Yesterday we spent the day with our stall at Duckpond Market in Ruislip, two years since we attended our first ever event as a brand new business. Despite having now attended nearly 100 markets/fetes/fairs and other events, I never get tired of hearing positive comments about what we do and it can often just be one lovely customer who really makes our day, especially if it’s a quiet sales day (and believe us, we’ve had them!). Putting yourself out there involves either having or quickly developing very thick skin, so that in the event of a derogatory comment you don’t take it to heart and brush them aside – the nature of the business means that we will always have people who come to our stand and exclaim how expensive things are (as we always say to each other after they’ve left – compared to what? Compared to that garment being made by a 6 year old child being paid 2 pence a week? Well yes then it is expensive, but if you’re happy to dress your child in something made by another child, that’s your decision). Yet to counter that, we have so many people who come to talk to us even though they have no children to buy for, but were attracted by the bright colours of the clothing and then they feel them, Oh! They feel them. And instantly love how soft they are (that’s the difference between normal cotton and organic cotton).

One of the things which makes us so happy about being part of a regular market is how many repeat customers we have. Unfortunately we don’t have the budget to provide them with something new every month, but we try to mix it up a little bit where we can and so yesterday we only took sale items with us which seemed to go down very well. Mr DCB was on top selling form yesterday and after a quiet start to the day, I disappeared off chatting to the other lovely stallholders who are now good friends and I always look forward to seeing. On returning, Mr DCB excitedly told me about a family who had come over having bought from us a few months ago and were so thrilled with the items they bought they were back for more. Their chosen brand was Green Cotton and they couldn’t stop telling us how happy they were with the quality of the garments, how well they wash and keep their shape, and concluded that they were truly excellent value for money. They then bought another 4 pieces from the range and made not only themselves but Mr DCB and I very happy!! It then triggered a whole stream of Green Cotton sales from other customers who’d been at our stall overhearing the happy family. It can be difficult to decide what to stock, especially as we don’t have children to roadtest things, so I take feedback even more seriously. We’ve stopped holding ranges where the feedback hasn’t been as positive and now have a good core selection that we’re really pleased with. Another re-purchase yesterday was our blue and brown stripy t-shirt from Pili Pala (now reduced in our sale to make way for new collections from the Welsh brand!) – our market manager had bought one for her son and now wanted the same item in a bigger size, again because she was so pleased with it.

It’s amazing how these positive experiences can make it all worthwhile. It’s hard sometimes to always be full of beans about something like running your own business, especially when you spend a lot of time doing the very unglamourous things such as filing accounts, or when it’s a freezing cold winter day and you’re setting off for some unknown destination, not sure whether you’ll have a good sales day or not. It’s even worse when you come back from an event having had a miserable time of it and I think most people will be familiar with that “What am I doing?” thought. Thankfully, we hold on to the happy customers, their kind words and realise that it only takes a handful of these to make it all worthwhile We’ll leave you with a shot of a very happy customer indeed, wearing our rainbow shoes from Daisy Dumpling…a little girl with style in spades!

Rainbow Shoes as modelled by Fleur

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are far too many things I keep secret at DaisychainBaby, and so a new(ish) years resolution is to SHOUT about the beautiful things we sell, and where I can, the wonderful talents of the people behind them. Without further ado, I have one question, and one question only: Are these the most beautiful baby shoes you have ever seen? We think YES!

Rainbow shoes by Daisy Dumpling - complete with lavender freshners and organza bag!

We were approached last year (if memory serves correctly!) by Daisy Dumpling to see if we would be interested in stocking  a range of the lovely baby goods they make. We hadn’t offered any footwear to this point and so decided to buy in a small range of shoes, mittens and hats to see how they would do. What’s wonderful about the company is that they are based in the UK (tick), where everything is made (tick again), by hand (tick) and using organic cotton (quadruple ticking!) I can easily say that no other company we work with matches our eco ethos as closely as Daisy Dumpling. Not only that but they are an absolute joy to work with and accommodate just about any request we have.

Duckegg mittens, reduced to £8.00

It’s easy for me spout lyrically about them because I’ve seen everything first hand, and quite honestly it’s hard to encourage photos to do justice. Mr DCB and I have a little chuckle to ourselves when people pick the shoes up at markets and say “ohh I could do that”. Yet an ability to knit or crochet doesn’t necessarily mean it’s done well. We were at a show where Mr DCB spotted someone else hand-knitting their baby shoes in lovely bright colours and selling them at next to nothing. I cast my trained (ok, yes snobby!) eye over them and in less than 5 seconds could instantly tell that cheap is as cheap does. I’ve not yet seen anything made using organic cotton which even comes close to the stunning workmanship and finish that Daisy Dumpling exhibit – even down to using coconut shell buttons as fasteners. They have chosen to use organic cotton over wool because it is softer on baby skin, and does not irritate or scratch. It also lets baby skin breathe, keeping little toes or fingers warm in winter, and then likewise, lovely and cool in summer. Not only that, but each pair of shoes comes with their own lavender freshners to help them keep their shape when not being work and is beautifully presented in an organza bag – like I said, attention to detail all the way.

Nutmeg Hat, now reduced to £8.00

We’re so pleased to be Daisy Dumpling stockists – the shoes, hats and mittens tend to be very popular with people looking for a practical yet beautiful baby gift and we always receive positive feedback. The shoes are currently retailing at £12 a pair including fresheners and bags, and we’ve added the hats and mittens to our SALE section, so they’re now reduced to £8 per item whilst stocks last!

Clay daisy shoes by Daisy Dumpling complete with lavender freshner and organza bag

Well before anyone gets too excited, we haven’t got a real giraffe and tiger stuffed up our sleeves (wouldn’t be much left of us if we had!) or even a cuddly version. But we are looking for a new home for our last, lonely SUPER CUTE giraffe and tiger jackets from Little Green Radicals, now just £12 each. That’s right, JUST £12 EACH!!

Front View, Last Tiger Jacket 2-3 yrs

One of our fave brands, LGR are branching out in some very new and exciting ways (oh yes, BIG happy squeaks deserved) and their new SS11 stock will be with us very shortly. However, as one door opens, another closes (sob!) and they’ve decided to discontinue their gorgeous zip-up sweaters in favour of other products They’ll be sorely missed by team DCB as they’ve proved immensely popular throughout AW10 and we’ve been re-ordering like mad. When we last went back for more and were told they weren’t making them any more, we had a little cry and decided to discount our last remaining few, rather than ordering more odds and ends. They were £24 plus P&P and are now just £12 plus P&P. Bargain or what?!

Back View, Last Tiger Jacket 2-3 yrs

So here for your delight, we present Little Green Radicals last tiger zip-sweatshirt. Made from 100% organic cotton with nickel-free zip, it is a gorgeous royal blue jacket with an embroidered tiger featuring on the front AND back. The only size we have left now is 2-3.

Front View, Last Giraffe Jacket 1-2 yrs

Last but not least, the beautiful giraffe jacket which is my personal favourite. A bright vibrant green 100% organic cotton zip sweatshirt, this time the head of the giraffe is just peeking over the shoulder…but wait for it…

Back View, Last Giraffe Jacket 1-2 yrs

…on the back is the rest of the giraffe, beautifully embroidered on. If you’d like either of the jackets, just click on the images and you will be taken straight to them, or you can comment and I will tell you how. We want them to find lovely new homes as they are so very gorgeous.

Tomorrow, we’ll be telling you all about Daisy Dumpling…watch this space!

Ok ok, I know it could be a little bit premature to speak of spring at this point in the year especially as I am sitting here with a really minging cold, but there ARE snowdrops and *hush* daffodils peaking through in my front garden, so surely spring is nearly upon us?!?! It’s the time of year when I take a good look at the calendar and try to figure out which shows Mr DCB and I will take our little market stall to, and also have a good old cobweb-dusting inventory session. It takes a steely nerve and a gin or two to work out where to begin, but today we began the daunting stock-take by rummaging through our current Little Shrimp collection.

Ruby Diner print pinafore dress, reduced from £22 to £12

Little Shrimp are a British-brand currently based in Bishops Stortford, but soon to be relocating to Dorset so I hear. Producing a beautiful collection of clothing for babies and children made from 100% organic cotton (certified by the Soil Association) it was originally inspired by owner Donna’s youth near the seaside (hence the name!) They typically manufacture two collections per year which have previously been nautically-themed, but are now focusing on nature as a whole to design brilliant fabrics and bold colours. There are key pieces which form the backbone of the collection such as the “Nancy” wrap dress and double-layered hooded jackets, with other items such as pull-ups, rompers and stunning dresses per season.

Red/Navy striped pull-ups, reduced from £14 to £7

We’re eagerly awaiting their next “chapter” which should be with us in mid-spring, especially as we’ll be stocking children’s clothing up to 5 for the first time with Little Shrimp (previously we have only run their baby/toddler collection up to 24 months). I’ve seen it all in person at a recent tradeshow and it’s just as perfect as previous chapters and I’ve no doubt our customers will love it.

Navy & Red Striped playsuit, reduced from £18 to £9

So as we clear out in anticipation of new arrivals, I would suggest you take a look at our current stock. Some items are now very low on quantities and sizes so are heavily reduced (the hooded jacket for baby boys and girls is now £12 + P&P, down from £24) and see if there’s anything that takes your fancy! We had a customer come to us at the Thames Festival last September who had bought from us the year previously and wanted any Little Shrimp trousers she could lay her hands on as they had lasted so well (still going strong a year later!). We love stories of such good value for money and look forward to continuing being Little Shrimp stockists.

Happy Thursdays! When I got home yesterday there was a lovely new consignment of SS11 clothing from Green Cotton waiting for me, so to have a bit of a clearout we’re running buy one get one free whilst stocks last on AW10 collection!

It’s a mixture of babyvests, playsuits and trousers in bright colours and all made from 100% organic cotton. The clothing is Scandinavian inspired and so beautifully soft that your little one will love playing around whilst looking super stylish!

To claim your free item, all you need to do is view the collection here: http://bit.ly/i8dgjF and pick one item to add to your basket. When you go through checkout, there is a comments box that you write in your second chosen item and we’ll send both out to you! All items are priced at £17, which means that taking advantage of the “buy one get one free” deal you’ll have not one but two lovely goodies working out at £8.50 each. The best bargain around? We think so!

The smallprint is that we’re only running this whilst AW10 stocks last, and it’s only for Green Cotton clothing – you can’t get another item free from any of the other ranges we currently stock. If you need any help, we’re right on hand – simply email infoATdaisychainbabyDOTcoDOTuk x