Tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, my name is Laura, I'm 29 and a stay at home Mum to my two girls Zoe 3 and Isabelle 1. I live in Myrtleford in the beautiful Alpine region of north east Victoria. My husband and I have been living here for 18 months now and have recently purchased a house and are starting renovations. My family have always lived in the area and this is the one place I really feel 'at home'. My previous employment has been in the Thoroughbred racing industry and more recently as a Duty Manager at a hotel. Which is completely removed from the crafting world. My first job straight out of high school was working as a seamstress making school uniforms. I thought this would be a great way to blend work and craft. But I was very wrong. Doing the same job 100 times a day, 5 days a week is actually quite boring. But it did teach me how to sew without using pins.
Can you explain your craft/art and the material you like to use? I make nappy wallets, children's clothing and the occasional bag or purse. I love designer cotton fabrics, in particular the Japanese made ones. I'm amassing quite a collection. I also have a major paper addiction, and have been collecting beautiful paper for around 10 years. I'm hoping to branch out into paper crafts a little later this year.
Where do you get your inspiration and what is your creative process? I usually start with the fabric first and then let that inspire me. I have had some fabric for 6 months now just waiting for me to have that light bulb moment. Positive customer feedback is a huge inspiration for me also. It's great to know that what you're doing is appreciated and loved by some one else.
My creative process is pretty simple. I get an idea and just give it a go. I usually like make a test run from cheap fabric or fabric given to me. It's important to me that the pattern is tested before I sell, as I have 2 girls they try my clothes first or it is given away as a gifts.
How long have you been creating and how did you get into craft/art? Crafting has been a passion since I was very young. I have fond memories as a child sitting by the open fire on the family farm with my Grandmother, Mum and Auntie all crafting well into the evening. I started out doing mostly cross stitch and embroidery when I was younger. I then started making a few things on the sewing machine. After working as a seamstress I didn't touch a sewing machine for nearly 10 years. Until my Auntie finished using my grandmothers sewing machine and passed it on to me early last year. I haven't looked back since. I've also always had a love of beautiful paper.
How did you come up with your business name? I wanted something to reflect my inspiration for starting this adventure which was my girls. The Z is for Zoe and the B is for Belle (Isabelle). I also wanted something that was gender neutral and not too childish. It also had to be craft neutral so that I can go into other areas of crafting.
What resources 'have or do you' use to help your creative pursuits (i.e. groups, classes, shops, websites etc)?
The madeit forums are an excellent starting point. Getting to know other madeit sellers has been a great help. There is a wealth of information in them and I value their input greatly. There are also some informative blogs like meylah.com/blog who has some great tips for when you're starting out. Also a newly formed facebook fanpage The Contemporary Handmade Alliance is a great place to reach out to other crafters for information, feedback and ask any questions you may have.
What's your best advice for someone starting up?
Just do it! It's an amazing journey. Nothing beats the feeling of getting your first sale and your first thank you email. But I would definitely start out small and see how it goes. You don't want to spend a fortune and not sell anything. And be patient. I have found there seems to be times when things are selling out quicker than I can make them. And then other times I sell nothing for weeks and weeks.
Do you have any advertising/promotion tips for sellers to be successful?
I make something for all my friends and family. I also try to participate in giveaways and promos where possible. Starting a facebook fanpage is another platform to promote your wares. I cannot emphasise enough getting to know other madeit sellers. I have had a lot of sales from fellow madeit sellers. Helping each other out by cross promoting on facebook is another way to help spread the word about madeit and handmade. Social networking sites are free, so use them to your advantage.
Another one is clear photos. I don't profess to be an amazing photographer, but being able to accurately portray the item you want to sell is very important. Buying over the internet is a lot different to purchasing in a shop. Nothing is more disappointing to purchase something that is nothing like the photo or bigger/smaller than you thought.
Can you share any lessons that you have learned the hard way? Do your research before jumping into wholesale. I was over eager to please a client and drastically reduced my prices to get the sale. I only just managed to cover the costs of materials at the end of the day. I never came close to covering the 3-4 hours of cutting, sewing and hand embroidering per item. Set your prices and stick to your guns.
What do you like to do besides creating? I love to get out in the great outdoors by jogging, bushwalking & camping. When I get the chance I also snow ski and water ski. I'm also just getting into photography after recently being given a digital SLR as a present. My new mantra is 'learn to use aperature'.
What is your favourite music, television show, film, book, website? Music - Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Coldplay & Powderfinger TV - Survivor, Star Trek, Band of Brothers & Buffy Film - Sense & Sensibility, The English Patient & The Shawshank Redemption Books - Seabiscuit, Uriels Machine, Memoirs of a Geisha Website - madeit! crafting blogs, ebay and Facebook
What would be your perfect day?
Camping in one of Australia's beautiful National Parks with my Husband and kids. I can't wait to visit Tasmania later on this year.
Who is one of your favourite madeit seller, explain why in less than 10 words? Bliss Clips - Gorgeous hair accessories for little ladies. I'm a huge fan.
