By Contributing Columnist Amanda of Gimme That Thing

Following the understandable interest shown towards my recent article “The Name Game” and the overwhelming response from Folksy sellers to be included, I thought it would be a great idea to write The Name Game – Part 2 and reveal the fascinating stories behind those imaginative shop names that crafters have chosen for their Folksy shops. From the simply stated to the totally off the wall, today’s list of shop names has the lot.

Zoe Richardson wanted a shop name that would immediately bring to mind the type of items she sells as well as something that is easy to remember. She wants the name Jewelbox to evoke an image of shiny, pretty things cascading over the sides of a beautiful jewellery box, and feels excitement of rummaging through my mother’s box of jewels.that her Black Rose Necklace expresses this well. This shop name evokes childhood memories of playing dressing up games and the

 I had noticed the name Buddhist Musician cropping up on the Folksy forum regularly and imagined a Buddhist monk playing a flute with the sounds echoing around snow tipped Tibetan mountains. Call me a romantic, but that’s what it said to me. The shop’s owner Sarah explained its origins. “I am a Buddhist – I don’t attend a temple, but I try to live my life in a way that reflects Buddha’s teachings. I am also a musician”. She began playing the piano when only 5 years old and her first degree was in music at Durham University. Sarah wanted the shop name to evoke images of Asian and Oriental art and to reflect her fascination with Indian, Japanese and Nepali culture. The item that she feels depicts this in her shop is the pair of Om Earrings, made from paper, printed with Om symbols and made into stars. Beautiful.

If you are not familiar with the songs by The Smiths or Morissey, the name Glamorous Glue won’t ring any bells. I have to admit knowing little Steven Morissey when he was a cheeky 17 year old but didn’t know this song. So, the shop’s owner, Helen Coombe, explained that as a huge fan, especially when she started out as a crafter, as well as the fact that she spent most of her time covered in paint and glue, Glamorous Glue seemed rather appropriate. She wanted a name that expressed the hand crafted aspect of her work, and sees the hand painted and batik items that were her first craft experiments to be her signature items in her shop.

Ginger Nut Knits makes me think of sharing a tea break with a red head, surrounded by skeins of tangled yarn, knitting needles clicking away, and of course dunking those scrummy ginger biscuits! But I could be wrong. Kate is in fact a red head that knits, but I don’t know whether she dunks her biscuits in her tea. She told me that being called a ginger nut has become rather negative, “the kind of thing people shout at me in the street if they want to try and wind me up, but I wouldn’t want to be anything other than a redhead so I’m reclaiming it as a positive description”. She hopes the shop name evokes a contrast between the cosy and lively. She likes there to be a zing in what she does, loving intense colours and strong shapes with little button and bow details. She hopes her customers that wear her pieces get noticed and are warm and comfortable without compromising elegance. For Kate, the lovely berets with bows sum up her Folksy shop perfectly, offering a combination of bold and detailed.

What does the name Toggle evoke for you? I immediately thought of those snug winter duffel coats or Boy Scouts camping on windy hills! Gemma Garner wanted a shop name that would be appropriate for both the craft and design aspects of the business, something that sounded British (think of Paddington Bear with his toggled coat). Gemma pointed out that toggles hold things together and that in computing terms to toggle means to move between two states, as she does with the two sides of the business. She hopes the name evokes a welcoming, quirky, slightly retro image. For Gemma her items made from upcycled or vintage fabrics epitomise the spirit behind the shop, such as the upcycled purple wool iphone case and upcycled map notebooks (those Boy Scouts again!).

Photo courtesy of HeartfeltHandmade

Tags: artists, craft business, finding the right name, folksy, GimmeThatThing, indiesmiles, name game, online craft business, shop background, shop names

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