Meet the maker! I so enjoyed chatting with the fabulous Teresa Bettelley of Shirley Rainbow! She specialises in fun, cheerful embroidered pieces that bring a smile. We talked over some strawberry daiquiris about how she got started, the joy of spontaneity, the importance of great photography, the joys of building a network of makers (community over competition), top tips for your first online and in-person craft markets, the brilliant Lucy Worsley, how Teresa likes to spend her free time, what brings her the most joy, and more. Highlights in this episode include: Teresa's top tips for your first online and in-person craft markets The benefits of collaboration over competition The joy of the spontaneity afforded by running your own business Teresa's Website Teresa's Instagram Things we mentioned in this episode: The soundtrack for Amélie Lucy Worsley Teresa's tutorials Full show notes are available at https://www.bookkeepingformakers.co.uk/cc11
If you know nothing or very little about aromatherapy, this is the episode for you! Caroline and I geeked out about aromatherapy, how it works, some of the science behind it, CBD, the wondrousness of plants, our shared joy of connecting through story, natural skincare, some of her top tips of scents and favourite blends, and so much more. Caroline is a Perfumer and Aromatherapist. Seeker and formulator of scents. Grounded in the art and science of natural botanical ingredients, Caroline cleanly and consciously formulates custom personal care products as the founder of Peripherie Botanicals. She is dedicated to empowering others in a shift to conscious, aromatherapeutic beauty that connects the mind, body, and soul. She is also a researcher of olfaction, sensory technologist, writer, and creative design strategist having built a successful career in the fashion industry. We enjoyed frozen sgroppinos in this episode. To make your own, mix 1 part vodka, 1 part limoncello, 1 part lemon sorbet, and 1 splash of prosecco. Highlights in this episode include: What are essential oils and how do they work? Caroline shares her top tips for scents to help combat overwhelm and stress A very brief introduction to CBD for the complete beginner For her doctoral research, Caroline made a robot with a brain-controlled interface to create a live symphony of different smells based on your thoughts! Connect with Caroline: The Senusous Peripheries Podcast Peripherie Botanicals Instagram Caroline's Instagram Caroline's free CBD Aromatherapy for Well-being in Perimenopause Guide All of Caroline's links This is episode 10 of my Cocktails & Chat series, a community-building project for makers to share the highs and lows of business and making and make it a bit less lonely. Full show notes
Temi and I chatted about diversity, business, vision for the future, sales platforms, languages, the importance of understanding that beauty is intrinsic rather than something acquired or consumed, wholesaling, and much more! We talked about the importance of bringing diversity to children's toy boxes - including diverse races, skin tones, heights, abilities, and more. Seeing ourselves reflected in the stories around us is vital at every age, because it helps us feel more seen, which helps to build a sense of belonging. We talked about how vital building a solid foundation of identity in childhood is, so that when we experiment with our looks and our style later on it comes from a place of fun rather than a place of fear. It's too easy to end up changing your identity to fit in if you aren't yet solid on who you are. As always, we also chatted about business and ourselves a bit. Temi currently knows 5 languages! She also shared her top 3 tips for outsourcing production, in case you want to make the shift to being a designer rather than a maker-designer. The importance of market testing and market research cropped up a few times in our conversation, too. We chatted over delicious Shirley Temples, which was the first time either of us had made one. Since we recorded this in April, the drink become a firm favourite in Temi's household! To make your own, mix 4 parts Sprite and/or ginger ale plus 1 part grenadine, garnished with maraschino cherries. Highlights in this episode include: * The vital importance of celebrating diversity of many sorts to lay firm foundations for your children's development. * How learning from past failures means you don't ever really fail. Take sensible precautions in the planning, but don't be afraid of failure. * Things to consider when choosing sales platforms for your business * The importance to Temi of trying to understand others - through her language studies, market research, and throughout life. This is episode 9 of my Cocktails & Chat series, a community-building project for makers and artisans to share the highs and lows of business and making and make it a bit less lonely. 1:28 Introducing Amaris & Chaya 3:24 The genesis Amaris & Chaya 8:26 The importance of celebrating that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes 11:38 Why it's important to bring racial diversity into children's toy boxes 16:12 Temi's vision for Amaris & Chaya 18:47 Temi's history of entrepreneurship 20:06 What do you wish you knew before you started your business? 21:59 A discussion about wholesale and research 25:10 The importance of surrounding yourself as an entrepreneur with a strong supportive networking 27:28 Temi's top 3 tips for outsourcing production 30:43 New clothes and dolls in the works - and the value of listening to your customers 32:20 What popular products have surprised Temi 36:28 Choosing sales platforms for your business 41:08 What Temi loves to read to unwind 42:10 Temi, the up and coming polyglot! 48:45 The importance of family to Temi 49:45 How do you know when a piece is finished? 51:04 Future plans for Amaris & Chaya Amaris & Chaya Website Amaris & Chaya Instagram Complete show notes
It was such a joy to meet and interview Monique Misha Wiles of Amazing Hats UK, who makes cute little dragons, rats, and hats! She crochets them as small as 1" high often using hand-dyed thread by Sophie Abell of The Stitchy Ferret, who I must thank for connecting Monique and me. Monique has been crocheting for 20 years and started her business in 2010 making hats. She then branched into dolls, and now mainly makes dragons. It's a niche market, but she loves that what she makes brings joy to people. Her enthusiastic fans/friends inspire her and motivate her to keep doing what she does. We chatted over a mocktail Tequila Sunrise about business, making, and ourselves. Grab your own drink and listen now! Highlights in this episode include: Misha's journey through hats, dolls, and dragons Using sale dates instead of making to order Building a community for fans Getting inspiration from looking at artists working in different media Meeting Misha's pet rats Connect with Misha: Website Instagram Facebook Sale Group Facebook Page Full show notes
It was such a joy to meet and interview Jacqueline, master graphic designer and stationer of Paper Willow. I just adore her work - I love stationery, and I love her style for my personal correspondence. I could easily bankrupt myself in her shop! We chatted over a raspberry mojito and a blood orange mimosa about business, making, and ourselves. Listen now! Highlights in this episode include: 💌 The never-ending journey of developing your artistic style 💌 The importance of questioning received wisdom - and how you can be so much better off if you do 💌 Jacqueline's experience of someone infringing on her copyright 💌 The psychological boost of winning awards - which are surprisingly long-lasting! 💌 How an idea becomes a card This is episode 7 of my Cocktails & Chat series, a community-building project for makers and artisans to share the highs and lows of business and making and make it a bit less lonely. For more community, do join my Facebook group Handmade Business Club UK. Find Jacqueline online: Paper Willow Website Paper Willow on Instagram Paper Willow on Etsy Paper Willow on Not on the High Street Full show notes are available at: https://amethystraccoon.co.uk/cc7
Join Sophie Abell, The Dye Wizard of The Stitchy Ferret, and me. We chatted about cocktails, business, dyeing fabrics and more, balancing the demands of family and business, and her exciting new projects and plans! It was such a delight to chat with Sophie. I learned a lot about her craft and journey, and I just loved getting to know her. I hope you do, too! Highlights in this episode include: 🧙 Tips for making time for your business with an active toddler on hand 🧙 The importance of running a values-led business 🧙 The importance of building a community to have a good sounding board 🧙 Some thoughts on the practicalities of transitioning your following from buying on Etsy to buying from your own website This is episode 6 of my Cocktails & Chat series, a community-building project for makers and artisans to share the highs and lows of business and making and make it a bit less lonely. For more community, do join my Facebook group Handmade Business Club UK. The Stitchy Ferret on Instagram The Stitchy Ferret's Website The Stitchy Ferret on Facebook The Stitchy Ferret's Crafty Corner Facebook group Ferret Dyeworks on Instagram Ferret Dyeworks Website Sophie's Patreon Full show notes
Listen in to some brilliant insights from Louise Lewis, Nutritionist, as the first guest expert on this show designed to build community among makers & artisans. She shared some top tips for getting better nutrition without spending hours in the kitchen every day, her favourite health podcast, what she loves about being in business for herself, what she finds challenging, the importance of role models, and more. The scientist in me delights at the way Louise provides individual nutrition plans based on testing hormones, gut health, and more. Her goal is to help you have enough energy to do what you want. That could be having enough energy to play with your small children daily, join a wild swimming club at the weekends, or even simply stop falling asleep on the sofa at 8 pm every night. I know that hubby & I have had much more energy since revamping our diet in 2019 to be more nutritious (and to successfully avoid the statins the GP wanted to give hubby). So, I'm now a firm believer in the power of better nutrition and how it can have some surprising ripple effects. Highlights include: 0:00 - Intro 1:44 - Tonight's drinks: Louise loves her teas 3:12 - Introducing Louise and her holistic view of nutrition 5:39 - Louise's maker hobbies 7:25 - How Louise got started in nutrition and her business 9:45 - Louise's thoughts on how to find role models for entrepreneurship 11:33 - Louise's 3 top tips for how to get better nutrition whilst being time poor 17:10 - What would Louise outsource in her business? 18:17 - Louise's thoughts on low-calorie and low-carb diets 21:01 - A few thoughts on choosing alternative kinds of pasta 23:10 - Can better nutrition help with period health, perimenopause, and menopause? 26:14 - Louise's most and least favourite things about running a business 28:28 - Louise's favourite underrated tool 30:30 - Favourite podcasts 32:52 - What we've learned lately and what we want to learn 36:13 - Louise's 12-week De-Stress Method 38:03 - How do you know when a work is finished? Connect with Louise: Website Instagram LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Resources mentioned in this episode: Dr Rangan Chatterjee's health podcast "Feel Better, Live More" Helen Pritchard - Get leads from LinkedIn Complete show notes
Jeweller Chelle Mullen of Storm and Grace and I chatted about all things jewellery, business, horses (and cats and raccoons), eco-consciousness, and gin. Highlights include: 1:05 – Introducing Chelle 3:07 – Tonight’s cocktail – Horse’s Neck 4:13 – Who is Chelle, what does she do, and how did she get started? 5:59 – The joy of running her own business 6:35 – Top tip for jewellery care 7:45 – A common myth about jewellery making 8:31 – How do you go from a lump of silver out of the ground to a ring? 10:14 – Chelle’s most underrated tool in the workshop 12:03 – More of Chelle’s thoughts on starting and running her own business 15:15 – Top choice for outsourcing 16:38 – Chelle’s horses (and one semi-tame squirrel) 20:27 – Inspiration for new makes and how the commissioning process works 22:19 – Our favourite pieces 24:47 – Chelle’s top tip for planning without overwhelm 27:03 – Top tip for an easy way to begin being eco-conscious in your business 28:29 – Music that gets us pumped up and going 29:58 – It’s okay to be yourself! 32:12 – Chelle’s upcoming plans and where to find her online 33:29 – How do you know when a work is finished? Chelle's Website: https://www.stormandgrace.co.uk/jewellery/ Chelle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storm.and.grace/ Resources mentioned: The Design Trust planner: https://www.thedesigntrust.co.uk/online-course/the-design-trust-diary-planner-2022/ Alex Boyé's music: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlexBoyeReal Raccoons Hourly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/raccoonhourly This is part of my community-building 🥂 Cocktails & Chat podcast and Instagram Live series. The idea is to kick back, relax, get to know your fellow makers, and realise you're not alone. 🤝 For more community, join my Facebook group Handmade Business Club UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/handmadebusinessclubuk Full show notes: https://www.amethystraccoon.co.uk/cc4/
Krista of Crystabelles and I had a lovely chat about all things candles, business, community, and a little bit about weddings! She makes exquisitely scented luxury soy wax candles with crystals. She carefully matches each scent to a crystal so they work together in perfect harmony. 2:02 - Why are they called cocktails? 3:23 - Introducing Krista 6:22 - Why candles & crystals? 8:12 - Parrafin wax vs soy wax - candle science! 13:20 - A candle's top notes, middle notes, and base notes - more candle science! 15:51 - The attraction of running her own business 17:23 - Krista's goals & plans for 2022 19:26 - Translating abstract concepts into scents 20:35 - The surprising requirements for legal and quality candlemaking 22:57 - Finding non-toxic scents for personal candlemaking 25:13 - Krista's favourite and least favourite parts of running a handmade business 28:23 - Favourite crystals and organising them 31:08 - Krista's wedding excitement 33:05 - Favourite places 34:06 - The importance of a network of business buddies 36:26 - Podcasts for entrepreneurs 36:55 - Krista's exciting new plans! 38:37 - How do you know when a work is finished? Website https://crystabelles.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crystabelles/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Crystabelles1 Entrepreneurs Growth Club Podcast: https://theentrepreneursgrowthclubpodcast.podbean.com/ Entrepreneurs Growth Club Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theentrepreneursgrowthclub It was so nice to chat about all things business with a fellow entrepreneur; it was world-changing for me when I found Entrepreneur Land and started spending time around others who get the back story and context without my having to explain it. This series is part of my effort to build a community specifically for makers and artisans, so they get that same joy and sense of belonging. Do join in - with these live chats and with the Facebook group Handmade Business Club UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/handmadebusinessclubuk See you soon! Full show notes at https://www.amethystraccoon.com/cc3/
Listen to the Christmas episode of my new fortnightly Instagram Live podcast series! Christmas is all about family, so I chatted with my husband Chris, Technomage and hobby woodworker, about business, supporting someone in business, making, and Christmas over some favourite beverages. We both asked each other questions, so you get to know me a little in this episode, too. Chris has made some beautiful things in his woodworking adventures, which started some three decades ago. He carves, builds, turns, and more. In his day job, he works with computers. Highlights of this episode include: 1:21 - Introducing Chris 4:13 - Introducing me (Sara-Jayne) and my business 6:32 - The most rewarding and hardest parts of my business 7:55 - A common myth about woodworking 9:41 - Supporting a spouse who's running their own business 11:38 - Our chosen superpowers 13:41 - Chris' favourite woodworking tools 15:38 - Fun books & films 18:08 - Building a community of makers & artisans 19:23 - Chris' current project 21:02 - The legacies we hope to leave 22:34 - Finishing a work Full show notes are at https://www.amethystraccoon.com/cc2/
Join Tori, Niki, and me for the first episode of Cocktails & Chat, a live podcast designed to promote community in the UK maker sector. Tori Brewster is The Diaper Cake Diva, on Instagram @diapercakesbytori. She makes the most fantastic centrepieces and souvenirs for this special time in life. Many recipients of her work keep the outer frames as souvenirs after removing the diapers, and I can see why! Niki Swinson is The Sweary Crystal Lady, on Instagram @magikal_echoes. She makes crystal grids, provides crystal healing, and facilitates several networking groups both in person and online. A woman of many talents! Highlights of this episode include: 6:58 How Tori started on her journey to becoming The Diaper Cake Diva 9:13 How Niki started building her networking groups and how she pushed herself to do public speaking 14:45 Sara-Jayne's love of storytelling 16:35 Who we talk to when working through problems in our work 19:46 Some great resources that have helped us in our businesses 23:59 Our thoughts on advent calendars and Christmas sweets 31:56 Projects in the works: Tori's new Diaper Cake Diva Club, and Niki's new accredited courses on crystals and reiki 34:27 Crystals! 41:57 How to know when a work is finished Tori's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diapercakesbytori/ Tori's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/b7fde705e312/diaper-cake-diva-club Niki's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magikal_echoes/ Niki's website: https://www.magikalechoes.co.uk/ Join us having a laugh and an honest discussion about the highs and challenges of business! This is part of my community-building 🥂 Cocktails & Chat Instagram Live series. The idea is to kick back, relax, get to know your fellow makers, and realise you're not alone. 🤝 For more community, join my Facebook group Handmade Business Club UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/handmadebusinessclubuk Full show notes: https://www.amethystraccoon.com/cc1/