Etsy x West Elm Pop Up Shop!

 

I am so super excited to announce that Ladybird Likes is going to be selling our wares at the Etsy x West Elm Pop Up Shop! This is the first one of these events in the UK - but they've run several Etsy pop ups in their USA stores which look really awesome! Here is a bit of a run down of the event;

What: a one day pop up shop featuring 13 London based Etsy sellers - buy awesome design led products, selected by Arianna and Carole from Heart Home Magazine, direct from the makers

Where:West Elm Store, 200 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7PN

When: Thursday 6th March, 1pm - 8pm

RSVP: to confirm your attendance please check out the event page over on Facebook (you don't need to RSVP to attend though) https://www.facebook.com/events/646965798703356/

I really, really hope some of you lovely lot can make it - it should be really fun! I will be putting together some little goodie bag type things for my online followers, so if you do come along please introduce yourself (I'm the ginger one with enormous glasses) and I will make sure you get a little goodie bag :)

Spring Fair Presentation

as you may already know, on Wednesday I traveled to Birmingham to give a presentation and to speak as part of a panel of guest speakers at Spring Fair International. it was a really interesting opportunity, which I said yes to immediately after being invited, despite my huge fear of public speaking. even though it was unpaid I wanted the experience of speaking to a group of strangers, and of sharing a little bit of the knowledge I have gleaned since starting Ladybird Likes.

my solo presentation was first - I was extremely nervous beforehand, not least because on the journey to Birmingham I was feeling really poorly and faint, and I was a bit worried that I might just collapse in the middle of my presentation! luckily I had my right-hand guy with me - my lovely boy-o came along for moral support and I don't think I could have done it without him! I was speaking on the topic of creating a brand identity and showcasing this in your photos, and also on the importance of using photos on social networking sites to tell your brand's story. it's a topic I am really passionate about, not least because I think that this is one of the key ways in which I have actually grown Ladybird Likes.  my presentation was really well-received, and I had numerous people come up to me afterwards to ask questions and take business cards which was really nice!

the panel discussion was next - I was with Stacie Swift who I already know from craft fairs, so that really put me at ease as it's always nice to see a friendly face! our panel discussion was talking about unleashing the power of social media - it was really interesting hearing the questions people had. I think sometimes I take for granted that I use social media for every aspect of promoting my business. there are so many people out there who struggle with this, and who have no idea how to use social media to grow their fanbase and to spread the word about their company or products. I think I preferred the format of a solo presentation however - it was easier to get your thoughts and points across than in the panel format.

I'm hoping to start offering some sort of business talks and one to one mentoring this year. that's not to say I'm some sort of business expert, but I do feel that over the last two years of running Ladybird Likes I've learned a LOT about starting and growing a small independent business, and I'd love to be able to share this with other people.

Spring Fair International

so, a bit of exciting news guys! at the end of last year I was invited to be a speaker at Spring Fair International, a trade fair up in Birmingham. I'll be speaking as part of a panel on the topic of using social media, and making the most of a variety of different networking platforms, PLUS I am also giving a talk on photography, and how important it is in establishing your brand identity and also increasing your social media following. I'm SUPER nervous about the whole thing - in school I was always the person who went bright red when they had to speak in front of more than two or three people. but I've made a deal with myself that 2014 is the year I say 'yes' to more things, especially things that take me out of my comfort zone!

if you are local to Birmingham, or you just fancy listening to me speak for a while, I'll be speaking on Wednesday 5th February from 11:15-11:45 and from 1:30-2:00 in the e-Commerce Theatre at the NEC (info is in the image above). It's free to get in, and there are LOADS of interesting talks going on. if you do come along please please please say hello - it will help me with my nerves massively!

Bust Craftacular 2013

I'm slowly working my way through my backlog of blog posts - apologies for the fact that some of these are kind of out of date! over Christmas I did lots of craft fairs - it's a super busy time of year for me as I spend weekdays making and packing up orders, and then every weekend is spent at craft fairs. I did some really awesome ones this year, and one of my favourites was the Bust Craftacular. held every year in York Hall in Bethnal Green, and always has such a great atmosphere with some pretty awesome sellers. below you can see some photos of some of my favourite sellers from the fair...

 below are Ladybird Likes besties Home Slice Design - I used to work with both Steph and Ellie, the brains behind the brand, and they are totally awesome. so it's no surprise that the stuff they create is flipping amazing too! my favourites are the seaside town cushions - the first thing I buy when I have my own house is one of each of them!

 I've known the oh so lovely Anna Wiscombe since I first started doing markets (nearly two years ago now, doesn't time fly!) her gorgeous designs never fail to make me smile - we have a set of five of her birds up in our dining room at home.

 I picked up a business card from this super talented artist, but have somehow managed to lose it DOH. but I adored their range of hand illustrated ceramic pots in all different shapes and sizes - I spotted Rob Ryan buying several of them for his studio!

 this was the first time I'd seen the jewellery from Lui Made It but I fell in love instantly - made from vintage stamps and old photo slides, I wanted to buy every single one and hang them all over my room! she had a really gorgeous display too, using printer trays and old books.

 the lovely folk from Pygmy Cloud make the cutest whimsical plush toys and things for your home from hand stitched felt - I love the cloud coasters and mountain pillows in particular

 hope you enjoyed my little round up of the fair - did anyone come to do their Christmas shopping at Bust at all? what was your favourite stall?

Renegade Craft Fair 2013

Renegade Craft Fair is, hands down, my favourite craft fair EVER. 2012 was Ladybird Likes first time at RCF, and earlier this year we sold out wares at Renegade Austin, in Texas. so obviously we had to apply for RCF 2013 in London too! it was the craziest weekend, which passed in a beautiful whirl of customers, laughing, chilli fries, and coffee. so many of my awesome friends and followers came along to say hi - thank you to each and every one of you! I had such an incredible weekend, and it's all thanks to you lovely lot! here are a (very few) photos from the weekend - our stall was super busy so I hardly had any time to go round and take pictures or socialise which is my only regret!

I adore Renegade's branding, and how they decorate their venues with handmade signs and decorations - it definitely adds to the overall atmosphere of the event, and makes for some pretty photos!

two of my favourite online people, Hello Harriet and Oh No Rachio, were sharing a space at Renegade this year. they had probably my all time favourite stall set up - definitely has inspired me to up my game for next Christmas! Harriet, being the cutest person EVER, gifted me one of her pug iphone cases, which has been permanently attached to my phone ever since and gets a lot of compliments!

Dyfal Donc are a super cute couple who make such beautiful jewellery from vintage stamps, photos, wallpaper, and all other kinds of ephemera, as well as greetings cards and homewares (such a multi talented pair!) I meant to go back and snag myself some goodies, but completely forgot.

the oh so lovely, and super talented, Ella Masters was my stall neighbour for the weekend - I've known Ella for a while now, and obviously LOVE her things (errr men with beards and tattoos, where do I sign up?!) I purchased myself an iphone cover and one of her shrink plastic brooches, which I have since managed to lose because I'm a total scatterbrain!

I'm already looking forward to Renegade 2014 - and plotting another possible trip to the USA for one of the American Renegades..... this year is already shaping up to be pretty darn awesome!

Crafty Fox Market

right lovelies - I have some exciting news. I will be selling at the Crafty Fox Market at the Dogstar in Brixton next weekend (Sunday 6th October)! it is such an awesome market, and there will be lots of incredibly talented people there, including some of Ladybird Likes' friends such as Stacie Swift Illustration, Mister Peebles, Love From Hetty and Dave, Oh My Clumsy Heart, Custom Made,  Designosaur, Hello DODO, and Home Slice Design. phew! see what I meant when I said it's going to be incredible?! you can see the full list of all the lovely designer maker types who will be selling right here

we will be debuting some of our new ranges, which won't even be online to buy for another few weeks, so if you live in London, or fancy a day trip, I would highly recommend it! there is also another full day of the Crafty Fox Market on the Saturday, with all different sellers, so you could make a weekend of it! oh, and I have finally gotten round to updating the events page on my website with some of the markets I have booked for October/November/December, and I will be adding more as I find them out so do check back. please do come and visit us at one of our markets if you are local - we always have exclusive market only items which can't be purchased online, and we always have little gifts for anyone who mentions reading our blog!