Time for a another ‘Day in the Life of’. This time we follow Chrissie King - milliner, mother, wife, shop owner and champion juggler.

Getting Up

My day starts when my 3 year old shouts, “Mummy I want you”. Normally this is around 7am. Breakfast is sat at the kitchen table with Daddy. Then it’s dog walking and getting organised for starting work. Thank God for Ceebeebies! Currently ‘Timmy Time’ saves the day or Morning!

My Commute

I have one flight of stairs from bedroom to kitchen and another fight of stairs from kitchen to shop. Yes I live above the shop which is great while Alice is little but I am never away from work and you will find me regularly ON DUTY at the sewing machine at 1am. Catching up.

Work is very busy. My shop can be quiet or really busy and you never know what it will be like from day to day. I am open Tues to Sunday so there’s never a dull moment.

I have a constant stream of bespoke orders so clients bring in many types of outfits for functions, all needing me to make something fabulous for their head.

The shop needs plenty of varied pieces and I also stock a nice sprinkling of accessories, so I am always searching for wonderful fabrics to get my scissors in to.

I have had my share of celebs through the door and hats etc. are taken all over the place. One off to Buckingham Palace tomorrow.

This week I have a new stockist in another part of Yorkshire at a lovely boutique so that’s great news.

And of course not forgetting blogging, Tweeting and Etysing!

Lunch

Lunch is now about 12 as my munchkin is off to nursery at 1. Prior to this it would’ve been anytime.
Hebden has some great cafes but alas I don’t get to have lunch unless it’s a delivery.

Being a Mummy

At 5 I lock up and then it’s being a mummy until about 8pm when peace reins and I get back to work, like writing this guest blog. But hey a busy life is a good life as they say.

It’s great to be self employed and I wouldn’t change it but sometimes I do feel as though I’m the juggler who has thrown all the balls in the air and caught none of them. Keep Practising Chrissie!!

Check out Chrissie’s website at www.hattherapy.co.uk, read her blog at www.thelittlehatshop.blogspot.com and shop at www.hattherapy.etsy.com.

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Thank you Chrissie.

If you’re an independent designer / maker / crafter or work within the creative sector and would like to write a ‘Day in the Life of’ article for us, please get in touch at info [at] indiequater [dot] com.

A fascinating day in the life of feature about Masao and Deanne from TokyoMade. If you’re not familiar with them already you should definitely check out their online shop. They sell a range of cool clothes, accessories and gifts all made by Tokyo based designers. And they have recently started a Flickr Group called TokyoMade Street Style.

Here’s their day.

We (Masao and Deanne) spend our days on Tokyo time which has a weird way of making life seem like there is only 5 hours in a day but 25 hours worth of excitement to get through, leaving very little time for sleep. Lucky for us we are both night owls, clicking away at the mouse until the very early hours of the morning.

Each day starts out quite early for Masao, he is usually up with his soy latte and a good book or fashion magazine sitting in the sun on our balcony well before I even entertain thoughts of the day. I usually spend a bit of bleary eyed time rolling around on the futon until I come to terms with what day it is and what a cool life I live here in this wild, illuminated city of Tokyo. Before long the day is underway for both of us and that usually means spending the morning glued to our Macs, checking in on orders, updates, emails, writing blogs and product descriptions etc.

Our office is designed so we sit side by side at a long white desk. Masao’s end looks neat, organised and efficient. Mine is none of those things but it is colorful and there is no end of things to look at and move around. We love the contrast and appreciate that we work in different ways, it is part of what keeps our spirits high while working, living and playing together. So while Masao clicks away in the admin area of TokyoMade checking orders, emails and site organisation at his neat and tidy work station I scribble blog ideas down on brightly colored paper and stare in wonder at the growing pile of gorgeous pieces I have to write product descriptions about.

The door bell rings most mornings, it is usually our delivery guy dropping off bits and pieces. The EMS postal system is superb here, super efficient. At any time between 9am and 7pm we call up the local post office and they come with their scales and pick up parcels to be sent around the world. All the weighing and paying gets done right in our genkan (the entrance to Japanese houses or apartments where the shoes are left). If we are not wrapped and packed by 7pm Masao usually jumps on his bike with TokyoMade packages and heads for the post office which is open 24 hours, the convenience of the system is extremely helpful.

After lunch is usually a good time for us to head out into the human traffic and have our meet ups in cafes and spaces around Tokyo. Masao spends a lot of his time connecting with Japanese designers and checking out interesting places around town. Most weeks he meets up with Guy Perryman, a Tokyo Radio DJ, together they interview TokyoMade designers and feature them on Guy’s radio program Tokyo Expresso.

Evenings are a mixture of events for us. I teach my Hoop Dance (www.hooplovers.com) classes or rehearse most nights while Masao checks out Tokyo’s events or comes home to work on both the English and Japanese versions of TokyoMade and whip up a mean veggie soup. The day comes full circle and we are usually back where it all started, glued to our Macs, by about 11pm every night. While it is usually time to put our bodies and computers to sleep by about 3am I don’t think we ever really switch off. You could say Masao is completely obsessed with TokyoMade, a healthy obsession! He definitely never switches off, I adore his passion and commitment. I have to admit I switch off while hoop dancing, my other love.

TokyoMade was a dream that we manifested together and now work endlessly on together. It is so exciting for us to watch it grow. We love working together on such a creative project and feel very lucky to be able to do so. The best thing about running a design hub is we get to meet so many talented designers here in Tokyo. The design events that we have to go to (it’s our job!) are pretty cool too. It feels great to know that we are sharing what we love here in Tokyo with the rest of the world. Setting our own schedule and being in charge of our own lives is definitely one of the perks of running an independent business.

There are some days when we spend so much time staring at our computer screens that we actually have to turn to each other and say, “Hi! Remember me?”. That is probably the least lovable thing about working on TokyoMade.

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Thank you Deanne and Masao.

Here are those links again:

TokyoMade - www.tokyomade.com
HoopLovers - www.hooplovers.com
TokyoMade Street Style Flickr Group - www.flickr.com/groups/tokyomade

It’s break time. Sit back, relax, grab a brew and follow Candice Wren through a typical day in her life. Over to you Candice.

Morning and Getting Up

Candice Wren is a bespoke pashmina label. As my background is in textile design I can help design and then print you the perfect pashmina for that special occasion or just for a treat for yourself. I also design and print limited edition t-shirts and quirky brooches and corsages. And so this is my usual working day.

First thing in the morning once I have woken myself up, combed my hair and drank my morning cup of tea I make my way to my studio. I start work around 9.00am. I am fortunate enough that my commute to work doesn’t cost me a penny and is just several steps down the garden path! In my studio I do what I like to call my hands on work, which is where I could be preparing a screen ready for silk screen printing or I could be mixing inks, pressing or stitching vintage fabrics and of course I could be printing.

Just lately I have had lots of shows on, and so I have been printing many different pashminas and t-shirt designs for clients and for exhibitions.

I have also been busy spending my Saturday mornings sourcing rare vintage materials and unusual magpie finds of buttons and beautiful beads for my bespoke range of pashminas. Sometimes I head to Portobello Road for treasures and other times I drive to villages where jumble sales are held by small communities such as the Scouts or in aid of the building where the jumble is held. All funds usually go towards things that need fixing in the building or upgrading such as the kitchen or new flooring.

One of my best selling pashminas is the appliqué perfume bottle design which is also the most time consuming pashmina to create.

With the fabrics I have sourced I wash them, unpick the seams and press them so that they are ready to be cut and stitched directly onto the pashmina. In the picture below you can see the finished article. I have also made this design after a wedding, using pieces of fabrics from the wedding - a beautiful napkin (a clean one of course), the bow from the bride’s garter and even the bridesmaids’ dresses. Yes, I really was allowed to cut one of the bridesmaid’s dresses! The fabrics were stitched onto an ivory pashmina and printed with a mute brown. This was for the bride to keep and wear, reminding her of her special day.

In the Afternoon

Afternoons are always different for me, sometimes I have a full day of printing and making, other times I have to sit down and run through my emails; or I could be packing pashminas ready for taking them to the Post Office. I also deliver by hand. I am based in Chelmsford in Essex so it’s a train and then a couple of hops on the tube if the shop so happens to be in London.

Each Day is Different

The thing I love most about my working lifestyle and being an independent designer is that every day is different from the last. I could be in my studio printing out an order or a one off pashmina for a bride or I could be on the road restocking shops with my pashminas and other products such as my quirky t-shirts.

Recently I attended the grand Bill Gibbs exhibition at London Bridge Fashion and Textile Museum where I stock to the gift shop. Twiggy Lawson opened the exhibition and I was lucky enough to get the chance to meet and greet her with a special pashmina. It was an amazing night and I felt very proud to be a designer.

The lesson I learnt on this particular evening was that it is a lot of hard work starting off as a designer, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! People like myself do what we do because we are passionate and in love with the idea of producing beautiful products for others to enjoy.

I would say to anyone starting off their own fashion label or trying to get a new product out there, keep at it, it’s not an easy ride but you will get there in the end just keep chasing your dream and it will come to you.

Lots of love

Candice Wren

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For more information on Candice Wren and her beautiful pashminas, go to www.candicewren.co.uk.

‘Not a good morning person until the caffeine sinks in’

I usually start the day at around 7 pretending not to hear my husband telling me it’s time to get up. He will have been up for about an hour already, tending to our youngest’s breakfast requests. I am not a good morning person until the caffeine sinks in and I’m lucky that by the time I get downstairs there will be a cup of tea waiting for me. I then normally sit at my PC and check my email, mark anything that needs to be dealt with and then have a quick wander round the blogs I subscribe to. By the time hubby leaves for work I’m awake and make up lunch boxes and then it’s off to school.

I run Sparkly Treasures from my studio at home. So after I get back from the school run I usually stick the kettle on and while it’s boiling go to the studio to turn my pickle warmer on. I will have planned out what needs doing the night before which might be a commission or continue working on making new stock for the boutiques or galleries I supply.

As I only have the mornings child-free, I try to get out to the studio as much as possible during this time. It is the best part of my job and I love nothing more than to saw, hammer and solder, watching a piece of jewellery come to life.

‘It can make for a very varied day’

If I don’t have much on that day I will work on other parts of the business which may include updating the website, taking photos of finished products, following up on leads or talking to suppliers. Although the paperwork side of the business is the part I like the least, it can make for a very varied day as you never really know who you will end up talking to and the opportunities it may bring.

‘I’ve built up quite a nice base of customers just from mum and toddler groups’

I have to stop work at lunch time to pick up my youngest from preschool, so we normally get home and have a bite to eat. Then I will pack up orders and we will take them to the post office before the after-school rush. On nice days we might have a picnic at the local park or go and visit other SAHM’s. Even though I’m not technically working I find this is a great time to meet people and network. I’ve built up quite a nice base of customers just from mum and toddler groups, and many of the ladies I have met have skills that I benefit from too. Then it’s off to collect my eldest from school and think about what were going to have for dinner.

My working day doesn’t really have a set start and finish time, rather a staggered one around my children. Once they have been fed, bathed and put to bed I will start working again until about 11pm although I do make a point of not working in the evenings at weekends, where hubby and I will usually catch up on the latest CSI or watch a film, although I have to admit I normally sit and bead at the same time.

‘My business is a now a vent for my creative side’

The best thing about being an indie designer is that my business is a now a vent for my creative side, which was stifled by a 9-5 job. I get to talk to so many different people who possess the most fantastic skills; and have discovered that there really isn’t much that you can’t get indie made.

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Thank you Nicola. For more information and to browse Nicola’s beautiful jewellery go to www.sparklytreasures.co.uk.

Our Guest Blogger and Day in the Life of sections have been a little quiet of late. Is there a forthcoming craft fair or design show that you would like to promote? Would you like to have your say on particular topic? Did you attend a recent event and would like to share your experience? If you work for a PR company or magazine, would you like to share tips / advice with our readers? Shop / gallery owners, are you looking for products or artwork to sell / exhibit?

If the answer is yes, submit your article using the form on our Write for Indie Quarter page.

Alternatively, if you would like to share your day with our readers email me and I will send you further details. All published Day in the Life of features will receive a free banner ad for one month.

Ann Widner’s background is in photography. Over the years she has acculumated a growing collection of images and when she finally ran out of wall space, she began transferring them onto beads and jewellery.

Ann’s little visions now adorn a distinctive range of bracelets, pendants, and earrings. Check them out at www.annwidner.com. Buy online at www.annwidner.etsy.com.

If you’re feeling a bit sluggish after the Bank Holiday, sit back and relax for a few minutes and read all about Elizabeth Carnahan of Longcroft Soap and a typical day in her life.

The Day Begins

My day usually begins at 7.15. The first thing I do is make my way to the kitchen and fire up the espresso machine. I like a few minutes of quiet time before waking the children for school, so I’ll drink a couple of cups of ristretto while I check my orders and email, and make a plan for the day.

Along with making soap, I also run a cosmetics-supply company. Most days, I’ll have a few orders to fill, so I head over to my warehouse after the morning school run to pack parcels. Once that’s done, I go back home and make soap.

‘The best bit is adding the fragrance and colours because they’re what give the soap its personality’

There are eight varieties of soap in my current collection, so I try to make at least five kilos of each kind every week. I find this helps me keep enough stock to meet both my retail and wholesale demand. The highlight of my day is making the soap batches because I love the creativity it affords me. It’s always exciting to the raw ingredients (oils, water, and caustic soda) come together to form the soap. The best bit is adding the fragrance and colours because they’re what give the soap its personality. I love adding my signature hearts to the tops of the soap loaves.

I also try to do a bit of packaging every day. It isn’t my favourite task, but at the same time, it isn’t demanding, and I find I do my best thinking while my hands are engaged with paper, tape, and scissors. I try to use only biodegradable packaging, and keeping the products interesting can be a challenge. Lately, I’ve been using recycled scrapbook paper to wrap my soaps, and I’m really pleased with how they look.

‘After lunch, I’ll take a short walk if the weather is nice’

Lunch is usually an informal affair and I’ll generally have something simple. My favourite lunchtime dish at the moment is a cheese toastie with homemade tomato soup. Not very exciting, but it hits the spot on a regular basis!

After lunch, I’ll take a short walk if the weather is nice. If the weather isn’t great, I’ll work on my latest Showcase piece for Saponifier Magazine.

Mid-afternoon is parcel pick-up time, so I make sure everything is ready to go when my courier arrives. Then it’s time for the afternoon school run and my working day is effectively over. I collect the children from school, help them with their homework, and start dinner.

I love being self-employed because it gives me the flexibility to run a successful business and manage a busy family life. It also gives me a tremendous amount of freedom, both personally and professionally. I feel extremely fortunate to work for myself because I wouldn’t be happy stuck in an office somewhere.

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You can buy Longcroft Soap products online at www.longcroftsoap.co.uk.

A big thank to Elizabeth for sharing her day with us.

Today’s feature follows Rachael Lamb through a day in her life. Rachael is a talented designer of jewellery and bags and runs the hugely successful Hannah Zakari online store. Grab a brew, sit back and read on.

Scott’s Porage Oats and Peppermint Tea

I’m usually woken up by my husband’s alarm going off at around 7:30, if it wasn’t for this I’d quite easily sleep until 9 or later every day. I lie in bed looking at my wallpaper (it’s very nice!) through bleary eyes and think about the day ahead, what I need to do, what I meant to write down last night but forgot, and if there is enough milk for breakfast.

I run Hannah Zakari out of my flat so I don’t have far to travel to work, just from bedroom to office via the kitchen. My day usually starts with a bowl of Scott’s Porage Oats and a peppermint tea in front of my computer. I use this time to read through emails and print off any sales that come in as well as looking around some of my fave websites and Facebook, MySpace, etc to see what has been happening and if I have any messages on them. One of the best places on the net just now (in my opinion) is Polyvore, it’s one of my favourite morning rituals to check what people have been using Hannah Zakari items for.

The Working Day

I work on my own all day every day - luckily I like my own company! Sometimes it feels like I spend more time in front of my computer than actually designing and making stuff, but that’s due to the success of HZ so I don’t complain too much about that! On a typical day the main part will be made up from packing orders and taking them to the post office which can take a good few hours during busy times, the rest of the day could be spent checking in new stock, taking pictures, ‘gimping’ them and listing things on the website, doing some promotion, speaking to current designers or looking for new ones - there is always something to do.

I’m lucky enough to have a big office space, so I have separate areas for different tasks - a table for cutting fabric and sewing, my jewellery area with all my beads, chain and pliers and another bit for packing up orders. Despite this, I always seem to run out of space and no matter how much extra storage I buy, I outgrow it in a matter of weeks.

The first thing to get neglected when HZ really took off was my own line so now I try to make time each week to work on my own designs and to look through my favourite internet shops for fabric and supplies for that - I have favourites that I could spend hours on if I let myself and am totally addicted to searching for (and buying) vintage/interesting buttons!

Left Overs for Lunch

I go to the post office around 2pm every day and will have my lunch around this time too. Sometimes I might pick something up from a local deli but it usually consists of left overs from the night before (today I have Mexican - yum!). I use this time again to read online papers or go on my favourite forums while I eat and try and relax a bit before starting up again in the afternoon.

Night Owl

Around 5 pm I usually wind things down for a bit and will meet John or a friend for a latte and a gossip at my favourite local coffee shop, but I don’t think I ever really finish work! It’s very unusual for me to go home and relax after this and am regularly seen still sitting at my computer until the wee small hours getting stuff finished off. Even if I wake up in the middle of the night I’ll pop through to the office and see if the site is busy, check if there have been any sales to exotic addresses in different timezones or just other night owls. No matter how hard I try to break this habit my good intentions never last more than a week!

If I’m not working at night I am usually decorating my flat, maybe when this is finished I’ll start to put my feet up in front of the telly more often, but I doubt it somehow!

I love working for myself, I couldn’t be luckier with what I do for a living and it suits my nature very well as I enjoy the freedom of being able to choose my own hours and be my own boss. I’ve learned a lot about myself since I started Hannah Zakari - good and bad! - and I’ve also taught myself a lot of new skills, not just craft related but business skills like buying, marketing, and accounting (maybe one day I’ll even master The Spreadsheet, but I won’t hold my breath!).

It can be tough being on your own for long periods of time sometimes and it helps if you can stay positive after a hard day. I am very lucky that I have some good friends to keep me on an even keel when things are slow or I’m having a confidence crisis - it helps to have someone who doesn’t mind listening to you ranting and reassuring you at times.

Made In The Shade

This month I will be exhibiting at Made In The Shade, a collaboration between Glasgow Craft Mafia and Creative Entrepreneurs Club at The Lighthouse in Glasgow. The event is shaping up to be *the* place to shop in Glasgow on the day (no mean feat!) and will be showcasing some of Glasgow’s best young design talent - I’m excited already and planning lots of lovely one of a kind and new pieces to be unveiled on the day which I’m having lots of fun making! Sat May 25th, The Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane, Glasgow.

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Thank you Rachael!