When picturing an entrepreneur, you
might imagine a twenty-something from the apprentice, or a wacky
professor flogging something on Dragons’ Den. But Rose is a 61 year
old bohemian who picked up her crochet hooks and launched her own
business The Hippy Rose earlier this year with the help of her
daughter, Allie, and Allie’s best friend, Beth.
Rose is the crafter of the team, making
all the sewn, knitted and crochet goods to be sold on Etsy, as much
as the girls have tried, crocheting is not their strong point,
although they have been known to make a few pom-poms when demand is
high.
“The year I turned 60, I decided to
try 60 new things, some of which were to join Instagram, Pinterest,
go to a screen printing class and master crochet. After years of
sewing and knitting, making my own clothes from when I was a teenager
using the tricks my mother taught me, I wanted to further my skills,
so using all my new Pinterest boards and hoards of craft magazines, I
finally taught myself how to crochet, making presents for Allie and
Beth and the rest of our family.”
“Then when I turned 61, I thought it
was about time I should do something I’ve always dreamed of,
selling my work. With Allie and Beth’s digital skills and plenty of
encouragement, I opened The Hippy Rose. At first, I was very nervous
and scared, especially at my age, and had trouble comparing myself to
others I found on Instagram. I still do that now, but with the girls’
support, I realised, what have I got to lose? Now we’ve made sales
from across the world and we’re taking part in craft fairs! I’m
doing something I really enjoy and it’s something I can be proud
of. I’ve made new friends, learned countless new things, kept my
mind active, filled my spare time, and brought me and the girls
closer than ever. My next thing to master the overlocker, an early
Christmas present from the hubby. Fingers crossed!”
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| Left to Right - Beth, Rose, Allie |
Allie is in charge of marketing, taking
what she learns at uni and using it to her mum’s advantage, with
social media accounts and a carefully curated brand identity, whilst
Beth helps with social media scheduling and sharing. It’s a bit of
a girl-powered family affair.
“Crafting has always been a thing in
our family. My nan taught my mum how to knit and sew when she was
younger, and thanks to my mum, I’ve known how to sew since I was
practically a toddler. Over the years we’ve made Halloween
costumes, handmade presents and even a prom dress – which says a
lot about my mum’s sewing abilities, I wouldn’t trust just anyone
with making my prom dress! I’ve always told her that she’s
talented enough to sell her crafts, but she never believed me. I
guess after all those years of nagging I finally twisted her arm!
I’ve never been so proud, seeing her do something she truly loves
and ship her work all around the world is a gift I’m really
grateful for.”
Huge thanks to Rose, Allie and Beth for such a brilliant first guest blog post on our blog!
Head over to The Hippy Rose Etsy Shop here - there's lots of great Christmas gift ideas!
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