We had a very full, long Easter weekend, packed with family, food and sunshine. We don’t live very close to any family, so we often are away over the weekend visiting with family (mostly parents), making sure everyone gets some time with our daughter. It sometimes is really hard to travel around so much, but it is worth it when you can watch the relationships blossoming.
However, being away from home for any amount of time always results in lots of housework that needs doing when you get home. My Tuesday was taken up with the food shop, numerous loads of washing, and cleaning. I would much rather be spending that time on my business but it has to be done. And when you live in a relatively small house, it is very obvious when things are not done.
The reason behind the logo
What I really wanted to tell you about, was my new branding and logo. So the logo I have been using thus far is a design I drew, meaning it was rather basic. My business is called ‘Hoopoe Crafts’, the Hoopoe is a bird that I often saw in my garden while growing up in South Africa. The bird may be rather foreign to many, but it has a very sentimental place in my heart as it reminds me of a special and, what feels like, magical time in my life.
As well as the bird, I wanted to incorporate a pastel floral design to give a sense of nature and beauty. The colours are complimented by the orange colour of the font to mirror the orange in the wings of the Hoopoe bird. I wanted something that was classically elegant with a pop of colour. I finally got the design professionally drawn up, and I am so pleased with it. I hope you like it as much as I do. Check out my Etsy shop for the full impact here.
My brand
So over the past month I have been working really hard on developing my business. I took a number of webinars and I completed an online 30 day course about launching an online craft business. The first thing I realised was that I did not have a clear brand. This was a problem I had to sort asap. I did some major brainstorming and it was on a drive home from work one night where my whole business came together in my mind. As soon as I pulled up in my drive, I typed it all out on my phone lest I forget. This was such a huge turning point for me. Knowing what I wanted my business to be and having some really clear business ethos written down really helped me to direct my focus.
Natural Home Decor
Hoopoe crafts is all about:
- Using natural materials that are eco-friendly and biodegradable
- Producing beautiful and useful items for your home
- Reducing waste
- Using recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging
The next step
I have sooo many ideas of products I would like to produce, and materials I would like to use. However, I have to start small. I am only one person making all of my products and building my online business and doing my marketing; all while looking after my daughter full-time and working a couple evenings a week. It is hectic trying to fit everything in, but I am determined as I believe in my brand. I am so thankful to all my followers on social media and on my Etsy shop, and I hope you will stick with me to watch Hoopoe crafts go from strength to strength. The aim is to be doing this full-time in the near future. That would be amazing!
For right now, I am working on some reusable products for the home which I will be launching really soon. As always I love a good throw, so a new design is coming your way too. And I have a couple commissions to be getting on with. Oh and I am going to be booking some markets for the summer and leading up to Christmas. Busy Busy!
In celebration!
Woo, as I mentioned I am so happy to finally have my new logo up and running. In celebration I have a special 15% off discount available across my Etsy store. 15% off discount. This will be valid until Wednesday 1st May 2019, so don’t miss out.
By for now,
Chanel x
Hoopoe Crafts 