SA Rocks

Now here’s a South African who’s doing wonders in the online shopping world – especially the realm of handmade things. Heather Moore of Skinny Laminx has been selling her products through Etsy for a couple of years now, and has created quite a name for herself both locally and internationally. If you’re interested, she has fantastic blog of her own and also blogs for Elle Deco.

Now, I asked Heather some questions about what she’s been doing and here’s what she had to say:

• What exactly are you making and selling  online?

Tea towels, handbags, cushions, badges, laser-cut Christmas decoration, hand-decorated mugs and in the New Year, an exciting kiddies range too!

• How did you get into selling handmade things?

It all started with a silkscreen kit and a studio, and a bit of spare time. I like to make things, and I started selling them to give myself a reason to keep on making more.

• Where do you get your ideas/inspiration for your products?

It’s hard to say. I often sit down to design something, thinking that I know what I want to do, and end up making something completely different. I tend to be drawn to designs from the mid-20^th Century, and in particular, to Scandinavian design from that era.

• Do you have any particular Christmas products, gifts or specials?

I’ve been running a shipping special in my online shop, but this mostly affects customers from abroad. I’ve also been turning my paper cut designs into laser-cut Perspex Christmas Decorations, which I’m really pleased with. However, it’s been so extraordinarily busy over this season, I haven’t got these into my online shop, and they’re only available at O.live in Kloof St, and from my market stall at the Neighbourhood Goods Market (both in Cape Town).

If you’re interested in buying any of Heather’s products, you can see her etsy shop here. Hope you like as much as I do!

Popularity: 7% [?]

Most people who are in touch with online shopping in South Africa will definitely have heard about this fantastic business: Yuppiechef. They sell premium kitchen tools and were the winners of the SA E-commerce awards, Best Home and Garden Category, for 2007.

So I’m not going to go on about how fabulous they are, as most people already know that,but I thought I’d rather tell you about some of their great products and special offers.

I’ll start with their Mode Fridge Clock. It’s a rubber clock that sticks magnetically to your fridge door. Innovative! It bends to the shape of a curved door, and comes in a number of colours (although for the rest of 2008 it’s black only). I like a lot!

Then there’s the Mode Goo Placemat and Coaster Set. They’re fun, functional and, because they’re made from silicone, are highly resistant to heat. The perfect Christmas gift I’m thinking?

A special is being run on Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook: Ministry of Food. The site says, “From beginners to old pros, Jamie’s promise is that you’ll be whipping up great dinners within hours of reading his book”. With every book bought you get a free Jamie Oliver speed peeler.

Then there’s the Mode Sticklebook – perfect for holding your new Ministry of Food. It’s a book storage unit that makes it seem as if your books are suspended on your wall without support. Now that’s clever…

And finally, Yuppiechef have a Christmas special on the KitchenAid Artisans Stand Mixer. With this 300W mixer (available in tons of colours) you’ll receive a free copy of the Mixer Bible Recipe Book.

I think it’s time you get shopping. Enjoy!

Popularity: 6% [?]

I think it’s time I tell you about my online shop, Babazeka. If you’ve been a fan of SA Rocks for a while now, you would have read about us here exactly a year ago when we first launched. We’ve come a long way since then, in fact, have recently re-launched a new shop interface and changed the way our system works too.

In a nutshell, Babazeka is a channel through which social upliftment projects, who produce handmade things, can reach a wider market. We display photo’s and descriptions of their products, show you pictures of the people who’ve put their time and energy into making them, and tell you the story behind the project that you’re supporting. It’s all about creating as much exposure as we can for the people in South Africa who have such amazing skills but who battle with getting their products out there.

Previously we were buying their stock up front, but this just meant that we couldn’t grow the business fast enough. The way we’re working now means that customers have to a wait a little longer for their products to be made, but it also means that we can support many more projects, especially more of the smaller guys.

Our range has grown a lot. We’ve got things like bags, cushion covers, jewellery, fun home decor pieces and only for a few weeks longer, christmas decorations.

More recently, I’ve been working on a range known as Babazeka Designs, whereby I’ve worked with crafters to design unique products for the site. This first range has a retro 70′s feel, where I’ve used bold patterns and designs, and a number of techniques and materials which were popular in this era, such as patchwork, leather and crochet.

You can read more about our experiences of growing the business on our blog, and can have a browse around our online shop here. I really hope you like what you see!

Popularity: 12% [?]

Today I’d like to tell you about the wonderful Jesse Breytenbach from Cape Town. She is an extremely talented illustrator and maker of handmade things. Her label is known as Jezze. Again, I’ve asked her a few questions so that you can get to know her a little better.

• What exactly are you making and selling?

I’m primarily an illustrator, so I make and sell items that I’ve applied my illustrations to. I carve designs from linoleum blocks and print them on to fabric, which I then either sell for other people to sew with, or sew up myself into notebook covers, bags, cushion covers, storage baskets, and brooches and buttons. I’ve also had my designs silk screened so that I can apply them to ceramics, and I sell teacups, mugs and bowls.

• How did you get into selling handmade things?

I’ve always made things, and I started blogging around the time Etsy started up. It was the perfect place to start selling, as I didn’t need to have large amounts of stock, and could be flexible with the products I make. I can also be in direct contact with buyers, who often find me via my blog, or start reading my blog after buying from me, and I really enjoy getting to know the buyers and staying in touch with them.

Getting positive feedback to ideas I presented on my blog gave me confidence to start selling them. Everything in my shop is handmade by me, which wouldn’t have been sustainable if I’d started off trying to get wholesale orders. Selling online allows me the freedom to do very limited runs of products, and really test something before I start producing it in quantity.

• Where do you get your ideas and inspiration for your products?

I tend to make things that I need or would use, so I look at my own life and my friends for inspiration. I also thoroughly enjoy messing around with printing and paints and fabric, and often the materials I use suggest ideas to explore.

Jezze products are available online through Etsy. A reader commented on my previous post, saying that it’s disappointing that the South African sellers on Etsy cannot quote prices in rands. This is a very valid point. I’ve been in contact with the sellers who say that you can email them (addresses can be seen in their shops) to ask for a quote in rands.

Jezze will be offering some printed Christmas gift tags and ornaments in her shop this week, so please do go have a look!

Popularity: 6% [?]

My next couple of posts are not going to be about specific South African online shops, but more about local (fabulous) designers who sell their handmade products through various online channels.

The first young lady I’d like to tell you about is the owner of The Wren Design. She’s based in Cape Town, sells her goods through Etsy and Dawanda, and blogs about all her experiences and thoughts regarding her business.

I sent through a few questions to Wendren, and here’s what she had to say:

• What exactly are you making and selling?

I make bags: handbags, totes, cute little bird purses/pouches, sling bags, market bags ….
My most recent style is the Organic Coffee Sling Bag which is made from found, old and unwanted jute coffee sacks that have been worn wonderfully soft. They are lined with organic hemp canvas for stability and a lasered wooden button closes them. They are 100% organic (no zips, no frills… a simple, beautiful and perfect bag).

Three things happened at the same time which has lead me to be where I am today: 1. I was not enjoying my desk job as a Textile Designer. 2. I was shown how to blog by a friend and wanted to give it a try. 3. I was searching for a new bag and could not find one I liked so I decided to try and make one. My bag was a hit and I decided to take the plunge: resign to make bags to sell online and market the journey through my blog. Now, 8 months later, that is what I am still doing and I am loving it.

All over the place really. Nature and my environment is a huge inspiration for me and as much as I can, I try and include sustainable aspects into all my products. For example, most of the fabrics used are from the ends of fabric rolls. Usually this is thrown away because although the quality is in no way inferior, the quantity is limited. The little bird pouches are made from the scraps of the Big Town Bags and the scraps from the Bird Pouches are made into selvage cosmetic bags. Basically waste is minimized as far as possible.

The Wren is another business which not only takes the environment into consideration, but is trying to create jobs too. Wendren is helping to create employment by using unemployed ladies from her local community to sew for her. We at Babazeka love this (and the Wren products) so much, that we’ll hopefully be stocking some in our shop soon.

For now, though, if you’re interested in purchasing some beautiful Wren Bags as Christmas gifts, you can go shopping here and here. Have fun!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Ed’s note: This is the first in a series of posts that Sarah of Babazeka fame, will be publishing on SA Rocks. This series is surely going to help many people decide on how to get their holiday shopping done this year!

I (the owner of Babazeka.com) have been asked to host a series of posts about online shopping in South Africa. You’ll be hearing about our own shop, no doubt, but first I want to chat about some of the others who are doing wonders in the South African e-commerce world. I’m not going to talk about the big guys like Kalahari, Woolworths and Netflorist, as it’s the little guys who are slogging away that I feel deserve the mention.

The first business I’d like to tell you about is Faithful to Nature. They’re an online shop which sells organic and natural cosmetics, detergents, baby products and more recently, food. The owners, Robyn and Chris, are extremely passionate about increasing South African consumers’ awareness of our effect on the earth, and so they not only sell green products, but offer huge amounts of advice on all things related to living a more eco-friendly life. They’ve also recently launched an online Eco Directory.

Their products are not only good for the environment and our bodies, but many of their suppliers have a social conscience too (which, of course, we at Babazeka are very pleased about). Businesses such as Eco Products and Esse do a lot to uplift their surrounding communities by providing jobs and following fair trade principles.

So, why not consider all-round guilt free shopping this Christmas by buying your gifts from Faithful to Nature. There are some fabulous options for both him and her. Take a look at their massage oils, bath salts, organic make-up, jams, relishes, teas and coffees. Then, there are foot scrubs, moisturizers and aftershaves. Plus a whole heap of gift hampers too.

Consider going green this Christmas by supporting Faithful to Nature. The fact that they recently won Best Health and Beauty Store 2008 is true testament to their excellent service and their fabulous product range. Enjoy!

Popularity: 3% [?]