New Year, New Ideas

So, we're just over two weeks into 2014 and I'm wondering how many new ideas & resolutions have already hit the skids - my diet & exercise programme is already history!

One of the main tasks for this year for us was to promote our business. It's so easy to Tweet & Facebook until you have no clue as to who is looking at your site - or how soon everyone is sick to death of your Profile!
We have a clear idea of who we think may be interested in the items we have produced, after all, it's no good targeting people who have no connection to what you have to offer.

Our aims are simple, we want to be creative, different, support Buying British & be kinder to the planet.

We make clocks, now I know that timepieces have been around for maybe a millennium or two so we haven't rocked anyone's world there - but - we do have some ideas for designs. Whether we have taken inspiration from some of the late greats such as Alphonse Mucha http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/prod_3007164-Zodiac-1896-by-Mucha-Handcrafted-Stone-Clock.html or have produced our own work such as our 'Romantic Clock' range  http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_762130-RomanticLovers-Clocks.html
To reach out to like minded 'crafty' people, Etsy is one of the most popular places to showcase handcrafted items so we opened a shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtstoneStudio?ref=search_shop_redirect
So that covers 'creative & different'.

Natural and environmentally friendly hand moulded clocks made from stone and stone paper, our clocks had to be something more than just a piece of chipboard or MDF. Stone, a natural product that we make & shape with our own fair hands, then print as and when we have a design ready for the appropriate catergory. With more people sharing an interest in sustainable products we contacted http://www.mygreendirectory.info/index.php and they accepted us on their listings under 'Eco Gift Companies'.
So that covers 'green issues'.

Buying British is something close to many hearts, why should we not be proud of what we do & where we do it? Seeing that many 'Etsiers' are of the same mind, we looked into the promotion of Buying British and found this link which we are a part of http://www.etsy.com/teams/12958/uk-crafters-on-etsy 
Just before Christmas in a fit of "I must have five minutes of total nonsense before I go Christmas Crazy" I switched the TV on and yes, it was Daytime programmes, my eyes crossed and I gave an audible sigh of frustration. Then my head snapped up in attention as I watched an item about the Bradshaw Family from Kent, who can tell you in their own words about their ethics. http://britishfamily.co.uk/  I was very taken by what they had to say and decided that as soon as the New Year had kicked in we wanted to know how to join them! After following a few simple steps we are proud to announce we have a listing on their Britipedia website http://www.britipedia.co.uk/directory/wpbdm-category/housewares/    
So that covers #BuyBritish

In a nutshell we have already covered the main points we wanted to address and the year is only just over a fortnight old!