Two Years On ....

Olivia's Second Birthday Party Hat

I can't believe that it is now just over two years since I closed my shops in preparation for the arrival of my daughter.

At the time I had a very much rose-tinted view of how things were going to be and was happily sure that I would be able to start work again once my daughter was six months old. I imagined her sleeping peacefully or playing happily by my side as I sewed. The reality has of course been very different!

I opened up my shops again once my daughter turned one and have been working mainly in the evenings (and late at night) since, as it turns out, my little one is really not that keen on sleep! It has been so much harder than I ever imagined to get some kind of work-life balance going on. Whilst I am looking after my daughter full-time I feel guilty for neglecting my business and when I am working or worrying about work I feel guilty that I am not giving my daughter my undivided attention!

Thankfully things are now getting easier. Daytime naps are a distant memory and I still mainly work in the evenings but my daughter does now play happily along-side me if I need to work during the day. She is turning out to be rather creative herself and can be entertained for quite some time with a supply of stickers, her crayons and paints and her current favourite - sparkles and sequins!

I have kept my product selection very minimal in my on-line shops and have a manageable steady stream of orders from those. I have also had many previous customers return to me for personal commissions which has been fantastic. I am lucky to have so many lovely customers who have developed a soft spot for my products and keep coming back for more! It is my personal commissions that I love making the most.

I continue to work on growing Claire Hurd Design and, as always, have many plans for my products, website and branding. However, I am now a lot more realistic about how long-term this vision is! I hope to find the time now to blog more to show you all what I have been busy with these last couple of years, from personal commissions to toddler crafts. I also want to make the time to catch up with my favourite blogs again and find out more about some recent blog discoveries. I shall share my favourites with you soon.

Thank you for continuing to follow my little blog. Your company in much appreciated.
Claire x