Happy March! And it's another happy brooch we are giving away this month, well, a brooch always makes me happy.
This month we are so pleased to have Pip from Vintage Pip online shop donate a brooch to giveaway to one lucky person.
Egbert the Echidna!!! By Erstwilder. What a handsome fellow!
Pip sells accessories by designers she loves and carefully selects each item, hoping you love them as much as she does. Thank you Pip for offering one of your brooches to give away....Pip gave me free reign to chose from the range of makers and brooches she sells, it was a tough decision but I so love this little Australian native animal, and like Pip, hope you love him too.
Below are 5 questions I asked Pip, to learn a little more about her, her shop and a bit of an insight into how she started her shop, her inspirations and what motivates her running a small creative business.
When did
you start your online shop and what was your motivation to do so?
I started
Vintage Pip in July 2013 and I am amazed how quickly it has developed and grown.
What was once just a ‘late night idea’ I dreamt of while my boys were tucked up
in bed has now turned into a truly fulfilling business that motivates me daily.
I am constantly delighted at the
opportunities that appear when you take a leap of faith and I have been lucky
to meet and collaborate with so many fabulous and interesting people since
starting Vintage Pip. Over the years I have had numerous friends, family and
acquaintances complement me on my quirky and different sense of style as well
as my uncanny ability to source things, I love the fact that Vintage Pip has
allowed me to share these qualities.
What do
you look for in design and choosing jewellery for your shop?
I choose items
for the Vintage Pip store the exact same way I choose items for myself and my
home, first and foremost they must make my heart sing! I place great emphasis
on stocking objects that are good quality, value for money and from brands I
have personally selected. If I resonate with a brand and their ethos I’m more
likely to feel good wearing it. I have been described as vintage, rockabilly,
fun, quirky, retro, organic, different, colourful, and many more things and
that's what I like to convey in the stock in my store.
Do you
have any small business owners or crafts people you admire?
For me as a
mum of 2 the internet and especially blogs have influenced me greatly. In a lot
of ways they have helped me find my identity and feel comfortable with it.
Blogs such as Styling You, The Beetle Shack, Pull Your Socks Up, Skunkboy, GalaDarling, are just a few of my regular reads. Ultimately though my biggest
influence has been my mum she has been crafting for as long as I can remember.
My most treasured Christmas present ever is a doll called Polly she made me. My Mum is also my greatest jewellery influence
she always wears a brooch and cannot be seen without large earrings and her
nose stud (yes she is seriously cool).
Is there
any advice you could give others who are looking at starting an online shop?
In a lot of
cases I have found the old adage "it’s not what you know but who you
know" to be very true. I am surrounded by an eclectic group of family,
friends and acquaintances and their input and insight has been invaluable.
If you
could choose 1 artist/crafts person to represent in your shop that you don't
already who would it be?
Gosh it’s too
hard to pick just one as there are so
many talented people I would love to collaborate with and showcase through
Vintage Pip. I am always looking to stock amazing Australian artists work and
am open to all genres, I especially like to provide an opportunity to up and
comers as I know how hard it can be to get exposure in the early days. I am
eagerly on the hunt at the moment for an Art Deco influenced
designer/crafter/maker.
So for
your chance to win this cute brooch just post a picture of yourself on
Instagram with your favourite brooch, entries can be submitted on any
Friday in March up to and including Friday 28th March with the hash
tag #noveltybroochfriday. Erin and I will announce the
winner (randomly chosen) on Monday 1st April (no it won't be an April fool, I promise). Open to everyone,
you can enter as many times as you like on a Friday, either new or vintage brooches.
*If you
are a designer or sell vintage brooches (worldwide) and wish to donate a brooch
for an upcoming month and have your shop showcased, please contact me at tunabake@hotmail.com
