Hello again! Yet again it has been a really long time since my last post (about 6 months), and I honestly don’t know where the time goes. Anyone else feel like this? I have been busy with making new products and coming up with ideas for future products – so lots of plans that I need to start putting into action. I have been tutoring in the evenings and am starting a part time job soon (need some consistent income) but Hoopoe crafts is the long term goal.
I needed to update my Etsy shops “about” section and sat down to start writing this morning and I thought why not share what I have written on here. Now when I started writing I got quite carried away and actually ended up not using this piece for my shop, but rather merged themes from it and my original blurb together. Have a read and let me know which one you prefer, did I make the right choice?
I need to share my original blurb first so here you go:
Hello, my name is Chanel and I am based in a small village in East Sussex, UK. I crochet and sew home decor items such as throws and cushion covers – I love a good cushion cover! I started crocheting and sewing more seriously about 6 years ago, however, I learnt as a child and always had a dream of having a handmade business.
I started crocheting again as a stress relief while completing my teacher training. The process of following a pattern, trial and error and then finally completing an item is extremely therapeutic. I am now a stay at home mum, working to build my small handmade business.
The home decor items I make are simple in design but aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and bring a sense of style to your home. I am very passionate about how we can reduce waste, therefore, I am determined to introduce natural, eco-friendly and biodegradable materials. I will be replacing any man-made fibres with natural alternatives from sustainable sources. The packaging I use is 100% recyclable and biodegradable.
My aim is to produce stylish home decor, handmade using natural and eco-friendly materials. If you would like to follow my journey in reducing my carbon footprint, both in my business and personal life, follow my blog. See my latest projects on Instagram and Facebook.
Now this is my first version, I did not pick this one as I thought it may be too much for an “About” section for my shop. I do really like it though:
As a young girl growing up in a small village in South Africa, I spent many, many hours outside. I would play endless games with my sister, our dogs or friends from school but when I was on my own, I would daydream of all things magical and of the endless possibilities of what the future may hold. The landscape of my childhood is etched in my brain like a three-dimensional map, and I can walk around it whenever I wish, even now as an adult living in a different country thousands of miles away. If I close my eyes, I can feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, the smell of the ground when it rained, the feeling of a fresh spring breeze, the mist of an early summers morning that promises a roasting dry heat in the afternoon; the flowers of the summer, and the smell of the roses in my nana’s rose garden, the cool water of a swimming pool, the silence in the velt, the feel of the smooth worn dirt track under my feet, and the cool relief from the shade on a summers day. And of course, the sounds of the birds – the clamour of the Guinea fowl wandering around the village and the special “hoop-hoop-hoop” of the Hoopoe bird catching worms in the grass on a spring day.
It is these memories that allow me to relive my childhood and treasure the feeling of nature and all the wonder and beauty it holds. I have taken this with me through my life and tried to pursue a career studying nature and looking after it. I hoped to be a wildlife vet in Africa but soon realised I did not have the stomach for it. So, I studied Zoology with the hope of going into conservation. Again, this type of job wasn’t quite for and not knowing what to do, I became a science teacher and tried to impart the love of the world around us to my students. When I had children of my own, I had time on my hands and so I went back to one of my first passions – art and crochet. As a child I used to make handmade cards to sell out our village market on a Saturday and had hopes of having my own shop one day. Unfortunately, throughout my secondary schooling I had little confidence in my art and textile ability and gave it up to follow a more academic route that guaranteed certain success and career opportunities.
Now as an adult, I am finding my confidence to show my creative side and allow myself to enjoy artistic expressions without worrying about what other people are going to think. And so, my shop “Hoopoe crafts” has been that outlet and the dream. The dream that one day this will be my actual ‘job’ and I can make a success of it to support myself and my family. My love of nature is in all my choices – the materials I use, the colours I pick and the packaging. We need to take care of Mother Earth and if I can encourage a little bit of that with the items I make and have on offer, then I know I still pass that on to others.
I love designing new crochet items that are useful around the home, aesthetically pleasing and of course natural (no plastic in sight!). I taught myself punch needle and allow more creative freedom in these designs, taking inspiration from nature and the yarn at hand.
Now, below is what I have on my Etsy shop – I think it incorporates the important information with a little bit of background:
Welcome to Hoopoe crafts, a small handmade business focused on creating beautiful, useful, and eco-friendly products for your home. I grew up in a small village in South Africa where my passion for nature and art first started. I would spend many an hour outside studying the world around me and relishing in its beauty. This is also when I first learnt to crochet, although I didn’t crochet again until I was an adult. I named my shop after the “Hoopoe” bird I would often see in my garden, eating worms from the grass and making its iconic “hoop-hoop-hoop” sound.
I love designing new crochet items that are useful around the home, aesthetically pleasing and of course natural (no plastic in sight!). I taught myself punch needle and allow more creative freedom in these designs, taking inspiration from nature and the yarn at hand. I am very passionate about how we can reduce waste and have a low impact on our planet and as such only use natural materials and packaging is 100% recyclable and biodegradable.
For updates, new designs and special offers please check out our Instagram page and blog.
Thank you, Chanel
So let me know your thoughts, did I make the right decision? Do you feel you know a little bit about my shop? If you like it please go check out my Etsy shop and give me a follow.
Thanks for reading, I will try write again soon (sooner than 6 months at least!)
Hoopoe Crafts 