Mommaprenuer: Gina Rahman, Your Special Delivery

Tell us about yourself: I am 30 years old happily married for 4 years and a full time mummy to two boys, aged 4 and 2. Living quite a nomadic lifestyle from London, Leeds, Manchester and Spain we are now settled back in the UK.

I have started a digital craft site where designers display and sell their digital stamps, backing papers, craft sheets, knitting patterns, scrapbook pages etc. This fledgling site promises to be a valuable resource for crafters to visit to purchase affordable items for their craft stash. A place to chat to other crafters, enter challenges set by the designers themselves, get freebies and inspiration from the designers gallery.

How did you start creating your artwork? I have always been creative; going to Uni and getting a BA Hons in graphic art and design. On returning to UK in Dec 2009 I felt I needed something for me; an escape from the housewife routine. I found that I enjoyed creating and making greeting cards especially stamping. I then discovered a niche in the market with the ever popular Digital stamps.

How did you make the decision to pursue your art career and work from home? It seemed a natural progression, I did not think that it would support the family but rather as a way to fund my hobby. As I got further into the crafting world I soon discovered that selling greeting cards was actually quite difficult and I was trying to sell handmade cards to people who were already doing it themselves.

At this point I took a step back to re evaluate. I needed to provide something for crafters themselves. I started by producing two characters Anna and Bella and made them into a polymer stamp range Annabella.

I cannot remember how I discovered digital stamps but thought I would also sell Annabella in this format too. I soon discovered that these sold the best along with my digital backing papers.

I streamlined what I produced and concentrated on artwork that could be sent as digital images to crafters.

The concept for having numerous designers list on one site was a logical one as it would naturally bring in more customers, my own word of mouth could only do so much. With designers having a vested interest in the site the word of mouth promotion would multiple.

How do you balance work and family? I always leave my laptop on throughout the day to have a quick check to see if I have any sales or new designer applications. After dropping the oldest off at nursery I can do a couple of hours online. In between numerous trips to the kitchen for juice for the little one and finding something to entertain him.

Then again I can spend more time when the youngest has his afternoon nap. With the oldest often sat beside me looking at my designers artwork I am loading up onto the site saying ooohhh that’s cooote (cute).

The evening time when the boys are in bed I can finish off loose ends on the site, or relax with my own sketch book in front of the T.V.

Working from home is such a benefit as I really make the most of quite time in the evening. My schedule can always be changed around family plans, if the sun is shining you have to make the most of it and take everyone out for the day. I also get to keep all the daily cuddles and hugs just for me (selfish I know).

If you could go back in time to the beginning stages of your venture, what advice would you give yourself?

Slow down, I was rushing around trying to find the magic answer.  Concentrate on what you do best.  Take time to get to know the people around you and what is out there already, maybe if I had researched the crafting world before I started my card site I would have noted that there were many people out there who created cards as a hobby and made cards for family and friends themselves, and I needed to provide a service for crafters instead.

Tell us about your average day:

Up at 6.30 am boys up changed breakfast and out the house by 8.30am.
Home by 9am youngest snack time and laptop on.
11am quick tidy up and go to collect Oldest from nursery.
Once a week Supermarket shop and back home by 1pm
Lunch for everyone quite time for the boys and then nap for youngest.
Work again until 4pm, prepare tea for boys
6pm dinner and spend time with the boys
7pm Pj’s for the boys and family time, read boys books do puzzles.
8pm Boys go to bed and I can relax, check my emails with a cup of tea
8.30 Tv or movie we have a movie night at home.

Weekends same wake times 10am housework whole house cleaned top to bottom. We all go out to the park with balls and bikes, shopping, visiting family.

What do you love most about owning and operating your own creative business? That I can still be there for my boys, they don’t have to be in full time childcare.  That I am able to do something that I love. It never feels a chore to do my work, I get to find so many talented people, give them a confidence boost that their work is good and that they too can make something from their artwork

Besides your work and family, what else do you enjoy doing? Going out for walks, knitting, cooking/baking, keeping fit.

Why do you think consumers should shop handmade? Handmade can give you peace of mind, no one has been exploited. Love, care and time has been poured into these handmade items. No wastage no big factories pumping out items in the hundreds therefore environmentally sound.  Handmade can give you the option to personalize your purchase as many crafters are more than willing to create something that is unique for you.  A happy glow that you are helping out the small business owner and not the money hungry profit lead big organizations.