Introduce yourself,
who are you and what sort of keepsakes do you create?
Hello! I'm Laura Galloway – mother of two
tinies, ex-Probation Officer, and general lover of all things made. I create keepsakes such as my 'brought
to life' decorative keepsakes of children's drawings, as well as an awful lot
of wedding and Christening canvasses :)
How and
when did you start creating what you do?
After making for my family and friends over
the years, I first went public in March 2012 and was then nagged by my early
customers to start a Facebook business page. Buttons & Butterflies was 'born' on 4th April
2012 and at least half of my creations are simply down to my regulars asking if
I can make a certain item. But I
never make the same thing twice – everything has a unique tweak!
What are
your most popular/ best selling items?
My best selling items are undoubtedly my
wedding canvasses, as I think people understand that not only are they
beautiful due to featuring vintage buttons, but they truly are a keepsake from
an unforgettable day.
What is
your favourite item to make?
I adore
making my canvasses, as it means I can work with a huge amount of buttons! But I also really enjoy anything
involving fabrics, as I love to combine colours and patterns that shouldn't really
go together.
What is
the story behind the winning item in the competition?
The
winning item was a Christening gift from one friend to another, and I remember
making a butterfly headband to go with it. It was the first time I'd been asked to create a Christening
canvas featuring a butterfly, but as with most of my commissions, I was given
relative free rein and so was able to really play with the colours and the
detail. That's my favourite kind
of commission – one where the customer has a rough idea of what they want but
tells you that they're leaving it up to you. That's when I think the end result can be really magical.
Do you
have any plans to introduce any new products to your range?
I am FOREVER introducing new products as I'm
FOREVER being asked by customers if I would be able to make such and such an
item! It's fantastic as it stops
me getting restless or bored. My
business has been almost 100% commissioned work up until now, but I will very
shortly be creating items that will be released into a 'Ready To Buy'
album. This will mean that not
only will people be able to bypass my usual 3-4 week very friendly queue ;) but
that I will be able to continue scratching my creative itch and creating the makes
that pop into my head when I wake at 2am!
Do you
have an online shop/Facebook page/Etsy shop? Where do you think most of your
sales are generated?
I have
the rights to a website but have been too busy recently to get it up and
running – it's on my To Do list!!
But I generate most of my sales through my page at www.facebook.com/ButtonsButterflies and the
rest has been through local selling sites on Facebook also. Although it would be wonderful to go
bigger, I love the charm involved in it being homemade, handcrafted and created
with love and care. As long as I
can sustain this principle then I will be happy, and hopefully my customers
will be too.
