Loulou!

The Lovely Loulou from loulou's Luxuries is here to say hello!

Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

I'm Lou Lou (Kerry to those in the know) and by day I work in a fabulous boutique making people look and feel gorgeous and by night (and weekend and every waking spare moment!) I make beautiful pieces of handmade jewellery with a vintage touch.  I live in South West London with my wonderful boyfriend who is letting me gradually turn the flat purple and pink with flowers!

What made you start?

I've always loved making things, my mum has countless cross stitches, pillow covers, plaster casts and bracelets that I've made since I could tie a knot but I never thought I'd do anything remotely crafty in the future.  It wasn't until last year when I had some time off from the day job and started playing around with beads and vintage bits and bobs.  Low and behold...a couple of months later Lou Lou's Luxuries was born!  And she's here to stay (I hope!).

Do you consider yourself/the business a sucess? Why is that?

I do consider myself a success! (someone has to! haha)  I've not been doing this a long time but I'm extremely pleased with how popular Lou Lou's Luxuries has become and hope to see it continue to grow!  Come and see me in another year and let's see what I have to say then!!

What do you want your business to grow into?

I would love (love love love) to see Lou Lou's Luxuries in a 'real' shop!  Maybe a quaint little shop near a park with beautifully decorated windows and a little section behind the till where I could make custom orders.  It's all a pipe dream at the moment but still something I'd love for the future.  There is also a cunning little plan in the making for some truly luxurious items...watch out for what might be called...The Opulence Range!

Is this what you thought you would be doing when you left school, What were your dreams?

Definitely not!  That wasn't the answer you were expecting was it?  But no way, not in a million years!  I was meant to go to uni, study for a degree in forensics and anthropology and then go from there.  But I am so glad that I'm where I am now instead of still slogging away for that degree.  I am loving my creative side for the first time since I was a toddler and couldn't be happier :)

Do you prefer handmade or high street? What are you favourite shops?

I definitely prefer handmade and make the effort to shop handmade whenever I can.  There is something so special about knowing that something has been made lovingly especially for you.  Favourite handmade shops include the fabulous Cards and Candles for All Occasions - Laura is amazing and card craft adn I go to her for almost all my card needs.  The amazingly gorgeous smellies from One Stop Pamper Shop - such delicious smells cannot be bought on the High Street!  And the absolutely beautiful Girly Bunches and Cupcake JoJo who have helped me to decorate my home!

Links: Cardsandcandlesforalloccassions:  http://www.cardsandcandlesforalloccasions.co.uk/

Onestop I think you know http://www.onestoppampershop.co.uk 

Girlybunches: http://www.folksy.com/shops/girlybunches

cupcakejojo:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/cupcakejojo

Whats you idea of a perfect sunday?

A perfect Sunday doesn't start until about 11:30am.  That's about the time to move from bed onto the sofa and await a delicious bacon sandwich from the other half, followed by a gallon of coffee and and film snuggled up in front of the telly.  Squeeze in a bit of crafting and then a Sunday roast and that's the day sorted!  Oooh and if there could be some sunshine and the scent of fresh cut grass coming in through the window then that's a bonus.


Loulou's luxuries is currently offering 10% off to our readers when the quote onestoppamper in the paypal checkout - This will be refunded. 


Thanks very much Kerry! 

Booties by Dannie interview.

What made you start the business?
I started by making baby booties for my son when he was little and I had friends who asked if I could make things for them as well. 

Do you consider yourself/the business a success? Why is that? 
I do, although I feel that I still have lots to do. I feel successful because I have a fan base & returning customers. I am growing from month to month and moving from strength to strength.

What do you want your business to grow into? 
I would love my business to grow large enough to allow me a full time income. I know that I am limited on how large I can get considering my craft but I know that it is obtainable.

Is this what you thought you would be doing when you left school, What were your dreams?
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I left school so I couldn't really say. I'm sure that with my background that something creative was always inevitable! 

Do you prefer handmade or high street? What are you favourite shops?
I prefer handmade when I can afford it. I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into handmade but that can also make things more expensive. I think my favourite place to shop is TK Maxx. I love looking for a bargain and you never know what you will find when you turn up.

If money was no object, What item would you buy "just because you can"?
I've always wanted an original VW Beetle. It would have to be British racing green with tan interior. On a grander scale I would love a large (5 bedroom) house, on a lake with a boat house, somewhere in New England, USA.

Whats your "secret vice"? 
Shoe, oh for the love of god, SHOES!!!! I think that my husband is grateful I wear a size 9 so that greatly limits me in most high street shops.


And finally, Whats you idea of a perfect Sunday? 
Hmmmm....I think a perfect Sunday would be spent down the pub with my husband and friends, eating lunch, having a few beers while watching football all afternoon - child free of course!


Many thanks to Dannie for sharing with us! I wish you every success with http://bootiesbydannie.com/

And the winner is.....

Comment number 7! superluckydi


Congratulations! Please send your name and address to contact@onestoppampershop.co.uk and I will pass them onto Helen.


Thanks to everyone for taking part!

Sarah from S L Jewellery & Accesories stops by to say hi!

Hello. I'm Sarah the busy hands behind S L Jewellery & Accessories.
I have always had a passion for crafts and a desire to be my own boss
with my own empire but have never quite had the confidence to take the
next step. When I was pregnant with my little boy the desire and
passion began to grow. After my gorgeous little boy was born it seemed
to give me the confidence boost I needed to start the ball rolling. I
wanted to make my little man and my family proud.

What would be a normal day for you?

A day in my life is quite chaotic most of the time. My day usually
starts around 5.00am with my little boy. He is at the wonderful age of
2 and doesn’t sit still for a minute. Throughout the day it seems to
be a mix of quality time with him, the glory of household chores and
as much admin as I can squeeze in usually writing blog posts, updating
the website, contacting supplies or businesses that I can work with.

Once my little boy is tucked up in bed …. the creativity begins! This
is where the toy scattered rooms become a showcase of all things
sparkly!
I love all parts of of my job so much so it feels strange calling it a
'job' I think the most rewarding part has to be the customers and the
wonderful feedback you receive when they finally get to meet the
unique hand-crafted item you have talked about!
Obviously working with sparkly things its pretty fab too!!

What inspires you?

Inspiration is never hard to find it comes from people, places almost
anything. I'm lucky that I have so many wonderful people in my life
and I live in a beautiful place so I never really have to look far for
inspiration.

How do you juggle a family and work at the same time?

Mixing work and family life is one of the most difficult yet rewarding
parts. Waking at 5.00am and having a day with a 2 year old can leave
me too exhausted to work late into the night. I think the key is not
to put too much pressure on yourself (I should take my own advice) and
just make sure that you manage the time you do have well.
If perhaps you don't get everything done don't be hard on yourself
just look at all the things you have managed to get done.

I am very fortunate to have an Iphone so between building towers and
painting with my little one I can check emails and reply. It helps so
much not leaving it all build up to the evening.

Whats new at SL?
Don't tell anyone i told you because they haven't quite launched on
the site yet but we have created a beautiful selection of bridal
bouquets which are an amazing alternative to flowers.
Here is a sneak preview

And lastly, how can we find you?

Please come and say hi on twitter http://twitter.com/S_L_Jewellery

facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/S-L-Jewellery-and-Accessories/94160226703

or on my website www.sljewelleryandaccessories.co.uk

The charity candle

We have just launched our charity candle, it is great to be in a position to (hopefully) help out others less fortunate, and little Ella's story touched me. There must be so many more babies out there that this treatment could help. So 50% of all sales will go to www.therosiecampaign.org.uk towards there 7 million target for a new extension and equipment which will include 2 new cooling sets. 


Here is a couple of photo's of the candle, The pictures link to the sale page where you can read the full story. 

You can also find out more about this great cause here http://www.therosiecampaign.org.uk/ and here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellas-Journey-to-Raise-Awareness/195746520444790

From the Wilde, A interview & Chance to win a Poppy Treffry tea towel.

Competition now closed.

The lovely Helen has agreed to be my first guinea pig.... ahem... I mean interviewee! I hope you all enjoy finding out a little bit about her and her wonderful emporium.

Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.
My name is Helen Wilde, I live with my husband, a Beagle called Bunty and a house Rabbit called Pan in a little Derbyshire village, I launched the online emporium www.fromthewilde.com in July 2010.

What made you start? Until 'From the Wilde' was born last July I was working for Europes largest art publishing house as a fine art dealer and running one of their galleries. After a rather nasty health scare at the start of last year I decided that I needed to move out of the city and go back to the countryside that I've always loved. I hung up the suit, bought some wellies, got married, bought a dog and created 'From the Wilde' - I've always been passionate about contemporary design and British craft, I have a Ceramics degree and had always wanted my own gallery.

Do you consider yourself/the business a sucess? Why is that? Having not been in business for a full year yet I consider everyday a success! whether it be a new follower on facebook, a magazine feature or a new client.

What do you want your business to grow into? a beautiful online emporium of handmade quality products, I don't want to create a mass market of hundreds of artists or be a jack of all trades!

Is this what you thought you would be doing when you left school, What were your dreams? I always knew it would be something craft/design led - I gave up a place at Oxford University to do a pottery course!

Do you prefer handmade or high street? What are you favourite shops? Always handmade, I actually prefer antique/vintage products to new - our house is over 200 years old and i can never resist a good antiques market! (or skip to that matter) I believe in spending money on quality products and looking after them!

Whats your "secret vice"?  I most certainly have a penchant for 'Mulberry' handbags (If my husband asks - they were in the sale... honest - ;) and don't laugh.. seeds! I love growing my own veg, fruit and flowers - I have drawers full of seeds!

One thing you wouldn't tell your parents? a very long time ago I was lucky enough to live in St Ives and whilst there i was arrested for skinny dipping... O the shame!

Helen is offering our readers the chance to win a Poppy Treffry tea towel  Simply comment on this post and tell us what you love best about From the Wilde. A winner will be selected at random on 25/3/2011

And for those of you that either don't win or can't wait till then, Helen is giving our readers 15% off with the code 2222

Time to kick start this blog!

This poor blog has been neglected for such a long time, Starting from tomorrow we are going to publish a series of interviews with Crafts/Small business people. We may even have some fabulous offers for our readers!

I hope you will keep a eye out for the first interview with Helen Wilde of www.fromthewilde.com