Follow Friday - Got Craft? Holiday Edition
The days before christmas are starting to wind down and we are elated the end is near to our very busy holiday season. We spend months and months preparing our stock, website, social media campaigns, the works; burning the candle at both ends to primp and preen at local (and not so local) markets. This year has been no exception. Seven weeks of markets and ten markets/pop-up events attended, we are beyond wiped. The end, however, is in sight. Soon we'll be sipping boozy eggnog near the fire, watching James Bond reruns with the folks. There might be snow (fingers crossed) but we'll all be together and the stress will be gone. Soon. But first, we have one last show to attend - and really, we couldn't be more excited. Got Craft? is honest-to-goodness, hands-down, our favourite market. We believe strongly in a thoughtfully curated market where vendors are stringently vetted and lovingly chosen from the best of the best and Got Craft certainly is. We are honoured and humbled to be included in the totally kick-ass roster of makers and artisans listed on the event postcard.
Got Craft? Holiday Edition 2015 - Postcard[/caption] This year, the market is moving to a new location, hello North Vancouver! We are really excited as the community on the North Shore has been so welcoming to us and the event. We sat down with Andrea, to take a moment to talk about Got Craft, her motivation, and inspiration; hopeful to catch a glimpse of how she manages to do it all!
To connect with Andrea online, check out her stellar social media:
Got Craft: Website | Facebook | Event | Instagram | Look Book
London Fields Shoppe: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Blog | Twitter
Roxypop: Etsy
What is your business about? I have a short attention span, so I like to have plenty on the go at one time. In November 2004, I created an event coordination company called Lotus Events Inc. Under Lotus, my husband Robert and I, produced Got Craft in May 2007 and Indie I Do in 2009, in partnership with Blue Olive Photography. We opened our first brick and mortar store, London Fields Shoppe in February 2015 selling an eclectic mix of handmade, new, and vintage items and if that wasn’t enough, I have a handmade line called Roxypop where I create sewn accessories that I wholesale to local shops.
What inspires you? I am inspired on a daily basis by my surroundings. I use Instagram a lot to connect to others in the community and to troll through feeds from around the world. I’m motivated by seeing what others are doing / making / seeing and Instagram is such a great tool for this. That being said, it’s a fine balance. As much as I use my phone, I also try to experience and enjoy the environment that I am currently in.
When and why did you start your company? I have always been self motivated with a side serving of “I can do that” attitude which may or may not be a good thing – ha! I never thought that I would be doing or would have done the things that I have, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Life is an adventure and we’re always on the hunt for what’s next.
Any words of wisdom to share?
- Celebrate victories no matter how small.
- What you see online isn’t always what they may seem. There’s real life and then there’s internet pretty which is usually the 75% that is cropped out.
- Support your community and peers.
- Keep focused on your own personal path.
