Love Your Blog: Ugly

 As part of the Love Your Blog challenge the third prompt was ugly more importantly what to do when blogging ugly.

 Starting this prompt is made me think quite hard, being ugly is not always visual.  So for some people someone else's appearance might seem ugly, but somebody's actions can be seen as ugly as well.

 My health has been more than ugly and my issues with dyslexia sometimes stops me from writing this blog.  It also spurs me to write my blogs and contribute to another.  Over 2 and a half years ago I had a knee injury just as I started selling my beaded jewellery at craft fairs.  This affected all aspects of my life, then I was hit with severe cold hands and turned out to be primary Raynauds.  On top of this I have been struggling with pain from endometriosis & fibroids.

These issues have been a real bind and I haven't been making as much as I would like to but I have been concentrating on my website, the quality of my product photography and my online presence.  I am very lucky to have a photography club at my day job and you can see some of my photos on Flickr and a previous blog entry.  I also went to a really good product photography workshop run by Blue Strawberry Design Studio, I think there is another one coming up in June.

With not making and selling came little interaction and then I start a vicious cycle of looking at my stats.  No one is looking at my website, no-one is buying what I do have made blah blah.  So I need to make more of an effort to interact with people and not to worry too much if I haven't had lots of likes, shares or comments.

My day out in the countryside

I thought I would start this blog with a bit of history.  My friend Imogen who makes great gluten free cake introduced me to a group called Handmade is Hot on Facebook.  This group has become a valuable resource in my journey through crafting as a business.  

After meeting other members of the group at my first craft fair,  I met some more members on my birthday. 
Sometimes it's easy to hide behind a computer and forget about interaction with others and possible customers.  Each time I have met other "hotties" everyone has been really nice and honest. 
I can't remember exactly when the discussion started but I wanted to join in with making a blanket for a picnic.   With all good intentions I started a crochet granny square blanket.  Over 6 months later the blanket hasn't grown much so I thought I sew one, that was an epic fail.  
I managed to find something I had already made and off I went to the countryside of Lichfield. 

You can see the house reflected in this picture.

I am very much a city girl and can't drive so don't get out to the countryside very often.  But yesterday I made the effort to go Hottie organised event at Curborough crafts and antiques centre.  With my hottie badge, blanket, picnic and camera off I went.  I took the cross city train line to Lichfield Trent Valley and thought maybe I should of got off the station before.  I was given a number for a taxi and I shared it with a lady called Kiki who was going to play the violin at a wedding, how random?

When I got to the venue I wanted to have my hair done in a vintage up do.  It's something I have never done before.  I really liked it and think I would do it again. 

There was loads to see and so I started exploring and taking 
pictures. So here is a link to my Flickr photostream

There was lots of Hottie badges around and I was really pleased to put some faces to names/wellies.  One conversation that sticks in my head was about social media.      I have got presence on Instagram and Pinterest as I thought they would be useful to my brand and I am rather addicted to Instagram.  House of Harrie Hattie if you want some help let me know.

I had a lovely day networking with other crafters, hotties and even ran into a colleague from my day job.  The music was great and the weather was fantastic.

I have got some inspiration and renewed motivation from going to this event.  Great job Lucy.