Today we have the pleasure of getting to know Kate from PaperKrane a little bit better, so Kate¦.
Tell us about your business:
PaperKrane is my handmade ˜baby! I have been creating things all of my life, but under the name PaperKrane – since March this year. Its all about adding a touch of colour and creativity to your life¦ Whether it be with a pair of bright PaperKrane baby booties or a beautiful origami mobile, which are great for that pop of colour in a nursery, or even at an event! I also love to source out retro Aussie wool blankets and turn them into cushions with bunny, stag, or bird decals on them.
What inspired you to start your business?
In January I got married (after 8.5 years we decided it was about time!) and I created all of the decorations myself. These included mobiles made out of paper cranes that myself and my students had been folding over the previous year. Towards the end of our big night, and as people started to head home I kept getting a recurring question¦ œCan I take one of those for my bubs room? We were left with very little clean up. It was great! Anyway, this got me thinking of ways to turn ˜what I love, into ˜what I do. I began to fold a lot more origami, and turned my love of shoes and a desire for a baby of our own and to work from home, into PaperKrane “ booties, and mobiles!
Is there an interesting anecdote behind your business name?
Theres not really an interesting story behind the name PaperKrane¦ It did take me a few scribbles in the notebook to settle on it, but it seemed fitting as paper cranes were what got the whole process moving for me. I put the letter ˜K in there (as that is something I always do because my name is Kate!) and made it into one word. Thats about it! But it has led to some interesting nick names from my friends¦ PaperKate being just one of them!
What is the most satisfying part of what you do?
The whole process to me is satisfying as I still cant believe that I made the choice to create this job for myself and pursue it full time¦ Its still early days and thankfully I have the full support of my husband, who also works from home! I love finding fabric and creating new ways to pair them up. I find it satisfying to sit behind my machine until my eyes start to blur. I love meeting new customers and ˜market buddies at craft markets on the weekends, where I also get to hang out with my friend Misty, who is usually my ˜market helper¦ I try not to leave home without her (I pick her up on the way)!
But, I think the most satisfying part of what I do is getting an email from a parent letting me know that they love their booties, and that they stayed on all day, and that their child didnt even try to remove them like every other pair of shoes they have. So, I feel great when I hear that¦ as that is a big question people ask me all the time¦ and frequently use as an excuse to walk away from my stall at markets. Secretly, I know theyre great! Its just nice having people confirm that!
Have you tried something in business that didnt work as planned, or on the flip side “ worked out better than expected?
Um¦ yep! Plenty of times. But, I love to sketch and am always redoing, or rejigging my patterns¦ so it usually works out in the end! I love to share my experiences at markets with others who may be thinking about heading to shortly. (I myself have only been doing it for about 6 months!) But, I have a tendency to be pretty truthful about how I do things, or what Ive made, but that can leave me open to being taken advantage of¦ which happened recently actually when someone I helped out and gave advice to added some very familiar looking booties to their own Facebook page!
What would be your best tip for someone thinking about selling their handcrafted goods?
Go for it! There is nothing more satisfying than seeing someone excited about your products and taking one home. But, make sure its original and that it reflects YOU or your personality! Even if you didnt invent the ˜wheel (booties, soft toy, skirt, pants¦ whatever it is you make) try to add something to it, something you can call your own. If YOU are injected into everything you make, people will grow to love it as much as you do! And youll never know if you dont give it a try!
What is your favourite item you make?
I love my PaperKrane hi top booties¦ I am a total hi top junkie myself with a little over _(cough cough no comment)_ pairs of hi tops. Ive recently started making the hi tops and have sold all of the pairs already¦ so I think I need to make some more! I just think that if I couldve talked as a young bub I wouldve begged my parents for several pairs of PaperKrane hi tops or booties! I think my dad wouldve gone for it, as thats where I get my love of shoes from!
Any personal or business highlights in the last year:
I had a pretty crazy week a couple of weeks back¦ I got a picture of my booties printed in The Age in the section about Saturday/Sunday markets, under one of my favourite markets “ The Indie Marketplace “ I showed up at said market and found out about my ˜Little Red booties in the paper¦ it blew me away! Totally unexpected! Then to top it off I was the featured stallholder on the Market Roll front page, I had a reply from Maryanne of Handmade Kids! And, I had a sudden influx of orders on my website and custom orders by email! Needless to say, that week, my head was spinning!
3 things about you (not business related) that people might not know:
- My dog is Korean (His name is Bruce Lee and he made the trip back with us to Australia last year)
- I am left handed but play sport right handed¦ does that count as ambidextrous?
- I was a ball girl for Gabriella Sabatini and Lindsay Davenport when they played a tennis match back in 95
Thank you Kate, it has been a pleasure meeting you, the maker!
