Recent Updates.

Hello again!
Okay, so I have not posted in two months but let's just skip that and focus on the present. I had a blog typed out and ready to go last month for May, but that's old news now so I've decided to start afresh.
It's been a busy two months for me really. If I have to rewind, then I'll start with earlier this year and plans that I'm trying to put in place for next year. I tend to work ahead of myself,it keep's me motivated knowing that I have a goal to reach and that I'll try my best to go for it, if that makes any sense?!

I'm aiming for Showcase 2017 and I've been in touch with my LEO (Local Enterprise Office) in Wexford back in February, (I was informed I was applying too early - well I'd hate to be late!) plus I also applied for 'Design Ireland' and received very good feedback along with a lovely phone call from Emma McGrath of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland in relation to my application. To make a long story short, I did really well. It was a close call. To be honest, I was not going to apply for Design Ireland at first but I gave it a go all the same, you know the motto ... if your not in you can't win! Despite my Imagery, everything else was very good but to be fair and how I feel in my heart rather then my head, is that I want to start with the Enterprise Board being a newbie to this event and all, so I'm on their list and that's all I know so far until I hear from them. But they have me marked down as an Interested Business so I'll see what happens from there. Fingers and toes crossed in the hope that I am chosen, as I'd love the opportunity and I feel that it is the way to go with my work as I want to expand my stockists nationwide and if I'm lucky with overseas customers too. I've been saying this for years, maybe next year, but I'm glad I've finally got up and done something about it this year and now all I have to do is wait and see. So that's one thing.

The next thing is I've also applied for a business award, and as of yesterday (Friday) I've been informed that my application was successful and made round two, so I have a meeting at the end of the month to do with that and I have to bring examples of my products along with me. It's for new business's set up in the past few years so yes, I'm delighted to have heard that yesterday and again I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed in the hope that I proceed in that too and if not then and least I've tried and at least made an effort and all you can do is your best. But for now, it's a waiting game and let's hope and see.

In other news, I'm also launching an Etsy shop this summer too, so my work will be available online and my due date for that was the 20th of June but I'm now possibly looking at the beginning of July but that is on the cards. I will post a link to the website when live. I know I can create one via my website, but my host is American so everything is showing up in dollar signs and I'm not sure how to change them. Ahhh!
I was at Bloom the other weekend with my sister, it was my first time at Bloom but boy was it warm and packed but overall it was a lovely day out. I did not see everything but I did get to go around all the Craft tents and met a friend from my days at GMIT in Galway called Bernadine Burke of the company Maysonbrook (fingerprint trees) apparently I still have a childlike face... thanks Bernadine, you too are aging well! Anyway where was I, oh yes also the sculpture garden, the floral pavillion and the food tents. We left mid afternoon ish and drove along the coast and ended up in Dun Laoghaire and visited the peoples park, bought a falafel wrap and sat on a bench in front of a lady with lovely paintings and another lady making things from broken china. But it was a nice day overall but it just became too hot at Bloom so we made the right decision and left early.
Everything else though is going well, I've been in and out of the studio quite a bit and up until recently I've also been working part time on and off. The little bit of extra income helps and helps pay for materials for my business too and any sales usually go back into my business. But all things considering I'm still in business and the most important thing is that I love what I do.
Working for yourself can have good and bad points, yes I take time out to do things that I need to do. I do socialise the odd time over coffee with friends or else I'd end up going bonkers in my studio! You have to get out every now and then and it's healthy to mix with others. My studio is located in my home place, my parents house. Yes I still live with my parents but I don't mind it, in fact it's nice. I am home nine years now from the United Kingdom this coming September. I am the eldest of two girls, I was the one who was always away so being home living at home is not so bad. My studio is a dormer/loft space that wasn't being used in the house and I transformed it into a studio about four years ago. It saves on rent in the town and there is no way in hell that I'd be able to pay the type of rent Gorey properties are looking for unless I went in with a group but that said there's all these other hidden costs as well. So in a way I'm better off at home, unless major things develop!
My studio is away from the main hub of the house, my house is rather big as it's also a guesthouse. And sometimes, mainly those with an interest in art and design and mainly foreigners may nip upstairs to see me in my studio and look around. I'm also on the Wexford Craft Trail and as of now I am open via appointment or when you see a little arrow outside the gate. Ideally I prefer those who wish to come and see me to phone first, to make sure I'm there because I may be out on appointments, meetings, work or shopping for supplies. But typically speaking I'm here most of the time. I did have two large signs outside the gate but these were causing a distraction to my Mother's B&B signage and our guests were driving past so the signs had to come down. There is one however on the side of the house and another at the door, I was allowed to keep these up just not the two at the gate. I have three windows and a private toilet off a linking room that's used for storage at the moment. It's nice to work up there, go up in the morning, switch on the radio and work away to your hearts content. It's my own space, it's a nice space, it's bigger then most of my friends studios from what they tell me, it's airy and it's colourful ... like me! ;) But I'm very lucky to have a place to work from and I'm very thankful to my parents for the use of it and that I can work from home. But yes, I'm happily working away. I haven't been at lampshades for a while but will be going back to these soon with a new collection to boot! I've been busy weaving and making more mixed media sea studies which seem to do well and I'm going larger with these too. That and a small collection of pendants/necklaces based on the sea studies - All will be revealed soon! :) xx Gráinne