Starting A Creative Business While The Baby Naps

I've started a business. It happened so quickly that I didn't have time to doubt myself, I had the idea to start making wall simple wall stickers, ones that had a hand illustrated vibe, that weren't a repeat pattern and that I assumed I would be able to buy easily, but apart from a few shipping all the way from America, I couldn't find anything that rang my bell. I thought up a name; Happy Decs, I bought a machine, I sourced the materials and before I knew it I had adorned every wall in my house (don't worry, they peel off!), bought a domain, built a website and spent most of the statutory maternity money that I had left on this sudden venture! It's almost taken me by surprise.

I've always been creative, my mum tells me that as a tiny child I used to sit with my back to the TV with a pad and pencil, I chose art and textiles at school and I ended up-via a uni degree in 'design management'-as an art director for photoshoots and magazines. In the last few years I designed the relaunch of Good Homes magazine then hopped over to parenting title, Gurgle magazine (they are in the same office) where I grew the bump that became the baby. And then she arrived. And I was busy. Unbelievably busy. So, for nearly nine months I've barely touched the Mac for anything apart from occasional blogging, to be entirely honest, I haven't had much inclination either. Feeding, dressing, entertaining the baby is exhausting. My brain hasn't had much room for anything else, but as the seven month point rolled around, and she stopped rolling and started crawling, the creative part of my brain seemed to switch back on. I started looking for wall stickers (or decals, depending on which country you're reading this in) for her room, and the rest, is very recent history!

So here they are, this is me, Happy Decs, hand illustrated, matt, removable wall stickers. I've designed simple shapes, I redecorated her room in half an hour and I'm really pleased with them. I've even sold some, which is so exciting, and I need to keep selling them, because I'm not due back at my desk until November and I have a serious amount of pretty coloured vinyl to my name and not a lot of cash!

Find out more at www.happydecs.co.uk