Meet the Seller - Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Danielle from Chibi Chi Designs

Name: Danielle

Shop Name: Chibi Chi Designs

Shop Link: http://ChibiChiDesigns.etsy.com

Located in: Poole

Sells: Paper cuts, prints and personalised keepsakes

Maker's Story:
The name of my shop was inspired by my two little furry monsters Boo and Cookie. Chibi is a style of (usually) Japanese animation, it's true definition is little, small or tiny. Chi is an abbreviation of Chihuahua.
 I really wanted to incorporate my doggies into the store as I spend most of my working day with them. I never tire of their hilarious antics and their sweet personalities are a constant source of inspiration. It usually starts with an idea. I can picture the design I want, I then just have to use my computer software to translate it from my mind and onto the screen. 
 I have to figure out how to make boxes and bags work, and how to ensure that paper cuts are all inter-connected and will hold their structure once cut. Once the digital design is ready, my computer is hooked up to my cutting machine and it works its magic! I then have to carefully finish off the design before finally being wrapped and sent to it's new home.

Dorset Team Christmas Fair: Danielle willl be selling her Paper cuts, cards, prints and boxes at the Dorset Team Christmas Fair on Saturday 3rd December at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne.

Please come along, meet and our other makers and sellers.

Doors open at 10am and close at 4pm and it is free entry.

For more information please see our Facebook event page or blog post

Meet the Seller - Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Lauren from Apulina

Name: Lauren

Shop Name: Apulina

Shop Link: http://apulina.etsy.com

Located in: Bournemouth

Sells: Needle Felt Animals and More

Maker's Story:

I started felting several years ago and didn't stop! I love working with wool, I use a variety of wools from different sheep breeds using a technique called needle felting to build up layers of wool to create three dimensional animals and art work such as pet portraits and cards for special occasions. I also love a challenge, so if you want something made in felt drop me a message! With felting you are only limited by your imagination. Even better is harnessing the ideas of the children whose drawings I make come to life in felt. Now they really do have some talent! I am also a trained teacher and teach needle felt classes. If you are in east Dorset and fancy learning how to needle felt then drop me a line. It is a great activity for hen parties, getting together for a natter, teenage parties etc.

Dorset Team Christmas Fair: Lauren will be selling her needle felted animals, cards and gifts at the Dorset Team Christmas Fair on Saturday 3rd December at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne.

Please come along, meet Lauren and our other makers and sellers.

Doors open at 10am and close at 4pm and it is free entry.

For more information please see our Facebook event page or blog post

Meet the Seller - Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Alison from AMA Designs

Name: Alison

Shop Name: AMA Designs

Shop Link: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/AMADesignsBunting

Located in: Lymington

Sells: Seasonal hand painted wooden bunting, garlands, wreaths and home décor items

Maker's Story: Hello, I'm Alison Aldridge, the designer/maker at AMA Designs Bunting.  I live and work in the beautiful coastal village of Milford-on-Sea, near Lymington in Hampshire, UK. I have always lived by the water and this nautical & seaside influence is reflected in many of my designs and colour choices.
 

My love of wood began as a child having been born and brought up in a boatyard! I could always be found rooting around the sawmill watching the Shipwrights at work. Their off-cuts were my treasure trove, re-sawn, sanded and painted into pieces for my bedroom. To me the smell of freshly cut wood is better than opening a new jar of coffee!
 

My passion is to create pieces that are "a little less ordinary" and I pride myself on the attention to detail and quality of my finished pieces. No commission is too big or too small so please contact me if I can assist you in creating that unique piece you have been searching for.
AMA Designs Bunting has evolved like many independent artisan businesses; from making bespoke pieces for personal use, to making for family and friends, to selling at Artisan & Craft Fairs across Hampshire and Dorset, to building a loyal customer base and now widening the shop window and customer base on Etsy.














Dorset Team Christmas Fair: Alison will be selling her seasonal hand painted wooden bunting, garlands, wreaths and home décor items at the Dorset Team Christmas Fair on Saturday 3rd December at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne.

Please come along, meet Alison and our other makers and sellers.

Doors open at 10am and close at 4pm and it is free entry.

For more information please see our Facebook event page or blog post

Backstage Pass

Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Sellers Spotlight

With less than 1 week to go until our big Dorset Team Christmas Fair, we thought it would be a great idea to place some of the attending sellers in the spotlight!  A real way to get to know both the designer/creator and to also see some of their work.

Our first seller is Sarah Ricketts from Delicious Bits - In her own words;

Type of Items sold

Bright, original jewellery, cards and prints

How and why did you get started. What are your inspirations?

I have always been creative and love to spend my spare time crafting although jewellery making became a passion around 5 years ago. I did the odd craft fair but didn’t really imagine taking my jewellery making more seriously until I discovered I could sell online with Etsy. I had a good read through the set up guide and it didnt look too tricky so decided to set up my shop a couple of Christmases ago and have never looked back. 

Top 3 reasons to start an Etsy shop

1. Simple and cost effective. 
2. Great opportunities to work with other like-minded crafters
3. The fantastic community I have met since joining

Top 3 tips for new sellers

1. Take great clear photos in focus
2. Make sure you write up detailed descriptions of your items
3. Check your postage costs cover sending your items abroad

Description of shop:

A combination of original, bright, chunky jewellery and modern cards and prints

Sarah's social media links;

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Our second seller is Danielle Janes from Chibi Chi Designs - In her own words;

Type of Items sold

 Predominantly paper cuts, but we also sell prints, cards, jewellery and gift bags too!

How and why did you get started?

It started with a hand made anniversary gift for a family member.  It was a family tree paper cut that when shared on facebook started a flurry of requests.  Before I knew it I was getting messages from people asking me to create them presents, gift bags and even cards, I quickly needed an official business.  Thus Chibi Chi Designs was born.

What are your inspirations?

My main inspirations are cult classic books and movies.  Myself and Mr Chibi Chi are quite geeky, this is why you will find such a variety of items in our shop; from Alien inspired cards, right through to Alice in Wonderland paper cuts.

Top 3 reasons to start an Etsy shop

It's one of the simplest ways to have your very own online selling platform.

You are connected with buyers from all other the world (The majority of our orders are to the US)

There is a real sense of community with the other sellers and I am fortunate enough to have made some great local friends!

Top 3 tips for new sellers

Make sure your pictures look professional, take multiple shots of your item from all angles and ensure they are on a clear, clutter free background.

Although it can seem daunting, get to grips with keywords and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as it is this and your photographs that will help your items be found and hopefully sell.

Be patient!  Rather than sitting on your laurels waiting for the orders to come in, use the time to create and list new items, hone your photography skills and tweak those descriptions, it will pay off I promise.

Description of shop:

If you need a personalised gift that really shows how much someone means to you, Chibi Chi Designs is the shop for you.  We have been fortunate enough to make bespoke Anniversary paper cuts, Wedding gifts and even pregnancy presents too.

Danielle's Social Media Links;

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Featured Stallholder - Sophia from Jessalli

Sophia from Jessalli will be selling at our Dorset Team Christmas Fair in Wimborne. Sophia sells handmade and personalised soft furnishings and gifts. She runs both an online and bricks and mortar shop as well as selling at Craft Fairs around the country. This is a photograph of Sophia with the wonderful Kirstie Allsopp at the Handmade Fair in London. Behind you can see some examples of Sophia's work.

Beautiful personalised stockings by Sophia

Jessalli in Sophia's words:

"I started making things for family and friends. They used to place orders with me and it grew from there. I did small markets and the demand let me give up my job and do this full time. I'm totally inspired by the Dorset countryside and colour. I aim to make handmade gifts that can be treasured forever and suit a variety of styles. Personalised items should be heirlooms kept in the family for years to come."

Do you love Sophia's shop as much as we do?! Come along to the Dorset Team Christmas Fair on the 6th December to meet Sophia and take a look at her beautiful handmade products. As well as soft furnishings Sophia is also selling the most adorable Christmas cards! 

For more information about the fair please see our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1433547900231175/

To view Sophia's shop on Etsy please see here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Jessalli