You won't get customers if you don't advertise!!

Yesterday I did a market in Margate Old Town. It is supposed to be a 3 day market and last night coincided with the turning on of Margate Christmas lights. This has cost me £50 for 3 days and yesterday I made £20 and apart from one other lady I was the only person to make a sale. Why is this??? Because it was really poorly advertised. There are posters around and I saw some posters at Imogen's school but there was nothing in the local press I even checked last night in case I had missed it.

Please don't get angry with me and think I am putting down the guys I worked with yesterday because I am most definitely not. They are a great bunch, enthusiastic and keen to promote Margate Old Town but at a higher level they are being let down. There was a torchlight procession last night with 2 local schools being involved and I knew nothing about it. There were fireworks and carols with the Salvation Army. I knew nothing about it. There was a mini market with local craftspeople selling their art and craft. I only knew about it cos I was involved.

The torchlight procession was lovely so nice to see all the kids dressed with christmassy LED lights all over them. This has happened for the last 4 or 5 years maybe more and I have lived here all my life (nearly 40 years) and I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT. You would have thought that even by osmosis it would have got around the Thanet grapevine is a wonderful beast but not with this little snippet! Everyone moans about Margate says that there is nothing going on well last night there was and how many people were there??? I know for a fact that people stumbling across the market probably totalled a maximum of 100 if we were lucky.

How to advertise? I am no expert but there are some very simple and free things that can be done to raise the profile of someone or something. I should know I have done it with my own business!

1) Facebook fan page
2) Twitter
3) Blog
4) Join forums on the internet and promote yourself.
5) Local radio may promote you

No money involved in any of these and not a great drain on time a group can quite happily work these things together and raise profile instantly.

Come on Margate sort it out and stop being so apathetic.

BTW I am back at the market today from 11 til about 1.30 so come along if you mention my blog you can have a 10% discount on all your purchases.

TTFN xx

Christmas Sparkle

Christmas Sparkle
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

I made these last year and called them Christmas Sparkle cos they remind me of baubles that you hang on the tree. I am hoping for some torch time tonight so I will make some more of these I think! Very festive
TTFN xx

Rose lentils

Rose lentils a
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

My mojo has returned and I am very happy. I made 3 sets last night and this is a close up of one of the sets! They can all be found for sale on my website here

Other news: I am quite busy putting shifts in at the hospital to earn some money and get us back on the straight and narrow! Thankfully I am getting plenty of work so that is good!

From a jewellery perspective things are quite busy as well what with everyone getting ready for Christams. I had a jewellery party on Friday but you will never believe what I did............I left my box of jewellery at home. It was an hour long round trip to get them and as many of the guests had not arrived I decided not to bother. We are going to do it in the New Year now! Honestly I could not believe it!!!

TTFN xx

I made some beadies yay!!!

So finally after an almost 3 week sabattical and very little going on in the lampworking department I am pleased to announce that Molly mojo decided to come home! She has had a well earned break and the creative juices are now flowing free. The only thing missing now is time but I am happy to grab whatever few minutes I can to make beads again and I can tell you I am one happy bunny.

Pictures soon the kiln is still hot so won't be till tomorrow!

TTFN xx

Singing the blues

singing the blues
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

Despite thinking all I can make is boring ole beads I managed to make these on friday and I really like them. Once again simple small but incredibly neat and totally useable in one or more pieces of jewellery (at least I think so!)

These are now for sale on my website here

TTFN x

Rain, Rain go away

I know we needed some decent rain but why this much this quickly!!!

I am fairly lucky down here in the south we seem to have missed most of the water dropping from the sky but I have forum friends up in the Lake District and after watching Sky News this morning am quite scared for them!

Life as normal for me today I am having a shedio day (hoorah!) but these people their life is on hold! The waters are high and their lives are being seriously disrupted and in a lot of cases are actually at risk.

My thoughts are with you all at this time and I simply wish there was something more practical I could do. To those of you up that way please stay safe

TTFN xx

Meh!!!

So for the first time in over a week I think, I finally have some shedio time. I dip my mandrels turn on the kiln come indoors for a cuppa and some toast and at 10.30 off I go up my shedio! 1 hour later..... I give up! I can't make a round bead today my puckers are decidely dodgy, naff sharp edges and when I try to correct them I get lopsided beads!!! Grrrr.......OK make some nugget beads I have an order for and chill. Make 6 of them quite happily go back to round beads. Nope.... not happening..... so I think make small dotty beads. Start to pull stringer and think whats the point they don't sell...... so gave up for today!

Turned off the oxycon and propane, skipped segment on my kiln and it is now ramping down with 3 round beads (2 of which are not even worth the fugly box) and 6 nugget beads for an order! Meh!!!!!

We all have em and today is officially my bad day! Picture above courtesy of Google image search for "bad day" !!!

Hope your Monday is way better than mine! :o)

TTFN xx