Summer Round Up

August was a really busy month here at Embroidered Originals. We had the three weeks at the West End Craft Fair during the Edinburgh Festival, and I'm delighted to say it turned out to be our best ever. Even more delighted as this appeared to be the case with almost every other exhibitor I spoke to. The weather had a hand in it - hardly any rain and lots of wall to wall sunshine. Couldn't ask for more.

That of course kept us working hard to maintain stock levels and also keep up with the orders coming in from our stockists, not to mention the website. Phew.

Talking of which I discovered a steep rise in online orders on the last weekend of the Fair, and after some detective work traced it to a little piece about us which had appeared in the Daily Record ( unknown to me). Thanks to a few kind words by Scottish comedian Craig Hill we received as many orders in half an hour that Saturday afternoon as we normally do in a week!

After all that you'd think we deserved a holiday but not this year. The day after we packed up in Edinburgh a convoy of builder's vehicles arrived and work started on our long planned extension to make a large kitchen/ diner. Exciting.

So far we've managed to continue working in the house without any disruption although it will change in a week or two when they start to tear down the connecting wall.....

I did manage to grab a small treat now and again though.

And we had a fantastic family get together last weekend with four generations all together for a few days.

More news soon with a the possibility of some VERY EXCITING NEWS FOR EMBROIDERED ORIGINALS. - I'll keep you posted. 

Meanwhile, coffee over it's back to work. Bye for now.

Hello Again

It's been a wee while since I sat down and wrote something on this blog.
I think  a lot of bloggers take a break during the summer, usually because they are off on holiday, but we are in the throes of our silly season now, and time is a joke.
What have I been doing lately?
Well, a massive clearout for one. Three van loads of "stuff" have been taken to the recycling centre and charity shop and the house seems so much lighter and airier. So is my head, but then that's probably because my brain went in the van too.
Old suitcases, mattresses, videos, computer from a different age, broken furniture, old clothes... you know the kind of thing. Upstairs is now tidy, fresh and clean. Love it.
This is all because daughter is coming home for a few days soon and she is quite badly allergic to dust, as well as cats and pollen.

This is our business van loaded for a craft fair but I borrowed the photo to show just how much stuff can be accommodated in it. And it was three loads this size we got rid of.
Now I've just got to remove the dust of months from the downstairs and we're all ready.
Actually that pic of the van was pinched from last year's blog about the West End Craft Fair.

I can't believe that it's nearly upon us once more. By that I mean the Craft and Design Fair which is held in Edinburgh during the Festival and which is open seven days a week for three weeks.

This was our stand last year just as we were about to start setting it up.

It doesn't look much at this stage - just a shabby little wooden chalet. But after a few hours of hard labour it turns into this.

Then Bob climbs into the cockpit and away we go for three weeks. What I mean is he makes the round trip to Edinburgh each day, rain or shine, and spends the day sitting behind the stand and selling (hopefully). While I am at home making stock for the next day. Team work, and after ten years at least of this routine, we've got it all sussed out.

Yes but I'm not only making stock for the next day, I'm making up orders for our trade customers and keeping our own shop open. Not to mention the website and mail orders.

And Bob isn't just sitting behind the stand either, oh no, he takes piles of cards with him to paint and finish off.

So it's all go.

Despite the panic we're intending taking a couple of days off when Laura is here and having a bit of a life. I hope the weather is decent and we can get away into the hills or coast or somewhere. I think Laura would appreciate that as she misses the scottish hills in Hertfordshire.

Oh and the website....

Mmmm, it's taking longer than I would have liked but already there is a whole host of new designs added. And I've been moving things around a bit to make navigating simpler. Well it will be simpler when it's finished and much needed, as there are now more than three hundred products listed with almost as many again still to be added!

I've had some lovely comments and feedback from some of our regular customers, and they seem to think it's working well. I've added a Craft Market area to the site, where there will be a selection of products not made by ourselves, but chosen to have on display in our own shop.

At the moment we've got -

Fairtrade embroidered bags from India.

Fish Strings from India as well.

And patchwork cushion covers from much closer to home, to mention just a few.

Never a dull moment then.

We were sitting watching a film tonight at 10pm, just winding down for the day, when an email pinged in with a large shop order. 10'clock on a Sunday night!!

Anyway, that's for tomorrow - after we've been to the cinema to see "Inception"! Got to get the priorities right, after all!

Once this crazy month or two is past, we'll have time for our own holiday, and it's going to be a biggie this year, for a certain person's big birthday. That's something to look forward to while burning the midnight oil.

West End Fair Day One

Here we are. Seven thirty yesterday morning. Arrived and unloaded and ready to start setting up the stand. This is our little shop in the centre of Edinburgh for the next three weeks. It doesn't look much when it's empty....
But by 11am it was set up and open for business.
It's quite amazing how much stuff can be displayed in a little wooden chalet.
The stock level is good at the moment but it's a major job to keep it going. I've got a pile to do today.
Last shot of our stand before we go on a mini tour of the fair.
The fair is set in an old graveyard behind St John's Church and is below street level hence the aerial views.
It's a lovely leafy space, a peaceful oasis from the Festival madness of Princes Street.
There are marquees as well as the wooden chalets and all FREE admission.
This is one of the many and varied jewellery stands.
And a close up of the beautiful ceramic jewellery created by my friend Margaret McDonald and..
her husband John's paintings. This is a new venture for him.
Another well known business at this event, Fern Glass with their hanging glass ornaments and ever popular glass fairies.
Finally a shot from street level showing the entrance to the fair with the amazing backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
I'm hoping for three weeks of sunny weather - not TOO much to ask is it - the atmosphere is so good when the sun shines.
Well, time marches on - I must get back to work.
Come and see us if you are in Edinburgh.

All Packed Up And Ready To Go

What a day. Always the same the day before a big Craft Fair.
We've rushed around making up last minute stock - always last minute - before the big pack up/load up tonight.
We've filled two floor spinners full of cards, that's 432 cards on each one, and eight plastic crates of pictures, other cards, plaques and assorted pretty things.
Then there was the checklist of sundries:-
Lighting, cloths and drapes, shelving, screens, cash float, paper bags, visa machine, catalogues, pens, staple gun, hammer and nails, comfy chair ( VERY important to avoid a sore bottom after 3 weeks of sitting behind the stand) and so on and on.
Bob loads up the van with the heavy stuff first and then keeps sensibly out of my way while I faff around collecting every last miniscule thing to take with us.
Packing has become an art form over the years and I have a sort of routine in order to make sure nothing important gets forgotten.
As you can see there's not much room left in the back of the van - just enough for the packed lunch and flask of coffee tomorrow.

Doors finally closed, a mental check in case I've missed something and then an early night. We have to be up at 5.30 tomorrow morning to get through to Edinburgh and unloaded before the traffic restrictions start. Bit of a nightmare.
Anyway it's done.
Except THIS is what the storeroom looks like after I've ransacked it while packing. And pretty much the whole house and workshop looks like they've been raided.
But that's a job for Sunday.
My Craft Fair presence is tomorrow only to oversee the setting up. Then I'm at home working on stock while Bob is in the comfy seat behind the stall each day.
Sunday I'll whizz around and tidy everything up and restore some order ready to open the workshop as usual on Tuesday.
So August will fly by at the West End Fair, and when we raise our heads again it will be September and summer will be nearly over. Roll on Christmas -aghhh.
PS I'm taking the camera with me tomorrow, so watch this space for a visual trip around the Fair.