Dichroic Creations

What inspired you to start your business?
My business actually started off as a hobby after my third child was born, I had bought a dichroic glass pendant and had fell in love with the magic of the glass and was determine to learn. As time went on and my little one started Kindy I would have two full days to do my creating and now the past two years since he started school I have been creating five days a week...and that's how my business got started. I feel very blessed to be able to do what I love whilst I can still be there for my kids.

What is your handmade business all about?
 I create unique dichroic glass jewellery which is fused in a kiln up to 7 hours a firing and some pendants are fired up to 5 times to complete. About dichroic glass:
It is pronounced dye-crow-i, and the name comes from the Greek language for two colours -Di means two and Chroic means colour.

NASA developed dichroic glass for use in satellite mirrors. It has a reflected and transmitted colour, so, as you look at it, the colours seem to change. This is why it is so difficult to truly capture it's full beauty with a single photograph. The effect is stunning and dichroic glass jewellery is possibly the most wonderful fused glass you will ever see - so full of light and colour.


What do you enjoy most about your business?
 I feel so lucky and privileged to be able to work from home, being able to work around my children has always been important to me, never to miss a sporting event or book character parade etc. I love what I do with such a passion and there is no nicer feeling knowing lots of people from around the world are wearing my creations.

 


















What is your favourite product to make? 
Defiantly my Picasso Style dichroic Pendants, they are quite different and unique. These dichroic pendants are not full fused or capped with a clear glass making the colours more vibrant and the texture gives them real character.....Wearable Art :)

How did you learn your craft? 
I had a two hour lesson on basic fusing and one lesson on grinding and from there I am self taught. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to creating and I have learnt my own techniques from trial and error over the past 5 1/2 years.

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business? 
I think commitment is very important, keep routine and hours that you intent to work during each week. I commit myself from 9:00am to 1:00pm Monday to Friday and any extra time I can fit in is a bonus. I strive to list new items each week which keeps customers popping by to check ...so regular listings I recommend.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year?
I plan to keep doing what I love creating...Dichroic Creations will only ever be just one employee ME so it can only grow as big as the work load I can keep up with.

Visit  Dichroic Creations On Hand-Made

Five Fabulous Friday Finds

Origami Earrings Traditional Tsuru Bright Fluro Yellow by Joji Creations	Ampersand Scribble Print by CocoElla
Harry by LilyandAndie Dolls	Whimsy Wrap Bracelet in Red Kuh-ler-ful
Bucks Fizz Coconut oil by Alchemist Grove

First Birthday Celebration Winners.....

 A great big thank you to everyone for celebrating our first birthday with us :)


AND THE WINNERS ARE.....


Carmen Jordan - beaded necklace by Frosted Candy

Sarah Eather - One custom A4 Babushka print designed in the colours of your choice and adorned with quality embellishments By smudge designs

Jordana Ferrara - 20% off voucher by Jacsprat Creations

Cassie Mackinnon - One custom cuff bangle or skinny 3 set of bangles (excluding flower bangles) By Frosted Candy

Nicole Neale - Classic MJ handmade baby shoes in Pink Team Blossom in size 9-12 mths with non-slip sole by Two Little Monkeys

Amy Wyhoon -  Beautiful pastel coloured pendant, measuring 2.3cms x 5.7cms. Made using resin set on glass with silver-tone wire wrapped around it to attach to a 43cms silver-tone chain from Neck Art

Tennille Koelma - 20% Off Voucher from Said the Ladybird to the Turtle

Michelle Louwrens - 20% Off a custom taggie block and triangle set - Made by Me With Two Little Peas

October Pin of the Day

Five Fabulous Friday Finds

Loopy Love Lamp by Blue Bamboo	Boys Rocket Set by Dino Dust
Polymer Clay Pendant by Ever Rose Creations	Owl by Red Stitch Designs
Intricate abstract canvas drawing by Inked by Michanne

Referral Prizes

Q&A with Crafty Miss Anne

What inspired you to start your business?  

I have been crafting since I was really little. I preferred crayons and coloured pencils to dolls! Craft is a relaxing hobby for me. It's a good way to unwind and is a great outlet for expressing my creativity. Since childhood, I have loved making something unique for family and friends and watching their delight as they open their gifts. It was only last year that I decided to take the next step and start selling my handmade items. 

What is your handmade business all about? 
My handmade business is all about creating unique handmade items that are of a practical nature (e.g. cards, jewellery, homewares, decorative items etc.). I like to keep the customer/recipient of my handmade items in mind when creating something and try to envisage how they would use my item. I would hate if someone bought/received something from me and then couldn't think of anything to do with it.

What do you enjoy most about your business? 
Running a hobby business has proven to be very rewarding. Besides the joy of knowing that someone out there loves your handmade items as much as you enjoyed making them, I have also really enjoyed the social aspects with running a hobby business. I have been able to engage directly with customers and form friendships with people who appreciate the hard work, creativity and dedication that goes into handmade items. I have received some lovely positive feedback from customers and have a lot of support from family and friends which has all encouraged me to keep making Crafty Miss Anne even better!

What is your favourite product to make? 
This is a very, very hard question. I honestly don't have an answer as I enjoy so many different types of crafts. I love creating handmade cards, jewellery, homewares, decorative pieces etc. but can't pick which of them I prefer to make!

How did you learn your craft? 
I am completely 100% self taught. I have improved my skills through experimenting, making lots of mistakes and practising until I have perfected a technique. I love just having a go at different sorts of craft techniques.

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business? 
As I work full time, my business is only a part-time hobby one. This means that I often only get a couple of hours (on a good day!) to make anything. While it's extremely hard to manage a full time career with a hobby I'm passionate about, I enjoy every single minute of it! My tips for juggling a full time job and running a part-time hobby business are: 1. Manage your time effectively – this is something that I am still learning how to do, however it is vital that you find little ways to make the most out of your crafting time 2. Get organised – another thing that I am constantly striving towards. Ensure that your creative space is organised and that your craft stash is accessible and easy to find which is very important when you have limited time to create! 3. Engage with other sellers – there are lots of other sellers out there that can provide helpful advice and feedback. It’s always a good idea to bounce ideas of other like minded people and I’ve made quite a few friends through this experience. The “Hand-made.com.au sellers group” on Facebook is a fantastic forum for all aspects related to running a handmade business. Hand-made.com.au is a great way to start up your own business. Kristian and Alison are an extremely dedicated dynamic duo who provide a lot of help, support and advice to their sellers. They listen to their sellers and actively seek feedback on what we (as sellers) want to get out of the site.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year?
Over the next year, I would like to gain a lot more exposure for my handmade items and for my online store. I would like to try a variety of different online and face-to-face promotional strategies.



Visit Crafty Miss Anne on Hand-Made.com.au