Clara Linton, 40, lives in Cranbrook with her husband and two daughters and she designs and creates high quality, elegant handmade country crafts & gifts.
As I do a school run at 3:30pm I co-ordinate all orders that need to be despatched that day in line with that so I go to the post office before then. I always like to get orders out as quickly as possible. As an impatient person myself I know how much it means to a customer to have their order promptly.
At dinner time we always try to eat together as a family so I need to be organised based on what is going on in the day and after school clubs. This gives us all a chance to talk about our day and try and have a laugh.
When we go out our girls particularly love going to the Curry house in Cranbrook for a sit down meal. They are incredibly attentive and the food is excellent.
My evening normally consists of a glass of wine! As a real morning person I can’t stay up late so invariably am in bed relatively early.
I normally go to bed around 10pm. Sometimes we go up at 9pm and watch the TV during the week.
I normally get up 6am, sometimes even 5.30am.
Shocking to say but I only ever have fresh coffee (not good I know but I am not hungry in the morning!)
When I get up, the first thing I do is put my coffee on, feed the chickens then I check emails and then social media etc.
It is amazing what you can get done at that time of the day. I can sort out images and load them up along with notices and updates. A lot of customers peruse the internet in the evening so orders tend to come through over night. I then take one daughter to the bus stop at 7am, back to sort out our youngest daughter and do the school run at 9am. I then come back and get started with orders or go to the workshop if I need to drill a stack of wood or sanding.
I have lunch and sit down for around 25 minutes but during busy periods such as Wealden Times Midsummer or Midwinter fair there just isn’t the time to stop. I will literally eat in between drying times of painting or varnishing. It is shocking to say that if I am really busy, particularly at Christmas it has been known for me not to even stop and eat...not a good advert for my growing girls!
Clara's business: I started by making cards about 10 years ago, then put the phrases and quotes on to signs. My main line was chalkboards and still do make a great deal, but the signs have completely taken off and 90% of orders are them. They are affordable yet excellent quality and there is always something for everyone. I supply a number of shops up and down the country and I am on a variety of online market sites.
My dream job growing up? Actress or showing off, as my husband calls it!
Dream job now? I would love to be the Stig on Top Gear, what a cool job and even better to be a woman doing it!
01580-713812l [email protected]
Twitter: Crafty Clara
Facebook: Crafty Clara
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