This months crafty feature is Steph from Indigo Mill, she's built a superb online scrapbooking store and caters for scrapbookers on all levels, crafty retreats are also on the menu and next years are booked a fabulous location
Here's what Steph had to say about herself
Tell us a little about yourself
I'm 27, wife to a computer geek and mum to two half cherubs / half monsters age 3 and 4. Mum got me into scrapbooking after my son was born since I was taking photos and putting them in neat folders on my PC labelled week 1, week 2 etc and that was the last you ever saw of them. Like everyone we started off with HUGE stacks of papermania 'stuff' and quickly moved on to the hardcore scrapping goodies.
Why start up an online scrapbooking store? and where does the name Indigo Mill derive from?
Why start up a shop... I can't sit and do nothing, I have to do something, always have been like that. Because of childcare laws, I couldn't use a childminder for my children as they are so close in age and were both under two, so they had to go to nursery, but I never made enough to cover nursery fees and commuting, so had to try a different avenue. I had worked for a party plan company, but going into peoples homes wasn't for me, I'm not a 'salesperson' so instead I decided to run my own scrapbook supply business and organise retreats and crops in the area as there were none to be found! I now work around my kids, when they are at pre-school and when they are in bed, with my mums help, and some very very good friends I have made through the business. The name Indigo Mill came from a name generator programme on t'internet!! Honest!! We have since found out that 'Indigo Mill' was the name of a working mill about 5 miles from where we lived in Norwich... spooky!
Where do you hopefully see Indigo Mill in a years time?
In a years time I will have converted the world to scrapping and will be it's leader!! LOL No seriously, I would like to see it growing gradually that when both my children are in school I can open a 'proper shop' maybe with a friend
Who is your inspiration for your scrapbooking pages and why?
My inspiration for my pages is my life. Not just good things, I like to journal everything I can, good and bad, it's kind of like my diary, or even therapy! (Thats when I get time to scrapbook anymore!)
Talk us through a typical day!
A typical day... hmmm.... not sure there is one of those, when the kids go to pre-school I have a couple of hours to get things done.
Update the blog, check on the website, check all my emails, update the Facebook group page, upload any new stock, pack up and post orders, post on UKS forum, start thinking about 3 months aheads kits, and the dates for them, get the stock ordered, get this months current kits out to DT members, put together leaflet when they get their projects done, pack shop up to visit crops at weekends, organise and plan retreats and classes for 2010, order in new stock (you'd be surprised at how boring that can be!!) and generally doodle and think.
Any combination of these things has to be done, then I pick the kids up, and we do something in the afternoon, mum kind of takes over around tea time so I can get a start on work, then I put the kids to bed and carry on.
Sometimes go and watch something on TV to chill out, NCIS, CSI etc, but generally work from when kids go to bed around 7pm to any time at night (it's currently half 11, but it has been known to get to half 4 in the morning) - it's very hectic, and some days I feel I'm just about above the water, but I know it's going to be worth it for our future.
If you were going to an interview and had to take one crafty item to explain your hobby, what would you take and why?
One crafty item to explain my hobby would have to be my scrapbook album wouldn't it? It's got everything then, pretty papers, photos, memories, and why I do it! That is one thing I find difficult is to explain what scrapbooking is, because simply, it's my life.... literally...
I would like to say a huge thank you to Steph for taking the time out of her day to do this feature for us.
Her shop is a real treat and worth a visit - I promise you wont be disappointed, you can find her shop here
The blog with all the design teams creations can also be found here
Here's what Steph had to say about herself
Tell us a little about yourself
I'm 27, wife to a computer geek and mum to two half cherubs / half monsters age 3 and 4. Mum got me into scrapbooking after my son was born since I was taking photos and putting them in neat folders on my PC labelled week 1, week 2 etc and that was the last you ever saw of them. Like everyone we started off with HUGE stacks of papermania 'stuff' and quickly moved on to the hardcore scrapping goodies.
Why start up an online scrapbooking store? and where does the name Indigo Mill derive from?
Why start up a shop... I can't sit and do nothing, I have to do something, always have been like that. Because of childcare laws, I couldn't use a childminder for my children as they are so close in age and were both under two, so they had to go to nursery, but I never made enough to cover nursery fees and commuting, so had to try a different avenue. I had worked for a party plan company, but going into peoples homes wasn't for me, I'm not a 'salesperson' so instead I decided to run my own scrapbook supply business and organise retreats and crops in the area as there were none to be found! I now work around my kids, when they are at pre-school and when they are in bed, with my mums help, and some very very good friends I have made through the business. The name Indigo Mill came from a name generator programme on t'internet!! Honest!! We have since found out that 'Indigo Mill' was the name of a working mill about 5 miles from where we lived in Norwich... spooky!
Where do you hopefully see Indigo Mill in a years time?
In a years time I will have converted the world to scrapping and will be it's leader!! LOL No seriously, I would like to see it growing gradually that when both my children are in school I can open a 'proper shop' maybe with a friend
Who is your inspiration for your scrapbooking pages and why?
My inspiration for my pages is my life. Not just good things, I like to journal everything I can, good and bad, it's kind of like my diary, or even therapy! (Thats when I get time to scrapbook anymore!)
Talk us through a typical day!
A typical day... hmmm.... not sure there is one of those, when the kids go to pre-school I have a couple of hours to get things done.
Update the blog, check on the website, check all my emails, update the Facebook group page, upload any new stock, pack up and post orders, post on UKS forum, start thinking about 3 months aheads kits, and the dates for them, get the stock ordered, get this months current kits out to DT members, put together leaflet when they get their projects done, pack shop up to visit crops at weekends, organise and plan retreats and classes for 2010, order in new stock (you'd be surprised at how boring that can be!!) and generally doodle and think.
Any combination of these things has to be done, then I pick the kids up, and we do something in the afternoon, mum kind of takes over around tea time so I can get a start on work, then I put the kids to bed and carry on.
Sometimes go and watch something on TV to chill out, NCIS, CSI etc, but generally work from when kids go to bed around 7pm to any time at night (it's currently half 11, but it has been known to get to half 4 in the morning) - it's very hectic, and some days I feel I'm just about above the water, but I know it's going to be worth it for our future.
If you were going to an interview and had to take one crafty item to explain your hobby, what would you take and why?
One crafty item to explain my hobby would have to be my scrapbook album wouldn't it? It's got everything then, pretty papers, photos, memories, and why I do it! That is one thing I find difficult is to explain what scrapbooking is, because simply, it's my life.... literally...
I would like to say a huge thank you to Steph for taking the time out of her day to do this feature for us.
Her shop is a real treat and worth a visit - I promise you wont be disappointed, you can find her shop here
The blog with all the design teams creations can also be found here