Blimey what a busy month december was!! it took me the whole of
january to recover!! Not to mention our wee jaunt to the Hong of Kong
for our first holiday in 4 years!! our first since we embarked on our
I Heart Art adventure. We decided this holiday would also be a good
time to really work on our business plan and and map out the future
of I Heart Art and the result is some very big changes!
Firstly you may have migrated from various social network links to
this blog post to see why we have decided to close down the shop –
closing down the shop – OMG!!! yes I know its a big step and a big
change. But fret not, in our far eastern soul searching we really sat
down and asked ourselves, what's working and what's not and the
answer is – classes and parties work. Ceramic cafe not. If its not
working should we give it all up?? At first I was like yes – lets
just draw a line, I am a little frazzled and tired and fed up of
copycats and having to constantly think of new things and competing.
In my grand old age of 30 ive lost the drive a little and just want
an easy life. but christmas was so busy (I suppose thats why I was
so tired as well. I felt like one of those hamsters on a wheel!!)
Plus we always get amazing feedback and it seems such a shame to give
it all up. I absolutely LOVE meeting all the different people over
the years and many have become good friends, what a cheesefest, but
its true!!. And I really do recognise that we are offering something
different in Aberdeen still to this day. Perhaps we are too different
and not mainstream enough??
So our next thought was If the classes and parties work, do I
really need a physical location? Our conclusion is no. Nowadays with
internet shopping many businesses are really asking themselves that
question, the reason being rent and rates are extortionate,
especially in our oil rich city of Aberdeen. On top of that, parking
is expensive in the city centre as well as navigating the congestion,
a lot of people just wont come into town, weekend or weekdays, I
suppose these are the modern day challenges facing most towns and
cities up and down the country and at the end of it all its the small
businesses that suffer. And I have a lot of fans out in the shire.
So after all that we feel that we no longer need a physical
outlet, my classes can operate closer to the customers in community
centres, church halls, scout huts etc and the parties can operate as
a mobile service. I can also work from home where I hope to install
the kiln in my gigantic new garage, perhaps build a cute wee summer
house to run classes from. Working from home will give me more time
to work on other aspects of the business ive been neglecting ie my
online etsy shops and blogging (of course haha!!).
So please don't shed a tear for us, we'll still be around offering
I Heart Art mobile services and we are moving onto pastures new with
the hope that it can be a little bit more relaxed, we still get to be
involved in a business we love but also have time for
US. That's
another major reason we are closing the shop, it really is time to
live our lives again. Its been 4 years of constant working day and
night, events at the weekends, networking at night, admin in the
mornings and it was a bit silly as I left the high-powered stressball
job for this as I believe that you work to live rather than live to
work. So enough is enough, time for our personal lives! Especially
since mitchell and I got engaged in Hong Kong!!! whoo hoo, after 11
years he's finally popped the question and ready to make an honest
woman out of me. So its gonna be one hell of a year crafting and
planning party of the century! Im hoping to not dissapoint on the craft and creative front
so watch out wedding world!!
and i leave you with a lovely piccie of my bling in one of our most favouritest places in the world in all its skyscraper and neon light glory.