Please introduce yourself and your brand….
My name is Laura Lines and I run Gypsy Butterfly. I set up Gypsy Butterfly earlier this year, as an outlet for all the things I love to make. I was already self-employed, so taking the leap from one business to another wasn’t a huge step – although I do find that I am working harder now, but enjoying it more. Gypsy Butterfly is an eclectic range of gifts and keepsakes designed for the sole purpose of making people smile. The name came about when my partner and I were discussing names for our new baby, but he turned out to be another boy (number 5), so we decided to give the best of the girl’s names to the business, as it’s unlikely now we’ll need them now.
How would you describe your style and your creations?
I like to think of my style as quite bohemian and like to create things that can’t be found in the shops. My buggy blankets come in vibrant colours which you just can’t find anywhere else and my jewellery stands really need to be seen to be appreciated – they are made from painted logs and all have a nature theme with delicate flowers, feathers, shells and pearls on the top. I’ve recently added glass lockets to my collection, which come in keyring form, or can be worn as necklaces or bracelets. They contain floating charms and items taken from nature – usually beach inspired as I love the beach and go surfing and body boarding when I can (and I’m not pregnant).
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Crochet! I love making all sorts of things, but my favourite things to make are my crochet buggy blankets. I love working with all the wonderful colours and always have at least two blankets planned at a time – usually whilst I’m already working on two designs. The biggest difficulty is not keeping them all, as my baby is due at the end of the year.
What can we expect to find on your stall at So This is Christmas at The Charmandean Worthing on Sunday 4th December? And are you looking forward to taking part?
Am I looking forward to taking part? Of course! Apart from anything else, I’m so heavily pregnant and it’s so close to home, it will be nice not having to travel miles…. but seriously, I have been excited about taking part in this fair ever since I found out about it and was so happy to be invited along to have a stall. There will be lots to see on my stall, so worth stopping and having a browse and I’m always creating new things, so even if you’ve seen me before, it’s likely you’ll find something new here. It should be easy to spot me, as there’s usually a lot of bunting hanging above me – all for sale of course.
Do you have a best seller?
My bag charms/key chains are my best seller. They’re made from up-cycled jewellery and each one is unique. These were what I started out making. I wanted to find some dinosaur keyrings for my son’s party bags, but couldn’t find any I liked so instead I bought all the bits and made my own. I had lots of chain and fixings left over, so I decided to use them up with some of the other charms and beads I had accumulated over the years and ended up selling them at his school Christmas Fair – everything else took off from there and now I’m constantly adding new items to my stock, but the bag charms will always remain the mainstay of what I make.
Do you have any plans or ambitions for the future?
I’m going to have to move more online in the new year, as it won’t be easy to attend so many fairs when I have a newborn in tow, but I’d certainly like to keep a toe in the water, as I much prefer dealing face-to-face with customers. My ambition has always been to have my own shop of handmade crafts and vintage pieces – ideally to set up business with someone who loves sewing, as although I can sew, it’s not my favourite thing to do. My vision for this came from the little bookshop in ‘You’ve got Mail’ – although not a huge fan of the film, I really fell in love with Meg Ryan’s shop.
Do you have a motto or inspirational quote?
Not really a motto or inspirational quote, but I do believe that if you do what you love then you will be successful. I think if you simplify your life to the basics, then that tends to make you a happier person. I have a book called ‘How to be Free’ by Tom Hodgkinson and it is a really inspiring read that I would highly recommend.
What part of Christmas do you enjoy the most?
Family! I like the present bit to be over and done with quickly so we can really enjoy being together. We always have good fun over Christmas Dinner with jokes and riddles and then after dinner we like to play games – we usually have at least one or two new games, but we always have our old favourites too. There’s six of us and the children range from seven to nineteen, so we always choose our games carefully so that everyone can have a laugh whilst playing and not get too bored.
How can we find out more about you?
I have a Facebook page where I like to keep people up-to-date with all my latest makes – www.facebook.com/gypsybutterflyx and I also have an Etsy shop where you can find most of the items I have for sale, although I’m always adding more things – www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GypsyButterflyCrafts
I don’t do Twitter or Instagram, as otherwise I’d end up spending all my time online and I’d get nothing else done.