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2 Sisters Soaps Handmade & Original

Home of Natural Soaps & Skincare

My name is Louise and I am the sole owner, maker and creator at 2 Sisters Soaps. My little business was named 2 Sisters as one of my (three) sisters care for the business when I go on holidays hence the name was a tribute to her! All my sisters are AWESOME though!

As with many families, we have eczema and dermatitis problems within the family (I, personally, have terrible reactions to traditional ‘hypoallergenic’ skincare). My mom spent time in hospital in the 1950’s having UV therapy as a child because her skin problems were so severe. Hence I have always avoided unnecessary chemicals and it was inevitable to progress from my hobby making fragrant colourful soaps to focusing on more natural products.

I haven’t always made soaps though, I spent the first 20 years of my working life as an Audiologist in the NHS but after a career break I wanted to work for myself and be ‘my own boss’! It was during this period of soul searching I decided I would do some research into creating my skincare business. Little did I know what commitment and tenacity that would take!

I launched my first soaps in 2014 and quickly realised I needed to develop my range which is when I started to branch out from soaps and bath products to skincare and more recently liquid soaps too! I have not detracted from my original focus of ‘keeping it natural’. Our products contain only natural colorants, essential oils and no preservatives or stabilisers. Many of our products are vegan friendly and all are suitable for vegetarians and I hope it goes without saying we are a cruelty free company: Our products are never tested on animals but occasionally tested on husbands!

We specialise in artisan, handmade and as natural as possible cold process soaps made specifically to our own recipes. Our soaps and bath & skincare luxuries are only made with natural ingredients, natural minerals, botanicals and essential oils. We know exactly what goes in our products because we carefully select each ingredient. It is essential for you to be aware that all our products have a safety assessment and are registered with the EU. In addition to this we are proud members of the Guild of Craft Soap and Toiletry Makers (GCSTM). It is also important to mention we never test our products on animals although my dog loves to sniff me when I have used our products! :) Handmade cold process soaps are very different to commercial synthetic soaps or 'melt & pour' craft soaps. As well as the by-product of Glycerin (which happens during the soaping process) we add extra oils or butters to our recipes to ensure 'free oils' will condition the skin as well as clean it! We use natural clays and spices such as Turmeric to colour soaps and pure essential oils for scent and their specific botanical properties. We occasionally throw in unexpected ingredients such as Tussah Silk and goats Milk but we will always label these clearly so there will be never any hidden ingredients - unlike some soap makers out there!!! Most of our products are Vegan & all are Vegetarian friendly! Our commitment to using ONLY natural ingredients in our products are what makes our goodies different. Within the world of Handmade Soap & Skincare synthetic colorants are still used to obtain bright colours which cannot be achieved with natural botanicals and manmade fragrances are used when there is no essential oil alternative (scents such as apple, vanilla, strawberry, coconut and chocolate are not essential oils). If we cannot get our colour or fragrance with naturally gathered or harvested elements then we don't make it! Our high quality soaps have a slight alkalinity which helps ensure the skin is cleansed which in turn minimizes bacteria growth on the skin which can improve some skin conditions. Finally, we do not add any chemicals such as sulphates or parabens or any other chemical 'nasties'. If you have never tried truly natural handmade soap and skincare products, now is the time - it is a little luxury everyone can enjoy.

I currently stock a couple of small shops, Etsy and have an online presence at 2sisterssoaps.co.uk and year on year my little business grows… Cheers to my customers who make it all happen for me!

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#Soap Handmade

Card Arte

Hi! I’m Carrie-Ann and I’d like to tell you about my small business, Card Arte, which I started a few years back after making greeting cards as a hobby for many years. It was a little bit scary taking the leap to become self-employed - part of you thinks, “I can do what I love as a job, woooo!” but then the reality sets in, that your hobby is now work; “Oooh, now is that so good?!” There’s a whole load of paperwork and accounts to keep track of – that’s new! But I’ll come back to this later.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying new things and re-designing old illustrations to make Card Arte what it is today. But I’m still learning and developing my style, which I believe is essential for improvement and to keep things fresh.

My work starts with a blank piece of paper (which is often a little daunting, but I have an idea of what I’d like my drawings to portray) and a selection of colouring pens / pencils. I sketch ideas down several times then draw the final image and colour it using my preferred medium of artists colouring pens or high quality artists’ pencils, which give a quality finish. My work has developed quite significantly from the early days, when I made cards mostly from card shapes & embellishments, but I always wanted to do something more original. I now draw my own images, which are then scanned, printed, layered and select embellishments are used to highlight the design.

My love of nature and animals shows through in my work, and often shows that pattern work, bright colours and flowing, connecting lines and shapes inspire me. The “Colore Modello” range of bird cards is a good example. My favourite bird design “Mulberry” is also used in my logo! Another example of pattern work is in the blank pattern greeting cards I design. Living in the North East of England, I’m inspired by the stained glass work in beautiful buildings such as Durham Cathedral. There is much more to be found at Card Arte though: everyday / special occasion cards, postcards, prints, family character portraits, children’s name illustrations & jewellery.

As well as greeting cards, most of the designs are available as prints –which links to a second page, “Penguin Pebble” (Still a Card Arte page, but it’s little sister – well, it’s little sister that is growing up! I wanted a place to showcase my drawings – something that was more of a creative outlet that had more of a fantasy edge. My love of “geeky stuff”: superheroes, computers, games, books, films is hinted at in both Card Arte and Penguin Pebble. I am merging both pages but will have clear albums to show the change in style.

Oh, there’s something you might not know about me just yet – unless you’ve seen my page before! I love guinea pigs. I’m crazy about those little fluff balls! Their cute little cheeky ways, individual personalities and how they look like little furry potatoes. Haha! Soooo, I attempted to draw one. It came out good. Much better than I expected! It’s still pretty challenging as it’s so new to me, but a few portraits later I shared them on-line and received a fab response – I was even commissioned to draw people’s piggies. This was terrifying – it had to be exactly right! But it’s such a lovely feeling when it does go well, and you receive lovely feedback from the customer. I have been asked to draw many other special animals for customers.

Coming back to my original thoughts about can your hobby become your full time job. There are some days when you just want to draw what you want. After all, that’s why you loved it so much, yeah?! But you can’t. You have commissions to do or a certain style that is popular that you must work on. But you know what, overall you’re always learning and you never know where that commission might lead – it opens up doors to new styles and new ideas, which can be highly motivating & exciting.

If you’d like to see more from Card Arte, you can find me on facebook or on my website.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Card-Arte/251645034874129?ref=ts&fref=ts

www.cardarte.com

Feel free to send me a message at either of the facebook pages or by e-mailing enquiries to [email protected]

‘Nancy, Squeak & Me’ www.nancysqueakandme.com Hi, I’m Sian, the workforce behind Nancy, Squeak & Me, a small business, run from home, creating quality, unique and often personalised creations. I find sewing a very therapeutic activity and great for ‘me time’, which can be somewhat hard with a young family and plenty of animals to care for. My now ‘self-employed’ role enables me to work from home and be around for our 2 daughters. My husband’s job is seasonal and demanding and can be 7 days a week for a large part of the year, meaning he’s not around for those school runs, ill children, holidays etc. So having a hobby turned into job, enables me to work from home and fits in very well with our lifestyle. I’m really not a ‘girly girl’, often found in very casual clothes and scruffy hair, though I feel I express my girly side through the fabrics I love; bright, fun, bold and often with a country feel. I have a major obsession with fabrics; if something catches my eye, I just have to buy it! It borders on an obsession! Fabric to me is like a shoe collection or make up to others. I really can’t pinpoint a date or age that I learnt to sew. I have strong memories of making cross stitch patterns from a very young age and also of my Mum making clothes for me. At the age of 17, while working for a family as a nanny and groom I chose to live in a mobile home. One roman blind was made for the very large windows and it was suggested I copied it to finish off the other windows, which I duly did, so I suppose I can say I’m self-taught! I have always made my own curtains from then on, and as the years have gone by, I have made for others. I feel a huge sense of pleasure and achievement seeing my work finished. But my real inspiration came when my girls started being invited to parties. I felt it was so much nicer to be able to gift a unique, handmade and often personalised present, rather than spending on a mass produced un-personal one! And it was from there that my third (!) baby, ‘Nancy, Squeak & Me’ was born in July 2013. I then spent every night for months on end making my creations. Now our youngest is at nursery 3 days a week I can allocate more time for ‘proper working hours’, as well as evenings of course! My oilcloth aprons were one of the first top sellers, being purchased by family and friends. It was only at the end of 2014 that my hubby (who really doesn’t get enough credit for the support he always gives!) converted one of our outbuildings into a sewing room. It may have been the fact that we never had a dining room, due to the sewing machines and fabrics and everything else sewing related was splayed over the table or crammed into a porch! Having said that, even with my new room, I still have a roman blind on the dining room table as I type! I now make a wide variety of creations, made to measure curtains, roman blinds, soft furnishings, cushions, bunting, bean bags, aprons, bags, and many gorgeous, sometimes quirky bespoke orders. I am very particular about the quality of my work and probably over-critical most of the time. I use some truly gorgeous quality products that really do give the finishing touch. I often get asked to make personalised creations, but with a very non-specific description. So I have to trust my judgement and create, with how I feel that day, remembering that people have ordered from me because they like my work. I don’t make from patterns, each item I design, therefore it means that every item really is unique. I’m really excited about my website ‘going live’. Another platform to expand. It would be lovely if you were to visit www.nancysqueakandme.com. Since starting NS&M, I have mainly advertised my creations through social media. I find networking pages, especially Clearly, Crafty Community, a really valuable tool, to engage with others, for advice and to promote creations. If you are interested in any of my work please do feel free to contact me via any of these means: [email protected] www.facebook.com/nancysqueakme www.twitter.com/nancysqueakme http://nancysqueakandme.tumblr.com/

Featured Bustle & Sew

Bustle & Sew is a small independent English company based in Somerset which offers some of the nicest sewing patterns for small projects you’ll find and a monthly magazine too! Techniques include hand and freestyle (not digitised) machine embroidery, applique, patchwork and quilting and softie-making. Inspired by the countryside, the changing seasons, textures and colours of fabric and floss, Bustle & Sew projects are designed to appeal to crafters of all levels ranging in difficulty from easy to intermediate.

As well as our monthly magazine we also publish a free weekly newsletter, full of lots of useful hints & tips, free patterns, exclusive discounts and so much more! Visit our free patterns gallery and sign up to our newsletter here: www.bustleandsew.com/free-patterns

Bustle & Sew was started in 2009 by Helen Dickson. Helen doesn’t have any formal textile training, but comes from a long line of very skilled needlewomen, learning from her mother and grandmother from a very young age. She loves to create with fabric and thread – embroidery and applique are her favourite techniques, together with designing patterns for cute softies. Bustle & Sew is now a mother/daughter run business with Helen’s daughter Rosie joining in late 2014.

You can find out more about Bustle & Sew Magazine over on our website www.bustleandsew.com. Please also pop over to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/bustleandsew) and Instagram feed (www.instagram.com/bustleandsew) to say hello!

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#CCC #Hearts #Valentines

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https://uk.pinterest.com/clearlycraftyco/valentines-anniversary-romance/ We have been looking for all things romantic and found these beauties. If YOU would like to be featured come on over and follow us on #pinterest #CCC

#CCC

#TiarasAndTiers #Wedding #CCC

Featuring Tiaras and Tiers Angela Franklin

Well hello everyone, I’d like to introduce myself and tell you a little about me and my business.

I am Angela and a good old age of 41. I now run and own an online internet bespoke bridal boutique business Tiaras & Teirs. www.facebook.com/TiarasAndTeirs https://tiarasandteirs.wix.com/tiarasnteirs

I have been doing this now for the last 11 years within the bridal industry.

I am a single mother of four age ranges from 3-16, so you can imagine a busy mad house behind the scenes and very demanding, as well as keeping on top of the house hold chores.

I can safely say, it can be hard to try and find an even balance of work, rest and play but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Years before I opened up my bridal boutique business roughly 20yrs ago, how time has flown, I was a hairdresser and loved every single minute of it using my artistic flair.

The lady I was working for at the time wanted to sell the hair salon so I bought it off her and became a Salon owner in a small village, this inspired me to start making my own jewellery to be able to sell to my customers, alongside all the other service I was offering within the salon. So I did have a little insight into the bridal industry, doing hair for brides and making their jewellery too.

But unfortunately due to personal circumstances sadly I had to sell and move on.... it probably wasn’t a bad thing to be fair. Even though was heartbroken about it at the time, as it spurred me on to something new.

I went on to do few courses in jewellery making, wire work courses, bridal business seminars and tons and tons of research in to suppliers/products/prices. Whilst doing a part time cleaning job.

In 2005 Tiaras & Teirs was born, I remember i didn’t have my first sale until 6mths into launching my site thinking have I done the right thing. I was so excited but quite scared at the same time, even to this day every bride that buys an item I still get that nervous and excited feeling.

Now my business has flourished into something I would of never of dreamed of expanding more and more each year. My aim and goal is to open my very own bridal accessories shop. This has given me the confidence enabling me find new avenues for selling, keeping up to date with the latest bridal styles, learning and new courses. In beading, designing and a better knowledge into finding high quality suppliers in the UK.

To push my business forward in the direction I wanted it to go. Tiaras & Teirs offering not only one off bespoke design but also readymade items from reputable designers including mens wear and lots more.

Without all my lovely customers and brides to be who have entrusted me to make something special, unique for their wedding day, I wouldn’t have got very far without you all. I would like to say a huge and humble thank you for all your support over the years it means a lot that you also have the confidence in me to recommend Tiaras & Teirs to other new brides, friends and family.

Thank you

#TiarasAndTeirs Wedding CCC

New Year, New You

I still can’t believe that we are in Feb 2017 already! Masses of new businesses have been started by creative bods and they have found themselves networking on #CCC. We welcome you to what is a lively and busy #networking page on FB. From what I can gather from PMs on FB and emails some businesses are finding the very real drop in reach hard to cope with. If you have been working on FB a while perhaps you need to overhaul how you share your work? Have you looked at the dreaded stats? Maybe it is time to change up things. Work smarted? Schedule a little more? Get an online accountant to take care of that side of the business? Have you got a really well designed logo? If you have got over 15 albums in FB then in my opinion that should be your max. Have a good sort out and always add prices or prices from. If YOU would like your business featured in our blog you need to PM us on FB for more info.

Our lastest #Etsy #TreasuryList

I always have so much fun looking at everyone’s work over in Etsy. We have got a lively team with fun threads for you to show off your work. This latest Treasury List is made up from people who follow us over in Etsy Land. How do you all find Etsy? Easy to use? Mrs #CCC

<3https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTM2NjIxNzl8MjcyODYzNTY5Mg/catching-my-beady-eye-in-september-2016

I was born and brought up in London. It was noisy and crowded and the pace of life was fast – just what you would think would be a really bad environment for appreciating nature, wildlife and the world around me in general. But I was lucky to have parents who took me and my brother into the countryside at every opportunity and our garden was big enough for them to create a haven for wildlife where we also grew beautiful flowers, fruit and vegetables – so I actually grew up being influenced by both the natural world and appreciating the amazing historic architecture of London.

As a child, I was always painting and making “stuff!” Perfectly happily lost in my own creative world! I loved colour, and I really loved old fashioned children’s illustrations. I would stare for ages at the beautifully detailed work of Arthur Rackham, W.Heath Robinson, and later on Jill Barklem’s Brambly Hedge books, but growing up in a driven and very corporate environment of a huge city, I believed that there was no point at all in me trying to make a career as an artist, so I left school after A Levels and went to work in a series of office based jobs which I hated.

Several years later, I became ill with a long term health condition and had to stop working. I had recently moved out of London to the South Coast on the edge of the New Forest. The pace of life was gentler, and the air was cleaner and fresher, so I dusted off the box of watercolour paints and turned back time.

I created “Twists and Turns” – a collection of mainly local scenes painted literally with a twist. I love the Art Nouveau style of art and the “Arts and Crafts” movement, so I gave all my buildings an organic life of their own. They twist and bend around peering down at the people in the streets below or hold their faces up to the sunlight. All these paintings are designed to make people smile. There is no hidden meaning and they are not designed to be taken too seriously, but the colour and detail I include in them makes them really popular with people, so now I sell them as limited edition giclee prints, greetings cards and porcelain mugs, and hopefully soon as keyhangers and little gift boxes too. I have also undertaken many private commissions for individual people and local businesses which is great fun.

Much as I enjoy painting the “Twists and Turns” images, I also love giving myself a new challenge now and then, so I recently returned to my love of children’s illustrations and created “Meadow Valley”, a colourful, whimsical collection of traditional illustrations based around the animals that live in Meadow Valley and painted with a slightly vintage 1920’s – 1930’s style. Initially quite simple paintings, the collection is now evolving into more detailed pieces and can be bought as greetings cards, prints and canvases, cute little mugs in both plastic and ceramic and lampshades.

I like to think of myself as an artist, but also a designer, and I have recently created an Art Deco design for a new exclusive china company in Stoke-on-Trent – and just look at how they have used it!

All my own artwork and gifts can be bought directly from my website, www.wendybrownart.co.uk and also a few gift shops in my local area. However, I’m always trying new ideas and would love to see some of my work licensed for use in children’s books and on home wear so perhaps one day I will achieve that.

I work in my bedroom/studio with the company of my little rescue dog, Scrappy (a.k.a. The Studio Manager!), but if you would like to ask me any questions about my work, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing me at [email protected] or hop over to my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HampshireArtist?ref=tn_tnmn or my Twitter Account @WendyBrown_Art. I’d love to hear from you!

#GettingToKnow WendyBrownArt ClearlyCreativeCommunity CCC

clearlycreativecommunity1

Launching on 1st August

Let me know if YOU would like to be featured in our new blog!!

We would like to feature wonderful and creative businesses and of course the person behind the scenes. Would you like to write a little piece? You would be featured on FB / Twitter / Tsu and tumblr.

We would like pictures to be included but please make it clear and easy for us to see where you would like them to go in the article.

If you are chosen then remember to shout about it over all the platforms you submit to.

Those hard working EVENTS businesses are also crucial so please also get in touch.

The email we are using for submissions is: [email protected]

2016 is going to ROCK!

Mrs CCC xx

Hello, I’m Diane from Daisy Felts – when I was made redundant a few years ago I started making bits and pieces from felt to keep me busy and use up some crafting stock I’d been accumulating over the years! It soon got to the point that I had so many makes I ran out of room to store them so I investigated local craft fairs and plucked up the courage to book one & I haven’t really stopped since! I’ve also discovered CE Testing and invested in making sure my toys meet the standards required by these regulations – I’m so proud that my little felt characters can display the CE Mark.

Along the way I set up my facebook page www.facebook.com/daisyfeltsshop and try to post three times a day – it can be so hard to think of things to say! Initially I made some stories up with my felties to help fill the page – the outcry when I sold some of the main characters off – oh dear! I’ve now got some permanent little felt helpers on my page (Sunshine Daisy & Baby Alien) who are not for sale! They have little adventures and play games like hide and seek – this is fab to help me with posts and they have gathered quite a fan club along the way too!

I’ve now branched out into the world of Etsy (www.daisyfelts.etsy.com) – it’s hard to be seen on there but there are lots of teams you can join to help you and the effort is all worth while when you get a sale! I’m also on Twitter (@daisyfelts) and love the networking hours like #creativehour that let you tweet your makes and interact with other makers – I normally tweet with links to my Etsy shop and its great to see the increase in views after a busy networking session.

I love how my little felt makes can bring a smile to peoples faces – with bright colours and cute faces, even the adults find it hard to resist them! The bonus is that I get to play with them all the time in the name of product testing – well that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! x

#GettingToKnow DaisyFelts CCC ClearlyCreativeCommunity

August Etsy Treasury List

I really get so excited when I can put these lists together each month. I know it means a huge deal to all those featured because of the delighted messages I get when they realise they are included.

This August we have got some real beauties! All the vibrant colours across fabric, metal, felt, wood, paper, wool and paint.

You get to see all the care and attention these clever creators put into each piece.

To be included follow us over in Etsy. Oh, and make sure you join our really lively Etsy Team.

Mrs CCC x

#etsy treasurylist excited handmade clearlycreativecommunity ccc #etsyteam

clearlycreativecommunity1

Launching on 1st August

Let me know if YOU would like to be featured in our new blog!!

We would like to feature wonderful and creative businesses and of course the person behind the scenes. Would you like to write a little piece? You would be featured on FB / Twitter / Tsu and tumblr.

We would like pictures to be included but please make it clear and easy for us to see where you would like them to go in the article.

If you are chosen then remember to shout about it over all the platforms you submit to.

Those hard working EVENTS businesses are also crucial so please also get in touch.

The email we are using for submissions is: [email protected]

2016 is going to ROCK!

Mrs CCC xx

If you have any #creations for children and babies. Remember to use #clearlycreativecommunity @clearlycreativecommunity #CCC so I can find your lovely work to share x

#clearlycreativecommunity #creations #ccc

#XmasInJuly #XmasInAugust #XmasInSept For all #Christmas makes tag #clearlycreativecommunity #CCC excited to be part of this community x

#clearlycreativecommunity #xmasinaugust #xmasinsept #xmasinjuly #christmas #ccc

Launching on 1st August

Let me know if YOU would like to be featured in our new blog!!

We would like to feature wonderful and creative businesses and of course the person behind the scenes. Would you like to write a little piece? You would be featured on FB / Twitter / Tsu and tumblr.

We would like pictures to be included but please make it clear and easy for us to see where you would like them to go in the article.

If you are chosen then remember to shout about it over all the platforms you submit to.

Those hard working EVENTS businesses are also crucial so please also get in touch.

The email we are using for submissions is: [email protected]

2016 is going to ROCK!

Mrs CCC xx

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