Small Business Saturday

Hey Shantelle! Describe Lotta Blobs in three words.
Blobby, colourful and playful!

We LOVE your mirrors! What inspired you to start Lotta Blobs?
Lotta Blobs was born in the lockdown and was used as a creative outlet to keep my brain active and distract myself from this crazy year!

What’s your favourite part of the making process?
I love forming the blobs shape! It’s very therapeutic!

You’re a graphic designer as well as a Blob creator! How do you manage your time?
I won't lie and say it's not tiring because it is! An important key is to write a to do list and plan out your days ahead. I've also quickly learned that everything takes at least twice as long as you imagined so don't rely on wishful thinking!

Great tips! Which small businesses do you love that we should check out?
Oh there's loads! A few are @ktgillies_surfacedesign, @squaresandthings @helloitspansy @bougiewoogie____ @studiopalu @theflowerandtheflea

Ready for some quickfire questions? Let’s go!

Favourite Instagram account? @ktgillies_surfacedesign forever and always!

Suddenly NEED a new mirror? Follow Lotta Blobs on Instagram to find out when their next batch drops!

Hey Nikki! Describe what you do in three words.
Ceramics, Creative Relaxation :) 

We love your pottery at home kits! What’s the best thing someone’s made with it?
I have so many favourites - people send me so many beautiful pictures of their pieces, I’m constantly blown away by their creativity! I’m in love with the stunning decorations inspired by Scotland that @juliettemcintosh makes with the kit. She decorates the clay with earth-coloured paints and a subtle splatter effect which comes out so well! I know that she and several other people who bought the clay kit are now selling their creations online which fills me with so much joy!

Any top tips for any budding potters?
Don’t worry too much about making ‘perfect’ clay creations - focus on getting into the zone and beautiful things will happen!

Great advice! What do you miss most about IRL workshop sessions?
Meeting awesome people! The workshop sessions have allowed me to meet so many amazing people with incredible stories - I treasure time spent getting to know them so it’s been strange not to do that so much recently. However online sessions have made virtual pottery sessions possible and I’ve been very grateful for that!

What small businesses do you LOVE?
Chimney Fire Coffee for the best coffee, ever! Sheen London and her ridiculously comfy non-fast-fashion tracksuits. Qäsa Qäsa hand-crafted homeware from artisans in East Africa. The City of London Gin Distillery who make delicious small-batch gin. Patty & Bun - our Friday end-of-the-week treat during lockdown. Their burger kits are to die for!

An inspiring Instagram account? @lithopsstudio - she makes mini animal figurines which are utterly adorable.

Make sure you follow London Wildflower on Instagram and if you fancy having a go at pottery yourself check out their kits here!

Last up things are getting leafy as we chat to Alice from the plant-tastic Forest! 

Hi Alice! Describe Forest in three words.
Heavenly green paradise!

Dreamy. What makes Forest so special?
The fantastic team of family & friends! We’ve all come from different backgrounds, all specialising in different fields. We have botanists, artists, gardeners, merchandisers, florists, set designers etc... Not forgetting our mutual passion for houseplants and wealth of knowledge about them! 

What is your best bit of advice for all the new plant parents out there?
The best thing you can do is to figure out where you want plants and what the environment is like in that particular area of your home. Is there deep shade, extreme sun/heat, high humidity, a cold draught? Figuring these things out is key to maintaining your houseplants! 

Great tips! What’s the most exciting part about being back in your shops?
Definitely being able to welcome all our valued customers back! We love being able to chat about plants and share knowledge and advice with all our customers, and that’s one thing we’ve all really missed! 

Your favourite small businesses we should check out?
Ooh that’s tough! There are way too many small businesses that we admire... But Green Rooms Market is an amazing business run by sisters Annie & Jemma – they bring together a fantastic selection of independent botanical businesses for both virtual and physical markets. 

Scrubber, run by our amazing team member Emily and her husband Scott, make natural, vegan, and eco friendly deodorants with incredible scents and striking packaging! Finally, the Forest teams favourite local café in Deptford - Isla Ray. You’ll find us there on a regular basis brunching, lunching, and boozing! 

Favourite Instagram account? @muddy_maddie – our resident botanist!

Thanks Alice! Make sure to pop into Forest for all your plant needs, you can find them in East Dulwich, Deptford or online.