Tag: craft

Finding a balance

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A small business owner I follow on Instagram recently posed the question of how do you find a balance between work/passion and home? And it certainly gave me food for thought. Especially when work and home are very much in the same place these days.

In some aspects, I have a fairly good balance between the two, but I do neglect parts of my work/craft life.

I have three kids – 4, 2, and 1. So, as you can imagine, I already have my hands fairly full. We have a fairly good balance, in which, we enjoy time together throughout the day and they also enjoy having time to play with each other. During this time, I have a chance to get housework done or knit (not that I always get this opportunity – kids seem to know when you want to do something and need some peace to do it) There is never a dull moment here!

The main time for my work/craft is at night when my kids are in bed (and even that has some challenges – like when they think bed time means party time) Some nights I can dedicate to posting online. Some nights I can dedicate to knitting. And some, very rare nights, I can have a night to do nothing at all and just chill (self-care is extremely important to me – it is a reminder to breathe and recharge) There are also some nights where I do class prep for the next day. I have a part of the day allocated to “school”, which my kids love. I am preparing them for going to primary school.

Some times my online presence might be neglected, or so it appears that way. I will admit that there are times when I simply do not want to post anything but that does not mean I have not been doing anything. I spend the majority of my nights knitting/creating and working on starting up my business.

Currently, I am working on a few different projects. I am knitting pieces for Easter which I will use for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. My mom’s birthday is the same day as Easter this year so I am working on a special card and gift for her. I am also fulfilling a couple of orders, as well as finalising my main product range.

Just like with anything in life, it is important to find a balance. But what is more important is that you find the perfect balance for you. You have to remember why you are doing it and what you are hoping to achieve. Be realistic and stay true to yourself. We can all have great aspirations but life is unpredictable and sometimes we cannot meet these. You have to be able to forgive yourself and keep pushing forward.

I know that when I started on this journey, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve but I got swept up with social media and I lost myself. I felt the pressure of always having to have something up. From seeing other profiles that always had a new post every day and constantly had stories on their accounts to reading articles that stated these are things you had to do. I started to lose the joy I had for it. I had to take a step back and have a good heart to heart with myself. I continued to create (I could never lose my passion for that) but I limited my online pressence.

It is important to have an online pressence and I am working on what is best for me. Posting when I feel completely satisfied and it is right for me. I am setting up a buiness of knitted pieces that are handmade with love. I take my time and pour my heart and soul into each item I make. I love what I do and I want my social media to reflect that.

Feeling Inspired

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I was recently asked to work on a special project and I jumped at the opportunity to allow my creative juices to flow.

I suggested three themes and created three rough visuals of each. From there, one was chosen and I was instantly inspired.

I got my notebook and pen (these are a must for me!) and I started planning. I created my to-do list, researched, and generated ideas.

Once I had that complete, the knitting side of me sparked up and I started designing wonderful pieces that fit the theme perfectly.

It might take one or two trial and error moments but I love the confidence I have in being able to knit pieces that people may not generally think to knit. I am proud of being able to design and create my own pieces. And it is so important to take pride in yourself. We have to embrace these moments. Self-love really goes a long way.

I cannot wait to create more and put this whole project together. I am also looking forward to sharing it with you all. But for now, it is a secret 🤫😉💖

Handmade and Pricing

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I think the hardest part of handmade items is putting a price on them. I know I struggle with it.

I have been hearing a lot about people complaining about the prices of handmade items and it is upsetting. There are numerous reasons as to why we do what we do. I say reasons, and not reason, because I strongly believe that none of us started this just for one reason.

The minimum wage here in Ireland is €10.10. A person in paid employment knows that they will get money. It is not the same for us. We earn our money through selling our handmade items.

So I have decided to write about this to help people understand. There are people who just see a finished item and a price. They do not think about the work behind it. Some people compare and say they can get a similar item for cheaper in a store. No problem, go buy it there. Nobody is forcing you to buy from us. Some people simply do not care.

As much as we try to not let the negativity affect us, it still hurts. Just like any of you, we are trying to pursue a dream and live.

What goes into making a handmade product?

  • Supplies – the materials we use to handmake our items
  • Time – we pour everything into creating each piece and depending on the item and the work involved, each piece takes a different amount of time to handmake
  • Postage & Packaging – we have to consider how we will package our items and how much it costs; we also have to consider the weight and destination for shipment

Prices will vary depending on the item, the materials used, the time taken, and the weight and location for postage.

We are not machines. It is not a case of pressing a button and out comes your beautiful product. We are people, just like you. So please remember that next time you see our work.

Also remember that there are other ways in which to support us (and it doesn’t cost a thing):

This support means so much to us

It lifts us up and motivates us to keep going. We want to bring joy to all of you, especially in these uncertain times.

In a time where we are so easily connected, no matter the distance and differences, we should be supporting each other and raising each other up.