Pre-Order my Limited Edition 'Sunset' Tropical Palm Wrapping Paper
A few weeks or so ago I thought I would play around with some different colour ways on my bestselling Tropical Palm wrapping paper and after posting them to Instagram I was bowled over by everyones response.
A few weeks or so ago I thought I would play around with some different colour ways on my bestselling Tropical Palm wrapping paper and after posting them to Instagram I was bowled over by everyones response.
You guys were IN LOVE with these new colour ways, and loved the idea even more of a limited edition print run of my wrapping paper in one of these new palettes.
It was a very close call between the Pink and Khaki and the Navy and Sunset Corals but the sunset colour way pipped it to the post and it’s not hard to see why. Sultry and balmy tones of lilac, rust and sandy beige set against a rich navy just shout heady warm August nights (or the July ones of recent!).
And although these photos may be mock-ups to visualise how the finished product will look, I cannot get over how much I love them!
Now, I’m going to be transparent. Us small businesses are definitely facing a hardship at the moment. I would so love to be in the position like I have before to be able to order this design up front but unfortunately that isn’t possible right now. So I’m making this limited edition design available for pre-order only until August 11th at a super special reduced rate to help raise the money I need to make this beautiful product a reality!
As a pre-order item you will have access to this price until August 11th after which it will be available at it’s regular price. All pre-orders will be posted a few weeks after this date dispatched via first class post.
I would so love to bring this design to life, so if you would like to see it too and own one of the limited 500 sheets I will be printing, please take a look at the product listing below:
I’d love to know what you think of this new colour way! Feel free to drop your thoughts below, I always love to hear feedback and suggestions.
Deborah x
The Great Postage Debate
As some of you may have seen in the news (it’s a bit inescapable) our lives are about to get a whole lot more expensive.
Self belief coach Anna Dunleavy shared in her Instagram stories last week an amazing reel from Susie Jackson (pricing mentor) talking about how freelancers should be thinking about their worth and in doing so increasing their prices to be able to cope with the increased interest rates. It’s got me thinking about my products, my pricing, my offerings and when I did the math I was doing myself a disservice.
Etsy are very keen for all their sellers to offer free shipping, and this is something I implemented to try and get more sales, more customers etc. Their stance is for us to absorb the postage costs into our product pricing, however I don’t feel this really works for my offerings, especially when people mostly buy single sheets of paper or cards. Over time, I’ve just been losing money. And whilst I’ve wanted to try and not be too expensive for people, I’m really not doing myself any favours. So I’ve decided to add shipping costs back into my online shops as a starting point for me trying to keep my head above the rising tide of price increases in every daily element of my life.
I wont lie, just this small alternation scares me a lot. I’m scared that I’ll lose my customers and I’m scared that this will be the end for my small business. As soon as I put my postage on my listings, Etsy will be there to alert me that in doing so I’m charging more than my contemporaries, that people won’t buy from me, that it’s a bad idea. So I hope this isn’t the case and that you all will be happy to pay the extra 85p to have your card posted, or £1.29 for your gift wrap. I don’t feel it’s steep, but of course I value your feedback and comments on this.
This may seem like such a small thing, but I am a small business and so for me it’s huge. I’m laying my heart bare in the hope that my transparency helps explain the decision, and also shows the intricacies of how businesses run. Postage will be added tomorrow and any orders over £30 will automatically get that desirable free shipping.
Hope you all understand and please let me know your thoughts and feelings!
Deborah
5 lies you shouldn't tell yourself as a freelancer...
Working for yourself is an absolute dream. It can be all of the stereotypes that people associate with it such as working in your PJ's, having your own schedule, being able to get up whenever you want but it can also have it's downsides like any good job.
I've been freelancing for 6 years now and these tips are just my own observations and experiences, all of which I've learnt to work with in order to thrive. I hope they help you too!
Working for yourself is an absolute dream. It can be all of the stereotypes that people associate with it such as working in your PJ's, having your own schedule, being able to get up whenever you want but it can also have it's downsides like any good job.
I've been freelancing for 6 years now and these tips are just my own observations and experiences, all of which I've learnt to work with in order to thrive. I hope they help you too!
1. "Everyone else seems to have it sussed out..."
Ever thought you'd spend a good half an hour browsing Pinterest to get inspiration for a new client or project only to feel like a complete failure after those 30 minutes are up? Yep, happens to me at least once a month! Trouble is we are all just seeing the highlight reels of everyone's lives, and the real truth is that nothing of what they have achieved came quick or easy. Take the analogy of the road, the journey - your freelance career is just as such. It might all seem straight and clear, but there may be forks in the road or winds and bends that take you to places you weren't expecting...that's the joy of the journey. It's the experience. You will suss it all out too one day, and if not, take comfort in knowing that someone out there is looking at your work and painfully pining that you have it all sussed out....
2. "I should say yes to every project"
This is a massive temptation especially when cashflow is dry, but ask yourself some simple questions and you should never really go too wrong:
- Does this project align with my own ethos and working ethic?
- Does it actually pay my time?
- Are they asking for my creative talent, or for someone to copy someone else's work?
I've had many experiences where I've been quite desperate for money to pay rent that I was considering getting paid a pittance, to copy someone else's style, to maybe pay a quarter of said rent. In the end I knew it was wrong and not what I wanted to be associated with. I politely declined the work to the client (albeit thinking I was an absolute lunatic at the time) but within a few weeks a dream client came along. The universe knows and will always balance itself. Never sell yourself short.
3. "I should be working like [Insert amazing designer/illustrator/freelancer's name here]
Working like this will only bring you down and make you feel like a fraud. Live genuine and work genuine! If a client doesn't like your style and wants you to work like another illustrator/designer/freelancer, then they aren't your target market. Think about that for a moment, because the world is crammed full of 7.4 billion people and within all those bodies there will be someone who aligns themselves with the product you're offering. Sure, said amazing designer who you think you should work like is raking it in and has the big clients, but that is their story, not yours. Carve your own path and see what trails you can blaze.
4. "I need to be working X amount a hours a day."
Did you know that the 9-5 working day was only introduced during the Industrial Revolution to prevent people working 15 hour days? Since then this has stuck, but there are people in the world who only work 4 hour days and still achieve a lot. There is no hard and fast rule for how you should work but only you know how you work best. If you know you can only do your best work in the AM then get up early and hustle. We're all individuals and we all function differently.
Studies have shown that people tend to work best in 90 minute work cycles, so if you are struggling to get work done but not burn yourself out, try working 90 minutes then break for 20, and repeat. I personally work better when I set myself a target time to work to and see it as a challenge to see how much I can complete in that time.
5. "When I'm not doing client work I'm not actually working."
This one I am the WORST for. We all need to remember that we work in creative fields as freelancers. Our jobs need to be nurtured with development and inspiration. So you think that visiting a museum or reading a design magazine isn't working? I'm here to tell you to try and see it differently because this is essentially visual nourishment for your brain.
How can you evolve and grow as a creative if you don't stay ahead of the curve? How can you bring innovative and exciting projects to clients if you don't go out into the world and drink in all it has to offer? Staying inside and furiously scanning the internet is one tool to finding inspiration, but you will find nothing better than out in the wild, on the streets, in a conversation with a likeminded friend or within the pages of a book you never thought you'd read. Most of my ideas have come to me when I'm not trying to be in work mode, when I'm relaxed and exploring.
So give yourself a break. If drawing can become a paid job, that defies peoples perceptions of what a job is, then research is just another facet of that gem.
Now it's over to you guys! Have you made any realisations within your self-employed or freelance career? Feel free to share them below or tweet them to me @deborahpanesar using the hashtag #freelancelies
Deborah x
Nottingham Etsy Team Presents: Meet The Maker, 10th March 2016
Last week saw our Nottingham Etsy Team host our second meet up of the year at Rough Trade, showcasing three of our talented who talked about their Etsy shop journeys so far!
Last week saw our Nottingham Etsy Team host our second meet up of the year at Rough Trade, showcasing three of our talented who talked about their Etsy shop journeys so far!
Our Meet the Maker feature, which Team Leader Katherine Jaiteh runs, is such a popular fixture in our social media content that we thought it would be a great opportunity to bring it to a live event. These talks are a lovely way to get behind the story of the Etsy shop, and to see that each shop starts somewhere with it's own goals and motivation.
Speaking at the event were Hilke Kurze of Buchertiger Supplies and Buchertiger Press, Charlie Marshall of C Marshall Arts and Katie Abey of Katie Abey Design.
It was pretty inspirational to hear how these three ladies came to open their shops, what drives them, and most importantly their advice for running their shops. These were some seriously tough ladies, each trying to balance work and personal commitments around building a craft business. And that is no easy feat, believe me!
Their advice for budding or current Etsy Shop Owners?
- "Etsy = Personal" Katie Abey explains how receiving little handwritten notes or extra goodies in your orders is the difference between a one time buyer and a repeat buyer. And let's face it, we all love free stuff.
- "Treat Yourself!" Charlie's belief in the power of giving yourself a pat on the back is really not to be underestimated. If you've finally conquered that photoshoot, or listed those 5 listings which you thought you'd never do, then you deserve to give yourself some recognition and maybe a sweet treat.
- "Give Yourself Goals" Hilke constructed and ran her Etsy shops by setting herself short and long-term goals. Even if she didn't reach them within the time frame she expected, there was a framework to build her shop by.
Before I end this post on yet another successful meet up I wanted to share a quick snap of myself with the other Team Leaders who work hard to make it what it is! We haven't been around for very long (only since July 2015!) but we work hard to make our team the most supportive and creative community that it can be! So big shout out to (from Top left to bottom right): Amy Phipps (Social Media Leader), Rachel Ward (Senior Social Media Leader), Becky Kennedy (Team Captain), Katherine Jaiteh (Social Media Leader), Me! (In-Person Events Leader) and Michaela Bere (Team Navigation Leader).
We have a lot of exciting meet up's planned for the year, but pay particular close attention to April's event which we will be hosting with The Craft Off! Here's a little teaser to get you in the mood...
Have a great week!
Deborah x
Keeping that fear 'edge'
For the past week or so I've been working my way through my HUGE box of business cards which I've been collecting for 4 years, inputting each and every one of them into a new spreadsheet database. You might think I'm a little mad for doing this time consuming, and let's be honest, inanely tedious job but it's all part of the process I've started since reading Alex Mather's e-book How To Get Illustration Clients.
For the past week or so I've been working my way through my HUGE box of business cards which I've been collecting for 4 years, inputting each and every one of them into a new spreadsheet database. You might think I'm a little mad for doing this time consuming, and let's be honest, inanely tedious job but it's all part of the process I've started since reading Alex Mather's e-book How To Get Illustration Clients.
I've been working on creating, nurturing and building my database of contacts, one business card typed into Google Docs at a time. BUT, I'm not writing this post to subtly promote Alex's book, or brag at my awesome patience (which isn't that awesome, I promise) but, to tell you about a discovery I made that really struck me whilst going through these business cards;
All of this can end at any moment.
Now, I don't mean in the morbid sense, although you wouldn't be wrong with making that connection too. What I'm on about is freelance business, creative business, art careers, that can all come to end in a quicker fashion that it may have taken to create. The amount of cards I went through who either were no longer doing that line of work (illustration, surface design, tailoring, design etc) or simply did not exist on the internet any longer took me quite by surprise.
It had the same tang of when you discover an old school friends-father's-long-lost-cousin had died - you don't know that person at all, in fact you probably never met them, but you acknowledge there is a loss there and that someone was somebody's something; Aunt, Uncle, Niece, sibling whatever. For me, it's the same thing. These people's business cards don't hold much sentimental value in my life, but I can't help but wonder what's happened to these people. Are they ok? What happened for them to no longer be doing that line of work? All those long hard years of working, just gone. They were someones illustrator, photographer, designer, copywriter.
I can see how this may seem a little dramatic , however when you work for yourself you sometimes can forget that in the midst of the hard slog of seeking out clients, networking, marketing, generating work and still trying to earn a regular bit of money, some creative or freelancer, somewhere, had the plug pulled on their dream of a creative career. And that's a sobering thought.
I have no idea what the circumstances are for these creatives who I met many years ago - they may possibly be on to bigger and better things, situations that suit their circumstances better, but I can't help but feeling immense gratitude for still hanging on to my dream, even if sometimes it feels like I'm just hanging on from my fingernails.
One day, I may find myself in a situation where I need to make a hard decision and I cant stop myself from imagining someone, somewhere, finding my business card after 4 years, Googling me only to find that I exist no longer on the internet. The very thought makes me a little sweaty because I absolutely refuse to let that happen.
But that's the feeling you want. Really!
If you're like me and still hustling your career then I think it's healthy to have a little fear to keep you from being complacent. I tend to work 1000% harder, doing things that I find uncomfortable and loathsome, when I'm low on clients and money. But what if I applied this fear edge to when I'm actually ticking over nicely? Imagine the work generated!
I have a lot of business cards left to wade through, but I can tell you that I'm getting through them faster than ever before now that I remember what I need to do to prevent my future business card self ending up in a recycling bin graveyard.
Before I head off for an evening of Walking Dead and pizza (because Walking Dead gives me another type of fear and pizza is my comfort) I want to leave you with a question: If you saw your career as your lifeline, how tight would you hold onto to save yourself from drowning?
As always, I'm keen to hear your thoughts! How do you keep yourself from being complacent in your career? How does it make you feel to imagine never doing your dream job ever again? Feel free to drop your comments below or tweet me!
Deborah x
Nottingham Etsy Team Seller Seminar Sessions with Daniel Hughes Photography
Tuesday evening saw the Nottingham Etsy Team host their first ever Seller Seminar Session at Rough Trade Nottingham, and it was pretty awesome (if I do say so myself)
One of the things I absolutely love with Etsy is the community it fosters, and as an Etsy seller myself I've been very lucky to be involved with the Nottingham Etsy Team on a very hands on level. Last year I was promoted to In-Person Events leader, and with the help of my other fellow team leaders we put on the first of our Seller Seminar Sessions at the incredible Rough Trade to a sell out audience!
Tuesday evening saw the Nottingham Etsy Team host their first ever Seller Seminar Session at Rough Trade Nottingham, and it was pretty awesome (if I do say so myself)
One of the things I absolutely love with Etsy is the community it fosters, and as an Etsy seller myself I've been very lucky to be involved with the Nottingham Etsy Team on a very hands on level. Last year I was promoted to In-Person Events leader, and with the help of my other fellow team leaders we put on the first of our Seller Seminar Sessions at the incredible Rough Trade to a sell out audience!
Over 100 Etsians and local creatives braved the cold to attend our event, the first of many aimed at helping fellow Etsy sellers start, improve and build their own Etsy stores. Our first event hosted on Tuesday talked about all things product photography, a key element to any online business! My good friend Daniel Hughes - photographer extraordinaire and all round lovely chap - hosted the event, covering topics such as lighting, white balance, shutter speeds and backgrounds.
It's events like this that truly make me realise how lucky I am to not only have a career I love, but a career that fosters an inspirational, supportive and dynamic community. I have overflowing gratitude for my role within the Nottingham Etsy Team, knowing that I get to meet people I would have never met any other way, to visit places I would have never visited and to learn A LOT along the way.
A huge thanks to Rough Trade Nottingham, Daniel Hughes, the Nottingham Etsy Team leaders and everyone who came to Tuesdays event! Without all of you it wouldn't have been the success it was!
If you're a Nottingham creative or Etsy shop owner reading this and thinking "I missed out!" never fear - we have HEAPS of events in the works, and regularly post about them in our Facebook Page.
Until the next event!
Deborah x