Whinberry & Antler in the Country Living Magazine

Hello,

It has been a little while since I last got a chance to write a new blog post. Things went very well for W&A at the Country Living Christmas Fair, we sold out of all our aprons, lavender bags, draught excluders, tea towels and tote bags and came home with only seven cushions! I got straight back into the print room and have been busy printing and sewing ever since. Vintage in Shrewsbury and For You And Your Home in Cirencester report that they have sold our products well too in the run up to Christmas which is great news.

And I am now delighted to say that we are in the January 2013 edition of the Country Living Magazine available in shops now! Also great to be in the magazine at the same time as a huge article on the shropshire hills! Including the Stiperstones; the home of the whinberry! The team have been kind enough to email over a copy of the page for me... so here it is;

Our Badger badger badger cushion and Hedgehog are on page 13.
I never thought some of my drawings would be in a national magazine!

I have also now decided on my new range... It is time to develop an entirely new range so keep an eye out for that in 2013! I am also going to be focusing much more on the upholstery and fabric side of the business in the start of 2013. I have a big beautiful wing back arm chair that was started a year ago now and desperately needs finishing, plus I really want to get some fabric sample books made up, especially as I already have people requesting these.

So here we are nearly at the end of 2012. When I look back over the past year and compare where W&A was at in December 2011 to where it is now I feel very lucky. Last Christmas I was mainly making orders for my friends and family and now I have had many orders from people all over the country through notonthehighstreet.com and whinberryantler.com, plus two very successful retail shows and products in some lovely shops.  Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me. It has been quite a journey and I could not have done it without you.

And so, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you for reading my blog, it means so much to me, and I hope to see you again in 2013!

Jacinta

Whinberry & Antler

The Country Living Christmas Fair progress

Day two is now complete and we have a further three days to go and things are going really well for Whinberry & Antler. We have met so many lovely people who have stopped and talked with us about our products and said very kind things. It's been incredibly busy- busier than I expected! And our stand position is great. It's also been lovely to see some of the other exhibitors I met in Spring and hear that they are also doing well.

Being at the Fair has given me chance to reflect on how the company has grown and developed over the past twelve months: from making my very first Internet sale last December (to a friend!) to selling many products at the fair and online. I shall write a more detailed post when the show is over, but I thought for now that it would be a nice idea to share some photos.. So here you go! Thanks for reading, and come back soon! W&A.

A new stockist for Whinberry & Antler in Cirencester

I am delighted to announce a new stockist for Whinberry & Antler products in the beautiful town of Cirencester, 'For You and Your Home'. In this lovely shop you will find unique British made homewares of rich warm textures. For You and Your Home actively try to support British Craftsmen and women who use local sustainable materials which is great and fits in perfectly with the ethos of Whinberry & Antler. Take a look at the company website which has an online shop, you're bound to find some ideal gifts for your loved ones this Christmas; www.foryouandyourhome.co.uk

Vintage, in Shrewsbury, have also just received their new W&A order, including products featuring the new designs, so if you in Shrewsbury be sure to pop in and take a look! (www.vintage-shrewsbury.co.uk).


Whinberry & Antler will be heading to London on Monday for the Country Living Christmas Fair. I can't believe how quickly it has come around and that we are now in November. When I exhibited at the Fair in Spring, I was generally really pleased with the look of my stand. I did however feel that perhaps the sign did not entirely fit in with my brand, and so this time I have made two really big cushions to use as my signs instead! I think they work really well and I am looking forward to hearing any comments or thoughts on them at the Fair next week.

I must say a big thank you to my partner Finn for all his hard work and support in getting W&A ready for the fair, he will also be my fellow sales person next week!

Hopefully see you there,

W&A.

A quick glimpse behind the scenes...

I just thought I would share this photo, as I always think it's really interesting to see the actual work space of designers and crafts people. So here's mine. It's a bit hectic at the moment, that may be something to do with a certain Christmas Fair...?

One day, when I live amongst the hills of Powys, I shall build a workshop in my garden. That's the dream.

Free tickets into the Country Living Christmas Fair

I have a limited number of tickets available to customers who place online orders via the www.whinberryantler.com before the 1st November 2012.

A selection of these are tickets offering free entry into the show (a fantastic saving of £16.50 on the door) for Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th, Friday 9th and Sunday 11th November. I also have a selection of Gala evening only tickets for those who want to avoid the crowds and enjoy a free glass of wine!

In the meantime, I shall get back to cutting the hessian to make some new extra large cushions which shall be making their debut at the Fair. Hopefully see you there.

W&A

The cosy textures of hessian, becoming more and more appealing as the days get shorter and cooler.

Country Living Christmas Fair 2012 tickets competition

I have two tickets for the Country Living Christmas Fair to give away to someone who can come up with a great idea or names for the different designs in the Whinberry & Antler range! I'm looking for something reflecting the nature of W&A's  British and hand made products inspired by our countryside.

The tickets will get you and a friend into the country living fair for free between Wednesday 7th and Sunday 11th November (except Saturday) at the Business Design Centre, London. Tickets are £16.50 each on the door so this will be a great opportunity to save money on entrance! And I'm sure you would be able to find all your friends and family some very special unique gifts for Christmas. Plus it's a great way to kick off the festive season as the team at the Country Living Fair always to a fantastic job of decorating the Business Design Centre.

To enter, simply comment on this post or visit our Facebook page.

I look forward to some suggestions...

W&A

A Badger Lampshade

So today I finally got around to making my first lampshade! I think I'd put it off as it all seemed a bit fiddly but it actually wasn't too bad. I printed two badgers onto a piece of cotton for this lampshade- I think it looks nice, but next time I shall use the smaller repeat fabric or more prints of the larger images. So I'm going to order another 24 frames to take some to the Country Living Fair.

This one can be found hanging in my parents study. The natural cotton works really well, especially when the light is turned on, it gives off a lovely warm glow. Hopefully they will sell well at the fair, and then after that they will be available at www.whinberryantler.com.

Thanks

W&A