Spotlight: Owls are Hunting

Tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is Jo and I live in Canberra and I actually like it! I do! Canberra gets a tough press! I moved here just over a year ago from a teeny tiny village in the Yorkshire Dales in England where I worked for a bespoke furniture design company who designed for big posh clients like Harrods and Selfridges. I love interiors and homewares so I’ve set up a little business in Canberra (with just the one employee - me!) making lamps and lampshades.

What resources 'have or do you' use to help your creative pursuits (i.e. groups, classes, shops, websites etc)?
We have a fantastic fabric shop in Canberra called Addicted to Fabric so if I’m ever struggling for inspiration I head over there and always find something amazing. I also follow some great design blogs to keep up to date with current trends, and I’m slightly addicted to Twitter – it keeps me connected with other crafters and goings on in the craft world.

What's your best advice for someone starting up?
Be confident in your designs. Stick to your guns. Don’t under value your items – people who buy handmade are cool, intelligent people who want something unique and understand the time and effort and thought that has gone into an item. That’s why they’re buying it!

Do you have any advertising/promotion tips for sellers to be successful?
Firstly: Photography. You need to really take the time to get decent photos of your items. I’m no expert at this at all and I’m still learning with each new picture I take.

Secondly: Take advantage of all the free media stuff that’s out there! Get a blog (I have one! It’s theowlsarehunting.blogspot.com), get a twitter account, get a facebook page, get a flickr account. The more places your name and pictures crop up the more people will find out about you and your lovely products.

Thirdly: Keep your madeit shop looking gorgeous and well stocked. Not only is it a great place to sell your items but it’s also a great place to be spotted by boutique owners, journalists and stylists.

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Owls are Hunting's spotlight page