Stanley & Maud x Stackers
If you need catching up, #StackedWith is a collaboration that is happening RIGHT NOW between Stackers and several independent jewellery designers. Over the next few weeks, we are pairing with a different independent jewellery creator, and giving our lovely Stackers customers the chance to win one of their pieces! Every day one piece of jewellery will be added into a Stackers.com order at random, giving one of our lucky customers a very nice surprise.
For the next 7 days we are teaming up with Stanley and Maud giving away some of their beautiful handmade pieces!
Hi Charlotte thank you for taking the time to talk with us!
1. When did you first realise your love for jewellery, was it something you always lent towards or was it something that took your interest later in life?
I’ve always loved jewellery and new pieces were always on my Christmas list however my husband told me ‘I had enough’ and it stopped appearing under the Christmas Tree! Whilst on maternity leave I wanted to keep busy so I started designing my own pieces that were personal to me and a friend suggested I started selling it so I opened an Etsy store in January 2015 and things were like a whirlwind from there!
2. What does a ‘typical’ day in the life of Stanley and Maud look like?
I like to wake up earlier than the rest of my house so I can get a step ahead with admin, I go through customer orders, order stock and plan my day. Typically I hammer whilst my son has his afternoon nap…surprisingly he sleeps through it! I then spend my evenings polishing and packing orders.
3.Being a mum and juggling your own business I’m sure can be quite hectic at times? Do you have any hacks or advice to other mums who are thinking of starting their own business?
Juggling a work-life balance is probably the biggest challenge and I don’t always get it right but I’ve found a routine that suits my family and I. I always write my to do list before I go to bed so I know what the next day brings meaning I can organise work around the children and my husband. I won’t lie it’s tough and there are times where I miss the structure of a desk job but I know that everything I’ve achieved I’ve done on my own and it’s so important to me that my children understand that you must work hard. I say go for it! if you can’t stop thinking about something then do it, you never know unless you try.
4. We read that its really important for you to support British businesses and source your materials in the UK, we couldn’t agree more; would you like to elaborate on this and also tell us who a few of your favourite independent businesses are?
Most definitely, I think it’s really important to empower our own economy before shopping overseas! It does cost more but I think it’s an important value and my customers agree. I see small stores open all the time in my local town and sadly not all of them are successful. I always try to shop independently especially around Christmas because to me a sale to a small business is like someone patting you on the back and saying well done! I still get a giddy feeling when an order comes through.
5. Where do you take inspiration from when creating your collection?
A lot of my inspiration comes from my lifestyle, life events and highstreet fashion trends. I design each piece so it can be styled amongst other pieces in the collection. You can build up your own collection to suit your own style.
6. What future goals and aspirations do you have for Stanley and Maud?
Last month I took my first order from a stockist in Yorkshire which was an amazing achievement for Stanley and Maud, I would love to pursue further stockists and continue growing my business by extending my current collection. I have a few things up my sleeve at the moment but it’s all a bit hush hush at the minute so keep your eyes peeled!!
Head over to http://www.stanleyandmaud.com to find more of her beautiful pieces!
For the next 7 days we are teaming up with Stanley and Maud giving away some of their beautiful handmade pieces!
Hi Charlotte thank you for taking the time to talk with us!
1. When did you first realise your love for jewellery, was it something you always lent towards or was it something that took your interest later in life?
I’ve always loved jewellery and new pieces were always on my Christmas list however my husband told me ‘I had enough’ and it stopped appearing under the Christmas Tree! Whilst on maternity leave I wanted to keep busy so I started designing my own pieces that were personal to me and a friend suggested I started selling it so I opened an Etsy store in January 2015 and things were like a whirlwind from there!
2. What does a ‘typical’ day in the life of Stanley and Maud look like?
I like to wake up earlier than the rest of my house so I can get a step ahead with admin, I go through customer orders, order stock and plan my day. Typically I hammer whilst my son has his afternoon nap…surprisingly he sleeps through it! I then spend my evenings polishing and packing orders.
3.Being a mum and juggling your own business I’m sure can be quite hectic at times? Do you have any hacks or advice to other mums who are thinking of starting their own business?
Juggling a work-life balance is probably the biggest challenge and I don’t always get it right but I’ve found a routine that suits my family and I. I always write my to do list before I go to bed so I know what the next day brings meaning I can organise work around the children and my husband. I won’t lie it’s tough and there are times where I miss the structure of a desk job but I know that everything I’ve achieved I’ve done on my own and it’s so important to me that my children understand that you must work hard. I say go for it! if you can’t stop thinking about something then do it, you never know unless you try.
4. We read that its really important for you to support British businesses and source your materials in the UK, we couldn’t agree more; would you like to elaborate on this and also tell us who a few of your favourite independent businesses are?
Most definitely, I think it’s really important to empower our own economy before shopping overseas! It does cost more but I think it’s an important value and my customers agree. I see small stores open all the time in my local town and sadly not all of them are successful. I always try to shop independently especially around Christmas because to me a sale to a small business is like someone patting you on the back and saying well done! I still get a giddy feeling when an order comes through.
5. Where do you take inspiration from when creating your collection?
A lot of my inspiration comes from my lifestyle, life events and highstreet fashion trends. I design each piece so it can be styled amongst other pieces in the collection. You can build up your own collection to suit your own style.
6. What future goals and aspirations do you have for Stanley and Maud?
Last month I took my first order from a stockist in Yorkshire which was an amazing achievement for Stanley and Maud, I would love to pursue further stockists and continue growing my business by extending my current collection. I have a few things up my sleeve at the moment but it’s all a bit hush hush at the minute so keep your eyes peeled!!
Head over to http://www.stanleyandmaud.com to find more of her beautiful pieces!