Cash Flow Woes

I find this time of year such a worry. I know that I need to start building up my stock for the Christmas craft fairs and I've worked hard up to now to make sure that we are booked into craft fairs every weekend right up to 20th December but I have little money to actually buy supplies to make everything. We've recently joined the Federation of Small Businesses and the membership and joining fee is nearing on £200. Product and Public Liability insurance costs a fortune & there're many more hidden payments that the customer never see. I'm really excited about my Christmas range of soaps and new candles, I just hope that I can somehow manage to buy all the essential oils needed. The list includes litres of Cinnamon Oil, Sweet Orange Oil, Clove Oil and our Tipsy Auntie fragrance. The first big show of the season is on Saturday and Sunday at the Glasgow Concert Hall and at the moment I'm trying to design my Christmas-ified stall as well as finding enough space on the table for all the new Christmas products I have. I'll post the photos next week. Until then here is a photo of me in the workshop batch numbering my soap (excuse the dodgy hair net and lab coat!).

Trick or Treat

Pumpkins

Spooky

Once Upon A Midnight Dreary...

Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.'

It's been a busy weekend and not soap making. David & I decided not to do any shows on the weekend of Halloween. We LOVE Halloween and are quite well known around these parts for putting on a show for the kids in the village.

Friday night at 7pm (sharp) there was a rapping at the door and the first of the kids presented their costumes and did their little turns. As the second lad (a F1 driver in liveried boiler suit with a bandaged bloody head and 'missing' arm) started his joke when the door went again - 3 more kids. The door goes again - even more kids. Turns out we're the prefered starting point.

I'll explain... David does a convincing Grim Reaper complete with scythe, Dave also rigs up the front door to open 'on it's own' and kids have to cross the smoking skull & severed dragons head to get to the booty. I've been told that all the children from Madderty talk about coming to our Halloween house.

The village hall committee had a Halloween party on the Saturday night some people missed the guising on Friday night so asked to see our house after the party. That turned into nearly everyone coming around to our house (I think the parents wanted to see for themselves what the fuss was about). An impromtu fancy dress halloween party took place by candlelight with lots of high spirits.

Graveyard at the front of the house

Christmas gets earlier every year, ba humbug.

Well, it's been a long time since I last blogged. I've been busy making stock, ill (just a bad cold), very busy making stock, lots of fairs & markets, very, very busy making stock and... phew!

You won't hear me complain though, but if you do... just remind me of my old desk job. That's enough to boost my enery levels. I did think working from home would mean that I would have plenty of time to make wonderful homemade gourmet dishes everynight for my husband's dinner, homebakes for the girls coming around for the odd morning coffee and lots of jams and pies to give as gifts. Huh, so much for that idea, I'm lucky if I can get a sandwich for lunch and at busy times poor Dave usually ends up with boring homemade soup for his dinner.

Anyway, this week I'll be making my new Christmas Range including Tipsy Auntie (mulled wine), Chocolate Orange, Deck The Halls (holly & mistletoe). Along with some of the old favourites, Three Wise Men gift pack, Candy Cane, Christmas Cracker, Let it Snow & Winter Wonderland.

This weekend is the first of our Christmas Fairs (it's not even Halloween yet!)

Air today

Attended the Leuchars Airshow yesterday as part of their Scottish Fair.

It was a bit of an eventful day overall, 1st was the 5am start to travel to Leuchars to be on site and ready to trade by 8am. This was a bit of a shock to the system as mornings are not really my thing. It was also a bit strange getting up when it was still dark.

Part of the reason for the early start is the need for security checks before you can enter the airbase. I've never had the car searched by a sniffer dog on the way to a show before (or any other time for that matter).

This was a bit nerve racking as our soap contains a lot of glycerine, but luckily not nitro glycerine. Our Stop Kidding Around soap contains almond oil. Semtex smells of almonds, not sure why I know this as I have never smelt semtex. it must be one of those useless fact you pick up just so you can remember it when a sniffer dog reaches your boot!

Just to top things off I had a large number of bombs in the boot......., well bath bombs anyway. I was very careful to refer to them as bath fizz during the day.

Tick, Tick, Tick......., Tick Booomm!

Anyway the sniffer dog was satisfied that none of our products could be used in the pursuit of evil so I was allowed entry.

The show was very busy all day but due to the weather a lot of the flying displays did not take place which was a bit of a disapointment for the visitors.

Being in an aircraft hanger meant I couldn't see a lot of what was happening but did catch a glimpse of one or two planes including a Spitfire. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to see the Vulcan Bomber (grounded due to low cloud) as I remember these flying over my house when I was a kid. Yes I am that old!

Worryingly it was dark again by the time I got home, the nights are fair drawing in as my dad always says.

Dave

Barony Crafts Mentioned in Homes & Interiors

Oooh, I'm so grateful to Lisa at Primrose Hill Interiors. Lisa's studio and shop has been featured in the September/October edition of Homes & Interiors Scotland, in their Nooks & Crannies section. As part of the article Lisa mentioned some local crafts stocked in her shop, one of which is Barony Crafts Soap. My heart skipped a beat when I was reading about Lisa's success and there before me was my wee company mentioned in this very posh mag. Have a read for yourself...

Website Updates

It's about time I overhaul my website. For a start, not all my soaps I have on my stall are available to buy online. I have lots more products now including Liquid Handsoap, Hand & Body Lotion & Shower Gels. I have to admit that I've been so busy with my shows over the summer period I haven't had time to 'spring clean' the website.

The major prompt to do this is the festive season is nearing and my trade stockists are starting to ask about this years Christmas range. So, it time to sit down and charge at it like heading down the Lilliehammer Bobsliegh Run (have I mentioned I've done this!) once it starts there's no stopping it until it comes to an end somewhere miles from where you started.

just before the bobsleigh run

You may find that the words UNDER CONSTRUCTION are peppered over the website for the next couple weeks but you will still be able to buy as usuall. Hopefuly it will result in an easier to use and more pleasing to the eye Barony Crafts website. If you have any suggestions to help or any ideas of things you would like to see... drop me a post.