A bad blogger...

....thats me :(

I have been seriously neglecting my blog all week and itys not going get much better i'm afraid (well not for the next couple of weeks anyway). I have aproximatley 17,000 words to write before i finish uni.....in 13 days! I think i may need a miracle.

So what with typing like a mad woman, trying to keep up with the shop, preparing for starting my new job, taking part in swaps and sleeping i haven't had much time to do anything else.

Please bear with me - i will start being a better blogger soon and commenting more- i promise. :)

So for now hear are a few piccies of how the shop looks now - its a lot lot fuller than the first pictures!

It certainly is a lot fuller isn't it!

There are some lovely brooches and hair clips by the wonderful JennyFlower and a card rack full of Daisie's super duper handmade cards.



I am now stocking these yummy bath bombs and handmade soaps by Northern Naturals...


...and Martins lovely mum has hand painted these bird houses ensuring each one is a one off Angela original!!!

Daisies fab cards....
...and a coupleof bags i made up.

x x x x

First day...

Today was the opening day of my shop! I still don't have a lot of stock as most of it is arriving during the coming week, even so i think it looks ok so far!

Yesterday, with the help of my amazing mum, dad and boyfriend, i managed to get the shop fitted out and all fo the lighting in place. This morning I was up and out of the house at 7.30 as I had all of the stock to put out before Botany Bay opened at 10am - it has certainly been a hectic few days.

The day got off to a slow start but at 1pm I had a sudden flurry of customers - i could have jumped up and down!

I also had a visit from Sarah Whittle to deliver some of her embroidered lovelies.

Here are a few piccies of how it looks at the moment - hopefully it will be a lot fuller very soon!

On the top shelf are some beautiful earrings from Philippa at The Cats Whiskers...

I love these original canvases by Kim Onyskiw...

And these too (also by Kim Onyskiw )

I love my cake stand full of yummy gift bags....

These beautifulbag charms are from Ooops A Daisy

And these are some of the pin cushions from Sarah Whittle.

I am aiming to profile each of my suppliers on here over the next few weeks... i just need to get a little more orgsanised!

I need to go and sleep now as i have anotyher busy day ahead of me.

Finally i must thank everyone for all of the supporting messages - they have kept me going!

x x x x x

A very quick, quick one tonight!

I've spent all day setting up the shop today - i feel like i have slatt wall and flat pack furniture coming out of my ears! I thinki would still be there now if i hadn't been kicked out of the building at 7pm.

Theres still loads to do and i have all of the stock i have so far to put out - i will be there very early in the morning! As soon as i'm all up and running i am going to profile each of my lovely suppliers on my blog - they are all so nice and make such lovely things!

I am hoping to take somepictures tomorrow of the shop - as it is at the end of the day. I expect it still to lookpretty empty though as lots of things are not arriving until next week and the week after.

I now need to go and sleep as i am exhausted - but looking forward to tomorrow verymuch - i will have real customers!

x x x

Shop Shop Shop

I am sooooooo excited. The last few days have been really really busy ones but i am now the proud owner of my own little shop!

It located within Botany Bay where i have a small unit at the moment. It has all happened a lot quicker than i had planned but when i saw that my ideal shop had become available i just had to go for it. I am hoping to have the shop officially open by next saturday - fingers crossed. Tomorrow will be spent shopping for shop fittings (mainly at Ikea!). I had no idea how much work i would have to do, but i'm enjoying every minute of it.

The theme of the shop is gifts and handmade treasure from across the UK. I want it to be a treasure trove of handmade lovelies! I have found some lovely crafters and suppliers that i will be stocking and i will be posting more information about them on here as soon as i have sorted everything out.

Yesterday i payed a trip to SpringFair at the NEC. I had been planning to go for a few months but it has fallen at a really good time as it let me see lots of new and different products that have potential for my shop. It was a really busy day but well worth it i feel. I won't be able to buy wholesale on a large scale for quite a while as most companies have minimum order amounts of £300+ - its just not feasable for me yet.

I've been so busy sorting out the business and logistics side of things i haven't made a single thing all week :( I need to get making fast so i can have some of my own treasures in the shop!

As well as all of the shop madness i have also found time to pay a vist to Daisie, make a trip to SAMs, visit my mum and dad, clean my whole house to within an inch of its life, clean out the gerbils and the fish and i even slept a little too! I think it is the excitement that is keeping me going.

As i am planning to be open next saturday i want to make a special event of it - so suggestions for exciting opening day things are welcomed!

xoxo

Just a quickie..

I feel i have seriously neglected blog land in the last week :( In my defense i have been sorting out my new shop! I am very very excited about it - it has happened much quicker than i ever imagened. I am going to be a good girl and give blog land some serious attention!
x x x xx

An exciting step forward and a big question!

The exciting step forward
After a few more days of thinking, a lot of research and discussion and talks with various people I am motivated more than ever before to do something about fulfilling my shop dream! I have enquired about rental costs for a larger unit at Botany Bay and am starting to put together a business plan and do scary things like cash flow forecasts! hehe.

I want the shop to be an eclectic mix of hand made goodies from across the country, I will obviously stock my own handmade creations but I really want to stock as many different types of 'craft' by as many different crafters and makers as I possibly can. I see it as being a handmade treasure trove!

And the big question!
I want to see if there would be an interest out there for placing products in the shop on a sale or return basis? If anyone would be interested in in this or knows any who might be I would really appriciate to know about it. I really just want to see if there would be any interest at this stage.

Please feel free to spread the word to anyone and everyone and please leave me a comment if you are remotley interested!

I'm excited!

Sarah
x x x

Mmmm cake!

I don't think i've mentioned it before but i have a little unit in a place called Botany Bay near to where i live. It is an old mill that has been turned into a large centre full of little individual units that are rented out. It is a treasure trove of goodies ranging from home made cards to baby clothes.

I have been renting a small (20sq ft) unit there since July 2008. I stock it with jewellery, some that i make but most that i buy wholesale. It has been doing well and sales each month have continued to increase, which is always good.

Ever since i was a little girl and helped my mummy out in her lovely bookshop i have wanted a shop of my own. I would fill it full of handmade treasures by lots of different people and generally lovely goodies!

The ground floor of Botany Bay is set out like victorian streets, with little individual shops (its sooooo sweet). These shops are rented out also, and vary in size from 100sq ft upwards. I have been thinking for sometime about renting one of these units. There is a minimum term of 6 months, which compared to normal retail premisise is good. Also there is the benefit that the shop will not have to be manned all of the time - handy if i need to go to the bank, doctors, shops! hehe.

I am still very much in the 'thinking about it' stage but i would love it if it became a handmade treasure filled reality!

As well as dreaming about my little shop i have also had a busy evening baking. I successfully made some coconut macaroons.

I was going to make a moist banana loaf but as i have no loaf tin :( i have made banana muffins instead. They are, as i type, slowly cooking in the oven but here is a picture of them before they went in! i will let you know how they turn out.

Martin's at work until 10pm tonight :( so i'm having a quite night in with a big glass of apple juice (i don't really drink unless i'm out) and some mindless tv. He's been doing lots of hours latley - he just got a new job. Before christmas he was working part time for Toys r Us but has had his hours cut down so much, post christmas lull, that he has got another job in an off license, not ideal but it keeps the pennies coming in.

Well i'd better check the banana muffins!
x x x