Customers! The lifeblood of any business. And what customers I have. I want to take the opportunity to say a BIG thank you to you all for the year you’ve made it.
My last blog was way back in April. April! Surely that was just a couple of months ago?! A lot, and I mean A LOT has happened since then. Where should I start? First of all, I was lucky enough to be in a position to be able to leave my part-time job working within the Prison Service, that was back in June and I feel like my feet haven’t hit the floor since. I’ve had lots of quirky orders for pebble pictures and bespoke creations which kept me ticking along nicely over the summer months, and gave me great pleasure to make. Then, operation Christmas! This year I already had numerous fairs booked, with what I would class a ‘biggies’; Sunderland Glass Centre, Chester-Le-Street Riverside and Walworth Castle. To get me into the swing of things, I started with a relatively small one; Wolsingham Christmas Market. Oh my word, some of the things I made literally flew off the table. Time to think about how to prepare for the next one. Again, the next fair saw some of my things in high demand. Ah, another learning exercise for the next one, my first 2 day fair. To cut short what is a very long story, after each day at either my 2 day or 3 day fairs it saw me working until the early hours in order to replace stock for the following day. Whilst at the time it seemed absolutely crazy, I’ve now had the time to reflect on it all and can have a chuckle about it, but more importantly take on board how much more prepared I can be for next year. I sold some of my biggest pieces (which nearly had me cry with joy), took a multitude of orders for bespoke pieces, received the most incredible compliments on my work, my stall, and just how unique the mustard button creations are. I frequently received the compliment that my pieces were like nothing people had seen before, that in itself speaks volumes and literally brings music to my ears. As well as the craft fairs, I’ve managed to fulfill so many orders (at one point I didn’t think I’d manage to get them all done), from bespoke Christmas wording, pebble pictures to include Durham Cathedral and embellished reed diffusers! The list has been endless but I’ve loved every single minute and have given it my all. With that, I’m switching off the glue gun, putting the wool, ribbon and jewels to bed until the New Year. I thank each and everyone of you for the support, the purchases, the incredible compliments and the opportunity for you to take something totally unique into your homes or proudly pass on as a gift. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The Mustard Button 