Each month at The Home Crafters we spend some time with one of our crafters, getting to know them a little bit better, finding out more about their craft and sharing their story with you!
December 2023, our Maker of the Month is Roberta from The Shed Collection
Roberta is new to our community, joining us a couple of months ago to sell her stunning, high quality home fragrance collection with us in store and online...
Here's her story:
"You’re new to The Home Crafters, Roberta, tell us where did it all begin for you?…"
The Shed Collection is my husband Rob & myself. I live with Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer & back in January 2021 I decided to get ahead of myself & organise that year’s Christmas gifts for the family. I thought I would give reed diffusers in different fragrances to match their personality to every family member. After researching a bit more I discovered the regulations that had to be followed & as it would be a fair amount of work just to make gifts safely, my husband suggested we started a business which he could run, and I could help with when not working at my main job & so TSC was born. In Jan 2022 I left my job to work full-time on The Shed.
"Home fragrance isn’t a craft that most start off with, have you found it difficult?...”
Since starting The Shed I have been on a steep learning curve from building websites & using social media platforms to refining the actual production methods & dealing with all the regulatory paperwork & bodies.
It’s important to believe in yourself & your products. Don’t undervalue either. You will find your market; it just might take longer than you wanted it to but it will be worth it.
"Our sentiments exactly!, tell us, how do you develop your product?...”
I love a deadline & a “to do” list which I keep on my phone. My lists cover page after page at times when my mind is running riot. It feels never ending at times.
The tools we use would be at home in a chemistry lab - we have jugs, beakers, measuring cylinders, scales & thermometers to name a few.
It;s a long process to make our products, when we develop a new fragrance for our candle range, for example, once the correct recipe has been agreed it needs to be tested 3 times to ensure that it is correct and safe to place on the market!
With the economic downturn we had to look at ways to keep our products affordable, so we introduced the diffuser refills earlier this year.
"Would you say you’ve learnt a lot along the way?…"
Life as a small business owner can be overwhelming at times as you are head of every department & sometimes one has to take priority over another which can be difficult & frustrating. At this time of year, it’s non-stop markets & production to keep up with stock & the fear of running out and missing sales is very real. We operate in a very busy & competitive marketplace. We are competing not only with large supermarket chains but also individuals who do not fully understand what they should be doing to ensure the customer gets a safe product & this is reflected in the prices they charge. We were named by goodhousekeepingonline.com as one of the best small businesses to buy from for Christmas 2021, which is still one of our highs. It’s also a low as the photo is of our original labelling before our branding evolved and it really doesn’t look great!
"It sounds like a lot of pressure? How do you unwind?...”
My day starts with coffee in bed brought to me by my husband after he has carried out is cat dad duties! We have 2 cats – Sootica & Gobbolino – if you know, you know!* (answer below)
Every day I complete several puzzles including Wordle. My longest winning streak being 129. Then I check my to-do list and decide what is priority for that day or get ready to go to a market.
"Do you have a recharge ritual?...”
A long soak in a hot bath with a candle from our range burning is the perfect end to the day for me. Currently it’s Gingerbread filling the bathroom.
If I’ve had a busy day making products, then you can probably find me in front of the TV watching The Big Bang Theory for an hour or two to relax.
To truly relax I need to go out. if I’m at home I can always find something to do.
"What’s the best part of running your own business?...”
We love going to fairs and markets. Meeting our customers face to face & listening to their stories is so interesting. Hearing what they think of our products is invaluable & every sale does mean so much to us. As we do regular markets we have also met some amazing stall holders, who we have such a laugh with, there’s never a dull moment.
"What’s next for The Shed Collection?...”
We are looking at other ways to bring our fragrances to customers – such as pot pourri & carpet freshener.
Feedback from customers is very welcome.
We’re working on smaller candles in the current fragrances.
We may have some new ones coming soon especially in the wax melt range.
We also are looking at how to introduce our clay diffusers into the shop to comply with CLP.
"We like to finish on ‘any nice words’ what kind of feedback do you get from your customers?...”
A recent review on our Trustpilot profile:
Isabel Harrison just left a new 5-star review of theshedcollection.com:
“The lavender, chamomile & vanilla candle is a dream! I now can’t live without it. I also really enjoy the coconut wax melts, they are so sweet and uplifting. Everything smells so good & is presented so beautifully on Roberta’s stall if you catch her at a market. You’d be silly to walk away empty handed. Can’t wait to pick up some bits ahead of Christmas for family gifts!”
"Anything else to add?...”
* Gobbolino, The Witch’s Cat is a children’s novel by Ursula Moray Williams, published by George G. Harrap in 1942. Sootica is his sister. Our 2 are brother & sister from the same litter. 😉
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You can find The Shed Collection’s products in store and online with us, at craft fairs around the region and at www.theshedcollection.com
If you are interested in starting a hobby business, are looking for an outlet for your handmade products and maybe would love to be featured as our next Maker of the Month please do get in touch with us either in store at our craft shop in Yate Shopping Centre or via our contact us page here. We would love to hear from you!
