Hosting a Jewellery Party at Home

The week I launched the blog, I created so many blank posts, hopeful that I would find the time to fill them with wonderful words and pictures, then share them with the world over the forthcoming weeks.

As I'm sure many a blogger/entrepreneur will understand, this dream does not very often come true.

Reality took over.  We are currently doing up a house in need of vast amounts of love and attention.  I have another job that can sometimes take over.  I've been ill.  I've had orders and enquiries to deal with.  It's a list that could go on forever.  So I apologise (mostly to myself) for not being pro-active with the blog.  Let's hope I can get it sorted!

Here's what I've been up to of late...

Our first Open House Jewellery Party

On top of the above, I've been busy organising an Open House Jewellery Party at my home.  Previously I've held a jewellery party evening and invited friends and family.  This time I went for a whole day, with guests invited to turn up and have a browse whenever it suited.  This is a grand task to undertake at the best of times, but when you have only just finished decorating the room where you wish to hold the event, the new sofa arrives days before and half your house is still upside down, it only adds to the pressure.  The pressure of course, was self-created.  I know nobody minds a bit of dust and piles of tools in the hallway, but wanting to present a clean, tidy, welcoming space for those you've invited into your home is only natural.  I was behind with making stock for the event (to the point that some of my supplies arrived the day before) and I had the added worry of having strangers coming too.  Yes, I had decided to invite some of my local customers who had expressed an interest.  Some of these I had met before, others I had only spoken to online.  This makes for a daunting experience.  Having friends and family over for coffee and some cake, plus a little browse of my everyday ranges, that's fine. Friends and family are forgiving (or at least they should be).  Customers/clients who you've never met, who have come to look and expect to see a professional business operation?  That's quite scary!

Luckily, we pulled it off!  Mr. Morgan did a great job providing our lovely visitors with tea, coffee and mulled punch.  We offered them an array of cake and mince pies.  Our visitors browsed, chatted, purchased and made orders for Christmas.   They all arrived and departed smiling and happy.  Not only this, but we had a chance to catch up with some of our nearest and dearest (sisters, nephews, friends, aunties, uncles, mums and dads - all in one day).

In all of the excitement (panic) I forgot to take pictures of the jewellery items set up.  I do however, have few images from the day before that, if you excuse the camera phone quality, I'd like to share.

The first is of my studio on the eve of the event.  I really want to tell you all about the creation of the studio, and have some rather polished, tidy pictures.  In reality, this is how my studio looks quite a lot of the time.  I think it's better to show you this.  A messy desk is a sign of  a creative mind after all!

And then of course, you can't invite people over without offering refreshments.  The cakes:

If you run a small craft business from your home, I can thoroughly recommend having an Open House, especially at this time of year.   People love to by from local craftspeople and enjoy knowing they are supporting small businesses.  Yes, it's terrifying at 10am when you're expecting your first visitors and are still untangling necklaces and adding earring backs, but at 4.15pm when the last group leave, you feel tremendous.   It's another step forward in your route to success and gives a wonderful confidence boost.  Thank you to all of those who came and supported our venture.  It really does mean so much.