Jilly Anderson, owner and creative designer at Jillybean Creations lives in Sydney with her husband, two scrumptious sons and a rather scruffy dog.
Jilly has created a range of ceramic plates and tiles to celebrate births, christenings, weddings and any other important occasion, as well as funky plates for eating and gorgeous little cups and saucers for those all important babycinos.
There is also the option to come and visit Jilly in Balmain and have your little one’s foot or handprints immortalised onto a tile or plate which can be treasured for years.
All ceramic pieces are hand painted by Jilly and are fully microwave and dishwasher safe.
With the days getting longer and warmer, the feeling of spring is in the air. With only 2 weeks of winter left, why not get kids planting in preparation for spring.
This little activity is so fun for the little ones, I made one with Miss 4 and she had a ball watering her plant pal. She gave it a name and it had its own little personality. She would style its “hair” and even gave it hair cuts.
Why not give it a try with your little ones, they will love it.
Today we have the pleasure of getting to know Ilja from Em & Femme Designs a little bit better, so Ilja¦.
Tell us about your business:
I am the owner and creator of the girls clothing label ˜em&femme designs. Im all about bright and fun clothing that can be played in. I often hear ˜but they cant wear THAT in the sandpit!. Why not, I think, my kids do. Dont be afraid to play is my motto! All the items I make are one of a kind-that means while I make the same styles again, or use the same fabrics again, never in the same combination. So when people purchase, they know its the only one like that!
What inspired you to start your business?
My background is in ˜childrens mental health, and finding it hard to find the right balance between work away and time at home, I started considering my other options. ˜em&femme designs happened completely by accident, but it proved to be an fantastic outlet for my creativity.
Is there an interesting anecdote behind your business name?
I am afraid not. My daughters names are Emma and Femke, so you can see where ˜em&femme designs comes from. I do like the fact that ˜femme is the French word for woman and ˜Femke is a derivative and means peaceful little girl. We just got the peaceful wrong……
What is the most satisfying part of what you do?
This is me, all ME, and its nice to be my own boss, and know that MY hard work got me this far.
Have you tried something in business that didnt work as planned, or on the flip side “ worked out better than expected?
As much as I loved doing custom orders, it got to the point where my business ran me, instead of the other way around. I stayed home so I could spend more time with my girls, and ended up being almost burned out. After 2 years I seem to have found a better balance.
What would be your best tip for someone thinking about selling their handcrafted goods?
Stay true to yourself, stay original, and make sure its worth it. Its great to stay at home with your kids, but if they never see you, or you dont reap the benefits from it, its not worth it. It is a job after all, and you do need to make money!
What is your favourite item you make?
I think my twirly skirts at the moment, they can be worn for ages! It changes though, I think it depends on the fabrics. I have favourite fabrics, not so much a style.
Any personal or business highlights in the last year:
My yearly holidays to Europe. They complete me! I get inspired by all the colors there and cant wait to create again each I get back.
On a business front, it was being featured in my local paper, and to see my clothes in a printed magazine.
3 things about you (not business related) that people might not know:
Since giving birth I have developed a fear of heights
I am a sucker for cheesy pop music
I speak Dutch, English, German and French. In that order…….
Thank you Ilja, it has been a pleasure meeting you, the maker!
The Handmade Expo market, Bundamba QLD, is a handmade only market with up to 100 stalls of quality handmade, handgrown, handbaked and handpicked products. Enjoy the Pioneer Steam Train, lunch, Coffee Club Coffee, food galore for lunch, bring the family for a fantastic day out.
In Eltham VIC, the Eltham Community Craft & Produce Market has been operating for over 30 years and offers up to 120 stalls of handmade, home grown goods/products. The market proudly supports local community projects and groups.
Also in VIC this weekend is the Berwick clothing and homemade market. This market boasts stalls of handmade fashion items, childrens items, jewellery, homewares and giftware. There are also stalls of pre loved clothing for all the family. This is a great place to shop, so bring your friend and come along to discover the unique items available at the Berwick Clothing and Homemade market.
In Terrigal NSW, you can visit Handmade Craft Market, shoppers can enjoy everything from handmade candles, ceramics, jewellery, leather handbags, scones, gluten free slices, olive oils and jam to beautiful handmade accessories and clothing for young ones and the not so young. Shop for quality unique products, see up and coming designers and enjoy a fun day out with the whole family.
Sydney Style Markets is a unique Market in Sydneys Inner West, with designers, creators and retailers showcasing an abundance of Fashion, Accessories, Homewares and more for the whole family. As most of their stallholders dont have a shop front, you are guaranteed to find something truly special and also being able to meet the makers and designers of these amazing pieces makes it more worthwhile .
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the markets, pop over to Market Angel to find out what other markets are on this weekend.
