On Thursday evening I found my way across town to the lovely home and studio of Maeri, founder of The Make and Do Studio.  The house is in a beautiful setting overlooking the picturesque Bridgewater Canal.  The studio, at the back, was plenty big enough to accommodate the 20 or so people who attended the event Maeri had so kindly hosted: the Creative Co-operative.

It was so lovely to meet other people running creative businesses and learning a little bit about how their businesses operate.  It was also great to hear first hand from Mike, the speaker, an online marketing executive for a large business – and reassuring that the things he recommends are things I’m already doing – oh, all right then . . .  mostly already doing.  It’s not really all that new any more and it’s not rocket science, but Twitter, Facebook, blogging and other social media are all really helpful in promoting your website and engaging with customers.  

When these things are brought up, people always say the same things: where do you find the time? 

finding time

Time is precious for all of us and small business owners in particular can have a hard time prioritising. 

For me, the time I spend on my blog is a priority because it’s so important in keeping Mr Google popping back for updates – as well as customers and friends.  Twitter is great for people like me who work at home and use it for keeping in touch with friends and other independent designer/makers – as well as the odd little promotional tweet (yes, it really does work, as long as it isn’t overdone). I love that it’s easy to dip in and out of if you’ve only got a couple of minutes to spare. 

 And Facebook?  Hmmm…OK, this is where I fall down a little bit.  I know I can integrate it with Twitter and maybe that’s got to be next on my to-do list!

The other thing I found interesting is hearing about people’s experiences with email newsletters.  I think I may need to consider sending one out.  I always assume it might be an intrusion or annoyance for the customer, but I do need to remember that some people may actually be interested in what I have to say!   I may have to work on that one!

For now, the website sales are steadily increasing, the blog is well-visited, scoring well in Google and other search engines, and I tweet far too much for my own good. It all knits together pretty well and I’m finding it all definitely helps.

So . . . Facebook and Newsletters here I come.  Ha! Don’t hold your breath, will you?

In the meantime, if you have any recommendations for me regarding Facebook and newsletters, please do leave me a comment

Where did all that sunshine go?  Yesterday, the whole day seemed so sunny and springlike and I optimistically thought we might be treated to a few gorgeous days.  Obviously not to be - the sky is back to its miserable dull grey and the temperature’s definitely dipped a little.

However, it’s felt a bit like spring in the studio today!

In between the Valentine’s messages on hearts, hanging plaques and chalkboards

message on a chalkboard

there’s been a springlike feel with these clocks and plaques

spring like feeling

pretty pink butterflies, cute cupcakes, magical fairies and brightly coloured campervans have all helped brighten my mood if not the sky outside!

painted cupcake

For more of what’s going on in other people’s creative spaces, visit http://www.kootoyoo.com/2011/02/my-creative-space-3.html

fairy clock nearly finished

If there’s one thing we specialise in here at 1st Unique Gifts, it’s got to be totally unique personalised gifts.  I don’t like to brag or boast too much (a very British trait, I believe!) but we are told they’re funky, quirky and gorgeous.  They are certainly bright, colourful and a lot of fun. 

I love the fact that they bring a smile to people’s faces – it’s one of the nicest things about selling direct at markets and fairs.

personalised egg money box

Personalised gifts can, of course, make any occasion that bit more special.  Children in particular love to receive gifts with their names on.  Although so do the adults!  People with unusual names really appreciate personalised gifts, simply because it’s usually impossible to find things with their names on.

The firsts in life, like the first day at school, can be made more memorable with a personalised picture frame.  These come in a shabby chic or plain finish and made a lovely keepsake.

We hand-paint and personalise all our gifts here in our garden studio in the small village of Croft in Warrington, Cheshire, UK.

hand painting the canvases

This means that you can specify changes in colour and design. It also means we can also add any personalisation to suit your requirements – so you can add any name (yes, any name – no limitations on number of letters, unusual spellings or even unusual names) and on some items you can add any message you choose too.  The only limitation on this is space – but because all personalisation is hand-lettered, we can usually accommodate whatever you ask for as we can make the writing smaller or larger to fit the space.

If you are looking for a personalised gift, especially if it’s one for somebody with an unusual name, we hope we can help you.  We’re a new business so we are still developing our range –  if we’ve not got what you’re looking for then we may be able to create it.

Our individual shabby chic letters can spell out any name or message and with optional sticky pads on the reverse they are so easy to fix to a wall or door. 

pink lowercase shabby chic letters spelling baby

They’re a fabulous gift for a new baby.

spell out any name with individual shabby chic letters

One of our most popular gifts for new babies and Christenings/Baptisms is our stork canvas.  We hand letter this with the baby’s name, date of birth, weight and even time of birth if required.  We can also accommodate a special message around the side edges of the canvas.  The stork canvases come in three different sizes to suit different occasions, rooms and budgets.  Of course, you can choose any colourway – the neutral background is the most popular.   Here it is in blue:

stork and baby canvas

The individual 6″ canvases (below) with a different letter on each one are also a really popular gift for a new baby or young child - or just something to brighten up any child’s room.

individual canvas letters spell out a name on the wall

individual handpainted canvases spell out any name

A lovely gift for all ages is our campervan canvas or campervan clock.  We can paint this in any colourways and will add a personalised numberplate – at no extra cost. 

In fact, none of our personalisation costs any extra – the price you see is the one you pay.  The only extra is postage! (and if you live anywhere near Warrington you can even save on this by arranging collection.)

personalised campervan canvas painting

personalised campercan clock

There are fabulous personalised end-of-term gifts for teachers, personalised first-day-at-school gifts, lots of ideas for children’s gifts and room accessories, fairies, footballs, hearts and cupcakes.  And lots, lots more. 

Visit the site now for even more personalised gift ideas we hope you’ll love: www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk

Emma's 21st persoanlised photo frame