Top Drawer Spring 2014...the review!

what can i say? Top Drawer and Home London were AMAZING! they did not fail to impress - so many talented people on display launching their new ranges, some previous exhibitors and some newbies...like myself! it was my first trade show and i LOVED it! can't wait to do the next one!

lots of interest across the three days, every day was a bit different - Sunday was the smaller boutique-y shops looking for exciting new stock, Monday i had chats about commission work and some press came and took some pics, and Tuesday was a bit of a mix too - a few shops, as well as other trade shows and pop up shops offering chances to showcase my products.

one of the nicest things to hear was when someone said they had spotted my products in the pre-show mag or on the website and they had tracked me down. it took a few goes to get used to talking to people but then you realise they just want a bit of a chat and it's easy peasey, haha.

i got to meet lots of people from the ABSPD course - Suzy Washington, Wendy Flynn (finally!), Trina Esquivelzeta, Jess Wilde, Kathryn Pledger, Kathy Schicker, Poppy Westwell, Jess Williams, Esther Cox...i hope i haven't forgotten anyone...sorry if i have!

take down was fun. i say that sarcastically. all hell broke loose. 5 o'clock and everyone has 5 hours to take everything down and get the hell out of the building! our slot for packing up wasn't until 7 and we couldn't be bothered to wait so we decided (foolish or not) to walk everything to the car parked 10 minutes away. 3 trips between 3 of us (thank you to Alice who only came to visit but ended up helping with take down!). i think i speak for all of us when i say Wednesday morning lie in could not come soon enough!

but that wasn't all the work done, oh no. straight on to following up all the contacts made at the show and now we wait replies. some goods news to share very soon but i'll keep you waiting for that ;) 

i did manage to have a quick look round Top Drawer and Home and met fellow ABSPD-ers Zoe Atwell and Hannah Nunn, but unfortunately missed Cara Holland (Patternbooth) and Anna Dent. here are a few of my favourite stands and the lovely designers themselves.  feast your eyes on this little lot...

Sian Elin - pretty eye catching wouldn't you say? nothing needs to be said...

I Drew This - cutey character cards were my favourites

Blooming Briony - i went to school with her! small world :)

Jessica Hogarth Designs - new summery card ranges

Stitch and Story - was opposite this stand so could stare at the loveliness all day long...

Rocket 68 - retro style caught my eye walking passed. unfortunately Jill was a little camera shy :p

i would also just like to say a few thank you's -
Liz Smith (Elle Jane Designs) for helping me throughout this project;
Jess Hogarth for giving me so much advice it's ridiculous;
Jen Whitham for her advice too and also for introducing me to Jess in the first place when i was doing my first Spitalfields market;
Deb Velasquez for all her printing tips;
Sam Nesbitt for the photo shoot;
Quincy Lampshades for making the designs into the fabulous shades they now are;
all the ABSPDers for their support and encouragement;
and of course, friends and family.
i'm sure there are others but my brain still isn't back up to full speed so i apologise.

gosh, that turned into a bit of an awards ceremony speech didn't it?! sorry about that!! i just wanted to say thanks dudes, it means a lot :)

it's finally here...the Big Plan is complete...

i can't believe it. it's here. it's tomorrow. pretty much one year in the making and in 3 days time...it'll be over.

that'll be weird, won't it.

this means The Big Plan has been completed. Top Drawer is here. you might have followed me throughout the year, and seen my journey from the very start - sourcing manufacturers, putting together collections, receiving the actual products, building a new website, starting the marketing campaign... all completed alongside various e-courses, a couple of holidays and a full time job.

the Big Plan

but there was lots of other stuff going on in the background too. i've been constantly updating social network sites, working on a licensing project, working out my trade and retail prices, getting my brochures together, organising press packs, sending out invites...it's been quite the project!

i'm not sure how many people realise but when you're setting up your own design business you aren't just a designer, you have many many hats to juggle...marketing, admin, saleswoman, accountant (i never thought i'd have to do maths again...it was horrible!!)

but it's all done now. 

and this is my official top drawer exhibitors page. very exciting!

set up went incredibly smoothly - awesome day! i had help from my wonderful assistant Liz (Elle Jane Designs) and all was complete in 6 hours. superb! 

very strange to see the hall in such chaos - boxes, wrapping, crates, tool boxes - carnage everywhere!

i popped along to see Jess Hogarth and Blooming Briony setting up their stands and excited to see there final set ups tomorrow.

i can't wait to start the show. i thought i'd be far more stressed than this if i'm honest but i'm actually quite relaxed...which is great!  here's to a fantastic show for us all!

2013 - how did it go then ?

i usually do a monthly round up but as we're about to move into 2014 i thought it would be good to look back on the past year. it really has been amazing and so much has happened, i can't begin to thank you all enough for your support - you're all AMAZING!! i learnt so much this year and the business has grown...still a long way to go but every little step is a step closer to getting to do this full time...oh, the dream!

so here are my highlights of the year...

JANUARY

...i visited Top Drawer and although i was sure i would now apply to the show i decided to postpone from my original plan of September 2013 to January 2014. there was A LOT of research going on for printers and manufacturers of my products - starting with cushions...

FEBRUARY

...a wee family trip to Edinburgh (for my mum's 50th) and my first wedding invite project was completed with the invites being sent out. i finalised my cushion designs...

MARCH

...another wee trip to Edinburgh (this time for a hen do), and then i finalised my lampshade designs...

APRIL

...i took a little trip to Amsterdam to see the tulips. there were no tulips. oh well, great city anyways! my fabric samples came back from the printers final order was placed for my cushions and lampshades, and it was my best friends wedding...

MAY

...my fabric was printed and sent to my chosen manufacturers, and so work started on my notebook collection...

JUNE 

...my new logo came into play, simple but effective. i completed the Ultimate Guide To Repeats e-course by Michelle Fifis. my designs were released as iPad and Kindle cases with Keka, and i finalised my notebook designs...

JULY

...the month it was confirmed that i would indeed be taking part in Top Drawer January 2014! it was a month of finalising designs for my tea towel collection - the last time i actually designed this year - after this it's all marketing and promo work!...
















AUGUST

...photoshoot time!  i reached 200 likes on facebook, and my kickstarter notebook project was successfully funded. i finalised my tea towels designs and sent them off for printing just before setting off on my travels to vietnam and laos for 3 weeks...

SEPTEMBER

...i returned from my fantastic holiday to find my finished tea towels waiting for me - how nice! - and once again i was very happy with the quality from my printers again.  i had a very exciting meeting which has led to a fantastic project - still secret for the time being but watch this space!...

OCTOBER

...i set up my products in the Carnaby Streets Things British store and was also invited to sell on brand new online store Le Crib, meanwhile i was still very busy working on my marketing for Top Drawer...



NOVEMBER

...i completed Monica Lee's e-course Smart Creative Women...


DECEMBER

...my new website was launched which i am very pleased with - the shop will soon be opened! i sent out invites to the show and i reached 600 followers on twitter. i planned my Top Drawer stand with Liz from Elle Jane Designs so we are all ready to go for the real thing, and i was featured in the Moyo Christmas Gift Guide...

and then i had a wonderful relaxing holiday at home with my feet up for a little festive break :) it wasn't all feet up up though - i had to complete my press packs for the show and get my business cards sorted and printing for printing before it's too late...never a dull moment!

i'd like to thank everyone for their support this year - friends & family for listening to me constantly talking about 'the big plan', and for everyone who has followed, and liked and retweeted...you're all awesome and i couldn't do it without you...i hope you'll all still be with me next year to see 'the big plan' through and share all my new projects with...here's to an even more successful 2014!!

the ultimate planning weekend . . .

last weekend was The Ultimate Planning Weekend. sounds hard core. lots to be done. and lots was indeed done. the ever so wonderful Liz of Elle Jane Designs spent some time with me, and between all the giggling we did actually achieve something!

more than something actually. we mocked up the whole Top Drawer stand in my living room, and (much to my relief) everything looked exactly as i'd hoped. phew. 

a quick-ish trip to town and good old Wilkinsons to buy some hooks, wire, sticky stuff, paint, nails and all important hair dye and we were back in full swing. Well kind of...the internet went down but we had vital research to do. Only one thing for it...off to Starbucks for a hazelnut hot chocolate and free wifi. 

we'd decided one crucial part to the stands display was a table. but it had to be quite fall, long and narrow. it seems no one caters for these requirements. but that's fine. i kept some bed slats from my old bed for this exact reason...we shall make our own. we're girls, we can do this.

cue friends with DIY tips and saws to borrow, a dad with a drill and some paints...sorted! et voila...we have one perfect table that meets my exact needs!!

now to tidy up and let my flat mates back into the lounge...

so all in all I would say it was a very successful Ultimate Planning Weekend. 

it's super duper official now!

well, it was before but now it REALLY feels like it's happening!!

i'm talking about Top Drawer January 2014. i've just got my e-signature through...i feel all professional ;)

i'm also working on my marketing and getting my stand set up, it's all paid off so all that's left now is to invite lots of people! you're all MORE than welcome to pop by and say hi...would be lovely to meet all the people that have supported me this past year - you've been awesome!!