. I never really make proper new years resolutions but I have a good few for next year.

I honestly believed at the time that 2009 could be my year and in many respects it has been but I was naive to think that I would leave work so quickly. I have learned a lot this year and been forced to accept that this is going to be a lot harder than I had expected. One thing this has shown me is that I can do it. I've never worked this hard for something I've wanted and I don't have to push myself I just do it. The rewards are worth the effort.

Recently, thanks to someone else, I have realised that I would love have my own events management company, organising fairs and such. This would ideally be in partnership with someone else and would really help me leave work. I have a mailing list of a lot of artists who have expressed an interest in attending such an event and I think that I have found my first venue. I'm keeping quiet for now but hopefully I'll be able to get it booked and begin the prep very soon.

You see, I'm pretty confident about this because as a regular stall holder I know what I want from a fair. I've been to successful and unsuccessful markets and I've learned a lot from both.

Here's a little progress report.

2008

2009

Unexpected possibilities.

I can't go into too much detail but let me just say that I am rather happy at the moment. A new and exciting venture has been presented to me and I intend to embrace it. It's something I have always been interested in and if it goes well it could even help me get out of the day job quicker than I hoped!

In other news... I did an unexpected market on Sunday at Castle Howard, they had some cancellations and called me. Crikey it was cold! The wind was horrendous and the stall kept lifting. I was so scared that the rain would damage all my stock. The weather was fine at home but 40 miles north it wasn't. The market opened at 10am and up until around 3pm I had made £6! James and I were so miserable, cold, tired (we got to bed after 1am the night before and set the alarm for 6am) and impoverished. Then between 3 and 4pm a miracle happened and we sold quite a few higher priced items giving us enough for a couple of hot chocolates to warm the cockles and a very nice profit. I have to say that Castle Howard has never let me down. I've always doubled my stall fee at least. I've only got three more outdoor markets between now and Christmas and I'm glad because I'm a big ole wuss who doesn't like the cold. That being said all three are Christmas markets and I love Christmas so I'll love the markets.

I've bought a nice woolly hat from Tesco and some fingerless gloves tonight so I should be all snuggley next time.

Next market is Ripley the week after next. I'm looking forward to it. I had a great time last time and I feel this time will be so much better, plus it's indoor!

Well I don't know about anyone else but I had a great time at Ripley this Sunday. Okay, so I made a loss, albeit a tiny one but as always I had fun. I met lots of lovely people and had several cups of free tea!

The place was great, the people and products were great and Elizabeth, the organiser was great, however there just weren't enough customers. The town was very quiet and the lord of the manor (how posh does that sound?) wouldn't allow much signage to be displayed and what was had to be in black and white. It was Elizabeth's first foray into event organising and I think she did a great job just for whatever reason it didn't work out too well for everyone. I will be attending the next one because it's November and it's in4expensive to book the table and I had fun!

You see something some crafters don't think about is that if you don't support people like Elizabeth who are working to provide us with venues in which to sell they'll never be successful. There aren't enough good fairs out there and I commend her and thank her for giving me the opportunity to sell at the fair.

Markets and massages

I had a great day at Pudsey Arts Market this Sunday but sadly although it was fun it was not profitable. According to more experienced traders October is a notoriously difficult month. The month between the end of the summer holidays and the commencement of Christmas. That being said I am at Ripley Town Hall this coming Sunday along with Rachel and we are both hoping for a great day.

In other news I also had an amazing Indian Head Massage from my good friend Carrie on Tuesday night and people I cannot recommend her enough. You should really check her out.
In November Carrie and I will be attending The mind Body and Spirit Fair in St Helens and I am really excited, more details on that later.

Well it's almost the end of another long week at work, I'm so glad it's almost Saturday (although I have to work in the morning - no sleep-in this weekend!) The weeks just keep getting longer and harder and work just leaves me more and more drained. I'm generally a positive person but all the negativity there just gets me down. I have to fight really hard to avoid succumbing to it, but I'll keep fighting because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and everyday it gets a little bit brighter!

Small business owners club

Wow am I ever excited! I got myself thinking about leaving work today and wow my minds a spinning. I met up with my friend Carrie the other day, I have known her for years and needless to say with busy lives I don't see her as much as I'd like. She is starting up her own business as a holistic therapist. It was lovely to see her talk with such enthusiasm and excitement. It's also lovely to see someone else embarking on a similar adventure. She had been to see some premises which proved to be perfect, once she has them she can start to see clients and the sky's the limit. If your local you should check her out at Lifechanges-uk if you're not local you should look anyway and become a fan on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cleckheaton-United-Kingdom/Life-changes-uk/79697687402. Even if you are too far away to visit you should still visit, she is an inspirational young lady.

The good the bad and the simply gorgeous

I'm feeling a little low at the moment, a little, erm, preoccupied. I'm finding it hard to sleep and I can't seem to concentrate on anything but my business. I just watched an episode of Voyager but couldn't concentrate on it, how weird is that? What's worse is that it's making me so angry that something so stupid could make me feel so bad. Again this isn't something I intend to discuss here or dwell on but when you spend nine hours a day somewhere it's hard to ignore it.

But this is my happy place so that's my little whinge over, it's done.

Oh, I have hugely wonderfully spangly news! I have a brand spanking new website!

Aprilis Designs

It's nowhere near finished yet but I'm not much of a web designer, The design isn't right but I'm using a limited template and HTML eludes me.

So it's not all bad, actually there's a lot of great stuff going on so good in fact I shall use bullet points for emphasis

• My two bestest buds are getting married soon which I am really excited about because frankly it's about bloody time!

• Another friend is about to drop a bairn!

• James has suggested to me a financial target I really need to achieve in order to quit my job and it's a lot more attainable than I thought. I just need a really good Christmas.

• I have met some really awesome people recently through my craft fairs and I'm loving it!

• I have the best husband in the world and amazing friends (okay so that's not a recent development but sometimes you need a few crap days to help you see what's good)

Talk about turning a post around! Well I've cheered myself up so I'm off to get a glass of milk and get myself tucked in.

Nighty night!

Sunny sunshine

Well it seems that this week we are having a belated mini summer. The sky is beautiful clear blue and the sun is beating down. Sadly it's not beating down on my garden thanks to a neighbours overgrown trees! We had about 30 minutes of sun before it fell behind the old Oak trees. However in those 30 minutes I did manage to get some photographs taken.

Fresh water pearl, amazonite, amethyst and rose quartz cluster earrings

Fresh water pearl, rose quartz and jasper wire wrapped earrings

Red agate choker

Red agate and butter Jade bracelet

Pearl charm bracelet with Swarovski, amethyst, rose quartz and amazonite.

Give a little lurve

to my coriandr people that's what ama gonna do today. Etsys listing process is so blummin long and the big C's is so easy by comparison. Back soon
Mwwwaaaa!

So I guess it's Autumn now!

I suppose I should have rolled out some sort of Autumn collection by now but me being me I've only just realised the time. If I turn to my left I can see that the trees in the distance have had very light dusting of gold.

I'm not sorry to see summer go but I am sorry that once again we don't seem to have had one. I am also sorry that daylight is slipping further away earlier and before long the weekends will be the only time I can photograph my work in day light, the best light of all.

Well I just took a break from this post to take some piccys and to feed Jimmy and I found that maybe I'm not soo Autumnally unprepared after all.

Coral and Smokey Quartz

In my head though I can see my winter range, bright silvers and icy blues, Emerald, Sapphire, blue topaz and Clear crystals. A bright sparkly glitzy range to get you through the cold dark winter.

Coral and Rainbow Agate

I've really enjoyed having the last week off and I'm determined to make the most of this one. I can't really say why I'm off but I can say that the thought of going back next Monday fills me with dread and makes my tummy churn. I'm trying not to think about it and when alone I have verbally told myself of for allowing my mind to wander there. Sadly finances dictate that I must go back, and I will, but I do so with a very heavy heart.

Citrine, Swarovski and hand made glass

Maybe I need a little dread though, maybe a lit match under my lazy bum is just what I need, I do feel determined but then I'm like that. My motivation is extreme, one minute I'm not the next I'm obsessive. I would say that I am obsessive at the moment yet in a few days with no new sales I'll crash and feel low. The rest of me thank goodness is a lot more balanced.

Red Agate, Golden Jade, Cherry Quartz, Coral, Rose Quartz and Red Adventurine

All that is not to say that I can't be bothered with the business, I can and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't make jewellery or do something on line it's just that to constantly market your work is tiring, that's why I like it here. On Twitter I feel like a spammer on message boards I feel like I'm feigning interest in others to fuel my career. The truth is that I'm not, I follow way too many blogs to visit each one daily but I do read them, I am interested and that goes for the Tweets I read and the forums I post in. I'm not much of a net worker, I never have been. I've never made a friend thinking " I wonder what this person can do for me" If you are my friend either in real life or in cyberspace then it's because of your value as a human being not opportunities your friendship may or may not present. I want nothing from you but friendship.

Golden Jade and Red Adventurine

I am in real life as rubbish at keeping up with friends as I am in this world but not a day goes by them I don't think about them and when I do meet up with them it's like we haven't been apart.

Golden Jade and Red Agate

As I don't have a market for a month things will be tight financially so I'll have to get more items in my shops soon. My silver order will hopefully arrive tomorrow and I can make more. I have loads of gemstone beads left, I could do with some fresh water pearls and Swarovski to brighten things up a little.

So here's to a productive week and a great weekend. I'm having some friends around on Friday to show off my new garden. In fact I hope my Internet-wary chief bridesmaid is reading this and can make it.

Nighty night.

Aah man

I just typed out a really long post and blogger went bleeuuuuuurr and I lost it. So to summarise

• V. V. Brown and Calvin Harris were awesome
• The Qemists lead singer was a foul mouthed idiot
• The Qemists were rubbish
• The Qemists can't spell
• I don't like people swearing in front of children
• Calvin Harris should have been headlining rather than The Editors who were good but not lively enough
• Jimmy got drunk on beer and haribo
• The photos I took were rubbish
• I had a great time
• Festival toilets are horrible and I prefer tea to beer, yes people I am 27 not 77.
• I'll be back later, bye!

Weekend wonderland

So far this weekend has been relatively quiet by recent standards. No markets to attend and no visiting people. Yesterday was almost completely unproductive, well for me anyway. James screen printed a few T Shirts but I watched Voyager and the biggest loser and made a couple of pairs of earrings and half a necklace before running out of wire. Sadly my silver order did not arrive as expected yesterday, my fault, Saturday orders have to be ordered by midday otherwise they are delivered the following Saturday. I have emailed them asking that they send it next day on Monday. I can't go a week without tinkering!

This week I intend to sort the spare room out. I'm going to do a car boot sale and get rid of my junk. It's a good sized room so with the money I earn I'm going to board out the loft and then eventually turn the room into a workshop/office.

However today is going to be much more exciting than that because today we're going to Bingley live music festival. We went last year and it was good fun. Last year the happy Mondays headlined and although that's not my kind of music they were really good. This year it's Calvin Harris and the Editors.
I'm charging my camera battery as I type so there will be plenty pics coming your way!

http://www.bingleymusiclive.com/

Have a great weekend!

Show and tell

Well here it is, one of last nights pieces. I think it needs a few more pearls. It's red jade (dyed), red agate, coral and cherry quartz on sterling silver with freshwater pearls.

The clasp is a little flimsy as the wire is too thin. I have a delivery of heavy SS wire coming tomorrow so I'll replace it then.

Tea-aholic

Oh yeah, that's what I am. So far my week has gone -Tea - list - tea - list - tea - toast - list - pepsi raw (sorry Jimmy) more tea and so on.

I was planning on taking some more photos to add to the ones on Etsy but I've just looked out of my window and seen that it's raining, again.

Well, this computer chair is giving a me back ache so I'm going to go make a cuppa and a bracelet.

I'll be back later for show and tell.

Need more markets

My next market is 39 days away! I can't go that long without a fix! That means that this week I'm going to have to really work hard on my stores. Blogging, tweeting and posting on forums all over the place just to get a little attention and hopefully some sales. I have been really rubbish at keeping up to them but today I've been listing new items. It's a time consuming process on Etsy but Coriandr is a much simpler process, it's all on one page so there's no waiting for pages to load and such plus its all in GBP rather that US Dollars. Yeah it's great and Rachel informs me that I was on the front page the other day. How great is that?

I do still love Etsy but I very much that I have ever been on their front page!

Artsmix at Castle Howard

Well we got the weather I was hoping for. Yesterday was quite cold but dry and today was lovely and sunny. Castle Howard is an amazing place so I felt sure that if the weather was right, the sales would be great. I'm afraid that was not the case, don't get me wrong I did alright, made a decent profit but I was hoping for more, hoping to be one step closer to giving up work.

In actual fact I am a giant leap, several thousand steps and a 27 hour bus ride from giving up work.

I think that one big problem I face is the sheer volume of jewellers out there. There were probably 7 jewellers there today and a further 5 people selling jewellery in an amongst their other products. That's out of 20 odd stalls. The other problem is that everyone sold lovely jewellery. If it had been crap then I wouldn't mind but it was all great stuff! ;)

The only thing that I can do is work my bum off and continue to gain new skills and hone the ones I have.

I'm also toying with the idea of giving up plated metal. I'm thinking of working exclusively with silver, gold, gemstones, pearls, crystals and lamp work. It's a tough decision to make as this weekend it was my plated work that sold. People generally prefer the silver but can't resist the £5 price tag on my plated bracelets or £2 earrings. Problem is, from an artsy farty point I don't like making the cheap stuff, I don't feel that it represents my skills and I know that unlike silver when plated metal tarnishes, that's it, you can't polish it up so it has a much more limited lifespan. When I sell a piece of jewellery I want the wearer to keep it forever, I want them to know that it's one of a kind and that it was carefully designed and produced.I want them to look at it and feel a little happier, the way I did when I completed it.

As I have said before not everyone appreciates the artistry at craft fairs, many people just want a bargain. Yesterday a lady picked up a pair of £2 earrings made with lamp work beads and Swarovski crystals and said "are these sterling" I replied that they weren't and informed her of the quality of bead and she slammed them straight back down and said if it's not silver she didn't want it. I pointed out my silver earrings and told her that they are £10. Open mouthed and wide eyed she stared at me and said "£10 for earrings?" and walked off. So folks if you're looking for a bargain look else where.

I'd love your thoughts on this. Plated metal, should it stay of should it go?

Pictures from top

1. Rose quartz, quartz and amazonite
2. Quartz and amazonite
3. Quartz and amazonite
4. Rainbow flourite and amethyst
5. Amethyst and Quartz

All pieces on sterling silver.

Tomorrow

I'm back at Castle Howard tomorrow for the Artsmix market and I'm really looking forward to it. Last month the market there was good but the rain meant that it wasn't great. Hopefully we'll get good weather. It is hard to run a business that is so dependant on the weather!

Green fingers pt. 2

Phew, who'd thought digging up turf was such hard work? Actually that phew is James'. He did it all, well i dug up a bit but it was too hard so I had a cup of tea instead. Definitely more me! I did however bag most of it up this morning as I wanted to contribute. Then about 10am I got a call from work, we'd had system problems this week and we have a backlog to clear. So I went in for an hour or so to help out and when I got home it was done.

Now you have to imagine that the gravel was knee high grass and around it was a border with overgrow unloved rosemary and lavender. I hadn't really ever cut them back properly and they were leggy and beyond saving.

My folks very kindly gave us the table and chairs and James' folks bought us the gravel and death to weeds membrane beneath it for a very early Christmas present so the whole thing cost us some bin bags and sweat. Not bad! I realise that at the moment it looks a little bare but we are going to get some nice pots and plants and soften it up a bit and I'm going to scub the flags and get them brighter. The ones to the left are York stone so they'll look great. the pots will have to wait until we have a little more money though. We live in a backwards terrace so essentially the kitchen over looks the road and the living room over looks the garden and allotments which I love. The only downside is that there is a path through the gardens for access so my garden is cut in two, so patio one side large border the other.

I think it's a rather pretty view to have from your bedroom window. It's even better now that I'm not ashamed of my garden. I'm not the street scruff now! Well, I won't be once I've got the weeds out of my gutter!

Green fingers pt. 1

My garden is currently a total embarrasment. James and I would like to pave it and although it's a small garden it's still an expensive job. This week we will endeavor to dig up the straggly weed infested lawn and cover it with Gravel. Preferably slate chippings as they are much more attractive. I'm not known for physical labour so watch this space!