Spotlight on Clare Nicholls

Hello Clare Nicholls,
 

What is your business called?  

It is called "Raggedy Lils"

How did you come up with your business name? 

I use lots of up-cycled fabrics (rags) and named after my eldest child Lilly.

Where are you based?  

I am based in Cardiff.

What is your craft?  
Handcrafted home decor.

Where do you craft?
From my kitchen table!

How long have you been crafting?  
I have enjoyed crafting from an early age.

If you specialise when did you start?  
Raggedy Lils started in October 2012

What other crafts/skill do you have?  
I also like to draw portraits with black pencil on white canvas

Have you got any special qualifications or are you self- taught? I have a GCSE and A-Level in Art and Design.

What inspires you? My children do all the time.

Do you ever get “artist block”?  
I do occasionally.

What do you do to get out of an “artist block”?  
I take a break and come back later when I can look at things with a fresh eye.

What keeps you going? 
Proving to myself that I can be a success in what I do and show my children that you need to put in hard work to get what you want in life and that you are the only one that can change what happens.

What others artists inspire you?  
I particularly like Cath Kidston and Laura Ashley if I was to list a mainstream company similar to mine, otherwise other crafters that are also mums that juggle working from home with parenthood.
Do you listen to music while you work?  
Yes I do sometimes.

What music do you listen to? /;.
I like a bit of Michael Buble and Magic radio.

Where do you sell/exhibit? 
Mostly at local craft fairs, but you can find me on-line too.

www.raggedylils.weebly.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raggedy-Lils/516810261697409

http://www.wowthankyou.co.uk/raggedy-lils

https://twitter.com/RaggedyLils

What material gets your creative juices going? 
I love making cushions from upcycled shirts.

 
Do you have an all-time favourite creation?  
Yes, I love this one:

We all have times when you do something  and it doesn't turn out how you envisaged it. What do you do?  

Don't panic, just adapt it into something that does work.

Do you do this full-time, part-time or just as an hobby?  
I work at it almost full time now.

Silly question, do you recycle?  
Yes, I recycle a lot.

Do you use materials made by other artists? 
No, not really.

Does the Welsh landscape/Culture inspire you?  
As of yet I have not incorporated the Welsh theme.

What is your favourite colour?  
I love pink!

Does it feature a lot in your work? 
Yes it certainly does!

Do you have a favourite subject?  
My favourite thing that I make is cushions.

Do you have any pets? Do they “help”?  
Yes, but no. I have a cat called Treacle, but I don't think he likes my work and stays away. He particularly doesn't like my sewing machine.

Where have your items been sold to?  
I have sold in Craft fairs, on Folksy,  via Facebook,  and to family and friends.
What is the most unusual/furthest place your items have gone? The furthest place I have sold to so far is England. 

Do you think you value your work enough- do you find pricing hard?  
I do not price too high to ensure the item gets sold, so probably undervalued in terms of time spent creating the item

Do you get together with fellow artists?  Yes I do so occasionally.

What was the first thing you sold?  
A rag wreath.

Do you remember what it felt like? 

I was elated!

What is your biggest bargain in connection with your craft?  
Fabric from curtains and sheets that gets passed my way by friends.

What gets in the way of your artistic endeavours? 
Lack of time, I could do with more hours in the day.

What is your favourite tool?  
My sewing machine

Anyone else in your family or a close friend who enjoys crafting? No, no one else crafts.

Any other links you like us to look you up?  

A blog can be found on my website