#CraftBlogClub Chat ~ Blogging hints and tips....

I hosted tonight's #CraftBlogClub chat which was about blogging tips and offering advice to each other and this is what went on....

@hugsarefun started us off with this question "I’ve been struggling to get an about page up. I would love any tips or advice"

My tip ~ I would read other blogs "about" page to get ideas of what they include. I'd include why you write your blog.  Write about you but only include the personal stuff you feel comfortable with and include what inspires you.

@FlutterbyButton Be yourself, don't write in a style that is not essentially you. I tried to make mine a bit fun and quirky.
@mypapercrush  I agree - it's much easier (and fun for you!) to blog about what you love.

I agree, it's so much easier to be yourself!

@rosetintedcraft I learn a lot from following other blogs, such as how to lay out posts and extra features that you can use.

Tips on content....
 
My main top tip is to be passionate about what you write about, also include pictures to make it interesting

@IcySedgwick Write posts that add value to the reader's life - why should they read YOUR blog?
@craftsonsea  My main tip is to really make your images Pinterest friendly, it should be your main source of traffic

@CraftsellerMag Write with plenty of personality about things you're passionate about. Enthusiasm is key. ;-)
@DaintyandIvory Although I do love wordy blogs, sometimes I skip them because I never have the time to read it.

@EmmaRuthJones Blog about what you love and want to share with the world, rather than focus on what you think others will want.

@IcySedgwick Remember there are 1000s of others blogging; what makes your blog unique? YOU! So write in YOUR voice 

Photography....

@rosetintedcraft Good photos are SO important! Has anyone bought a good camera for their blogging?
 
@EmmaRuthJones I have a SLR camera but tend to use my compact more because it focuses quickly and is easier to handle. As long as your photos are sharp, well lit and interesting, it doesn't matter what you use.

You will pleased to know that their is a chat planned on 29th July to share top tips on Photography.  I also have some posts coming up on this blog about taking great photos.

@FlutterbyButton When I started, I wrote in the style that I thought people wanted to see, big mistake... now I write as me with my own personality, so much easier and more enjoyable!
@IcySedgwick Write posts that respond to ones you read on other blogs!

Finding Inspiration.....
@CornerofCraft  I find it difficult to stay motivated to write my blog. How do people stay enthusiastic and inspired?
 
I always have a notebook with me for when inspirations strikes so I can look back on it.  If that doesn't work I take a break, visit somewhere, even if it's a coffee shop
 
@IcySedgwick I still say reading other blogs is a good source of inspiration
@rosetintedcraft Taking a break from it sometimes helps. Or set yourself a goal with your blog
 
@eyrea Mind trick: if I tell myself I don't have to, then I will
@hugsarefun maybe take a step back and readjust your schedule. Blog less and create more.
 
@IcySedgwick We could set each other blog topics!
This was a popular suggestion so maybe we should include it as a #CraftBlogClub challenge?

I did a couple of shameless plugs, but I thought that my posts on finding Inspiration and a Book review on Blogging for Creatives would be useful and of interest based on the discussions.

 

During the chat some shared their inspiring blogs of the moment....
 
@FlutterbyButton Discovered The Pleated Poppy today and love it!
@EmmaRuthJones I am always inspired by A Beautiful Mess and Design Sponge.
@rosetintedcraft  I have just discovered http://vanillacraftblog.com  which has really nice photos. The author is only 14!

#CraftBlogClub is every Tuesday at 7pm.  Katie is hosting next week and I will be hosting on 29th July to share photography tips.

fizzi~jayne x

Go and Grow with Enterprise Nation....

I went to another great Enterprise Nation, Go and Grow event.   The focus of the evening was about growing your business globally online.

 

The Panel

All the speakers were great and I made lots of notes from each one, but there were two particular speakers that stood out, Rob and Andrew.  They have successful businesses and I found it inspiring to hear about their experiences....

First up was Rob, one half of Gandys Flip Flops.  If you haven't heard of them, check out their story of how two brothers help other orphans. It's so inspiring how they came up with the idea after suffering tragedy to do something that would honour the spirit of their parents and give back to those less fortunate.

Rob's top tips for success:

1. Make it easy to for customers to refer you to their friends and family.
2. Use social media to get everyone talking.  Everything they do has a story which encourages conversations on social media.
3. Find relevant ambassadors to make noise about your product and brand. They have collaborated with the likes of Richard Branson.
4. Be persistent!

You can read their top tips for success on their website

Andrew from Coconut Grass was another success story, after 3 years he has 27,000 customers! I can only hope!

Andrew started selling through the marketplaces and now has his own website.  Andrew's top tips are from his experiences and if you sell through your own website or, you are thinking of doing so read on:

• You need a full range to give customers a reason to visit your website. Focus on product development, you are only as good as your next idea! Also applicable if you sell on a marketplace.
• When choosing a website builder, choose one which is right for your business
• Websites should be designed to solve a customer's problem. Customers want or need information / to make a purchase / to be entertained / to be part of a community.
• The 4 second rule ~ Can your customers understand what your website and your brand is about in less than 4 seconds
• Don't get in the way of a sale with barriers such as pop up ads
• Think about the customer experience ~ is your website easy to navigate and does it offer an easy and reliable checkout service?
• Photography is important, use detailed and lifestyle shots.
• Keep your website updated and fresh so customers have a reason to come back.

Andrew had the best strapline for any small business about customer service....

Don't behave like a small business, be John Lewis!

It's always reassuring to hear success stories, it makes me feel inspired and think, "I CAN do it!"

Also on the panel were two experts....

Remy Jansons from Ve Interactive gave his top tips on converting online visitors into retail customers. This was focused on those who already have a website but if like me, you are thinking of selling through your own webpage the following tips are useful to know:

1. Replicate offline, online.

Make customers feel welcome, think about exceptional customer service.

 

2. Responsive design.

Content shifts when it is resized from PC to mobile platforms

 

3. Compare other e-commerce technology

If you visit Ghostery.com you can see the apps that websites use.  If you know what your competitors and your favourite online retailers use you can replicate.

 

4. Re-engage with abandoned customers

Utilise online tools to encourage a purchase.  For example, offer free shipping or a discount.

And last but not least....

UPS are one of the sponsors of the event and they had their Director of Marketing, Matt Guffey, to give us his five tips to introduce products to global markets:

1. Do your research. 
Don't let preconceptions hold you back
The global marketplace is smaller than ever.

2. Understand the needs of your customer

3. Get organised
Get a system in place to streamline paperwork.
Ensure the right tracking systems are in place to address any problems before they escalate.

4. Get to grips with the paperwork for the regulatory bodies.
You can visit UPS' website for helpful resources.

5. Be able to send your product to customers, wherever they are.
Make sure logistics are fool proof. Obviously this was an opportunity for UPS to plug their services but using the services of a logistics company may be of value to you.

Final words of wisdom ~ Start slow, get smart and make sure that you take on each market one at a time

This was the last of the Go and Grow series. However due to its success there are more planned, yay! There will be a campaign launch on 31st July with more inspiring speakers, to find out more click here . 

I'll definitely be there, I have found them very useful and I have enjoyed meeting with other small business owners.  They are free events so it seems silly not to take advantage of the opportunity to hear from e-commerce entrepreneurs willing to share their top tips for success, and have I mentioned there is wine and beer available after!

fizzi~jayne x

My month in pictures ~ June....

Well hello July, you took me by surprise!

Thank you June, you were a lot of fun....

The Little Fox Market at Rickmansworth....

The Foxy Café that makes a great coffee/ My stall/ A close up of my stall/ Bunting that was hung around the hall

Hubby and I had a week off and went to Dorset for a few days....

Lulworth Cove/ Something which I guess is for pulling boats on to the shore at Lulworth cove/ Durdle Door

 

We were so lucky with the weather and there are some gorgeous, unspoilt beaches in Dorset. I love being by the sea, it's so peaceful and relaxing.

 

Mmmm, Food ~ Menu from the best fish restaurant/ Mackerel Pate with edible soil and radishes / Afternoon Tea

We went to an amazing fish restaurant, Verveine in Milford~on~Sea.  You pick the fish you want from what was caught that day and then the marinade you want with it.  The food was amazing, the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. It was perfect for a special dinner for two!  If you are in the area and like fish I would recommend it but I would recommend booking.

Hillier Gardens ~ Mermaid glass sculpture/ Bumble Bee metal sculpture / pretty purple flowers

Hillier Gardens are beautiful and there is so much to walk around, I'm sure we didn't see it all.  It was a great opportunity to take lots of pictures and experiment with my camera settings.  I wish I took pictures of the flower names so I know what they are!



Pretty flowers and a glass sculpture

 

Monkey World ~No holiday is complete without a visit to a zoo!

 

Steam Railway ~ I love the old signs at the station

 

The steam train we travelled on to Swanage Station/ A stop off at Corfe Castle / Old cases at Swanage Station/ I love old posters, so I bought these postcards as a souvenir.

Meeting crafty folk....

Trip to London for a Crafty Cuppa arranged by Laura from Bugs and Fishes ~ A sculpture in Hyde Park / Natural History Museum where we met / we wondered down to the Serpentine Sackler Gallery/ I love my red shoes!

Meeting the #CraftBlogClub crew in Nottingham ~ Left to right, me, Emma and Katie/ I came across a Vintage shop next to the station and found these cameras, I was so tempted to buy one/  I loved this shelving unit which was also in the vintage shop/ Katie made me this crochet hook wrap, love it!/ Teapot floral display

New products ~ wall hangings and coasters....


Brand new products made this month, I will get these in my shops asap! ~ Live, Love, Laugh Heart Wall Hanging/ Pack of 4 Distressed Heart Coasters/ Country Heart with Flowers and Butterfly wall hanging.  What do you think?




Custom orders this month for the arrival of twin boys and Serena's 40th Birthday


I've started the design process for Christmas and I received my first delivery of festive supplies!....


I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

Also this month I attended another Enterprise Nation, more of that later....

 

 

fizzi~jayne x



Pssst.... I will be at Harpenden Arts, Craft and Antiques Fair tomorrow. For more details go to my Events and Craft Fairs page.

Out and about meeting crafty folk....

Last week I left my craft den to meet up with some fellow bloggers and crafters.  It's easy to feel isolated when you are self-employed and working from home so it's great to meet and be inspired by like-minded people and chat about my favourite topic, craft!

First off, I went for a Crafty Cuppa with Laura from Bugs and Fishes. I follow Laura's blog and was excited when I saw she was organising these meet ups in museums, which is a great opportunity to visit some amazing buildings and see inspiring exhibits.  I also met Julie and Carina, it was a pleasure to meet such a talented bunch!

We met at the Natural History Museum.  It is a beautiful building with so much to see. However, we spent most of our time in the café, chatting about all things craft, blogging and general chit chat over tea and cake.

Julie and Carina told me about a blog they run with Nicole - &Stitches. Their blog is all about stitching and focusses on embroidery.  I'm in awe of the talents showcased on the blog! The &Stitches team have organised picnics in Hyde Park, I am gutted I can't make the dates but I hope they are successful so they do more.  If you want to stitch in the park with a picnic and meet other crafters visit here for more details.

A statue that caught my eye whilst walking through Hyde Park

Laura has organised more meet ups in some of London's fabulous museums over the next few weeks.  To find out what she has planned visit her blog here.

Also this week I met these lovely ladies ~ The #CraftBlogClub crew (I'm on the left squinting at the sun, Emma is in the Middle and Katie is on the Right)

I was very excited to finally meet my fellow #CraftBlogClub peeps, the founder Emma and co-host Katie. It was so lovely to meet the people behind the emails and tweets.  We met in Nottingham and spent most of the day at the Nottingham Contemporary which is a gallery with a fab café bar serving freshly prepared food in a relaxed environment, if you are in the area I recommend it.  We chatted about craft, business and I also found out that Emma shares the same love for the Tudors, (I love that show I might have to watch the box set again).  We also discussed all the exciting plans we have for #CraftBlogClub, so watch this space....

I hope to meet you lovely ladies again soon!
 

There were floral displays like this all over Nottingham, I particularly liked this tea
pot

I plan to go to more of the Crafty Cuppas and I hope it's not too long before the #CraftBlogClub crew meet up again.  I am also going to the Crafty Catch Up Club arranged by Zoe from Ladybird Likes, this is happening in London on July 10th, interested??  Find out more here.  Hopefully I'll see you there.

fizzi~jayne x

Pssst....  #CraftBlogClub is every Tuesday from 7pm over on Twitter, come and join us for a chat.

Crafty Technique ~ The Gelli Plate....

I love creating my own backgrounds using paints, inks and stamps.  So when I heard about the Gelli plate I couldn't wait to get my mitts on it and o boy have I had fun!!....

The Gelli Plate is a way to monoprint without a press. The first time I took it out of the packet I just played and experimented and had fun with it!

It feels like jelly! but it doesn't contain any gelatine, as veggie I had to check!

I used stencils, a brayer and acrylic paints with my Gelli plate, all of which I had in my crafty stash (I'm still trying to be savvy!)

The acrylic paint is applied with a brayer to give a smooth, even coverage....

I applied paint over a spotty stencil, card is then placed over the top and using your hand you smooth across the back of the card applying a small amount of pressure to transfer the print to the card

I used Buff Titanium as the base colour and applied then applied Coeruleum Blue and white

White Swirl and Blue spotty stencil

After you take the print off there is still some paint left on the plate, don't waste it! With another piece of card go through the same process and you get a second print and it cleans your Gelli plate!

 

By this point I was mixing all sorts of paint colours and the 1st print off the plate looks dirty but the second print looks cleaner yet patchy but you can still be used for a background.

My first finished product using this technique, can you see where I've used it?

 

It seems a shame to cover most of it up but it suited the design of this card perfectly don't you think?

You can also get some cool effects with bubble wrap

I started playing with other colours and a butterfly stencil....

 

I've highlighted some of the butterflies by drawing around them with a silver glittery pen. I've die cut a matching butterfly and I have an MDF frame which I want to use with this, but it is still work in progress. To be continued....

It is so much fun and no matter how hard you try you will never have the same image twice, so every design is unique.

I have so many ideas, what would happen if I used leaves or lace or what else can I use as a stencil??  I have so much experimenting and playing to do, watch this space....

fizzi~jayne x