Excitingly I decided to visit the Wirksworth Art Trail and the Wardlow Mires Pottery festival on the same weekend to meet two of the makers I have been talking with, Rachel Evans of Wheatcroft Willow and Rowena Hamilton, ceramicist. It was a gloriously chilly day with on and off showers but Wirksworth still held its beauty and the trail was wonderfully curated and managed. I started off by visiting the mightily talented Rachel and getting to physically handle and see the glorious basketry she makes was a joy. They are...
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This week is a week I took off to assess where i'm at and what steps to take next. I ended up catching some sort of flu and an existential crisis along the way. BUT... I have a lovely amount of makers that I am talking with and chatting to who I adore and cannot wait to work with. I have business ideas and pitches for projects, but then it comes to funding. Cash flows, budgets, all sorts of wild and wonderous words which baffle me before I even begin!...
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As I begin my journey one of the things that I am both excited beyond belief about whilst equal parts nervous, is the sourcing of the stock for SHIREFOLK. This is so meaningful and has to be right- so right! I need it to be local, beautiful, steeped in stories and traditions that I cannot wait to shout about. I need it to span a bredth of needs in the shop, a bredth of price points and customer profiles. Something for everyone. No matter who, where you're from, how old...
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Beginning the journey Today marks the very first steps in bringing this idea to life. For a while now, I have been dreaming about creating a shop that celebrates the things I love most, beautiful objects made with care, the changing seasons, local craftsmanship, and the wonderful makers and producers who bring so much character to Derbyshire. The idea has always been simple, to create a place where people can slow down, discover something special and feel connected to the story behind what they are buying. A shop filled with...
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