Tired but happy!!

Life is starting to get back to normal after a hectic week at the Country Living Fair. It was our most successful show to date - mainly down to the new British Collection. (Thanks Lindsey for doing the designs!)
We had so many positive comments ; "so much nicer than Cath Kidston", (my fav!),  "lovely to see something fresh", "so nice to see such soft colours".....it was a huge boost to my confidence, and it wasn't just comments, the sales reflected the feedback as well. For the first time ever we have sold out of two lines; ironing board covers and peg bags. Repeat orders are already underway, but as a evangelic non ironer, I was amazed at peoples response to the ironing board. (By the way Garden Trading I think you owe me some commission - I could have sold 25 of your boards last week!).
It is a hard and tiring week, from dragging all your stock and props up two flights, to keeping your legs crossed waiting for an opportune moment to dash to the loo!
It was touch and go when we were loading up as to whether we would have to jettison some of our props, as despite having empty bags, in the rush to load the car it didn't all quite fit in the way it had when we loaded it at home! Resulting in me having to sit with the stool around my head, two bags under my feet and one on my lap - really pleased when it took ages getting out of town due to some major football match.
As always after such a hectic week, as soon as you stop your body says it needs a rest - so I am currently sneezing and sniffling at my desk! Needless to say the dog has left the room in protest to avoid the germs!
Very annoyed as I haven't had the energy to train with Sharon at BFFA this week, so missing my weekly aggression vent as well as gossip catch up!They are about to launch their new look and revamp the dojo which will look fantastic!

The only down side to being self employed is there is no one to do your work whilst you are away - although I have to admit my husband did a sterling job last week sending out orders whilst I was away, and I've not had any complaints so they must have been ok!!!

But we still have over 50 swatch cards to send out, newsletter to finish, and the horrible accounts so I'd better get on with it!

Spring Has Sprung!

It's lovely sitting in the office first thing in the morning - the sun streams through the windows, and Edgehill Escarpment shimmers in the background. Outside in the garden the first of the bulbs are peeping through, and with lighter nights it will soon be t shirt weather!
Even the bulldog has taken to sauntering around the garden more, sniffing the air - as opposed to the dash across the lawn and jog back when it's cold.

We are mainly preparing for the Country Living show this week - packing up boxes and suitcases - preparing labels, and swatch cards, and bubble wrapping props. As ever the age old question is just how much stock should we take, especially with the new additions.
A lot depends on how much we can physically stuff into the car!

I'm also catching up with Rachel Spivey this week - officially to finally drop off her long overdue stock of the new Polka Dot range - part payment for her fab photos. Unofficially because she is taking me to a new haberdashery shop that has opened in Leamington Spa - we both have big dreams of making lots of new clothes and tarting up old ones, but at the moment neither of us have got much further than talking about it! I tend to spend my evenings sewing Lavender Hearts are sticking fabric into swatch cards. Apparently the shop is stuffed with beautiful ribbons and fabric, but knowing I've got a busy few weeks ahead I must be strong and not buy too many new projects!
 

New Range finally launched!

I'm guessing you are all really fed up with hearing about our new ranges by now! But like any proud mum, after months of planning, nearly missing deadlines and errant deliveries, (more about that later), our chic new British collection finally went live on the site this week. 

All seemed ok, the first order was almost immediate, and everything seemed normal, until the lovely Nicola from Daisy Green tried to place an order for her mam for Mothers Day. She tried, and tried, and the computer kept saying no! In a mild panic I rang Philippe, from Blue Earth Solutions, but we could not see what was wrong. He could place an order ok, but I couldn't - after a few hours of trying different browsers, and even computers, my Cluedo skills came to the fore, and by a process of elimination, and step by step analysis I found the rogue element. A small little ;  - yes just a semi colon. In computer speak apparently in the wrong place its akin to a formula when typed into a sentence. Phillippe quickly removed the offending dots, and we were back on track! 

Thankfully Nicola was patient, and willing to try again - it worked, and it was resolved just in time as another two orders came through just an hour later! 

Once again, it was times like this when you realise that you really are on your own, working from home, with no help desk to call upon. But also once again, thanks to a strong network of friends / contacts,  there are ways to resolve things. 

Being a planner, I like things to run on time, and be under control, so the fact that the lorry carrying the stock had a broken axle and was being fixed somewhere in the South of France on Wednesday did nothing to soothe my frazzled nerves - luckily all has been resolved and the shipment is back on track! 

Fortunately I had requested several samples initially, so I was able to fulfil the initial orders. 

With only two weeks now before The Country Living Show, there is still lots to sort out - and as always trying to plan what stock to take and guess at likely sales levels is no easy task!

We are going to do a miniature version of the stand we had at the NEC - it had a great reaction, and showed off the new ranges brilliantly. We still have a few tickets left for the show - so if you are interested drop a note to our customer service email, with your name and address and we will get them in the post to you. 

Unique Wooden Napkin Rings

After driving miles through snow storms, into the depths of Northamptonshire seeing the latest work from Peter the woodturner was a warm welcome.
In exchange for a large piece of Welsh Blackthorn from my Dad's farm and some hard currency I was in possession of several sets of our gorgeous new wooden napkin rings.
Peter had invested in a new polishing brush (thingy), but it has given the napkin rings a really smooth tactile surface that contrasts beautifully with the bark and natural wood textures. One set even has a bit of green moss left on them, (treated with spray lacquer so it is perfectly hygienic).
He had also done two sets of 6 - something we have been asked for in the past. Obviously as every set is unique I have found the easiest way to help customers select a set is to send them a picture of every set, and they can choose.
They are really unique gifts - the kind of thing that becomes an heirloom, and are perfect wedding presents. I have attached a few pictures of some of the sets for you to ooh and aahh over!

 

  

 

Isabella & Madelaine Launch

 

 Our new British collection was really well received at the Spring Fair at the NEC last week. It was a wholesale event, but it was great to get feedback from other retailers. Isabella the blue design was the most popular, and people were loving the fact that it wasn't yet another ditsy floral. The greyed off colourways were also loved - both in the Sage Green and Campden Blue.  

We can't wait to get the new collection online - the stock is due to arrive in 2 weeks time. It's really exciting that some really lovely stores up & down the UK will also be carrying our range.

It's funny which items attract the most interest, and our new peg bag was really popular. 

No time to rest between shows - Ochre And Ocre are taking part in the Country Living Spring Fair in a few weeks time, so we need to plan our new stand layout, and work out how we are going to fit all of our stock onto a small site. We are there under the WIRE umbrella again, (Women In Rural Enterprise). Jo Verity is also taking a stand there for the first time. Watch out for our March newsletter - we will be giving away some free tickets to the fair.

Crystal Ball Anyone?

Image by Jayjay402 via Flickr

I often wish I possessed more magical powers - being able to predict lottery numbers would certainly be really useful, and in my past and current role being able to spot bestsellers and knowing how much to buy of each item would be a really handy skill.

But alas, unless any of you has a spare crystal ball, (willing to collect), I have to resort to a special recipe, evolved over years working in retail: Take a pinch of historical sales, add a touch of current trends, and then the abracadabra bit - gut instinct!

Ok - its not fool proof - but when launching a range which has a fresh new look, already fetching more interest and excitement than current ranges, there isn't a lot else to go on. So it was with some trepidation that I placed the first order for Ochre And Ocre's new British collection this morning. There are some new lines that we have no history on at all - so it is really finger in the air time. How many tea cosy's will we sell - and will people like our handy new carrier bag holders? Which design is going to be stronger? We have had so many requests for blue to go with people's kitchens, will customers like the lovely Isabella print, or will the fun Madelaine be more popular.

When developing the range a select panel of friends and acquaintances voted on the initial designs, and it was a real Millionaire moment: 50 /50, phone a friend? With votes spread fairly equally across the two, it is going to be interesting watching the sales in the first initial weeks.

So keep an eye out on our website, the new British collection will be going live by the end of February. And if any of you want to place a bet on the winning design and item, the odds are looking pretty good at the moment!

Knobs and Whistles

Image by waferboard via Flickr

Our first big wholesale show is fast approaching - and despite having attended it for over 15 years as a Buyer, being on the other side fills me with nervous anticipation!
We were very excited when our giant backdrops arrived this week, which will form part of our stand. Using images of the Fired Earth kitchens taken by Rachel Spivey, the full size kitchens look really impressive.
One of my important jobs this week was knob buying, (no jokes please!), as we want to make the 2D image 3D. Now I can't take any of the credit for this cunning plan, but our thanks do go to Jo Verity, who before she became jewelery and homewares designer she was a visual merchandiser, and so has a brilliant eye for all things display. (Her stands at shows are always works of art).
With the knobs duly purchased and matchpot paint to paint the knobs we tried to mock up the layout for the show.
Our hall temporarily became exhibition space, with tape and rulers marking out the space. I filled up the hall with mannequins, small tables, and all our other props, and I am relieved to say it seems to be coming together. Unfortunately / and fortunately a phonecall from the estate agents requesting a viewing of our house cut short the pre run, and I had to lug all the props back into the store. There followed a period of Monica like madness where I hoovered, dusted and polished and titivated the house in readiness for the viewing.
But I think we are nearly there; the invitations have gone out, the samples are nearly ready, so I just need to get busy with the velcro and knobs!