Typical Day - I get up around 6.45am in order to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee. I then get my two children off to school, do a bit of house work and check my emails. I usually get stuck into my work for the day around 9.30am. I'm quite disciplined and try and get as much as possible done while I have the house to myself. I give myself half an hour for lunch (which I usually eat while perusing my favourite internet sites like, Etsy, Folksy and Flickr). I then work till 3.30pm. I often work in the evenings and at weekends too if I have a big order or a craft fair coming up.
About Aileen - I grew up on the outskirts of Perth and have always enjoyed living in the countryside. I went to Art college in Aberdeen then lived in Ireland for a while. I was brought up with traditional music and song as my Mother is a traditional singer. I feel that this has given me a good understanding of Scottish history and culture and we enjoy acoustic music whenever possible as a family.
Achievements - I used to go looking for outlets for my work, now I have shops approaching me. I have had to cut down the amount of shops that I stock as there is only so much I can make at a time. I'm not a machine and I don't want my work to become mass produced. Also participating in the North Fife Open Studio event in May was fantastic. I received an overwhelming reaction to my work and sold a wide variety of items.
Business Name - When I first set up online I needed a name quickly in order to join sites like
Etsy and
Flickr. I was impatient and just wanted to get on with it so Aileen Clarke Crafts was the first thing I came up with. I had thought about using something like 'The Croft Cottage Crafts' but one of my outlets is 'The Cottage Craft Centre' in Falkland which was too similar. I became quite well known as Aileen Clarke Crafts and it was then too late to change it and so it has stuck.
Starting Out - I gave up working in a flower shop when my daughter was born six years ago and I started my business about five years ago. I have always made and sold things over the years, but when I took my first textile cards to a shop in Dunkeld and they sold really well, I started making and selling in earnest. We moved to Fife five years ago and I found I had more room to work and as my children have grown so has my output. I prefer working for myself at my own pace, doing what I love.
Being Self Employed - I really enjoy working from home. We live in a lovely cottage with a great garden. I'd hate to be stuck in a city all day. I love the excitement of working with felt in that you don't always know how things are going to turn out and I get inspired as I go. The hardest part is maintaining your focus without becoming obsessed. We obviously have to earn a living doing what we do but there is more to life than money.
Inspiration - I get a huge amount of inspiration from the countryside around me and from our trips to the west coasts and islands of Scotland and Ireland. I also find new materials very inspirational and I get really fired up when I discover something new to try.
Promotion - Using a blog and Facebook have proved very useful. I wasn't a big fan of Facebook at first but it's great to be able to interact with fellow artists and crafters as well as customers.
With Hindsight - Keep rigid records of everything you buy and sell. Putting everything in a pile to 'sort out later' is just a pain in the head!
Ideal Day Off - Being by the sea. Either body boarding or just relaxing. Failing that a good look around The Creative Stitches and Hobby Crafts Fair at the SECC
Favourite Holiday Destination - The west coasts of either Scotland or Ireland
My Signature Dish - I love my own veggie lasagne but I make a good mincey one too.
Previous Jobs - I was a florist for many years. I trained as a teenager and kept it going as a part time and full time job through various stages of my life.
