We’re looking for 12 brilliant makers to showcase in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas - across our blog, social media and email. If you’d like to be considered, fill in the form below. It’s a short one - just enough to help us choose our festive 12!
To be eligible:
You must be a Plus seller
Your products need to be well photographed
You haven’t been a Maker of the Month in the past 2 years
Deadline: 31st July 2025
Nominate yourself now and let us help shine a light on your work this festive season!
Yes, I was wondering this too! There is a shop I would love to see on one of the twelve weeks of Christmas! So many people have ‘imposter syndrome’ and wouldn’t feel comfortable putting themselves forward, but with a nudge from Folksy that someone had nominated them, they might do so.
Hi BelaFarCrafts, are you unable to complete the Google form? If you can see the questions, you can submit your answers by emailing support@folksy.co.uk
Well I’ve just applied. Don’t know about stepping outside my comfort zone, it feels more like trying to jump the Grand Canyon…in my slippers…without a parachute…while not spilling any of my cuppa!
Lou x
You’re funny and good on ya for applying even though you feel like that. Your items look great!
I think this is still well beyond my pay grade, I’ve been here just over a year and still haven’t managed to change the picture on my shop banner. There’s always next year x face_with_diagonal_mouth:
Thank you so much Moira.
Your bears are fab, I especially like your rabbits.
There are so many incredibly talented makers here that I really don’t think I stand any chance at all of being featured but it’s made me re-evaluate my photos and reminded me I still haven’t got an ‘about me’ section so still worth applying so I look at my shop again and make much needed changes.
Lou x
Yes, they ask for all sorts, like hands doing something, stuff on sale, packaging and personal, in my case, my dog Zuzu doing an impressive ball dribbling session! It’s knitted together in little snippets -shame she didn’t get more of it, better than my face in it!!
Just popped over for a peek, it’s lovely to meet you, you are far braver than me and it looked really good. I’ve never done a video, the thought panics me too much but I know I should try one day, maybe next year .
It took me a long time to pluck up courage and when I do them now, I have to make sure that I’ve got hours to spend on each one, with nobody here - and my studio is very near next door, so they’ve not got to be in their garden either - everything puts me off and each video must take at least a dozen takes! Then there’s the editing - learnt a few things onthe way though. As I’m no longer working with other people, just by myself in my studio, and don’t have any kids, grandkids or other young people about, doesn’t help to keep you up to date with the latest way of doing things. Trying to keep my face out of it as much as pos is always my biggest concern, hence putting the dog in front helps when I can! And don’t get me started on Zoom - I tried a few sessions during covid but now, it’s something I hope I can avoid forever, that freaked me even more than doing videos! It’s worth trying, nobody else needs to see and doing a packaging video where only your hands and your stuff are visible, is a great place to start.
Thank you Silvana, I keep thinking about doing a short work in progress or similar, back of head, hands kind of thing, it would be a good one to do. Zoom also terrifies me, last year Folksy asked me to join them with others as a best seller, I said no because I didn’t want to do zoom and have turned a few things down, then I did a practise run with my son and had a meeting with one of the Folksy staff to give it a go. I practised at home and said OK to the meeting, was all ready to do my first one and it didn’t work. It’s now nearly a year later and i’m back to square one of being terrified , It’s such a shame it didn’t work because at that point I was ready to try it. Maybe in the new year I will try again.
It’s the work that should be the focus of your presentations, that is the main point of it all after all. It’s all very well sticking your reluctant face in it all but that’s not what people are buying when all’s said and done. My face has got stuck in it and they’re probably looking at the fact that I’m old and don’t wear make-up and why haven’t I made an “effort”? I don’t actually care a fig about what strangers think of me, because they don’t know me and what I am as a person -I want to be seen for what I do and for what I am and quite frankly, if people are going to be obsessed with what I look like, they can take a hike, I don’t need to know them! I despair about how youngsters are so obsessed with hiding themselves behind a facade and believing what influencers tell them what they should think. I didn’t go for that when I was a teenager and I certainly don’ t now I’m 67. Sorrry, rant over, it’s probably why I don’t get that many sales online but I can’t and don’t want to change into someone I’m not - that would be wrong and uncomfortable. Go with your gut, if you don’t want to do it, don’t - people love your bears wherther they see your face or not, your bears are wonderful!
Oh Sllvana, I thought you looked lovely, you certainly don’t look your age by any means and personally I wouldn’t notice whether you wore make up or not, I actually thought how nice you looked, it’s just nice to see the face behind the brand. I Honestly can’t imagine why that would have anything to do with the number of Sales we have, people buy the product nothing else. Sales have been quieter this year for many of us, myself included, on my last count I had taken half of what I did in the previous years, not sure why things have changed so much but whatever has happened it has affected a lot of small businesses like ours.
It is really sad how people are so obsessed with how they look, we should work in the beauty industry I reckon that’s absolutely booming, I hear of youngsters in there twenties having cheek filters, lip enhancement and botox, all unnecessary but it’s the world we now live in. I reckon our generation (I’m 61) are the last at growing old disgracefully and staying natural, wrinkles and all. I do wear make up, not a lot, but you never see a Goth without eyeliner.
I do put photos online now, at first I was very uncomfortable with it but now I’m fine so people do see the face behind the bears, videos might take a while longer but I will give them a go… I think once I’ve done the first one it I will be fine and nowadays videos seem to pay off more than still photos. I’m still a bit behind the times but will definitely try it.
To be eligible:
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, It’s such a shame it didn’t work because at that point I was ready to try it. Maybe in the new year I will try again.