It's been a few months since my one year busine-versary rolled around, and I can't believe how much things can change in 12 months. I think it's always good to keep tabs on your milestone moments, as looking back at how far you've come can be such an incredible confidence booster. When you first start your business, you're full of excitement and fear in equal measure, wondering if you'll be successful. After a year of working for myself, I can tell you that those feelings don't really disappear like you thought they would. Yet, I feel like that's also part of the enjoyment of being your own boss. It motivates you and inspires you to keep pushing forward.
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I've had quite a few requests for this blog post over the last couple of months, and I've finally gotten around to sharing it with you! Please excuse the photography in the following photos, but I wasn't fully prepared to document this as a DIY piece until just before I was about to start. Anyway, as this is my first ever DIY on the blog, I hope it will do the trick.
![]() Where else would you rather be on a Friday morning than at Newark Antiques Fair? Obviously, it would have been more beneficial to have visited on the Thursday, when all the best treasure is up for grabs. However, I was on holiday, so Friday would have to do for my Mum and I this time. If you aren't aware of Newark Antiques Fair, then hold on to your hats because I've got a few juicy photos coming up. Newark is the largest Antiques Fair in Europe. Europe?! And I am lucky enough to be just 30 short minutes away from it! So every other month, when the lovely fair is held, my Mum and I make sure our schedules are free!
Now, I think it is imperative to start this blog post telling you the absolute truth. Once you see the following photos you will understand why I have entitled this blog post 'An Afternoon In My Garden', as the flowers that grow here are just so incredibly beautiful. I must admit, however, that this garden is actually my mother's.
A few months ago, Focus Gallery posted a photo on their instagram page advertising an upcoming exhibition called 'New Talent'. The post was a call to action for artists who had never exhibited their work before, to apply and be considered for the exhibition. At this point I had obviously never exhibited in a gallery, but I had also never done a show before either. Although it seemed a little daunting at the time, the prospect was also incredibly exciting, so I applied straight away, and I was utterly thrilled to receive the good news that my work had been accepted!
Good evening all, I know I have written several posts about the Country Living Spring Fair now, but I felt that this one deserved an extra special little mention. As most of you know, I applied to several fairs this year, but this fair was one I had my heart set on participating in. I was so thrilled to be accepted, after having launched only a few months earlier, I rallied together to get everything finished and in place in order to exhibit back in April.
Good afternoon gang. I understand it has been a while since the fair, but I wanted to take the opportunity to write about my experience as it was my first time attending such an event, never mind exhibiting at one! As you may have already seen from my 'Setting Up' post, which you can read here, actually preparing for such an event can be quite the challenge, but believe me, it is totally worth it. Situated across the entirety of Alexandra Palace in London, this show features so many amazingly creative and talented businesses, and I was utterly thrilled to join them this year. Having been an avid reader of the magazine for years, I knew their show wouldn't disappoint.
Earlier this year I had applied to several shows and festivals, and I so was thrilled to find out that I had gotten one of the last spots available to exhibit at the Country Living Spring Fair at Alexandra Palace in London! Having never exhibited at a fair like this before, and only having one month to prepare, I was working like mad to get everything finished on time. I have to say, during the research phase of the process, (there's always a research phase right?!) I didn't find that much information on tips and tricks for setting up, so I thought I'd give you my breakdown of events, in the hopes that any future exhibitors will find this helpful!
Back in November last year when I launched Edie Rosie Ashley, I stood at the Christmas Fair held by Ribbons Tea Room in Kirkby which was such an exciting experience. I think my business was only a week old at this point and I was so nervous to receive public feedback on the work I had spent months creating. I'm naturally a very introverted person, so the thought of meeting and talking to lots of new people was very daunting. Having spent months at home recovering from my anxiety and depression, this was one of my first attempts back in to the public domain.
I've felt a little lacking in creativity recently. I think sometimes when you're surrounded by your work everyday in a studio it can be hard to keep creating something 'new'. It doesn't help that the weather has been so grey, rainy and miserable recently that my love for bright colours has not been fulfilled by the great outdoors. In times like this I usually turn to books and social media outlets such as pinterest or instagram to get my creative juices flowing. With a need for inspiration in mind, I bought 'Foraged Flora' by Louesa Roebuck and Sarah Lonsdale, as well as 'My Floral Affair' by Rachel Ashwell, and oh boy did it deliver some inspiration!
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