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.

A crafty Saturday

Time is flying and here in the UK there was another public holiday.  I started my extended weekend with a visit to Saturday Knits, a new group who meet at Loco Lounge in Kings Heath.

I worked on my Camelile shawl until I got t a point where I need to concentrate on the lace edging. 

Then I went onto Moseley Arts Markets which runs alongside the Moseley Farmers market.

A dear friend was selling her wares & she kindly let take some pictures of her stall.  Karen of The Sheppard's Flock makes some beautiful dolls, decorations & bunting.

                     

What's happening - Part 2

It been a while since I set up my website. But it has not brought the sales I would I of liked. There has been a few peaks in traffic, especially around the time my stitch markers were featured in Let's get Crafting magazine.

My stitch markers are at the top of the page

So I have decided to start again, it is important to have a website for customers who don't use social media. In the meantime I did think about using Etsy as my selling platform but I'm not sure yet. So I will blog with the items I have for sale I and will continue to post my photos on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr and Pintrest.

Drop me an email at poppybead@gmail.com if you want to buy specific pieces or to arrange a bespoke order.

What's been happening? - Part 1

Hi there

It has been too long since I blogged on my own blog.  Before, during and after the Paralympics in London I have been blogging on behalf on the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF).  

Since September I have been planning a few things such as new business cards, doing my first craft fair and building on what I have achieved so far.

My first craft fair took place on Saturday 1st December and it was enjoyable.  I will definitely do another fair at Christmas and another event with Space Hopper Events.

Some of my earrings

The stall on the actual day

Stitch Markers

Stitch Markers

Part 2 of what is happening will be on it's way. 

Look within the flower

The last few weeks have been very busy with Basketball commitments but social media has helped me keep in touch with people and what is going on in the creative/craft world.


Here in the UK we have four days to celebrate the silver jubilee of our monarch.  This for me means time to rest, craft and get advertising my networking event "Look within the flower".  I think collaborations are so important and so I want to share this through networking.  


I do feel blessed to have such opportunities in my life and with my new event I have been blessed that Rebecca from The Creative Careers Coach is going to talk about collaborations.  The blessings continue onto the venue Six Eight Kafe in Birmingham City Centre, who make amazing tea and coffee.


So if you are available on 13th June 2012 from 6pm do buy yourself a ticket and get networking, you never know who you can help and who can help you.

If you haven't visited my website please do so it will give some background to how the name of the business evolved. 

The power of social media

Many moons ago when I was first told about Facebook I never imagined the impact social media would have on me and my crafting.


I think it has a justifiable place in society but some people share too much information on themselves.  They also hide behind social media to be horrible to others.


Over two years ago I joined Twitter and I haven't looked back.  I have been very blessed.  I started making a sock yarn blanket and tweeted if anyone had any spare yarn to contribute to the insanity that is a sock yarn blanket. A lovely lady from the South East sent me some yarn, just because I asked.  I also met a lady based in Liverpool at a yarn show in Birmingham.


There has been lots of information I have gathered from Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook over the years and been able gain some valuable opportunities.
I wanted to learn more about starting a business and what it entails.  Also I wanted to keep up with what is going on in the world of crafting, Basketball and keep in touch with people.


I happened across @Bhamsbc on Twitter, they were advertising business development courses which were free.  So I made further enquiries and I was signed up for 6 weeks. The Birmingham Small Business Centre are a collective of small business owners who are inspirational. They have had good and bad times in business and are not afraid to share their knowledge and experiences.
Through this course I have met some lovely small business owners who I am keeping in contact with via social media.


I have also managed to reach people all over the world who, are interested in what I am making, saying and feeling. I can't always see why people want to follow me but I think that's due to a lack of confidence, but over 800 followers don't see that.

Do check out my networking event Look within the flower - Creative Networking with Poppybead

A colourful year - Part 2

At the beginning of last month I wrote about a colour challenge.  Below is my April project a yellow cushion cover.  I didn't use a pattern, just used my creativity and made it up.

I am really happy with the finished item and it's really comfortable.  

As it's Bank holiday Monday I have been inspired to start May's colour challenge, which is lime green.

I have decided to cover some beads with fabric.  The fabric was given to me by my mum who goes to sewing classes and when I asked for scraps this was amongst them.

Then after having a Twitter conversation with a friend I found a tutorial on how to cover beads.

I have cut my strips and managed to cover one bead so far, only nine more to go.

A colourful year

Three weeks ago I read another blog entitled Mellow Yellow by a really nice lady who designs beautiful sock patterns.  As I replied to Coop knit's tweet I never imagined how important colour would become this year. 

Some of the nice people who I knit with came up with the idea of "The year of colour".  Originally it was supposed to be just the craft of knitting but has now become multi crafts where each month a new handmade item will be created in that month's colour.

April's colour is yellow and some lovely yellow yarn has been purchased and cast on.  Wanting to be different I decided to make a sewn item or a piece of jewellery, then a light bulb came on in my head. I looked through my stash of yarn, beads & material and remembered the mass of yellow material I bought over ten years ago and just can't throw away.  This purse has a small amount of my yellow material to line it.

Saol Photography

I had already started piecing together some Amy Butler material squares that I had won on Ebay.

The idea was to frame the squares with yellow material and then cut another piece to then make a cushion.  Tonight I have managed to get the first half of the April yellow cushion put together.

I will blog once the cushion is finished and hopefully I will be able to share that talents of the people who spend their time with me. As I yawn and think about going to sleep I remember my sexy vesty tank top.  This was the first adult garment I ever finished knitting & it fits me.

A Different Weekend

During September and May of every year for more years than I can remember I would spend my weekends officiating Basketball games.  This has led to me being selected to officiate at the Paralympics in my home town of London, I am so honoured, excited and nervous.  So when I get asked what I am doing at the weekend my answer is usually "Basketball".


Not this weekend, I was lucky enough to win two tickets to the Fashion Embroidery & Stitch, Hobbycrafts, and Sewing for Pleasure shows at the NEC courtesy of Making Magazine on Facebook.

I posted on my Facebook page if anyone wanted to come with me & the lovely PaisleyImmy came back first. After tweeting our excitement off we went to the NEC.


These shows are like a crafters sweetshop and the two of us were extremely excited big kids.  After attending a Business Development Workshop at the Birmingham Small Business Centre, I got organised and wrote a list of the stands I wanted to visit and specific items I needed. Some of my friends and creative peers will be proud to know I stuck to my lists.


I got some lovely fabric and beads and have already made a pair of earrings and a necklace.

I have made this necklace for myself and the earrings are for a friend.  I will be getting some more of these beads as I think they are pretty and each one is not the exactly the same.

The fabric is for some project bags

 

The Russian dolls fabric wasn't from the shows but from Fibre Flurry in Hall Green.  As the weather this weekend has been glorious I thought I would get outside to top up my vitamin D and take some photos of my show stash.

I Went to the Peace Gardens

I hopefully took some good pictures as a fantastic photographer told me lighting is so important.  The Peace Gardens are a little haven in the middle of Birmingham and have given me some lovely backdrops to capture my creativity.