4 Years Old

My little business is 4 years old! It had its birthday on the 9th of April & I am thrilled!

So excited that I did nothing to celebrate!



Is it perfect? No, its far from! I have a million & one things still to do to make it run efficiently. I still need to learn to work in one room & not spread yarn EVERYWHERE. I still need to organise my office efficiently, do admin more efficiently & over all learn how to balance my work (business)/work (day job)/social life (what is that?!).

However I do not really care about any of that, I still love what I do & after a full day in the day job will still go home & do 3 hours business work (do not tell my Mum!).

In March, Joanne Hawker, ran her amazing Instagram challenge & with all the gusto in the world I was totally determined to finish this one.

"The idea behind #MarchMeetTheMaker is to show the side that people don’t usually get to see… to show that we’re not all faceless brands. We’re just normal people creating beautiful things by hand." - Joanne Hawker

However I was ill again, I have been ill A LOT since Christmas, fingers crossed now resolved, so I ended up panic posting nearly a whole months worth of posts in a week.

So I thought I'd do a recap here just to give an insight into my chaotic, manic & disorganised life! So in no particular order...



My name is Gemma & this picture was taken on my 28th birthday (begining of February) I have been running Girl On Purl Action for FOUR years now as well as working a day job. 
My major loves in life (outside of crafting of course!) are bed, food, coffee & my pets; Tulip (the cat) & Ganthet (the hedgehog)

 I love any new idea I'm working on & I don't particularly have a favourite but I do love my creatures! 

My craft room is always my biggest work in progress! The desk is built & so are the 2 new storage units so just need to find the time to shift everything around (looks like a job for my days off this week!) 

For some unknown & accidental reason all my knitting needles & crochet hooks are red! My needles have come all the way from New York, thanks to my parents!

I am a knitter & crocheter that does not use wool! I personally find it itchy & with the development of acrylics & an ever growing vegan populace its my preferred choice of material. I also use a lot of cotton & bamboo too!

I am a member of The Merseyside Etsy Team, best bunch of supportive & wonderfully talented makers - you can shop a selection of our stuff here!

My local post office is located on a famous Liverpool street; Lark Lane. I'm incredibly lucky where I live, I have a massive park at the end of my road.

My photography skills are S...L...O...W...L...Y improving, although the pug close up was a total freaky accident - I swear my creature makes come to life at night!

The GOPA logo - which is supposed to be me - represents my love of all things 80's, animals, pink & hopefully demonstrates that my makes are a bit different.

Not sure how well this video will turn out...but here is me knitting my latest personal project, a grey yoga jumper for the summer. I do not think that a) I will do a lot of yoga over the summer, b) there will be a summer (its May on Monday & i'm typing this fully dressed with my dressing gown & the central heating on!) c) I will ever finish it - not picked it up in a month.

Me & my Mum at Christmas early 90's - shes amazing - currently off work with a chest infection & shes working on a secret (for now) project for me for June. She helps with MakeFest projects, is my helper at craft fairs & knits crazy amounts of stuff for everyone else! Shes planned 4 jumpers this year - finished my Dad's already & is halfway through my sisters on top of knitting for charities & new nephew due in August!

All the best ideas come to me in the shower. Its my go-to place when I'm feeling disorganised or creatively flump.

I even designed my new cat charity range in the shower! 

Books plan my life, I have a dual diary for GOPA & day job management - now to learn to follow the plans! 

Feedback - my heart sinks when I see the little Etsy feed back email as I always fear the worst (self-confidence issues) - but so far so good.

I love tissue paper so I try & package as much of my postal orders I can in it for no other reason than I love it! I also love coffee, so so much (typing this drinking coffee), I do not use it for caffeine purposes anymore but for taste purposes (I will never drink decaf so do not go there!)

Business advice is pretty much life advice - do not put too much pressure on yourself, yeah its the hardest thing to do, the back ground struggles are real & not displayed all over Instagram. Social media only serves to show the best of us but goals are met & its OK to feel happy when that happens & its OK to feel sad when they do not. No-one & nothing should be allowed get you down or make you feel bad but it will happen. Best thing to do? Dust yourself off & get back to it as the next occasion, customer interaction, sale or job application might just go your way! 

Macramé, horror knitting & branching out!

Hello crafters!

First of all I want to thank everyone who has gotten on board with The Moody Octopus project so far! If you haven't started yet then don't worry! There's still plenty of time to get involved!

I've set up a Facebook event for it here!

You don't need to attend on the day, pieces are welcome to be posted in advance! You can find the address here!

I'm thrilled to be doing this project in conjunction with The Liverpool Mental Health Consortium, Time To Change Campaign, Up For Arts and The MakeFest!

The Octopus now has a home at Liverpool Central Library after the day of the MakeFest so if you are local & cant make the day you can still view him afterwards!

Special thanks to The Merseyside Etsy Team for blogging about him too!

I am accepting suggestions for a name...keep referring to it as male. Take from that what you will!

In other news I finally have my couch! Only ordered it 7 weeks ago so finally feel like we can settle properly in our new home & no more living like students out of the bedroom!

Not my living room but my new couch!

I’ve also branched out...I’m now in comics! Well, not strictly speaking, but I am working in conjunction with two lovely chaps on a Kickstarter campaign for a graphic novel which has received rave reviews! I'm making some merchandise for them as one of the Kickstarter rewards; it is an adult comic & it is horror based so you have been warned! The artist Macro 'Sbrillo' Fontanili designed my latest logo & the knitting hedgehog.

It’s been 16 months of hard work for them both so I really hope it does well. If you like any of the old slasher films you’ll love it. I like Kickstarter as a format too; getting a product, just the same as you would via any other method of purchasing but you are directly funding a bit of someone’s dream.

It’s really gotten me in the mood for Halloween though! You can expect a big range from me this year, I have actually started planning...think I have about 30 patterns drafted.

New skill moment! I have taught myself macramé! Totally addictive...takes a while to get your head around all the knots but so worth it!

Due to popular demand I'm announcing new workshop dates over the weekend so keep your eyes peeled!

Zebra Creations

Why I do what I do

Where your talents and the needs of the world cross; there lies your vocation. Hark at me, starting off a blog post with a quote from Aristotle. Don't worry, it's not going to be all philosophical. I just think it sums up what Zebra Creations is all about.

I have a conditional called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type 3, which means my ligaments are too stretchy. this causes me constant pain, sometimes my joints pop out a bit and I am perpetually clumsy. It's a right pain in the neck. And the hip, the wrist, the back...(see, told you it wasn't all philosophy. I also do dad jokes)

The products I make are all the result of either me, or my friends who are also in the bendy brigade, needing something. I have had microwaveable pillows in the past but they never stay put and the rice always pooled at the end of the pillow, so my sofa got all the benefit. I have had wrist supports, but hated wearing them as they are so flipping ugly, but also they get really hot and sticky as they are all made of nylon. 

I knew my way around a sewing machine, although hadn't really used it or years. When I had to stop teaching because my EDS got worse, I needed to draw on all of the skills I could use while sitting down in order to make a living. And so Zebra Creations was born. I create items that I know do the job they are supposed to but without looking hideous, sewing takes my mind off the various bits of me that ache and - hopefully - I can sell them and pay the bills.

How I create the items sounds pretty straightforward - I look at something I have,decide what is wrong with it and then fix it. Or, I will find a particular task tricky or uncomfortable and so I try to figure out what would make it easier. Take, for example, the wrist splints. I need to use a splint whenever my wrist hurts, which is pretty often. A friend suggested decorating it with sequins and glitter, and at first I thought it was a great idea, but then I realised it was totally impractical. You see, as well as looking grim, the nylon base of the splint means that after three days straight wearing it smells manky. They don't wash well as it is, so adding glitter certainly wouldn't help. So, I decided to make my own. I replaced the man-made fibres with cotton to make it breathable and used pretty patterned jersey on the surface to make it pretty. This was certainly more involved than the earlier stuff I made like the rice pillows, but I am growing in confidence and feel like I can start to tackle the sort of projects that can really make a difference to people with joint pain in any form.

But more importantly than that, it makes me feel happy. I used to distract myself from pain by playing stupid games on my phone. Now I get to make things and have something to show for my time. It turns a negative into a positive, so if I get to help other people in the process, even better.

Twitter: @zebracreations
Instagram: VixThe Zebra 
Facebook: Zebra Creations
Etsy: zebracreationsuk

My 1st Business Birthday!

Girl On Purl Action workshops & creations is officially (in the eyes of HMRC!) a whole year old! 

Where has the time gone?!

I'm still not close to having done everything that I want but I have survived my first year in business, although tired. I still have The Duke Street Bazaar to move into, an Etsy shop to launch & my design book is now 3 books with only about 10% made! EEEKK!

I would just like to thank everyone really...

Everyone:

* who has read this blog

* who attends the craft meetings

* who has attended a workshop

* who has helped on one of the many charity drives!

* the venue's that allow me to teach in - Knit Wise in Ormskirk, The Crosby Tea Rooms, Quill's Coffee & The Rare Bear Boutique

* every craft fair that has given me a stall

* everyone who has bought something off me

* everyone who has ordered something custom

* everyone who has just admired/complimented what I do

* special shout out to Hobo Bazaar for giving me my first stall & super crazy amounts of love & support!

* Open Culture for taking a chance on me at last years Winter Arts Market - this was a big highlight for me!

* the brides (now plural!) who have had my work at their super special day!

* Rex for giving me my first shop space

* Duke Street Bazaar for loving my stuff so much they squeezed me into a full shop!

Big amazing thanks have to go to my family & friends for all their support but mainly patience at cancelled plans etc & to The Women's Organisation who enabled me to do this in the first place!

Oscar speech over & there are still so many of you to thank! It is important to realise that the support of others is vital & its always nice to be appreciated! 

Here's to another year of just moving on up!

(Tonight I'm at The Spare Rib Burlesque show & on Saturday I'm at The Woolton Village Craft fair 10-2.30 so come & say hi! Back to the Guest Bloggers on Saturday!)

Baba Unique

So now Arthur-John is Eleven weeks old, I start with that due to him being the reason for the start of Baba Unique Boutique. After years of working for other people I started working for a Make Up Agency, Long story short...they found out I was pregnant I didn't get any work. So days of no work and a smart phone I started looking for clothes for my unborn baba. I also started knitting something my mum had tried to teach me since I was 15. Now 32.

Well I couldn't find anything as quirky as I wanted so...I started tie dying white baby grows getting some great patterns and colours, as soon as I showed them to friends and family they wanted to buy them. I was amazed at the response.

I was five months pregnant at the time of putting Baba Unique Boutique in motion and to be honest I did underestimate pregnancy and child birth so not much has happened since June but the amount of interest has been amazing. The knitting has also been a strange addition as I've sold a few blankets to friends.

I have a Facebook and a twitter and the response is great considering I haven't plugged myself they way I could due to Arthur-John being my priority at the minute. He's been wearing my clothes and also got a few blankets so watch this space and have a look at my Twitter and Facebook :)

An Independent Cup of Coffee

I love coffee! I am a serious coffee addict. My coffee machine is never off…In work everyone drinks tea & I'm alone in my high caffeine bubble! I love independent coffee shops too, not the tax dodging ones but the ones that pride themselves on making a good cup of coffee rather than a mass produced one!

Awesomely I teach workshops in a coffee shop that ooze's what a coffee shop should be! Quill's Coffee...

At university, Lee recognised how important it was to have a space to read and study, and so tried to find such a magical place. Soon he found himself in a Goldilocks situation. The library was too quiet, stuffy and formal, and although it boasted quality resources, it suffered poor vending machine drinks and worse vending machine food. So onwards he travelled to the local coffee shop, where he found better food and drink with a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, but at the cost of crowds, tiny tables, and high prices.

Getting the balance right was tricky, and often meant only staying for a short amount of time. From this, the idea to offer a better reading, study and social experience was born: the study-equivalent of the 'just-right porridge'.

Not only do they have a wizarding way of making coffee they have their own blend and their cake-y goodies are made by a local independent baker!

They are heavily involved in community projects and have just launched a second shop in Nook & Cranny on Bold Street in Liverpool, the hive of independent business's!

Next weekend I'm running a workshop knitting/crocheting Easter Bunnies at their original shop in Rex, just off Church Street, in the  basement of the old George Henry Lee's in what is now Rapid! (More info & how to book here!)

Regardless the staff are amazing, they really love what they do and they have achieved their original goal so pop in, treat yourself and do not forget to tell them I sent you!  

Nook & Cranny is located at 28 Bold Street right by Central Railway Station.

Rex is located in the basement of Rapid, 20-48 Basnett Street just off Church Street.

The Week in which EVERYTHING Happened...

Well last week was fun!

I've managed to give myself half a day off today (I'm typing this at 11pm after craft meet) after doing 7 full days last week but I love my little business & I will do what it takes for it to be a success. Fingers crossed.

It started last Sunday with a stall for International Women's Day at The Baltic Social which was ace! I love working stalls at fairs as I love interacting with the other stall holders! Everyone is always so friendly, lots of advice & it makes for a great day regardless of what sales are like!

This was my first stall with my boyfriend as an assistant & to be fair he was pretty good! He even taped one of my business cards to his chest to be a little walking advertisement! 

Me & Frank :)

Monday was all day admin applying to more fairs & doing the books. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday was working in the day job, I normally only do 2/3 days a week so bit of a hit to the system. Luckily I only did short-ish shifts as I had meeting on Wednesday, left early to go to The Lock In on Thursday & more meeting Friday!

The Lock In was brilliant! Its a networking event with workshops & applications for funds in a very relaxed atmosphere with like minded small businesses who get the opportunity to meet with a variety of people who can help with funding & other businesses who might benefit you! 

Me top right!

The only downside was wheeling a suitcase full of wares around all day but that is the life if you do not have a car! 

Saturday I did my first fair with Tinderbox Fairs at The Arts Club in Liverpool & we could not have been looked after better by Jenny or the staff!  I'm working with Jenny again in the future & I'm super excited about it! 

I worked the early shift on Sunday then it was off to my Mum's to cook her dinner since it was Mothers Day & I do get a wonderful amount of support, help & encouragement from her during stressful periods, as well as everything else in-between! 

Now this week, no rest for the wicked, I am running my first set of workshops at The Rare Bear Boutique teaching knitting & I'm really looking forward to it as its such a beautiful & inspiring setting as well as donating some knitting or crochet classes to a S.O.B's (Survivor's of Bereavement by Suicide) fundraiser as well as a lace & fabric cushion. This is just such a fantastic cause (click here for my blog on knitting & mental health) & if you are Liverpool based & can make it on Saturday then you should! Click here for the Facebook event page.

However its not all work as I'm out with the girls on Wednesday night! My friend is back from Australia for a few months so high school reunion time! We have been friends for over ten years so I just hope we all behave & do not drink too much as if you look at my Facebook page I've mountains coming up!

More about that later though! ;)

Hope you have an excellent week!