Day to Day

In the world of Ochre And Ocre this week its been the normal day to day stuff - eg. you never know what each day will bring!
I spent a pleasant day stuffing the new stock of Lavender Bags, that arrived this week. My desk slowly disappeared under a mound of the sweet smelling bags. Tying neat bows is quite a time consuming process - but at least you can sit there with a glass of wine in the evening, and some music.
Having builders around again feels more normal - with my day punctuated with tea making - how they aren't all toothless I'll never know, they all have at least 2 or 3 sugars in their tea! It's been nice to see the garage go up at long last, it finally feels like the house is almost finished. They are doing a really tidy job as well - as its timber its going up a lot quicker than masonry.
I went to my local WIRE meeting yesterday, it's good to get out and network, and correspond on a one to one basis as opposed to email and Skype. It was a nice chance to catch up with Kim from Lavender Ladies, (who supplies the Lavender I used to stuff the bags), and Emma from The Naked Soap Co.
I was trying to talk to our agent over in Portugal the other evening over Skype, when the bulldog decided she would start barking, and rolling around on her back growling, then my husband came home and I had locked him out, so I had to pause the conversation to let him in the door! Other times I am trying to have conversations on the phone, and the bulldog starts snoring, loudly. To give you an idea of the volume she can reach, you can hear her several rooms away, on a different floor. I'm sure the person on the other end of the phone must wonder what on earth is happening in the office.
Prep is well underway for the Spring Fair at the NEC, pulling together customer enquiry forms, price lists, backdrop quotes etc. I know February will be here really quickly, and there is so much work to do before then.
I'm back training again this week, after injuring my hamstring at Free Fighting the previous week. My running is a bit lopsided, but its good to get those natural endorphins going again.
So as you can see a week of normality at Ochre And Ocre HQ!

Ladies Who Lunch!

I knew there had to be a perk to owning your own company- and there is! I can waltz out of the office to go and meet a friend for lunch, and not have to explain it to anybody!
I popped over to Broadway yesterday, to meet Jo Verity. She had just finished another batch of those gorgeous beaded napkin rings for Ochre & Ocre.
Jo started her business the same year as Ochre & Ocre, and we met through a networking group called WIRE. (Women In Rural Enterprise)
Her jewellery has had a great response, (piccies attached), I think mainly because it is so different. So many "hand made" jewellery companies buy in all their beads and just thread them onto a ready made chain, what makes Jo's so different is that she rolls her own paper beads, and then combines these with glass, stones and bone, to give a really unique look.
What is even more exciting is that Jo is expanding into new areas - excited up by the response to her napkin rings, she is developing some other "interior" products, made with her paper beads.
From curtain tie backs, to light pulls, to lamp shades, she has so many great new ideas.
Jo and I had a great lunch, discussing our new plans, and bouncing ideas off one another. It is really great to share ideas and work with other small businesses to try to help each other.
Just to prove it wasn't all play and no work, pic also attached of Jo with her trusty notebook which she takes everywhere with her!
Why not check out her site if you like jewellery that is a bit more unique, and each piece a one off. go to: www.Joveritydesigns.com