The thing about Q Tea

The thing about Q Tea is, I do realise that my announcement about closing my kit club was possibly more blunt than it needed to be. Or perhaps blunt isn't the correct word - too open, too simplified perhaps? Anyhow, I've intended on expressing more of the process here on my own blog but just haven't got around to it until now :)

And it turns out there have been more developments and it's not a closure anymore anyway, but a handover, which has its own barrel of emotions, LOL.

It's true that I decided to close due to a drastic decline in sales - March sold about half the quantity I sold out of back in October last year. That said, it was still more than I had started the kit club making, and back then that smaller quantity was all I had hoped for from the business! So Q Tea is still profitable and has an awesome customer base, it's just smaller than it was at its peak. In truth, it was both a business decision and a personal decision! The decline in sales didn't kill the business, but it made me realise that it was time for a turning point to keep things moving ahead. And a turning point in business is a good time to re-evaluate, leading me to the conclusion that I'd like to move on to new challenges now, and allow myself new and different creative opportunities.

Am I sad about it? Yep, a bit, but not regretful sad, just bittersweet I guess. I love designing the kits still, but I love doing lots of creative things, and having run Q Tea for almost 2 years I'm ready to move on to try out some new ideas. I felt sad because I am proud of having built Q Tea Kits and I think it is a fun brand, a niche target market and an inspiring product. Not that I'm being modest or anything, LOL. So now that Q Tea Kits will be not be closing, but rather be run by someone new (and capable, both administratively and creatively), I am both glad that it will continue and a bit nervous at handing over my creation! I'm certainly finding it confronting that I'll be giving someone else total control, hehe, but also confident that future kits will be fabulous and I am more than likely going to be a loyal customer myself :)

Hmm so what sort of thing am I going to try now? I've got a few ideas... my etsy shop will still be running, I'm thinking of art prints, mini project kits, possibly embellishments, online classes and all sorts of other snippets that I may or may not ever get up to ;) I'm also keen on painting more, I've just pulled out my old Pentax film camera and bought film for my first camera - a plastic toy one! I have sewing projects, design ideas and decorating to do, so my fingers will certainly still be messy on regular basis... And, even though my decision didn't relate to him, I am also growing a baby, so there's that stuff to pull together before July :)

Ben and I went out and saw Lisa Mitchell the other day (well, Ben accompanied me!) - click on the link to her myspace and have a listen to 'Coin Laundry', I'm really enjoying it! It's getting airplay on JJJ too.

The photos from today's post are brought to you by Ash Quarmby, 3 years old, with his mum's 400D and a 50mm 1.8 lens [edited by dQ with Nichole Van texture action on first shot, Itty Bitty Actions on shots 1 and 3 and my own action on all three] - snap snap!