How exciting – to finally have our own website! We’d talked about having one for a while now but as it always seems, there’s always a more pressing thing to do and so it had slipped down the list, but, Rich has been working away in the background and got us all set up!
Having our website means that not only can we draw everything together in one place (Instagram/Facebook/Etsy), but also that I can tell you a bit more about what we get up to behind the scenes! We will list our items to sell on here as well as Etsy, and continue to use social media. As well as a bit of a view behind the scenes, I’m going to work backwards a bit too, and tell you about what we have been up to over the last few months.
So about us. I met Richard in 2013, and we quickly moved in together, later marrying and going on to have two sons (who keep us very busy!). Rich was employed as a draughtsman, a role which he had had since he got his first full time job. He used the skills gained over many years in this role and combined them with his hobby of playing Warhammer and other table-top games, to spend his evenings designing table-top gaming scenery. He’s very talented and selling these 3D printable files provided the funds to buy not only his laser cutter but the associated necessities too. It was at this point that I became more interested in what he was getting up to! I like to be busy, and after work and the children are in bed, I enjoy crocheting. My mum taught me how to crochet a circle when I was younger, and this is a hobby I picked up again whilst pregnant with my youngest – I didn’t have a great pregnancy and so whilst settee bound it was something that I could do to keep me occupied. I rapidly fell in love with it (and learnt to make more than a circle!). So, when I learnt about what laser cutters do, I knew exactly what I wanted!
In June 2021 Richard received his laser cutter, I described what I wanted, and Rich made them! We made a few items initially, but our best seller was our yarn tags. I absolutely love them and I think they will always remain my favourites. We expanded our range and thinking of new ideas (or having you lovely lot think of things for us) is one of our favourite parts. I still find it amazing now that if I can think of something, Rich can probably make it! We also went to Yarndale which we loved too. In October 2021, after much deliberation, Rich took the leap and left his full-time job. By this point we were both working day jobs, I’m also studying at uni too, both looking after the boys and then working late nights, early mornings and weekends at LauretteCraftsUK. We knew it was now or never, but that if he didn’t take the chance then it would be something that we would always regret. And, so far so good! We continue to both work hard, but it is much more manageable now. It also means that we are very responsive to messages, can dispatch items quickly, and gives time to design new items as well as things like setting up this website and attending markets.
Richard continues to own and run LauretteCraftsUK and do all the “proper” stuff for it. I love thinking of ideas and doing Instagram/Facebook, sharing not only our products but my crochet too. I also help to package when I can as I love putting an order together and imagining how the person will feel when they receive it. For Rich, he now does this full time, but continues his table-top gaming files and developing this side of things in the background. He too has developed an interest in crochet, and although not a skill he possesses, he understands how our accessories are useful to those of us that do.
So that’s it about us for now! I hope you will enjoy seeing a bit more behind the scenes about what we do, and if you have any questions, just ask 😊
