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Wednesday 28 March 2018

Dorset Team - Our County - Corfe Castle

Today we have our last new blog topic for you. The fourth Wednesday of every month will be a look at 'Our County'. You might find a new place to visit, or you can share this blog post to show your customers where their purchases are coming from. Let's celebrate the wonder of Dorset!


Corfe Castle

We're starting our tour of Dorset with a look at Corfe Castle! Corfe Castle is the name of both the castle itself, and of the village the castle is in. If we say we're going to Corfe Castle, we might not be going into the castle, we might just be going to the village for a cream tea! Locals also shorten the village name to Corfe. There's another Corfe in Somerset so don't get them mixed up!

The castle dominates the view around the village, and the drive to and from it. It is built on a hill created by two streams that have eroded the Purbeck Chalk Ridge. The ridge extends from Lulworth Cove to Old Harry Rocks, and this this the main route through the ridge, so it was a prominent place to build a castle:


This photo is taken from a different angle. The photographer is standing on the west part of the ridge, and you can see the east part of the ridge extending off into the distance, on it's way to Old Harry Rocks:


The castle itself was built in the 11th Century by William The Conqueror, and lasted until the parliamentarians led sieges on the royalist castle in 1646. It was defended by Lady Mary Bankes for a 48 day siege, until she was betrayed from within her own ranks. The parliamentarians took control of the castle and then 'slighted' it through a series of gunpowder explosions, which turned the castle into the ruin it was today. Lady Mary was allowed to leave the castle, and survived to see the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

The castle is owned by the National Trust, and you can see more about it here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle

There's a national trust car park at the bottom of the east hill, and there's a pleasant walk up from the car park to the village and the castle, walking alongside a stream. There's information boards on the way up, a play-trail of a small obstacle course for kids to enjoy, and a little bridge over the stream where you can play pooh-sticks if the water is high enough:


The village itself is mostly built from grey Purbeck limestone, and the houses have small doorways and low eaves giving it a historical charm:


You can find out more about the village here: https://corfe-castle.co.uk/about-corfe-castle/

The Swanage railway runs from Corfe Castle to Swanage, with steam trains running a lot of the time. You can see the train pass from some spots of the castle grounds! 

Enid Blyton spent some time in the area and it's believed the castle on Kirrin Island in her Famous Five books is based on Corfe Castle. The Castle certainly has lots of insteresting nooks and crannys to explore! Here's a video that team member Jennifer made of a visit to Corfe Castle on a day (29/5/17) when there was a fete in the Castle grounds (there are often events held there):




You do have to pay admission to get into the castle, and for the NT car park, unless you are a National Trust member. There is another car park in the village if the National Trust car park is full.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse at Corfe Castle! If you have any questions let us know. Also let us know if you have any favourite spots in Dorset that you'd like us to feature one month!

We'll be back next Wednesday with the next instalment of our Social Special topic.


Tuesday 27 March 2018

Dorset Team Spring Fair 2018 - Featured Seller - Studio Pickles




Over the next few weeks on our Dorset Team blog we are featuring some of the sellers who will be selling at our Dorset Team Spring Fair in Wimborne on Saturday 5th May.

This week, our featured shop is Studio Pickles which is run by Natalie and Jo, two designer- makers who have been best friends since primary school and who love making things. 



They will be selling their pom pom fairy lights and range of colourful earrings at the Spring Fair. 

All of their earrings are hypoallergenic with plastic backings that can't trigger a metal allergy and they always love receiving custom orders. 

“We love doing custom orders and will happily make something special just for you to buy at the fair!” 

Find 60+ sellers including Studio Pickles at our Dorset Team Spring Fair which is taking place in Wimborne on Saturday 5th May 2018. 

Entry to the fair is FREE and there is going to be something for everyone and every budget. 


For more information and for sneak previews, please see our event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/282450382285845/

Monday 26 March 2018

Gift Guide: Sneak preview of items by stallholders at the Dorset Team Spring Fair

The Dorset Team will be having their Spring Fair in Wimborne on Saturday 5th May at the Allendale Centre. The fair is open between 10am - 4pm and entry is FREE.

All items coming to the fair are handmade, vintage or crafting supplies and there will be something for everyone and every budget. 

Please see a sneak preview of some of the items coming to the fair below and put the date in your diary for a lovely Spring day out!

More information about the event can be found on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/282450382285845/


Wednesday 21 March 2018

Business Building - Branding

Today its the first instalment of another new blog topic - every third Wednesday of the month we'll be looking at 'Business Building'. It's a chance to learn something about running an Etsy shop, and it might be focused on Etsy itself, or it might be a broader look at running a business. It's going to be similar to our old 'Be An Expert' posts - which you can look back on here: Be An Expert Posts.



For now we're going to look at marketing - focusing on your branding. Etsy provided a huge marketing resource in Autumn 2017 to help you with your marketing strategy. Go here to see the list, and click on each chapter title to learn more about it: https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/the-ultimate-guide-to-marketing/211784836636

Building Your Brand

In the first chapter the article touches on your branding. It's such an important step that we're going to talk about it some more. Branding is way more than just your logo. It's about what your message is, who your customers are, and how they will recognise your shop and products.

Fiona Humberstone has written a couple of great books on branding, and you can find out about her here: https://thebrand-stylist.com/


In the books she talks you through ways to plan your brand, like working out your brand intention and judging who your target customers are. She talks about colour psychology, fonts, photography styles, and more. As well as your logo. So those are great resources if you really want to delve deeply into your branding.

However if you'd like a quick few ideas to get working on right away, here's a more pared-back overview of creating a brand, in the Etsy Seller Handbook: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/how-to-create-a-brand-identity-for-your/22930346711

Don't panic about your branding. It doesn't have to be perfect right away. Your brand is allowed to grow and develop as you find your niche. But branding also shouldn't be ignored - try little steps at a time.

Today look at your logo, and see if it's saying what you want it to say abut your business. Next week take a look at your packaging. Then think about your voice in the way you respond to customers, or in your shop announcement, or on your social media. Each small step will be building towards a better brand and a business your customers want to keep coming back to!

If you have any questions about branding, or you want to try things out on your team members before releasing them to the world, then start a topic over on the team forum here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/teams/14319/dorset-etsy-team or tag #dorsetteam on social media!

We will be back next week with the last of our new blog topics, see you then!

Tuesday 20 March 2018

Dorset Team Spring Fair featured seller - Lynn from Nemeton



Over the next few weeks on our Dorset Team blog we are featuring some of the sellers who will be selling at our Dorset Team Spring Fair in Wimborne on Saturday 5th May. 

First up is Lynn from Nemeton who is a maker based in Wimborne. Lynn has been selling on Etsy for over 10 years (!!) selling beadwork, patterns and kits and more recently has added a range of vintage kitchenalia, upcycled silverware windchimes and handstamped cutlery.



3 things you should know about Lynn:

She is on a mission to “keep fun old stuff” out of landfill by upcycling it

She will accept chocolate as a form of payment (!!)

One of Lynn’s recent makes is a Brexit wind chime, “They say never mix business with politics but I couldn't resist making a Brexit Windchime!”



Find 60+ stalls including Lynn’s at our Dorset Team Spring Fair which is taking place in Wimborne on Saturday 5th May 2018. 

Entry to the fair is FREE and there is going to be something for everyone and every budget. 

For more information and for sneak previews, please see our event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/282450382285845/

Monday 19 March 2018

Gift Guide: Jewellery from sellers at the Dorset Team Spring Fair 2018


On Saturday 5th May at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne, the Dorset Team are coming together to hold a Spring Fair. This is the perfect opportunity to buy locally made products from independent sellers. 

There will be something for everyone and every budget! 

This gift guide showcases a small selection of jewellery which will be for sale on the day ranging from leather jewellery to sterling silver. 

More information about the event can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/282450382285845/

1) Ring trio by Netta of 68 Charms. 




These rings are made of sterling silver. Perfect for a gift or treat for yourself!

2) Adventure awaits necklace by Jennifer of Gifting Moon




This necklace is made from hand painted wood and Jennifer says it is perfect for “someone who dreams of travel or is going on an adventure soon” 

3) Bumble bee necklace by Zoe from Love from Hetty and Dave




Adorable baby bumble bee necklace made from hand stitched leather by Zoe from Love From Hetty and Dave who is based in Bournemouth. 

4) Ceramic bracelet by Mayuri Gallery 



This eye catching ceramic bead bracelet by Mayuri Gallery is perfect for brightening up an outfit! 

5) Rainbow earrings by Studio Pickles




Studio Pickles which is run by Natalie and Jo has a huge variety of different earrings but I particularly love these rainbow earrings!



Come and find all of these sellers and more at the Dorset Team Spring Fair 2018 which is happening in Wimborne on Saturday 5th May. 

Entry to the fair is FREE 

Wednesday 14 March 2018

Diary Of An Etsy Seller Feb 2018

This week our feature is something a bit different. Each month Jennifer from our social media team is going to be sharing some notes from her Etsy diary (or perhaps some other team members if anyone else is willing to give it a go?!). Jennifer runs two different Etsy shops, Happy Scatter for craft supplies, and Gifting Moon for gifts like mugs, coasters, and badges. You can see what kind of things an Etsy seller gets up to, and learn from her successes and failures!

Here she is...


Feb 2018

29/1/18 - 4/2/18:

I had a tough January for personal reasons, but I began February with a renewed sense of purpose and determination!

  • I found this free content calendar via Facebook and started trying to fill it in - I haven't made much use of it yet but it could become useful in the future: https://laurabelton.co.uk/2018/01/16/how-to-plan-your-content-for-2018/
  • I took a look at my visits to orders ratio and found that I had a great conversion rate - my husband had mentioned to me before that I did but I don't think I'd ever really understood what he was talking about! You look at one month's stats, take the number of orders, and divide it by the number of visits. A good figure to get is 2-3%.Mine ranges from 4% - 10% so I must be doing something right! Now to work out how to use this knowledge...

5/2/18 - 11/2/18: 

  • I felt like I was a bit out-of-practise drawing on my ipad as I'd barely used it (for anything except Candy Crush) in January. So I joined in with an Instagram drawing challenge #zoolligraphylettering run by Stacey Thompson  and The Lettering Fern. I drew this Markhor. It was fun to draw something just for the fun of it (I'm usually drawing with specific products in mind). Though of course it might end up on a product one day:



  • I joined in with the #LoveYourShopSweeps Etsy Contest which I found out about via the Dorset Team Members Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1514236692123255/ You had to share 2 photos on Instagram using the hashtag - one photo from your own shop and one highlighting another Etsy shop. For a different shop I shared some earrings by Studio Pickles, another Dorset Team member. It was hard to choose as there are so many great shops in the Dorset Team!
  • Best thing this week - I bought a Silhouette Cameo 3 using a Hobbycraft 20% discount code. I've wanted one for ages to try and make stickers for my Happy Scatter shop. I have a Cricut Explore already, which it is possible to make stickers with, but not the way I want to make them. So I was very excited to get the Silhouette. It arrived on 10/2/18 and I started making stickers right away... well I tried to, but I did have a lot of problems getting the cut lines in the right place, the first ones kept going wonky (see photo below). I worked out a solution in the end, it's a bit fiddly as I have to adjust all the cut lines, but it works!

12/2/18 - 18/2/18:

This week is half term holidays for my 2 kids. I plan to work for a few hours in the morning while they amuse themselves, spend time with them after lunch, then work a bit again after they've gone to bed in the evenings. We'll see how it goes!
  • I spent too much time on Monday looking at suppliers for a new product idea. When I start searching for suppliers online I tend to fall down the browsing rabbit hole, and I don't emerge until hours later with a long shopping list of things I'd love to buy...
  • I got into the swing of things with my sticker cutting - drawing new designs and cutting them straight away. I was having so much fun with it that I danced around the lounge one day singing 'I love making stickers, I love making stickers' to the tune of 'let's all do the conga'. My kids just laughed at me.
  • I had a fun custom order request to draw someone's guinea pig to put on a mug, which I worked on in the evenings this week. 
19/2/18 - 25/2/18:
  • I bought some more procreate brushes for my ipad pro from Ipad lettering, as they had a discount code and I wanted to write some more quotes. This led to a day spent playing around with my new brushes. Sometimes you have to take a bit of time to learn something new, right?!
  • I had a couple of discussions online explaining to newer shop owners about how they should fill their titles with 2-3 word phrases, making sure they use as many of the available characters as possible. It's so important for SEO, to get your shop found on Etsy and it surprises me how many sellers don't realise it.
  • I had 2 orders this week for my new bridesmaids mirrors, which I'd only listed on the 13th of Feb. Yay for finding a new product that works! I checked my stats and it looks like they found me searching for terms like 'bridesmaid gift', 'bridesmaid proposal' and 'compact mirror' so my tags are working too.


What did you get up to in February? Don't forget to let the Dorset Team know about your successes (and failures if you need some advice or comiseration!) via the forum, FB group, or by tagging #DorsetTeam on social media!

See you next Wednesday for another new blog topic.

Monday 12 March 2018

Announcing stallholders for our Dorset Team Christmas Fair 2018


We are excited to announce the stallholders of our Dorset Team Christmas Fair 2018 which is being held at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December from 10am - 4pm. 

Entry to the fair is FREE 

Our Christmas Fair is a popular event and a great place to come and buy unique gifts directly from local makers and sellers. There will be something from everyone and every budget!

For more information about the event please see our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1994393970585608/

Hand painted letters by AMA Designs

amano (Sunday)
And tied with a bow (Sunday)

Print by Bright Idea Studio


Carriegraphy (Sunday)
Catherine Woowat (Saturday)

Wash bag by Chibi Chi Designs


Dorset Hodgepodge (Saturday)
Dotty Bird Kids Clothing (Saturday)

Vintage drinks tray - F & J Vintage 


Felt Crafty Design (Saturday)

Ceramics by Happy You and Mee

Handwoven by Jac (Saturday)

Needle Keeper - Kitty Legg 


KittyLegg (Saturday)
Little Make (Saturday)
Made By Powley (Sunday)

Bag by Mayuri Gallery

Mayuri Gallery (Sunday)
Peanut and Gremlin (Saturday)

Candle in vintage vessel by Peggy Rae Emporium 



Light box by Satis House Five

Satis House Five (Sunday)

Fabric boxes by Sunny Bunny Crafts



Beret by The Woolly Dog

the woolly dog (Sunday)
Tipana (Sunday)
Wychwood Dreams (Sunday)

Please put the date in your diary for a fantastic festive weekend!

For more information about the event please see our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1994393970585608/

Announcing the stallholders of our Dorset Team Spring Fair 2018


We are so excited to announce the stallholders for our Dorset Team Spring Fair 2018 which will be taking place at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne on Saturday 5th May between 10am - 4pm.

Entry to the fair is FREE and there will be a wide range of different handmade, vintage and craft supply products. 

This is a a great way to 'shop small', meet local creatives in person and pick up some unique items and gifts. 

Please find more information including sneak previews from stallholders over on our Facebook page HERE 


Ring by 68 Charms



Backpack by Carara Designs UK


Card by Cinnamon & Lullabies

Vintage jar from F & J Vintage

F & J Vintage / Floss and Jet


Vintage book by Jessica HaPenny 

Handmade soap by May Cottage Goats Milk Soap


Jewellery by Nemeton


Poster by Sarah Lovell


Table SM Designs in Wood


Purse by Ten & Six


Washbag by The Stitchery Dorset

Earrings by Winged Heart Jewellery


We hope to see you there! Please put the date in your diary: Saturday 5th May

http://facebook.com/events/282450382285845/