The Handmade Emporium wants you to get to know the concession holders a
little better so we have got them all to fill in a little questionnaire for us.
First up is Melissa from Your Handmade Home
Name: Melissa Davin-Smith
Company: Your Handmade Home
Website/Facebook: www.yourhandmadehome.co.uk www.facebook.com/yourhandmadehome
Describe your products: I make quirky vintage style and modern home wares and accessories. Placemats/coasters/napkins screen printed onto luxurious linen, tea/coffee/egg cosies in Liberty Print fabrics and featuring free hand machine embroidery and much more.
When did you start your business? I started crafting in late 2011 and started Your Handmade Home in January 2012.
What inspires you? I am inspired by nature, architecture, vintage designs and get most of my ideas walking around Cornwall or Spain on holiday.
What did you do before starting your business? I ran my dads flooring company after I finished school and was known for fitting the flooring as well as just selling it!
What is the best thing about running your business? I love the freedom it gives me to set my own hours and enable me to work from home and from my little studio in the basement of my dads shop - I've always wanted my own studio!
Why did you start your business? I took a 6 month break after leaving my dads company and my creative side started to develop. I found myself sketching more and more and after a holiday to a craft hotel I caught the crafting bug! I started to make more and more homewares and Your Handmade Home was born!
Your favourite product? I would say my tea cosies, but I adore my stitched pictures at the moment
Best business tip: Photographs!! They have to be perfect and investing in a tripod, light box and a decent camera are the best things I ever did!
Favourite colour: Sage green - though it used to be purple and I'm quite partial to grey at the moment!!
Biggest business success: I'd have to say winning the local Retail Factor Competition run by The Mall in Sutton Coldfield in 2012 was amazing!!!!
Business dream: Not world domination!! :) But just to have a steady stream of orders and time to create new designs.
Tea or Coffee? Mmmmmm.........I love both!! I have a cup of coffee in the morning and White Tea for the rest of the day - Milk and one sugar please!!
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