Guess who was in the Paper?!

Me!

 
Bye for now,
Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Merry Go Around: "What are your compass words for 2011".

Compass words are really the words you choose to direct your focus... words of encouragement (maybe) that will help you get through whatever task it is you have set for yourself. I guess not that dissimilar to New Year Resolutions?? To answer this question I'm going to be considering Compass Words that relate to my business, craft and personal life... all seem very interlinked these days!

I tend to get this feeling of change every January, almost like viewing a new slate in front of me... do I continue down the same path, or do I use this time of reflection to try and draw a new path? So thinking about compass words, is in essence something I feel quiet a connection with just now.

1. Sara's Texture Crafts beginner spindle kit, 2. Handdyed BFL in colour DayDream, 3. Merino twice blend - STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, 4. HANDSPUN_Autumn_Lace

2011, has been a year I've not been looking forward to in business... VAT went up, as did many overseas product prices and of course the economy is not really close enough to the start of a recovery. Some would say we are still to hit the peak of this recession and so I came to write about my pricing crisis and 2011 plan earlier this month. I was surprised at the positive response my blog post received (I guess I shouldn't have been totally surprised, but my second compass word will give you a clue to my way of thinking here) and this settled my nerves a bit, allowing me to grow into my new 'Refocused' plan... this is my first compass word.

I guess what comes with refocus is finding 'Confidence'... something I can lack from time to time. I really should consider what I miss by a lack of confidence. I should chase that publicity lead, or have the faith to carry out my vision of a new path. So often I've carried on selling lines that don't really work, because when I come to discontinue them I get a sudden flurry of orders... then a three month lull! That feeling of 'but what if' holds me back and takes away from the time I could be taking on a new line... it's the confidence that I've fully thought it through to a conclusion that might work, that seems to fail me. I'm also never fully confident in customer opinion... I guess faceless on-line selling vs. overrated importance of compulsory feedback and ratings from selling forums such as eBay, have always left me sitting here praying that every customer likes this or that about my products (and by extension me). It's not that feedback isn't important, it's just that you are so busy looking out for anyone that might not be 100% happy that I think you too easily forget that actually, there are people out there who come back time and again. It's these customers who give me confidence and I guess sometimes I miss that by accident... which brings me to my third compass word.

2009 and 2010 saw business grow dramatically for me... for which I am truly thankful and so when I wrote growing pains in the January of 2010, where I was caught in a point of limbo, I found I was in need of 'Balance'. I think that in 2011, I need balance in a slightly less urgent manner... now that we have found a spot to stay in, somewhere where stock stays out of sight after hours, I'm not troubled by the same sense of panic I was beginning to feel last year. I am however, not quiet at that 'zen' point... do we ever find it? (Or are we never truly sated?!) I'd like more balance between working hard and playing hard... I'm not averse to the work don't get me wrong and I enjoy it, but maybe there's a point to which all work and no play makes Sara an unbalanced girl? Maybe if I spend more time walking on the chosen path more over the pretty, little detours I so easily find myself on I will find this elusive balance? I'm hoping 'Focus' and 'Confidence' will help me here! I'm also hoping that they will help me pay attention when a customer pats me on the back and when I get such a wonderful response to my concerned, rambling blog posts... there's always work to be done, but maybe I can have a balanced working life, where occasionally I allow myself to 'bask in the sun of praise'?

So to recap, my three compass words for 2011 are;

1. REFOCUS -  I need to re-evaluate, re-source and revamp existing products... play to my strengths and recognise new pathways, as well as being brave enough to walk away from what doesn't work. I've already started with my Sale and New supplier hunt.
2. CONFIDENCE - To push myself and be strong in my conviction. Also to have faith that sales could continue to go ok (Not to be confused with complaicance), because I have a following of dedicated and wonderful customers... they already do so much to help and so I'm hoping refocus will help me put these lovely people first!
3. BALANCE - work vs. personal life... tricky! However, it could be achievable if I stick to the organised goal list and have the confidence in what I have achieved so far. I don't think working for yourself is ever a 9-5 job, but it could feel more for filled (not that I want to sound ungrateful here, you understand!)... maybe more productive is the balance I'm looking for??

I think overall my three compass words haven't changed much over the last few years... I do think they each resonate with me as something slightly different today.
What will your compass words for 2011 be?
Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

----------------
This post was part of a blog Merry go Around, where I have got together with some friends to talk about a similar subject on the same day... a nice way to meet people!
Laura at Blue Terracotta - http://blueterracotta.com/
Monika at Red2White - http://red2white.wordpress.com/
Ruth at Birdland Creations - http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com/
Kim at Vilt a la Kim - http://viltalakim.com/blog/
Sara at Crafts of Texture - http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/
Fabienne at Easterya Jewellery Creations - http://easterya.blogspot.com/
Mariana at Florcita - http://florcita.eu/wordpress/
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent - http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com/
Lily at Lily Pang Art and Design - http://lilypangart.blogspot.com/
Mitsy at ArtMind - http://artmind-etcetera.blogspot.com/

'SIBOL' - Sunshine International Blankets of Love

Ruby http://rubymole.com/ at http://rubymole.com/2011/01/14/sibol-challenges/ was blogging away one day... and I happened to get 5 minutes to catch up. She introduced me to 'SIBOL', Sunshine International Blankets of Love. I thought it might be quite nice to introduce you to this Charity idea...

So I contacted Sue, owner and creator of this project at http://www.sunshineinternationalblanketsoflove.blogspot.com/. Here is what she had to tell me;

1. Such pretty Squares GillyLilly thanks so much!...., 2. Sandra (Netherlands) Your Squares arrived today! Thank You!, 3. Two Farm Squares. A Cat, and a Piggie! Aren't they just lovely! Thanks bonsall!, 4. I'm in love with these flowers!.......>

In January 2010 I thought I would like to start making Blankets for the Elderly. This would be in Memory of my Grandmother who lived to the age of 103, amazing! She was very fortunate, she lived in good health and very independently on her own in a Bungalow. She cooked and cleaned for herself and had lots of visitors.
I thought the world of her. But I realise there are many Elderly people who aren't so lucky. They are very often in ill-health and in Nursing Homes, sitting for hours not having visitors because families these days lead very busy lives and time is limited for them. It is to these people that our 'Sunshine Blankets' are aimed at. Hoping that a gift of a hand-made Blanket would be like sending a ray of sunshine into their lives, giving them Love and Warmth knowing that Ladies all over the World have been thinking of them.

I asked my on-line Friends on Flickr and my blog 'Mrs Twins' if they would like to help me by sending me 6" x 6" Crocheted or Knitted Squares. Well soon after the Squares started coming in from the USA and then
Europe. I originally had 6 Blankets in mind and I am now finishing off my 52nd!

Then in February 2010 I created the SIBOL web-site. With the help of my Friends all over the World we jointly thought of the SIBOL name 'Sunshine International Blankets of Love'. Just before Christmas I hand
delivered 44 of our 'Sunshine Blankets' to Elderly people in Nursing Homes in the UK.

It was such a pleasure to meet them and to be able to hand deliver personally one of our Blankets was just wonderful. It certainly did bring a smile to their faces and actually it is quite a talking point in the Nursing Homes amongst them.

I have now around 90 Ladies all over the World who have sent me Squares, in 19 countries. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, and Europe. The Squares have been absolutely amazing. This is not only helping the Elderly, it is such a wonderful Group to belong to. We share patterns, help each other with ideas and generally have a laugh. We also have monthly Challenges, this is such fun because it gives us ideas of what Squares to make and it brings the Squares in to me.

When the Squares arrive at my hone I log them all, make a visual record on Flickr and then thank everyone on SIBOL, making the sender their own Slide Show! Then hopefully it's not too long before they see their Square in one of our Sunshine Blankets.www.flickr.com/photos/sues_tavourite_things  (Flickr)www.sunshineinternationalblanketsoflove.blogspot.com  (SIBOL)www.suesfavouritethings.blogspot.com  (Mrs Twins)www.sibolchallenges.blogspot.com  (Challenges)


If anyone is interested I require

6" x 6" (15cms x 15cms)
Crocheted or Knitted Squares
Acrylic if possible
Any Design,
Any Colour.

or of course you can take part in the Challenges.http://www.flickr.com/photos/sues_favourite_things/sets/72157623895296510/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sues_favourite_things/5272112402/in/set-72157625601695743/

If you can crochet, please do take part! This is a wonderful project and would be lovely to be a part of.
Sara x

The Sale will continue...

Just found loads more for the sale, so am photographing it ready for upload later in the week... For club members I also have something special planned!

Sign up now for the February newsletter!

www.sarastexturecrafts.com

Bye for now,
Sara x

Sara's Texture Crafts - Sale!



Press here for Sara's Texture Crafts Sale!



Come find your fibre heaven, with my wool, yarn and fabric sale!

I have plenty more things to list, from kits, books and DVDs, so do keep checking in over the next few months!

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/userimages/SALE(2204655).htm

Sara’s Texture Crafts - Project Tutorials!

Want to know more about fibre arts? Want tips and advice on how to use my fibre? Check out my new Tutorial page!
Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Dear Mum...

Thank you for lending me your pegloom... Have no idea how quickly I'll pick it up, but am very excited and in definate need to learn as I may soon offer these in the shop!
Bye for now,
Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Tinker with the website!

I'm trying to add a bit more depth to the website... It seems to me that selling on-line can sometimes seem disjointed and faceless. I do offer social interaction and learning facilities, but am not sure that customers can really connect. With this in mind I'm working on ways to tackle this and join those missing dots...

Bye for now,
Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

New supplier hunt...

It's always difficult to find new suppliers who will supply a mostly on-line company and in the past my efforts were hindered mostly by my selling on eBay. eBay's reputation for 99p prices and the occasional fraudulent seller and buyer stories have tainted those who do try to make an honest living through the forum. As a result most wholesale suppliers prefer to sell to retailers who are originally, or foremostly 'bricks and mortar' shops.

Now that my own website is more established, this has given me a bit more clout, as it were and an opportunity to be taken a bit more seriously. In fact in the last 4-5 months it has seen suppliers approaching me.

With my current situation in mind, it's prime time to test some of those products and forge new relationships... And so my work begins.

Over the coming weeks I hope to bring you more news and teasers of new ranges/products... I'm also thinking of combining these with launch offers, so do please keep an eye on the website!

Bye for now,
Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

Thank you for such a positive responce.

I really do appreciate your wonderful response to yesterday's post... So often I feel Internet selling is a bit of a lonely profession. It's nice when you get interaction and feedback from fellow artists and customers.

It's given me a lot to think about while I update my website prices today (other shops are now complete)... most of all it's given me some confidence that the future may not be as clouded as I first thought.

Thank you very much for that... it's exactly what I needed. Have a great weekend!
Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Pricing Crisis and 2011 plan...

So I've been working away on my 2011 prices, now that I have the new figure work in and on my system... and I don't like any of it! Can't I ask them to rethink?! Alas, no is that answer.

In fairness most prices increased by the 2.5% VAT increase here in the UK and not really much more than that (which is fine), some have even gone down (would you believe!), but there are some that really have rocketed. These fibres are the imported ones mostly, like Merino and Silk. Part of the cost increase is due to weather and general animal and plant farming increases and effects, and part is due to the massive rise in airfare costs (Ashford equipment suffers here also).

Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) is another product hit by the rise... but is a UK breed, which is odd as other UK breeds have mostly maintained the regular annual increase... I find it difficult to believe that one breed has been effected solely by the weather, or farming increases. Although having said this I do know that not all farmers sold their fleeces last year, as they couldn't get the market prices needed... this led to more burning fleece... such a waste! I want to scream, 'Here I am. I want your fleeces!' With this in mind the large rise in prices can only be explained away by increasing demand v.s stock. BFL is a notoriously hard sheep to breed, despite it being such a wonderful fleece. Grading fibres from BFL sheep can also be difficult as they are often used for cross breeding, so most fleeces can sell as a 'general wool' grade. This is fine for yarn manufacturers, as it has a lower cost, but the luxury wool label. It does however, make it more difficult to get hold of 'more pure' tops, fleeces and rovings for the handcraft business.

I'm flooded with dread to be honest... some of my most popular products are the high rising ones, which I guess is a mirror of the industry as a whole. So there are two things that can happen from here on in;

1. People continue to buy (maybe less each time) and accept that prices have increased.
2. People stop buying those products either vastly, or all together.

Now you can see why I worry... not knowing exactly how new prices will be perceived (dependant on your state in this failed economy) is quite an anxious wait! So what can I do... well, I can either sit here and wait to see what happens and maybe fall into an unfortunate abyss, or I can start planning for shifts in buying patterns. So that's what I'm doing... if they shift I want to be ready! Or as ready as a one-man-band can be!!

My plan for the shop this year is;

• Set these new prices with margin decreases where possible, so that the hit of the price rise is not all passed onto the customer. It means I'll have to sell more to make as much income (I'm still on a part time wage, which is worrying).
• Continue to work with existing suppliers to see if larger ordering patterns will differentiate my cost prices... and see what I can pass on to the customer. Splitting this equally will increase their saving and my margin loss.
• Try to source new supply routes.
• Rethink some of my lines. Some of the slower ones could be removed, cutting running costs to try and recoup margin and sale losses.
• Work with customers to educate and revive other breeds of wool. Maybe there are lesser known/used alternatives to BFL?
• Re-look at my plan of new product lines for 2011. Maybe my 2010 ideas need changing?

It looks like quite a lot of hard work ahead... it's going to be a waiting game when it comes to confidence in my decisions; constantly checking in and watching customer choices and trying to respond as quickly as I can. I hope I can hang in there and more importantly get it right... there's a lot of good competition out there.

I hope to update you soon with initial changes...

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

P.S. Wow, I almost sound business-like!

Knitting finished, now assembly

I've finished both sets of stripes now. I just need to sew them together and decide on how to fill it.

Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

I've also discovered the Lucet!

Well, not discovered the craft, but rather discovered the need for it in my life!





This was bought as a Christmas gift for me from www.thelucet.co.uk a company I came across at Westpoint's last craft show (Exeter).





I've given it a go and can see that once mastered it could become very addictive... Perfect to use my finer hand spun yarns to make friendship bracelets! And a brilliant craft to do when I'm on holiday... In fact D might not even notice me sneeking this in with my hand luggage!!

Bye for now,
Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

Deciding what to grow vs. Hunger pangs!

It's so exciting this time of year... As I get to start planning the seeds and seedlings I'll buy for this year's garden.


This is where my stomach (and D's) rules the planning!

I usually start with a cook book or two, like this pickles book to see what tickles the taste buds.


Once we've drooled enough I get out the vegetable books... Like this great little book that helps you to view crop planting as a floral and foliage beauty, not just a basic veg patch principle.


I think it's perfect for people like me who don't have gardens... Two birds and one stone as it were!

Now to keep an eye on the garden centres and farmers markets...

Bye for now,
Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

I also started a new project

To be honest I've not done much more than a bit of knitting during my time off.


My current Wip is a draft excluder for the living room... D says it'll be Summer before I finish (cheeky boy)... He might be right at this rate, but I'm enjoying knitting stripes and need to update my Ravelry projects with the pattern.

I hope to show you what it looks like finished... Soon!
Bye for now,
Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

I'm holding 2010 prices for as long as I can!

VAT now at 20% here in the UK, as well as rising wool prices make a difficult January. So to try and help as much as I can I'm planning to hold 2010 prices across the board until my current stocks run out. My advice is buy now, as it's going fast!

Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

Handspun Samples

Whilst I was away...


I knitted up a few samples from my handspun yarns. This is my first knit test with a ply of wool against a ply of cotton. It has a lovely feel to it... Now I'm planning lots more spindle yarns like this for the shop.

Bye for now,
Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com

Happy 2011... Sara's Texture Crafts is back today!

A bit slow on my feet, but enthusiastic for another fibre filled year!

The website is open and shipping starts today, so if you need anything let me know.

Bye for now,
Sara x
Www.sarastexturecrafts.com