TOP DRAWER

A week has passed since we were at Top Drawer and having rested our weary feet (three days of standing up is tough going!) we thought it was about time we filled you all in.

As Spotted exhibitors we had a 1m x 1m plinth requiring us to be imaginative with our display - it's surprising how much space cushions and lampshades take up. Obviously we did the usual practice run through at home but our set up time on the Saturday was a Clementine & Bloom record - a speedy 30 minutes!

As it was our first trade show we were understandably nervous, however we needn't have been; the past year has been a whirlwind of exhibiting and pitching our products to the public so whilst there were a few new pieces of terminology we had to get our heads around such as drop-ship, trade price and minimum orders, we soon settled into the swing of talking about the virtues of Clementine & Bloom and all nerves disappeared.

Not only have we made some invaluable contacts within the industry we've once again met a great bunch of fellow exhibitors. Our lovely neighbour Roddy & Ginger helped make the days fly by, and if there's one thing we would have definitely bought at the show it's a handmade leather ipad case from the wonderful MES leather. We've added a picture of every stand in the Spotted area and a link to their websites - make sure you check them all out.

top row : Jessica Hayes-Gill, One Must Dash, Stormy Knight, Spann&Willis,
bottom row : Stephanie Davies Designs, Claire Gaudion, Amy Allwright

It's good to stand back a few days after an event and assess what we have gained from the experience and once again we can honestly say it has all been positive. What we've learnt about the industry, our products and ourselves is invaluable and we would encourage anyone offered the opportunity to participate in a similar event like this to grab it with both hands.

So now we are rested and reinvigorated and despite the freezing temperatures and snow it's back to work in the studio.