Stockist Spotlight // The Makers Gallery & Bistro

The Makers Gallery & Bistro is one of our newest stockists - a wonderful social enterprise which offers delicious sounding food, arts and gifts. You'll find goodies made by designer/makers such as the ones photographed above; Duck in a Pond, Nikki McWilliams, Hello Sunshine and Hannah Ford plus lots more which you can see on their website. They have an insightful makers spotlight on their own blog which is definitely worth checking out, we should be on it soon! A selection of our mugs, earrings and pocket mirrors are now available in the gallery shop. 

We're really hoping to go and visit for lunch when we have some time off. As well as being very veggie/vegan friendly they make yummy sounding baked sweet potatoes... and serve pancakes all day! Take a peek at their menu here. 

The Makers Gallery & Bistro can be found at Unit 3 The Makers Village, Ludgate, Alloa, FK10 2DE and is open Tues-Sat 10am-4pm. 

News // JillyJilly Club

We know that lots of you are super lovely and are always telling your friends about us so we've been trying to work out a way to thank you. After some investigating into the depths of our behind-the-scenes-shop-hosting-computer-programmey stuff we've found we can start a customer rewards scheme for those of you who refer your friends... the JillyJilly club. So here's how it would work:

1. You get in touch to let us know you'd like to sign up (yay!) - email hello@jillyjilly.co.uk

2. We send you a personalised discount code e.g. YOURNAME10 (which you can share on social media, email to friends, tell people on the bus... shout about it on the street! You get the picture)

3. When someone uses your unique discount code: 

- they'll receive 10% off their order total (lucky them!)
- you'll receive 10% in points (woohoo!)

for example if they spend £10 - their discount would be £1 so their order would cost them £9 then you would receive 100 points (discounts and points are before P&P)

4. You'll receive email updates when someone uses your unique discount code to let you know how many points you have. (1 point is worth 1p)

5. When you get your points saved to a multiple of 500 you can convert it into rewards:

- 500 points = £5 voucher
- 1000 points = £10 voucher
- 1500 points = £15 voucher or goody bag worth £20
- 2000 points = £20 voucher

6. Everyone is happy because you've been telling the world about JillyJilly! (Well... maybe!)

Occasionally we'll have special offers and ways of getting extra points like our launch week special. If you sign up to join the JillyJilly Club before November we'll start you off with 200 points! To join email us at hello@jillyjilly.co.uk and we'll create your personalised discount code so you're good to go.

We hope you love the idea! We have more fun perks to add to the JillyJilly Club in future but I'll wait until we can confirm them before sharing. If you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch. You can head to our website to read the full terms and conditions.

Gift Guide // Gifts for Bakers

It's getting to that time of year again, where it's almost already impossible to avoid Christmas! (Not that I mind, I love all things Christmassy) We're joining in with our cute themed gift guides which you'll find on our blog over the next 8 weeks to help with present ideas. I'm really enjoying creating these; it's all the fun of shopping without spending the money! Today we've curated a pretty selection of gifts for bakers - mostly stocking fillers under £10. If you're a baker and like any of the goodies featured then feel free to share this post so your friends and family get the hints! You'll find info and links to the products below (please note prices don't include P&P). 

1. 1950s Style Apron: Sew Make Me on Etsy £15 // 2. Pack of 3 Natural Handmade Macaron Soaps: Bathroom Bakery on Etsy £5.76 // 3. Mason Cash Hearts Mixing Bowl: Dunelm Mill £13.99 // 4. Mixing Bowl Earrings: JillyJilly £8 // 5. Flour Shaker: Baker and Maker £4.95 // 6. Cupcake Wall Sticker: Not on the High Street £16  // 7. 3 Tier Regency Cake Stand: dotcomgiftshop £9.95 // 8. Rose Double Oven Glove: Not on the High Street £19 // 9. Sprinkles Garland: Heartfelt Handmade on Etsy £15 // 10. Sugar & Spice Candle Tin: Bomb Cosmetics £7.99 // 11. Bake Patterned Mug: JillyJilly £9 // 12. Bake Quote Mug: JillyJilly £9 // 13. Lick the Spoon: The Crafty Giraffe £4.50 // 14. Blue Snowflake Baking Cups: Iced Jems £2.50 // 15. Bake Patterned Notebook: JillyJilly £5.95

If you'd like to see more baking goodies like these you can head over to our Gifts for Bakers Pinterest board. We've also decided as a bonus treat to give you 15% off* our Those Who Bake collection with the code BAKEGIFT at checkout. 

I hope you liked our first gift guide! Which is your favourite item?

*ends Friday 23/10/15 at 11.59pm 

Goody Box // Trick or Treat

Hands up if you love Halloween!! I do... and I've been dying to design some seasonal goodies to celebrate. I'm always buying Halloween themed decorations and sweets (yum) so really wanted to create something inspired by the childish excitement of the day, what better than a Trick or Treat experience delivered to your door?

So we are really excited to release our first limited edition goody boxes! These halloween themed bundles are filled with spooky surprises, including brand new jewellery, accessories and stationery - only available in our Trick or Treat box. The contents are worth over £20 but these boxes, which we've only made 12 of, are now available at jillyjilly.co.uk for £16.50 each. I love the packaging on these, they were so much fun to make and I hope they'll be loads of fun to open.

Enjoy the Little Things // Autumn Edition

We decided a non businessy 'Enjoy the Little Things' series would make a nice change from our usual blog posts. One of the things I miss most when (accidentally) taking a break from blogging is the excuse for taking photographs. I get very lazy and just take social media snaps from my phone but when I have a blog in mind the Nikon comes out. 

It's half way through October and becoming so lovely and autumnal so we went for a walk in the crispy wood smoke scented air to try and find some conkers. I think we've been beaten to it as there was only empty shells left but everything is still so pretty and colourful. It's getting dark so much earlier but at least it's an excuse for lots of candles and cosy nights in, we even bought a gingerbread maple melt for the burner... which might just be a bit overly festive but it smells too good! At this time of year it's so hard to resist all the cosy pyjamas and blankets that appear in the shops but slippers are a necessity when you work from home. Slippers and hot drinks! We're really bad for hoarding JillyJilly mugs for endless cups of tea. Maybe next year I'll find time to draw some autumn inspired designs.

Stockist Spotlight // Sunshine No. 1

Since our first trade show last month we're so pleased to share that we have a number of new stockists. Earlier this month we took a wee trip to deliver orders to 3 of our newest stockists; The Makers Gallery & Bistro in Alloa, Rainbow Collections in Stirling then finally to Glasgow where you'll find our featured stockist. Today on our Stockist Spotlight we'd like to introduce you to the wonderful Sunshine No. 1! 

Sunshine No. 1 is owned by the lovely Suzi Nicol who we met through the Little Birds Market in St Andrews. Her shop opened in August this year and is filled with handmade goodies from across Glasgow and central Scotland. The shop has a fab retro vibe, I love the creative wall behind the till and fairground style shop signs! When we first popped in I took the chance to get some small bits and pieces for my Mum's birthday box (50 presents for her 50th!). I struggled to choose from the selection of quirky hand crafted gifts but came away with Poporopo popcorn, autumn berry jam and a rose geranium lipbalm. Had I been treating myself I'd have loved a Wee Candle Co. chocolate orange tin but the enamel mugs are gorgeous too! Sunshine No. 1 now stocks a selection of our mugs and occasion cards.

Suzi also hosts some fun looking crafty classes - head over to their Facebook page to find out more.

Sunshine No. 1 can be found at 1043 Catchcart Road, Glasgow, G42 9AF and is open 10am-5pm Tues-Sat 

10 Things We Learnt from our First Trade Show

Last month we attended our first trade show: Scotland's Trade Fair Autumn. It's safe to say it was a daunting experience, a lot of preparation went into it and we spent a fair amount of time online trying to find tips and advice. In the end it seems all of our hard work paid off and we're delighted to announce we have some lovely new stockists! We've also booked in to the Spring Trade Fair in January which we're really excited about now we know a little bit more about what to expect. We thought it might be helpful to share 10 things we learnt from our first trade fair as this is exactly the sort of post I was looking for beforehand!

1. Trial Run your Display

After spending ages on Pinterest, sketching out ideas and sourcing/making your display pieces it's really useful to try a test run of it all together. It might be tricky to set up in your home/studio but it'll be worth it if it helps fix any issues you might not think of in advance of the big day! We double checked our sizes and masking taped out the measured space in the living room then laid everything out best we could, with the products, then stood back to see what was missing - a few things! If we hadn't had a trial run we might have missed some last minute opportunities to improve our display.

2. Pack a 'Tool Box' for Set Up

We had a bit of a worry that something might be forgotten so it seemed easiest just to pack up all sorts of tools so every eventuality would be covered. Usual tool box stuff; hammer, screw driver, pliers etc along with different tapes, velcro, glue, blue tac, string, wire, pins, spare paint, brushes... you get the idea! It meant even if something got damaged we should be able to repair it, disaster averted.

3. Bring a Notebook

Your notebook is probably your most powerful secret weapon, together with a stapler and pen! You'll be meeting so many people for the duration of the event that there's a very good chance you won't remember who's who but with the help of your notebook and tip no. 8 you'll be sorted. Simply staple every business card into your notebook and write down the person you met's name along with anything that stands out about your chat with them. This way you can use your notebook to send them a personal email after, as follow ups are so, so important.

4. Pack an 'Admin Box' for Trading Days

Much like your tool box, your admin box should be filled with things you might need to keep you organised. Ours had calculators, additional order forms, a folder for keeping completed order forms, hole punch, stapler, etc. Also bottled water, snack bars and mints to keep us going when we weren't able to take a break.

5. Check Everything Fits in the Car

This one sounds really obvious but if it doesn't fit then it's better to find out before the day you're meant to be travelling so you can do something about it in advance! We're lucky ours does with room to spare but then we do have a big car.

6. Practise Conversation Starters

This also sounds daft, but if it doesn't come naturally to you (which it might not if you're working from home and not interacting with other humans every day) then you'll feel more confident knowing you've practised what you might say to make a good impression on potential stockists. This could be a simple 'hello, have you travelled far today?' or an opening statement to introduce yourself/your business.

 7. Give Everyone Something

People are quick, they have lots to see and often know exactly what they're looking for before they even arrive. If they stop at your stand, even briefly, then you have an opportunity to give away information which they might then look at after the show and see something they missed in their earlier rush. The more you hand out the more opportunities you create for potential stockists in future.

 8. Remember to ask for Business Cards

When possible if you've given someone your information, whether it's a brochure pack or business card, ask for their details in return! You can keep these in your notebook to follow up, or ask them if you can add them to your mailing list which keeps possible business relationships open for future enquiries.

9. Network

Trade shows aren't just about getting orders from shops but are a great opportunity to make friends with likeminded business owners. You all have similar experiences to share and there's no one better to get advice from than someone who's been there before. Try and find some time to see the other stands and introduce yourself to others.

10. Relax!

Relax and try to enjoy yourself, it'll show and you'll come across as more confident in your products. Let people see your enthusiasm and passion shine through!

Our Kickstarter Story // Part 2

It seems like ages ago since we were sharing the first part of our Kickstarter journey, so much has been going on since then. Here we are, 8 weeks later, with our new products finished, photographed and ready to launch!

First of all we would like to say a huge thank you to all of our lovely supporters:

Jo Gale, Lisa Stephen, Laura Forsyth, Marie McLean, Emma Simmonds, Natasha Newman, Mike Ebbage, Liz Burton, Jen Costine, Daisy Hollingsworth, Sarah Douglas, Kris Davidson, Gillian Liston, Beth Speed, Kim Newell, Janet Renfrew, Francesca Lobban, Pamela Borland, Debbie Leslie, Nyk Strong, Katherine Thornton, Clair Griffin, Suzi Nicol, Fiona Donald, Maureen Wright, Jan O'Brien, Heather Hodge, Nylah Ali, Susan Dunbar, Amber Griffin, Sally McAdam, Kirsty MacKay, Cecilie Osnes, Jade Anderson, Emma Williamson, Mafalda Johnson, Roni Lithgow, David Edwards, Alex Penter, Aileen Duncan, Shannon Laing, Sam Henry, Kath Noble, Alice Bye and also everyone who helped spread the word!

Most of you will have received your rewards in the post and we've been getting some lovely feedback and photos sent our way. We really hope you all love the new goodies!

We're really pleased with how everything turned out, even if not everything went according to plan. Our first card collection along with the new notebooks and improved earrings all came with us to our first trade fair last month (which we'll share more on soon) and received a very positive response. We're so excited to share news of where our new products will be stocked!

We'll be launching the new products on jillyjilly.co.uk on 12th October - sorry it can't be sooner but we're away on a family break just now. If you'd like to be first to hear you can sign up to our mailing list here if you haven't already done so: http://eepurl.com/Vsxxr. Keep an eye out for sneaky peeks across our social media over the next few days!

Only 1 week to go, we can't wait!