Learning a new craft every month - Anna Simmonds of Crafting Fingers

Through Twitter I have recently come across the work and blog of Anna Simmonds of Crafting Fingers fame. Anna and I had been tweeting to each other about blogging and she had been really helpful in coming up with a few suggestions about idea generation for blog posts and also she has given me dome great feeedback about my own blog. Curious to find out a bit more about Anna and her very helpful ideas I visited her blog and discovered heaps of fab blog posts full of creative crafty tips, from social media to product reviews to her crafting challenge of learning a new craft a month throughout 2013. I think this is an amazing and inspiring idea so I asked Anna if she would tell us a little about where the idea came from and how she's getting along with it. This is what she had to say....

'At the end of 2012 I was in a creative rut. It’s natural to look back at the year when New Year’s rolls around, and I realised I hadn’t done anything creative. My creative life (and yarn stash) was uprooted when I moved to the United Kingdom in April 2012 from Finland. One year I was assisting my mother in her handmade business, building my photography portfolio, and making paper cuts and cards in my spare time. Crafting and design weren't things I got interested in in school, they were just always a part of my life. I took them for granted. Then I moved.

It was easy to get caught up in day-to-day adventures, and my crafting projects got put to the side. My works in progress gathered dust. I’d taken less than a hundred photos in 2012. I hadn’t even made a Happy Birthday card from scratch. New Year’s Resolutions were never my style, but I knew something had to change. Something drastic. Dreaming up beautiful projects and hoarding ideas on Pinterest didn’t mean anything if I never put my crafting skills to use. I’d gotten comfortable with thinking of ideas instead of taking action on them. I wanted to start a project that would support my love for handmade, that would keep me accountable, and would push my boundaries.

Crafting Fingers is that step beyond my comfort zone. In 2013 I’m learning a new craft a month. It’s not one craft a year. It’s twelve.

Creativity in Adversity

Jumping into a craft each month has its ups and downs. I’m not just picking one tutorial to follow every month; I want to truly grasp the craft I’m learning. Each craft is different, but the process for me each month is to first study the craft. What is it, who does it, what is its history and where is it going? I get a feel for a craft then I try a few techniques. There have been quite a few poorly made purchases and pricked fingers on the way, but those are little lessons, too.

Pushing boundaries isn’t easy. Every month so far I have chosen a craft I’ve wanted to learn for years. There are literally years of excuses to get over. I’m fighting against a backlog of preconceived ideas of what the craft will be like and what I’ll be able to achieve.

The first two months, as I learned crochet and embroidery, were especially difficult. It had been so long since I had tackled a new craft that I’d forgotten just how messy it gets. I had forgotten what it was like to be bad at crafting. But the truth is that creativity really flourishes in adversity. If you force yourself to make do with what you have, you’re narrowing down the scope of what’s possible. Instead of spreading your creative energy across a big open expanse of ideas, you can focus on smaller solutions with more impact.

In February I was close to giving up on embroidery. I had enjoyed studying the techniques and history of embroidery but it seemed like the thread and I just didn’t get along! I was left with ugly, tangled messes, broken threads and sore fingers. But that’s where Crafting Fingers comes in. The blog keeps me accountable, and I wasn’t going to back down on embroidery when I had publicly announced I was going to learn it. I ditched the expensive embroidery thread and decided to embroider with yarn, and the results were something I could be proud of. Without something to keep me accountable, I would have given up and probably never tried embroidery again.

We can all support handmade

Crafting Fingers started with an audience of two: my husband and my mother. I couldn’t have picked better people to support me as I got invested in a year long project. At the end of January, Simply Crochet magazine linked to my crochet tutorial on Twitter and overnight my project was a bit more public. It wasn’t fame, but suddenly people I hadn’t connected to before were supporting my project. It made me more determined to provide useful information on crafting as I went along. It felt like I wasn’t just learning crafts for me, anymore.

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt as I’ve been working on Crafting Fingers is that validation is important for creative projects. We can all support handmade with more than just our time and money; encouraging and sharing the work of handmade crafters goes a long way, too. I’m working on a resource list for my blog of my favourite craft books and blogs because of this lesson!

As I’ve thrown myself into new crafts (crochet, embroidery, calligraphy, and stamping so far) I’ve been lucky enough to be mentioned on the Country Living magazine editor’s blog. Mollie Makes has mentioned me in their magazine as ‘one to follow’, too. Those have been big moments for me, but day-to-day I’ve gotten support through blog comments, emails, and even just seeing my Twitter following grow. We’re not all magazine editors, but we all have the time to say ‘I love this’ to a crafter we support. And if giving feedback makes you nervous, that’s a worthwhile boundary to push! The scariest, most exciting part about creative projects is that we don’t always know where they’re going to end up. Crafting Fingers started as a new hobby, with an audience of two. Now, inspired by the passion of my readers, I want to keep this project going beyond 2013. I want to keep showing people that learning new crafts is fun, and doable. I believe learning new crafts is the best way to appreciate the value of handmade. That respect is good for all of us, hobbyists and professionals alike'.

If you want to find out more about Anna and her project please visit her website here

Approaching Galleries - Success Story from Ailsa Poll

Today Ailsa Poll is sharing with us how the series on Approaching Galleries has helped her gain some new stockists and grow her jewellery business, Topaz Magpie.

'Well I’m here to say a huge thank you to Sue for setting about her Approaching Galleries series of posts. Shall I tell you why? Oh, go on then...

I have been making jewellery ‘properly’ for around 2 years now. I love it; I get to use hammers and blow torches on a regular basis, and create sparkly goodness which pleases the eye. I was lucky enough to get some of my work in a local gift shop quite early on; a riverside spot, very popular with tourists in the summer, it has been quite successful for me. But I have been thinking for a while that I need to spread my wings and find other stockists in the county. And as I was contemplating this with fear, Sue’s series turned up in my RSS feeder.

Let me tell you, I have never been very good at promoting myself, or just going up to someone and saying “Hey, look at my jewellery, wouldn’t you love to sell it?”. For several months last years I wandered up to shops and galleries, stock in my bag, ready to venture inside... only to walk away without even setting foot through the door, giving myself grief with every step for not being more confident.

However, it seems that I was instinctively doing the right thing. Why? Because the most important thing I learned from the 4 part series Sue produced along with some of her stockists is this: never turn up unannounced at a gallery and expect them to be delighted to see you. Without exception, this was the advice from the gallery owners. Why? They are busy people, they have a business to run, customers to deal with; and they don’t like surprises. If you turn up with a bag full of goodies, they are going to feel put on the spot, uncomfortable; is that really the first impression you want to make?

Instead of cold calling, send an introductory email. I will confess, when I read the email advice from these 4 successful business women, I hung my head temporarily in shame. I had (in the past) committed one of the ‘email sins’, namely sending the briefest of brief emails, with little information and no images; it is hardly surprising that that particular shop owner said “Sorry, but...”. Your email must be eye-catching, informative and professional. It needs pictures of your beautiful wares. It needs to say a little (but not too much!) about you. It needs links to your website. And it definitely needs to show that you have researched carefully, and you really believe that your work will fit with the gallery you are approaching. Oh, and always get a name to address your email to: make it personal. It’s only polite!

So as I say, I read these four posts very, very carefully. I dismissed many of my previous ideas, and implemented new ones. I spent hours (really, hours) trying to get the pictures just right, making sure that they were the right size, that they showed my work off well. I cursed over the way PDFs showed up as attachments when they were emailed, and I finally ended up with a word-processed ‘letter’ which I copied into each individual email, which I addressed to the gallery owner, then included two JPGs of picture compilations in a size which wouldn’t clog the recipients inbox. And then I sent them.

50% didn’t respond. One said thanks, but we’re full. Three said they loved my jewellery and wanted to take a closer look. As a result, I now have 4 new shops stocking my jewellery - and they haven’t all gone for the same things either! One shop owner has even asked for a couple of pieces to be slightly redesigned, so that she can have them as exclusives. And yes, there are already customers out there wearing items purchased in lovely seaside galleries, that would otherwise never have heard of me...

If you want to find out more about Ailsa and her jewellery business you can read her blog here or visit her shop here. You never know you might just see something which catches your eye too!!

Approaching Galleries - Putting the top tips into practice

Remember my blog posts on Approaching Galleries? The whole series seemed to be a really popular one, attracting lots of positive feedback and comments from readers. If you missed it, I'll give you a brief summary (and I promise I'll keep it brief!):

Several of my readers had asked if I would write a blog post on How to Approach Galleries. I asked four of my lovely stockists if they would mind helping me out with some advice and tips on what works well for them and what they expect when they are approached by new artists and designers. The posts can be found here:

1. Part 1 - from Tracey Benton of Atelier in Devon
2. Part 2 - from Jane Needham from the Craft Centre and Design Gallery in Leeds
3. Part 3 - from Deirdre Gage from Created gallery in Chesterfield
4. Part 4 - from Alison Bartram from Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge

It was great to get the facts straight from Gallery Owners and Managers on what they want to see from us, so I then summarised the Top Tips into the final post which you can read here.

You can imagine how chuffed I was when jeweller Ailsa Poll aka Topaz Magpie, contacted me to say that she had been reading my blog series and had put the top tips into practice, gaining several new stockists of her gorgeous jewellery in the process!! I've invited her to tell us how she did it later this week so watch out for the heads up on Approaching Galleries from Ailsa Poll. Hurray, my top tips worked!!

If anyone else would like to share their success stories on approaching galleries and what worked for you then please do get in touch or leave a comment.

My BCTF Favourites - Alex Snowdon of Snowdon Design and Craft

Here is another of my BCTF favourites, a lovely lady I met when I was doing my first trade fair last year. Alex and her husband, a fellow North-Easterner, Charlie, came to say hi and we we ended up chatting for ages about the show and our work, I remember Alex had just given up her job and was concentrating on her printmaking and design fulltime, how exciting! It felt like we had known them for ages by the time we parted ways and Alex said she hoped to be back at BCTF in 2013. I've kept in touch with her since last year and have been following her progress on Facebook. It was great to catch up properly this year and see what an amazing job she has done with her products and her stand. I asked if she wwould share a few words about how she found being a BCTF-First-Timer and this is what she had to say....

'I decided to exhibit at BCTF this year after checking it out as a visitor last year, just after I'd left my day job to concentrate on my printmaking and illustration full time. I think the thing that stood out for me most when I was looking round as a visitor, was just how friendly and open all the exhibitors where and what a lovely, relaxed atmosphere there was. I got a lot of positive feedback about what a good show it was and it was there that I met Sue and her sister Heather in the Newcomers Gallery. Sue and Heather really swung it for me, after having a chat with them I decided I wanted to be there next time! Luckily I was accepted into the Newcomers Gallery for 2013.

When I arrived on the Saturday to set up I have to admit I felt a little sick! It all seemed so daunting to set the stand up from scratch myself and make sure everything was straight and fitted in. Once the show opened on the Sunday morning though and I took my first order I started to relax and enjoy it. I was amazed at how friendly all the buyers and other exhibitors where, it was such a supportive atmosphere and there was no sense of competition, everyone was helping each other out with tips, information and practical help.

It was also really good that the buyers were there specifically to buy hand produced items. They really seemed to appreciate the hours of work that went into making everything. I think the thing that made the whole thing so enjoyable for me personally was the sense of community and 'belonging' I came away with.

Making a living from your art is usually quite a solitary pursuit. I worked as a graphic designer for over 20 years before I started my own business last year and I have to admit that full time employment, no matter how much I might have resented it, did come with it's own sense of belonging.

In the past year, since I started working for myself, I'd started to feel like I didn't really 'fit in' anywhere anymore. I often felt like I was the only person in the world working from home, and had begun to feel quite 'disconnected'. Being at BCTF for a few days though, among hundreds of other people in a similar situation, sharing the same challenges and triumphs, I came away feeling like I'd found my place in the world again!

I enjoyed it so much I arrived back home feeling like I'd been on holiday, although a very tiring one! All the great feedback I received has given me more confidence in my work and made me feel that I'm on the right track. I'm already looking forward to going back again next year!"

Thanks for taking part in the blog again Alex and we wish you all the best for the coming year. If you want to find out a bit more about Alex and her work you can check out her website here

Pulse 2013

This is where I'm off to tomorrow. I'm doing a bit of a recce for next year and I'm planning to exhibit there. I'll be catching up with old friends and hopefully making some new connections for blog features. I'm really looking forward to a day out in London on my own! Watch this space, I'll be blogging about the lovely things I discover

Mentoring Series - Patricia van den Akker of The Design Trust

This week on the blog I'm pleased to welcome Patricia van den Akker of The Design Trust who is going to tell us all about her experiences as a Creative Business Mentor and also all about the new Mentoring Programme the Design Trust has just launched. I've been following the Design Trust for a while now and they provide heaps of useful business tips and resources for creative business owners like me. When I heard on Twitter that they were starting a mentoring scheme I thought it would be great to find out more about them and their new programme.

How long have you been mentoring?
I have been a creative business adviser and trainer for nearly 10 years, a creative business coach for over 3 years, and I have been working as a mentor since I took over The Design Trust in November 2011. As an adviser I advise creatives on business planning and business development, in particular around business models, income streams, marketing and selling. I train people individually and in groups through workshops, webinars and 'business games' on 'how to' do things e.g. create a business or marketing plan, write a good intro email, how to calculate your costs and identify the right price for your work, how to get ready for a trade show or crafts fair. As an adviser I give information and answer the creatives' business questions. I am the Design Doctor for Crafts Magazine and I answer many craftspeople's business question in that magazine.

I realised that as a business adviser I only could go so far, and that although we would have a great meeting many of my clients didn't make much progress by the next session. I realised that often 'something' was holding them back. So when I was expecting my second child, I decided to retrain as a certified business coach (with the Coaches Training Institute). As a coach I deal with the emotional and 'bigger picture' side of running your own creative business - what is stopping you, what are the obstacles, what are your fears and what can you do to overcome these. As a coach I ask those awkward big questions you probably prefer to hide from! 'What is your dream or legacy?', What is really important to you?, What do you want to be easier?', and my clients answer them (so actually the reverse of being an adviser!).

And finally as a mentor I share my own experiences of running my own business The Design Trust, which combines a bit of all the above roles, but especially it is about the knowledge and experience I can share of being a soletrader. I am really proud to be working especially as a mentor ('a Titan') as part of the School for Creative Startups programme: http://schoolforcreativestartups.com/titans/

What made you decide to start a business mentoring programme?
I have always loved seeing creative people develop over time. When I studied graphic design my tutor told me already that I was better in managing other creatives than doing it myself - and he was right! I currently run a programme called 'The Design Trust Get Clients Now! coaching programme for designers and makers', which combines online workshops (webinars), with online group coaching, and individual coaching/advice sessions and a feedback session. I really love the combination of these different formats, as they really help people with practical questions they might have, but especially the group coaching programme is great to learn from other creatives and to get stimulated by them too to get into action! You can find more info about this programme here: http://www.thedesigntrust.co.uk/the-design-trust-get-clients-now-coaching-programme-for-designers-and-makers/

What kind of people do you work with and what kind of topics and issues do you cover in your mentoring sessions?
I work with a variety of creatives: from recent graduates and starters, to women who decide to start a creative business when they have been made redundant or started a family, to well established designers and makers in mid career or those who are approaching retirement. I work mostly with freelancers, sole traders and small business owners in design and crafts. I work especially with people who are professional, want to create high quality and original products and services, and who really want to get into action and be more pro-active. I particularly like working with creative social entrepreneurs, who have a broader mission and want to create a creative business with a social, educational and or environmental impact.

As I am Dutch I like working with people from across the UK but also overseas, and about half of my current individual clients are from Europe. With them I work on the phone or via Skype, which is fantastic. Designer makers at the beginning of their careers often have practical questions around 'how to do' things such as writing a business or marketing plan, or how to price their products or start marketing their work on a low-cost budget. Many of these questions I answer through The Design Trust blog posts now, and in The Design Trust Guide to Start & Run a Successful Craft Business: http://www.thedesigntrust.co.uk/the-design-trust-guide-to-start-run-a-successful-craft-business/

More mature makers often have 'bigger' questions about how to juggle their work with other commitments, or they are at cross roads and want to change direction but dont know where to start or lack the confidence to do so. Or they want to grow their business without loosing control over it. Some people at the mid career stage start asking questions around what they are doing and why, and the impact they want to make as a creative, which I find particularly interesting.

How do you structure your mentoring sessions?
I first have some email correspondence and phone conversations, before we get started. I then email a questionnaire with a series of questions to get people really thinking. We then often meet in person for a 2 - 3 hour brainstorm meeting to really understand their particular challenges. I then create a 2 page action plan with my recommendations, and this is followed by 5 - 6 mentoring/coaching sessions on the phone over a couple of months. They are in the driving seat in how slow or quickly we work together.

What kind of benefits could someone gain from having a mentor?
From 'pure' mentoring the benefits are especially about having somebody with personal experience of running a creative business who can share their own personal experience, knowledge and potentially their contacts with you. Coaching is particularly helpful if you are struggling with certain challenges each time, or if you lack confidence or certain things are holding you back. But it is also great to look at the bigger picture with a coach, to get you dreaming a bit bigger, with a clear vision of what you want to be, do or have in 20 years time or so.

A good coach can really help you find what your strenghts are, and help you to create something bigger than you ever thought was possible! They definately can help you to get into action, and stop procrastinating! As an adviser I help people with the practical questions so that you learn how to do something, without feeling stupid. I often can answer people's questions around planning and marketing fairly quickly. Most creatives haven't learnt about business or marketing, and I love to be able to show them how creative running your own business actually can be!

What are the benefits/rewards of being a mentor?
I love seeing people develop over the years. It is fantastic to see creatives grow in confidence, in more creative and daring work or fantastic design solutions, and in financial terms or taking on others and teaching them their skills. I recently got an email from a client who I saw 3 years ago, and she told me that without me she wouldn't have been able to make some major changes in her life. Very often people tell me years later the impact that some of my questions had on them. It's about getting the best out of YOU. Very powerful stuff, and very humbling too.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering working with a mentor?
The more that you know what you are looking for the easier it is to find the right person for you. Write down your creative or business questions or specific challenges and research potential mentors or advisers, and ask other creatives for recommendations too. There is a huge difference between advisers, coaches, and mentors. Make sure that you find the right person and role for you to answer your questions or to help you develop. It might be that you need to look at different people for different aspects of your business. Sometimes reading a good business book will help you further! (I recommend my favourite creative business books on The Design Trust website).

For a good mentor look at somebody who is 5 or 10 years ahead of you to see if they want to mentor you. If you lack business skills then a really good business person (not a creative!) might just be the right one for you! Or are you looking for more creative skills, then you might need to look in that area. Really think about why this other person would be interested in working with you. What would be in it for them? Especially if you are approaching another creative, why should they be giving you access to information and skills that they have taken years to develop themselves? Mentors (e.g. rolemodels ahead of you) provide some mentoring for free or as part of a business support package (e.g. School for Creative Startups). But advisers and coaches do this for a living, and will need to charge you!

A big Thank You to Patricia for taking part in the blog series. If you don't already know all about The Design Trust then check out their website here, there's loads of lovely help and information on the website.

Book Review - BlogInc - Joy Deangdeelert Cho

So I went on a bit in my previous post on Tuesday when I started to review this book, but I couldn't help it, I've been blogging a while so felt my newer readers needed the heads up and a bit of history about how I got to be here... still!

And, as I explained, I ordered a copy of BlogInc and delved into it as soon as it arrived and I now need to divulge why I enjoyed it so much and why you should treat yourselves and buy a copy asap....

It covers everything you need to know, from the beginnings of a blog idea, all the way through the practicalities of choosing your blogging platform, your blog name and style, through to growing it, making it make you some money and even making the break to blogging full time. It's full of practical advice, and is also sprinkled with case studies and interviews from a plethora of established bloggers who have made blogging their career. I found it really inspiring to read.

I was relieved to know I'm doing a lot of things 'right' but also picked up some great tips which I'm going to action after my second read through. These include sizing images correctly, rebranding, interacting with your audience and getting on to building your own creative community. This book would be great to read if you are brand new to blogging or, on the other hand, you just have a great blog idea but don't know where to start. But it's also been very useful to someone like me who has been blogging for a while and who wants to find out how to take their blog to the next level.

Initially I read it through quite quickly and forgot to make notes (as writing in a bought book still feels a wee bit like vandalism to me.... don't know why, I'm a long way over 30 and shouldn't really be living by these rules any longer... maybe they are just ingrained from school!!). Anyway, as I was saying, I've read it once and I'm now on my second read through, where I will be making notes, as there are so many useful tips. Even looking through the case studies and checking out the blogs gave me loads of ideas.

Really, I advise you, BUY IT!! If you are feeling a bit stuck with your blogging, or feeling like you want to start blogging but know nothing about how to, or even if you feel you know it all, but need a fresh point of view...this book is worth a read

My BCTF Favourites - Blueberry Park

The next of my BCTF favourites is the lovely Karen Lewis, from Blueberry Park. I got to know Karen, a self-taught designer maker with a passion for screen-printing, via twitter before BCTF and once I’d seen her work I knew I was going to have to pay her stand a visit and say hello. She was only just around the corner from me so it was great to be able to have a chat over the course of the BCTF show.

I asked Karen to tell me a bit about herself and this is what she had to say…

‘My name is Karen and I run my own business, Blueberry Park, from home, as well as looking after and running a house for my 3 children and husband. Life is busy! I love crafting and spend endless ideas doing or thinking about what I'm making. My main crafting loves are anything to do with textiles - fabric makes my senses go wild! The feel, the eye-candy of the patterns! When I have a mo, I'll take myself out for a run - I love being in the outdoors. At the other end of the spectrum I'll hide away with a pile of books and magazines, accompanied by a nice frothy real coffee...or glass of red wine.

As you can see Karen’s stand was choc full of brightly coloured hand printed goods, from lampshades to cushions and bags. It looked beautiful and I’m sure her well-chosen colour palette would have ahd the buyers queuing up.

If you want to find out a bit more about Karen you can check out her blog here where you can find links to her shops...

a brief history of my blogging - a preview of BlogInc Review

This week I thought I would write a review of this fab book about blogging. I decided to buy it when I returned from my last trade fair in April after I had received many positive comments about the blog over the course of the show. It really astounded me that I had so many readers and to meet them and hear how much my blog has helped them really made me stop and think, I liked this new feeling and I realised it was something I really wanted to work on and grow this part of my business. I'm still not really sure of what I will do but I have a few secret ideas on the back-burner... watch this space for details....

I started writing my first blog in 2007 (OMG that seems soooo long ago). Back then it was more of a diary of my creative ventures where I could show what I was working on at the time and interact with other creatives, although it was a lot more of me chatting to myself than to anyone else! I didn't really have much direction at that point and didn't know where my creativity was headed, I just knew it was headed somewhere.

As time has gone on and I've rebranded, my blog has become more of place where I share my experiences and what I'm learning about running a creative business rather than it just being about what I'm working on at any one time. I still share my work, but now I'm also featuring other artists whose work I love, sketchbooks whose pages I can't get enough of, local events, shows, interviews and guest posts. It has in fact become more of an online collection of articles and features, rather than just being about me!

The turning point occurred in 2012 when I was preparing for my first trade fair and I blogged about the whole process, what worked well and what I could have done better. This is when I noticed my readership stats starting to rise. From a few hundred visits per month I got over 3000 in April last year. This was most definitely food for thought, people seemed to be liking what they were reading, so I decided to make more of a concerted effort to make the blog as useful and helpful to other creative business owners and it was really rewarding to get so much positive feedback. So the blog is now growing steadily and I decided I wanted to look into ways I may be able to make it a bigger part of my business.

A fellow tweep recommended BlogInc to me and I couldn't wait for it to arrive. The tag line of 'blogging for passion, profit and to create community' sounded just up my street, all of the reasons I wanted to blog summed up very nicely.

This post would have gone on forever, trust me, so I decided, for you, to split it into two, you can read the my review, without the 'my blog history' later this week....

My BCTF Favourites - Caroline Pratt

Caroline Pratt is a Printmaker and Surface Pattern Designer, producing hand drawn and screen-printed limited edition prints, cards and home-ware. I met Caroline last year at BCTF when we were in the Newcomers Section and it was great to catch up this year and see her new work and find out how she is getting on.

Currently based in Leeds West Yorkshire, Caroline grew up in rural Shropshire and remains true to her country roots. With the surrounding Yorkshire Moors now giving constant inspiration in her work, her love for nature and the outdoors is combined and enhanced by a passion for bold modernist textiles of the 1950s.

Individual elements are drawn or developed into simple paper cut motifs. Scanned into the computer, hand drawn textures are added and the designs are composed before being developed into screen-print. Caroline loves nothing more than getting messy with a squeegee and hopes that this love for traditional slow crafted process results in pieces which can be treasured and loved forever.

If you want to find out more about Caroline you can visit her website here and her blog here and you can follow her on Twitter here....