Q&A: Vintage Lovelies

Today on the blog we have the fabulous

Vintage Lovelies

Name: Sue Price & Jan Patrick

Company: Vintage Lovelies Decor

Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.vintagelovelies

Describe your products: Pre-loved rescued & restored furniture
                                          Handmade Vintage Cushions& chairs plus much much more

When did you start your business? Combined 12years

What inspires you?  Turning something that is ugly into a beautiful piece

What did you do before setting up your business?  Sales AKA boring things!!

What is the best thing about running your business?  Two sisters working together

Why did you start your business?  To much pressure working for someone else!

Your favourite product?  Our patchwork cushions and chairs

Best business tip:  Buying in France 

Favourite colour? Red

Biggest business success:  Opening our shop in Swadlincote
Business dream:  Opening a bigger shop

Do you prefer tea or coffee?  Strong Black Coffee

Q&A: Weave & Stitch

Today on the blog we have the brilliant

Weave & Stitch

Name: Rachael Marcus

Company: Weave and Stitch

Website/Facebook: www.weaveandstitch.com

                                 www.facebook.com/weaveandstitch

Describe your products: Handcrafted handbags and purses made from paper

When did you start your business?  2010

What inspires you?  I like to make unusual products

What did you do before setting up your business?  I am head of art in a secondary school as well as running my business.  I will continue to run the two alongside until I am successful enough to go part time.  I don't envisage giving up teaching altogether as my students make me laugh daily.

What is the best thing about running your business?  I am my own boss.  I really gain satisfaction from seeing the design process through.

Why did you start your business?  I had brought a bag made from tin cans one year for a friends birthday.  The next year she asked for another cool bag.  I spent 6 weeks attempting my first bag.  It was bad…however I saw something in it that made me carry on and develop to what you see today.

Your favourite product:  I like making bags with leather handles, re-working an old bag rescued from car boot sales and such like and giving them a new lease of life by reusing all the pieces from it.  

Best business tip:  Your products should speak for themselves - so quality and eye for design is the key.

Favourite colour:  Green - Very calming and I need calm with an extremely hectic schedule juggling.

Biggest business success:  Making enough cash to totally revamp my bedroom with new furniture and decorate.  Small I know, but it meant a lot that I could buy what I wanted.

Business dream: To make enough money to go part time with my day job.

Do you prefer tea or coffee?  Tea. I cannot even stand the smell of coffee!

Q&A: Alice Louisa Design

Today on the blog we have the fabulous

Alice Louisa Design

Name: Alice Louisa Steele

Company: Alice Louisa Design

Website/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/alice-louisa-design/136585119790631

Describe your products:  Handmade childrenswear with a vintage twist

When did you start your business?  2011

What inspires you?  Everything!!

What did you do before setting up your business?  University - gaining my Fashion and Costume Degree at DMU.

What is the best thing about running your business?  Seeing my ideas and creations come to life!

Why did you start your business?  Because I wanted to create beautiful items

Your Favourite product:  My Pinafore dresses

Best business tip: Look outside the box!

Favourite colour: Turquoise

Biggest business success:  Taking the leap and setting up my own business!

Business dream:  To have my brand known worldwide!

Do you prefer tea or coffee?  Tea please!

Q&A: Titch Design

Today we have Titch Design on the blog.

It's her birthday too, so lets wish her a 

 Name: Rachel Wiseman

Company: Titch Design

Website/Facebook: www.etsy.com/shop/TitchDesign
                                 www.facebook.com/TitchDesign

Describe your products: Unique hand designed products, 100% British designed and made!
Mainly paper related products including greeting cards, gift wrap, notepads, framed prints, memo blocks and gifts including pocket mirrors and badges.

When did you start your business?  Titch Design was set up in 2012 after I graduated from university with a first class BA Hons degree in Graphic Design.

What inspires you?  A variety of things, when inspiration strikes I just go with it but I absolutely love colour!

What did you do before setting up your business?  I worked (and still do) as a waitress…not glamorous or exciting but it pays the bills!

What is the best thing about running your business?  Doing something that I love!  Nothing makes me smile more than seeing the delight on a customers face when they find something they love in my product range.

Why did you start your business?  The lack of job opportunities made me decide to create my own job!  I took a chance and decided to embark on an adventure…I set up my own company and now I'm doing what I enjoy best - creating, producing and selling my own designs.

Your favourite product?  I think my favourite design would have to be my Giraffe - his cheeky grin makes everyone smile!

Best Business Tip:  Just go for it!!  Be prepared to work extremely hard and very long hours - but never give up on your ideas and dreams!

Favourite colour:  Turquoise - hence the colour of my logo!

Biggest business success?  I'm waiting for mine to happen!

Business dream:  To earn enough money from Titch Design to enable me to give up my day job is my biggest dream at the moment.  The big dream for the future is for Titch Design to be truly successful, loved by people….and opening a little shop would be nice!!

Do you prefer tea or coffee?  Neither….I'm a Hot Chocolate person!

Q&A: I Love The Cake

Today we have the yummy I Love The Cake!

Name: Maria Higginson

Company: I Love The Cake

Website/Facebook: www.ilovethecakeshop.co.uk  

                                 www.facebook.com/lovethecake

Describe your products: Delicious and pretty.  Cakes, cupcakes, macaroons, cake pops and cake push pops - you name it - if it has cake in it, we'll do it - and we do it in style!

When did you start your business? January 2012

What inspires you?  Other cake designers who have been in the business for years - Maisie Fantasie, Lindy Smith and Peggy Porschen, as well as everyday pretty items like lace and ribbon!  I also get a lot of inspiration from customers telling me about who the cake is for and what their interests are.

What did you do before setting up you business?  I was a manager in the education recruitment sector for 9 long years.  I love working with people and loved managing people and coaching them through difficult situations towards a positive outcome.

What is the best thing about running your business?  That it's mine.  I still work just as long hours as I did working for someone else, but this is all mine.  No politics, nobody causing me problems - just me causing my own!  I don't earn as much as I did a year ago, but what I lack in wealth, I have more than made up for in commitment!

Why did you start your business?  I always wanted to run my own company and started baking again when I became stressed at work - and it was a great release!  Then I found I was actually good at it and built it up on a part time basis until I could leave my 'normal' job.  I teach in my workshops, which I love, and get to be creative - it's not really 'work' as we know it!!

Your Favourite Product?  I LOVE making sugar roses - I could do it all day - most people think they are silk flowers and are amazed when I tell them I have made them!

Best Business Tip:  Always have a plan that's SMART (the people who used to work for me know this very well indeed!)  If you don't have a plan - how will you know whether you have succeeded or not??

Favourite colour:  Turquoise

Biggest business success:  My first ever corporate order for a national conference in October 2012 for NCFE - a lot of hard work but over 300 people ate my products over two days (and I am assured - enjoyed them!)

Business dream:  Cake and tea shop - no sandwiches, no lunches - just lovely cake (all different types) and tea - maybe coffee and hot chocolate if you're lucky!!  All served on my vintage china.  It WILL happen!

Do you prefer tea or coffee?  Cherry Cola always goes down a treat. Coffee sucks!

Q&A: Sew Sweet

Today we have the colourful Sew Sweet

Name: Emma Lockley

Company: Sew Sweet

Website/Facebook:  www.sewsweet.co.uk  

                                https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sew-Sweet/157239311000016

Describe your products:  Wool felt in 65 lush colours, buttons, ribbons and DIY Kits

When did you start your business?  April 2011

What inspires you?  Bright, bold, summer colours and my children, especially when designing my DIY Kits

What did you do before setting up your business?  Accounts and book keeping

What is the best thing about running your business?  I'm my own boss and can work my hours around my children so I have more time to spend with them.

Why did you start your business?  I'm a felt addict!!

Your Favourite Product:  Hmmmm, very difficult as I love all my products but I couldn't live without my wool felt!

Best Business Tip:  Be organised and know your market

Favourite colour: PINK!!!

Biggest business success:  Having my tutorials and work featured in magazines

Business dream:  To be able to offer a larger range of wool felt, hand dyed buttons and produce more DIY Kits.

Do you prefer tea or coffee?  Neeeed caffeine!! Coffee please! xoxoxox

Q&A: CartoonArts

Today we have CartoonArts with some fabulous quirky illustrations!

Name:  Claire Fulford

Company: CartoonArts

Website/Facebook: www.cartoonarts.co.uk

                               www.facebook.com/cartoonartsbyclaire

Describe your products: Cartoon inspired fine art & illustration gifts and services

When did you start your business?  May 2006 when I sold my first ever painting

What inspires you?  Many things!  Above all, animals, emotions and colour.

What did you do before setting up your business?  I worked as a receptionist for a kitchen company.

What is the best thing about running your business?  No two days are the same and I work on so many varied and exciting projects.  I am blessed t have such a fun job.

Why did you start your business?  It's really a miss-mash of all my skills and passions.  Having once wanted to become a vet as I have a slight obsession with animals, I then moved on to study animation as my fascination with cartoons grew….then when both of these avenues didn't pan out, I turned back and resurrected another passion - art.  CartoonArts really grew from there.

Your favourite product?  Got to be my original paintings.  So much time and focus goes into these, they are sometimes difficult to let go of!

Best business tip:  Listen to your customers

Favourite colour: Purple

Biggest business success:  I guess this would have to be when I was a Young Business Ambassador for The Princes Trust and was invited down to St James Palace to meet HRH Prince Charles himself. Although this was by no means financially rewarding, it was a pleasure to be amongst such inspiring people (and royalty!) and an honour to be a part of such a worthy charity.

Business dream:  To eventually have my own studio-come-gallery at home where I can invite the public in to look and talk CartoonArt!

Do you prefer Tea or Coffee?  Tea all the way.  LOVE the smell of coffee, but it tastes terrible!