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Saturday, 20 February 2010

Our Shop

Well, after an exhausting week re-fitting and re-organising our main shop we finally opened yesterday.
Here are some photos just before opening, with everything looking shiny and new. We are really pleased with the way it looks. The shop has 2 big front rooms and 2 smaller back rooms.
Here is the second front room with all the gorgeous new Greengate stock which arrived from Denmark this week.
We still have the back rooms to do but I am still waiting for a lot of new stock to arrive so we decided to just open the front rooms and keep working on (and filling) the back 2 rooms next week.
And on the table, as you walk through the door, is my little 'Bearpaw Department', with all the lovely crafty goodies I have been working on over the last few weeks.
Here are the mini owls in their 'straw' nests.
Can you see my new Bearpaw label in the bottom right hand corner? Jonathan designed me a new logo last Sunday (a valentine present!), and I have been busy this week (in my few hours at home!) sewing paper versions on to felt to make a label for each piece.
Here are the Little Tree pin cushions in a straw crate (keeping them steady!).

I made all these flower corsages last Sunday and in odd moments at the start of the week - they don't take long (I'm trying to avoid sounding like some annoying Superwoman now!). I really love making these, they are probably the quickest and most fun out if all the things I have made.
This photo was taken just after I sold one! Which is a bit annoying as I like to keep a record in case I run out of ideas (each one I make is pretty unique as I make them up as I go along).
I was really delighted to sell one so soon though. Here is a close up of one in a gift box (more 'straw'!). We used brown paper to cover the windows to hide our 'workings' and when we took it down on Friday night I shredded a load to go in these gift boxes.
I have started using felt and seed beads instead of a button in the middle of the crochet flowers, which I think is a nice change.
And here is a nest of my little crochet chickens!
You haven't seen these before. I am quite proud of them as I made up the pattern myself (the owls are adapted from a pattern I found free on the internet). They are very simple, just a rectangle folded cleverly and some chains of trebles for the tail. I will try and write it up for a future post some day soon (I know, I know, I am always promising this and never delivering!)
Here is a chicken nicely nestled into his Bearpaw gift box, waiting for a new home!
The shop has been open all day today so maybe he already has one!

5 comments:

  1. WOW Jo!! Congratulations! The shop is looking fantastic!! And just look at your little bearpaw section... Sooooo lovely!!! the cute little owls and chicks and so gorgeous in the baskets and just look at that chick in the box!! It's SO cute!!!I love the new bearpaw logo too. Excellent! I wish I could come and see.... Good luck with the back rooms (and come and see my blog.. a little surprise is waiting..)

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  2. So glad to see the photos of the new shop and your lovely 'Bearpaw' creations - you have obvioulsy been working flat out! I love the little chicks too - I found a lovely pattern on the LionBrand website for flowers in a basket (crochet obviously) which would also look really good made up. Have printed the pattern off but not had a chance to make it up yet. Talk soon, but thanks for posting it all for us to see xxx

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  3. Your shop looks great and reminds me of just how much I miss your Glasgow store - sigh....! Your handmakes are really lovely too - I hope they sell well. All the best! BB

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  4. That looks....EXHAUSTING!!!! And very lovely too of course! Love the colour of the shop fittings; it looks like a beautiful building too. I agree with you, the felted and bead seeded centres of your corsages make a pretty change :) Hope things are going well so far?

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  5. Thanks for all you lovely comments and support. Things are going very well and we have been so busy I haven't had time to write anything on the blog today! I will post an update soon...

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