M20Q’s 02 – Snowdrops and Daisies

My second victim is Ann McGuinness who runs Snowdrops and Daisies and designs and makes lovely home-ware and other handcrafted bits and pieces from her home in rural Scotland

1. What is the name of your business and how did the name come about?
‘Snowdrops and Daisies’, I wanted a name that meant I could diversify and explore different crafts and techniques, after going through a range of different native plants (cause I’m into my nature stuff) I found a combination that no one else had used yet – snowdrops and daisies also happen to be my favourite flowers.

2. Tell me a little about your business – what is it that you make and sell and where are you based?
I make a range of home-ware and gifts, at the moment my range includes juggling balls made from reclaimed fabrics and little felted tubs made from organic wool and some bits and pieces made from synthetic felts. I work from my home in rural Lanarkshire.

3. What inspired you to start your business?
I needed an outlet for my crafting tendencies, a way to make a little spare pocket money and an excuse to just do my own thing.

4. How long does it usually take for you to complete a piece?
My tiny felted bowls take around 10mins to do the initial crochet, then they are machine felted either 2 or 3 times (sometimes more) each time they come out of the machine they are shaped and molded and put back in. when the right level of feltedness has been achieved (yes that is the technical term) they are molded by hand and left to dry… I usually return to tweak the shape several times. The bigger the bowl the longer each stage takes.

So the product takes about 3 days from start to finish though, I do tend to work on more than one at a time during the felting process.

5. Where do you work?
I work in my dining-room/craft-room mostly, though I do often sit in bed at night crocheting or sewing.

6. What would be your dream project?
Oooh, that’s a tough one… I really want to make a big nest of 10 colours of felted bowls in different colours….

7. What is the most challenging piece you’ve ever made?
I have recently listed a huge felted tub which took 4 hours to crochet and around a week to felt and mould…. it was challenging but I really like the finished product, I will be making more.

8. What is your favourite thing to do when you are not crafting/working?
I run a mini-holding so… feeding chickens, clearing up, fetching fire-wood, digging veg, baking bread, making jams, etc, etc… then I have a 3 year old who is home-educated so we do painting, baking, chatting, playing, reading…so I don’t have a lot of ‘me time’ but I do like a good film and a cup of tea 🙂

9. Who are some of your favourite crafters/artists/designers?
I love Lauren Ceramics work, I plan on treating myself to several pieces when my house is ready. Sascalia has some beautiful prints in her shop that I could look at for hours. The Cycling Artist also has a beautiful style I really love her work, I’ll need to save up a while for one of her paintings.

10. What inspires you / where do you get your inspiration when you are designing/creating your products?
I spend a lot of time in my garden this time of year, I love watching the leaves and the berries, flowers and butterflies I think they inspire my choices of colours. In the winter I spend a lot of time in front of my wood burner and I think that brings the feeling of creating homely and tactile items.

11. What are your favourite blogs and what online site do you visit a lot?
Being a mini-holder my absolute lifeline has been www.selfsufficientish.com which includes a forum of like minded souls. I have had a lot of support from them over the years. Not sure I can pick a specific blog… Lupin’s is very good. There are quite a few that I pop back to again and again

12. Where do you source your materials/supplies?
All my wool comes from a 19th century mill in the world heritage site ‘New Lanark’ the mill is run on its own water wheel and the wool is soil association approved organic. My recycled bottle felt was a nightmare to track down I bought it from a website who were less than enthusiastic…I am hoping to find a reliable online stockist soon because I could do with more colours. Fabrics I have used currently are from my extensive backlog – I never throw out a scrap of material and now I am finding a use for them. I have been using my Granny’s embroidery thread (she bought it to embroider a tablecloth in the 60s) though it is beginning to run out I try to pick up bits in charity shops, car boot sales, etc too.

13. How do you balance your day job [if you have one] and your crafting enterprise?
My day job is as a mini-holder (think small-holder, but smaller) and as a home educator and Mummy but I also do all the baking, preserving and cooking and make the things we need for our home. If I am perfectly honest I have never worked out how to get the balance right, something always falls behind, then I need a major catch-up.

14. If you could have any super power what would it be?
I would be able to split myself in 2 so I could do all the hard-work and enjoy the benefits at the same time.

15. What is the last book that you read and enjoyed?
I am currently reading ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ but I can’t remember the last time I finished a book…. oh dear….

16. What is the last film you watched and enjoyed?
I watched The Ocean’s trilogy (Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, Ocean’s 13) over the last few evenings and I have really enjoyed them, I didn’t think I would, but they were good fun.

17. If you won a million on the lottery tomorrow what would you do with the money?
Fix my house, buy myself some new clothes… Take my OH out to dinner and buy him a Saville Row suit… give some to help get books to schools in East Africa, and put the rest in a bank account and enjoy the interest.

18. Where can we find your products for sale or see you products online?
My website is www.snowdropsanddaisies.com

You can find out more about me at my blog.

I have stores at both Folksy and at Etsy.

19. Any advice for other crafters out there who may want to start their own business?
Fill your shop, chat to everyone and enjoy yourself – I haven’t cracked it yet but I am enjoying the journey 🙂

20. What is your favourite recipe – savoury or sweet – care to share it?
Just about to tuck in to a plate of pakora….. yum, yum…. Cut and paste from my other blog.

8oz Gram Flour (sieved)
1tbsp Sesame Seeds
1tbsp Cumin Seeds
1tsp Chilli Powder
1tsp Crushed Chillies
1tbsp Coriander Seeds
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp sugar
1/2tsp Turmeric
70z water
1 Handfull mixed chopped veg (carrots, peas, etc)
1 Large onion (chopped)

Pot for deep frying – around 5 cms deep of veg oil, heated.

Mix all the dry ingredients together, pour in around half of the water and stir, keep adding water (a little at a time) till you have a thick gloopy batter, not too wet.

Stir in the veg and onions and mix until they are all coated with the batter.

Test the heat of the oil, by dropping a tiny amount of batter in, it should fizz and immediately float to the top.

Use a teaspoon to scoop out small amounts and carefully drop into the pan of hot oil, you can get several scoops into the pan at a time (I go for about 10, in a pretty small pot) leave for 5 minutes, scoop out and drain.

Apply to face 😀

Many thanks Ann for taking the time to answer all my questions.
All photographs taken with kind permission from Ann’s online shops/blogs.

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Do you want to get featured on this blog? ‘Milomade 20 Questions’ is going to be a regular spot on my blog which will showcase other crafters/designers/artists who work predominantly with recycled, upcycled and reused materials. If you are interested in getting featured then please get in touch.