SIO Tips No 27

Pop a little dish of Bicarbonate of Soda in the fridge to rid it of smells, leave in it lasts a good while.  Also when cleaning the fridge wipe with a damp cloth and Bicarbonate of Soda to give a lovely fresh and clean finish.  You can still use a little washing up liquid but do not use harsh chemicals in the fridge or mixed with other chemicals / materials.

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SIO Tips No 26

Leaky boots?  Desperate to wear but the water gets in.  Get two light weight carrier bags (no air holes in them) and cut down to make a bag that comes up to your ankle or above, slip your sock covered foot into bag and then into the boot, magic you’re going to have dry feet.

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Getting ahead of the game!

In a previous blog we talked about collecting and drying the autumn leaves to use for fab cards and gift tags.  That is possibly now past as the leaves are getting a bit soggy.

So next step for a natural Xmas is the branches and twigs you might want to use to create flower arrangements, hang decorations on or wrap lights around.  Before too much longer start to find those twigs and branches.  You might be doing some end of year gardening or out for a walk, so keep your eyes open.

Collect them now before they get mossy and slimy, giving them time to dry out so you can paint or spray them in good time for Xmas.  You will struggle to paint or spray onto damp wood, so it is important to get now and let dry fully. Just hang or place somewhere in a dry atmosphere.

Remember that your twiggy creations can last long after Christmas.  Use vases, fine twine or florists dry pack to hold your twigs and branches.  Lots if tiny little LED light sets on sale now, allowing you to make extra special decorations for a tiny cost and enjoy the extra bonus of having created something yourself.

Go off and have fun, stay safe and keep away from fire.

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Craft Tips for Newbies No 7

Dressmaking is like Chinese cooking, preparation is everything, care cutting out & time taken fitting each stage, is key.

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Your very own Wells Dressing!

Crafting with the kids on this rainy day? Lots of ideas in our making section and also freebies for those registered on the site. http://www.seekitout.co.uk/to-make.html
 
FAMILY CRAFTING IDEA
How about a family craft day to see who can create something amazing. In the Peak District the traditional Wells Dressings use natural products from nature and clay to produce spectacular pictures, the tradition goes back way into history.  The results they achieve are spectacular to say the least.
 
So how about some simple plasticine or similar, even double sided tape (carpet tape - try B&Q), piece of card or board, rice, dried pulses, scraps of fabric, beads, old wrappings, egg shells, flower petals, moss, pebbles or scrunched up paper to create a family masterpiece, does not have to be done in a day so could not be more perfect.  Slip under a bed or on top of a cupboard for safe keeping till done.  Worried it will dry out cover carefully with cling film till done. Check these ideas out bit.ly/M0xPMu  Often religious yours can be anything, people, flowers, Olympics, date in History, even random modern art.... the world really is your oyster

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Craft Tips for Newbies No 5

Crochet newbie try cotton yarns in double knitting less fluffy than wool easier to find stitches and work generally.  Cotton comes in fantastic colours and lovely sheens, so will look amazing.  Lots of yarns to try, not just wool how about bamboo!


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Craft Tips for Newbies No 4

Crochet in a round, working the work in one piece to form a tube like structure often used for bags. Use a safety pin to mark row starting points as hard to find start sometimes, move up each row and then you will always know the start point to ensure you do not end up with 1/2 row extra! Our crochet and felt starter kit bag is worked in the round, check it out.

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Marketing what is it?

Selling on-line only, selling through small local craft fairs or a retail giant, marketing is vital for all.  We cannot buy something if we do not know it exists, your potential clients have to first discover your products exists, find a desire or reason to have and finally decide to buy.  A lot of steps to the point of sale, get it wrong and you will simply not sell.

Marketing is…..

• Marketing is powerful
• Marketing is cost effective
• Marketing is essential for growth
• Marketing is achievable by all

MARKETING IS A MINDSET – YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN

What is marketing? Simple answer everything…….

Marketing takes many forms and can cost from nothing to millions, but it is a vital for every business. Marketing is a journey, with an end, many possible routes and often to be repeated in differing forms. It is many things brought together to achieve one goal.

What is the purpose of marketing? Marketing is all about building…..

• BUILDING YOUR BRAND (every business has a brand without fail)
• Building market share
• Building profits
• Building product range
• Building relationships
• Building reputation

It is not needed for my business, what can I use for a fast track approach, it is only advertising so not right for me, all things I hear and all are wrong, there are no miracle cures and no one can be let off the hook as marketing touches every business from UK PLC to charity, one man bands to multinationals.  The difference is found in the mix of methods, the spend and the repetition but again this varies even with like for like businesses.

Each business uses different techniques in varying ways there is no ‘one fits all’ solution is out there but one thing is proven you MUST use multiple methods of marketing.  Times and economies change fast these days, new likes and dislikes happen overnight, so even if not trend setters we must have our finger on the pulse to some degree.  This is not about fashion trends it is about the trends your clients are following, potential or current.  Lose sight of that and you will soon lose customers to someone who is paying attention not assuming they know or basing ideas on old information.

Step one, work out what you do in the way of marketing.  Traditional methods like adverts, be it in a magazine or Google Ads, or less obvious such as business networking, blogging, presenting a pretty show stand or shop window, even telling the girl on the check out at the supermarket what you do.  Sit, think and list all you do may take a while but you will be amazed. 

Next you must learn how to evaluate these methods, often people put too much emphasis on the one method that drives immediate sales, but are there secondary methods driving brand awareness so that your name sticks in the mind of consumers and helps drive sales but in a less obvious way.  Also important, are these methods portraying your business in the correct way and following the ethos of your business or could you make them better, are they good for your business?  Be tough, be honest and be realistic and never decide on a snap decision or head for comfort zone options, as you do not buy from yourself so it is your clients likes, needs, wants, hates etc. you must understand or pander to.

Have you ever heard of Marks and Spencer or M&S?  Stupid question I hear you say, well no it is not, they are a massive high street brand but yet every day they reduce their profits but adding to their costs, why?  Brand awareness, consumers have short memories and soon find alternatives so that is why M & S put the branding on everything from their sandwiches to their knickers as it reinforces the message that they are there, come and buy.  The message is thought through and brand images are tightly controlled to ensure continuity and appropriateness.  So even tiny weeny businesses should look at marketing as something that is intertwined in every aspect of their business every hour of the day, not just a costly or detached segment of running their business.  

Brought to you by the Seek It Out team

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Raining too much for you..

Keep calm and keep crafting.  Horrible weather it might be but it does mean more excuses for me time and a little crafting.  The weeds here at Seek It Out HQ are going berserk but nothing we can do just too wet.  So instead we can turn our attentions to coming up with yet more goodies, guilt free fun time it just does not get better than that.

So stop being depressed by the gloom and seek out your creativity.  Got a family or friends birthday coming soon, why not challenge yourself to make the card or pressie from things you have around the home.  Decoupage a card using scraps of wrapping paper or fabric.  Take a shoe box and cover with fabric or paint it to make the ultimate gift box then fill it with homemade muffins. To receive something which has so much love put in to it is wonderful and beats petrol station flowers by a mile.

Ignore the rain, craft away and before you know it you will have a draw full of cards, a selection of gift boxes and loads of ideas for gifts to cook, sew or make.  Time well spent before the sun comes out and the weeds demand your precious time.  So make cards while the rain falls!

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