Retail Therapy

Ishbel Ramsay - Naturally Made Soaps

Naturally Made Soaps is an unique new small business hand making wonderful natural soap inspired by nature using the traditional cold process methods and ingredients from both England and Portugal.

The recipes are the creation of owner Ishbel Ramsay and are inspired by the contrasting nature of her two favorite places - lush, green East Devon and the stunning mountains of Northern Portugal. Ishbel uses natural ingredients including flowers and spices, many sourced and grown by herself. This unique fusion of two countries and the natural soap making products they both provide is a first. Soap ingredients abound in both Devon and Portugal think of rose, English lavender, sea salt, goats milk, oranges and lemons, olive oil and eucalyptus to mention a few. Naturally Made Soaps aim to share this rich joint bounty and in doing so give its users the chance to experience why these two places are so special to Ishbel and her family. Follow her story on the blog http://naturallymadesoaps.blogspot.com and visit her visually stimulating and exciting new website www.naturallymadesoaps.co.uk

Ishbel hopes that she will eventually be able to run her business from both Portugal and Devon growing and supplying all the ingredients she needs to continue to develop her wonderful range of soaps.

Ishbel is happy to donate a selection of her beautiful soaps to the raffle to help raise funds for FORCE.

Emma Paver – Fashion Designer – Elegantly Waisted

Emma is a local fashion designer who specialises in corsetry for bridal, evening and burlesque wear. Having spent work placements in London with top British designers Edina Ronay and Julian Macdonald, she decided to go into business on her own back in the West Country.

Graduating in the summer of 2006 from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, Emma was offered the opportunity to set up an artists studio at Otterton Mill that Autumn by owners Bob Butler and Claire Stein.

Emma spent two and a half successful years at the Mill and has recently moved to a new premises on The Exeter Road in Exmouth where she continues to work on her commission based corsetry and sells a selection of exquisite vintage wear ranging from Victoria era up to the late 1980s.

Emma looks forward to supporting Local Women 4 Women in November at the health and wellbeing day. Her stand will showcase sample pieces of her work and also have fun bikinis made from vintage fabrics for sale alongside other gift pieces made from reclaimed fabrics. Emma will be available to take appointment bookings and is donating a prize of a made-to-measure Bespoke Corset for the raffle on the day to help raise funds for FORCE.

Elegantly Waisted - 56 Exeter Road, Exmouth EX8 1PY – Telephone 07977 148287

Joanne Macaskie – Gemme de Joanne

I started Gemme de Joanne 3 years ago when I retired from my job as manageress of a high end jeweller. I have worked in the jewellery trade for 20 years and am a qualified gemmologist – jewellery has always been my passion. With the jewellery market changing so much I saw the opportunity to offer high quality costume jewellery using locally sourced materials and lots of semi-precious stones.

I started with home jewellery parties and this proved to be a very popular way for people to shop as they felt under no pressure and loved trying all the jewellery on! As the business grew I decided that I needed more of a challenge and I participated in jewellery making courses including wirework and pearl restringing which enabled me to develop my own unique range.

In September 2008 I opened my first jewellery boutique in Fleet Walk, Torquay – a very scary move in the current climate! But I am pleased to say that I have not looked back and now 10 months later have opened another unit at Fermoy’s in Fleet Walk.

My motto is “Dare to be Different” and this is how I choose and make up my ranges of jewellery. I still work closely with a lot of local designers and have also just launched an exclusive bridal range of jewellery which is proving very popular. I also offer a bespoke commission service for customers wanting that individual piece of jewellery. A selection of pieces can be found on my website at www.gemmedejoanne.co.uk.

I am happy to donate a £50.00 jewellery voucher into the raffle to help LW4W raise lots of money for FORCE. Hope to see you on the day!

Handcrafted in Devon by Verity – Handmade cards, ‘Design your own’ Kits, Bookmarks and more!

I’m a Devonshire Lass! I work full time as an Administration Manager for my family’s Ottery based building company, and I live with my lovely daughter in the centre of town. I started making my own handcrafted cards for friends and family in August 2008 as it was something I could sit quietly and do in the evenings, but after realising it’s something I really enjoy doing, and that my home was rapidly being filled with finished stock, I thought I’d better start selling to make a bit of space!

All cards are my own original designs.I use a variety of techniques including die-cutting, embossing, rubber stamping, and shimmer to make my cards and there is no limit to the designs I can produce. I only use good quality materials (card blanks and envelopes, backing papers, and embellishments) as these give a much better finish. Most of my cards can be personalised on request, and I am happy to undertake commissions.

I ensure that all my cards can be posted with just a regular 1st or 2nd class stamp – an important consideration in the current financial climate.

At the LW4W Health and Wellbeing Day last year, my Christmas 2008 collection was very well received and I’m looking forward to this year! I can also be found manning my stall at the monthly Community Market at the Institute building in Ottery St Mary. The market is generally held on the last Saturday of the month, and displays a wide variety of local products and produce. Well worth a look!

For the raffle to be drawn on the day, I will be donating a luxury selection of Handmade Cards to suit a variety of occasions, beautifully presented in a gift box to the value of £30.

I hope to have my website up and running by the end of the year however if you would like to contact me in the meantime; here are my details:

Email: handcraftedbyvee@fsmail.net Mobile: 07855 813250

The Candle Room

Our Mission - To provide beautiful & affordable products whilst reducing our carbon footprint

My name is Beverley and I run a local company born from a lifelong love of candles and the desire to provide an environmentally friendly range of products.

I offer a beautiful range of candles, melts, soaps and pot pourri all handmade and decorated in Exeter by myself. All my products are produced with the environment in mind, using ecosoya wax (made from the soya beans) and natural products wherever possible.

I have also recently introduced a new range of Pure Essential Oil products – all hand decorated and some with wooden wicks, creating a natural crackling sound when burning.

The scent throw on my items is very powerful, unlike some processed candles and my items have been very favourably compared to a well-known American brand!

I have also recently added a range of driftwood items – again everything used has been reclaimed – where possible even the screws.

I can’t wait to participate in the LW4W event and will be donating a gift basket containing an oil burner, some melts, pot pourri and a candle – hope to see you there.

www.thecandleroom.co.uk

Pam Roberts – Forever Living Products (Aloe Vera)

Welcome to our ALOE VERA stand - come and experience at first hand what this POWERFUL PLANT can do for you!! Browse the stall - sample the products – or simply relax for a few minutes and experience a complimentary 'MAKEOVER' with our qualified beautician. We are confident that you will LOVE our natural products -We do not test any of our products on ANIMALS and more importantly our make up range is completely LEAD FREE. ALL OUR PRODUCTS COME WITH A 60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE...

My husband and I were looking for a business that we could run from home with very little start up. We were attracted to FLP (Forever Living Products) since it is based around Natural Aloe Vera and Bee Pollen Products.

The Health & Nutrition Sector is prominently placed in a rapidly growing market both globally and here in the UK! This business opportunity is simple to operate not difficult AT All, with full help and support available at all times.’ We believe its a FANTASTIC opportunity and with determination anyone can be successful within 2 to 5 years. Come and talk to us!

The Birth Shop

The Birth Shop aims to provide a small yet distinctive range of products to help parents and babies relax and enjoy pregnancy and birth. All of the products are made by small-scale, eco-friendly businesses in Devon.

There are aromatherapy kits to relax and nurture the whole family; CDs with a wonderful range of songs and lullabies from around the world; adorable hand-knitted hat and bootie sets made from pure cotton; Loving Cups made from earthenware that can be personalised with baby’s name as well as gift boxes of organic, therapeutic chocolates infused with a variety of essential oils and spices (healthy chocolates, honest!)

All of the products from The Birth Shop are ideal for friends and family who are looking to send/buy memorable gifts to new parents and their babies.

or more detailed information please visit my website at: www.thebirthshop.co.uk

Since participating in the LW4W event last year, I have set up another small business called Fine Fettle. I publish a Health Journal that is proving very popular, particularly amongst women! I’ll bring some along on 14 November.

I am happy to donate two items to the LW4W Raffle: a gift set of skin care products from the new Brenda Anvari range (www.thebirthshop.co.uk/facecare.html) and a Fine Fettle Health Journal. The Journal has been designed to enable you to record both your physical and emotional health in an attractive and coherent format. It is flexible and can be adapted for a variety of uses: for work with doctors and holistic practitioners, self-healing, fitness training, weight loss or even during pregnancy. It provides space for you to reflect on and record various patterns in your life and can therefore be a vital resource for your own self-development or for working closer and more accurately with practitioners. For more information, please visit: www.finefettle.net

Antonya Marshall - Ppurple Accessories

Antonya will be presenting a range of fabulous handbags – take a look at her website for a preview and make contact if there is anything in particular you would like her to bring… www.ppurpleaccessories.co.uk. Antonya moved to Plymouth from Granada five years ago and has successfully set up two retail outlets in Plymouth called Ppurple.

There will be a gorgeous handbag up for grabs in the raffle!

Judith Smith, Sanaa House – gemstone jewelry, beadwork, textiles, art, basketry

Judith was born in Kenya, studied fashion at San Francisco School of Fashion and Design, then travelled through France and Italy before returning home to Tanzania and setting up her own textile workshop. When she was a volunteer in the refugee camps of Malawi and Mozambique she first saw talented individuals suffering from poverty and unable to find an outlet for their products. When Judith had the chance to start her own enterprise in 2002 she chose to focus her business on Fair Trade goods to support African arts and crafts. At least twice a year she travels to African to build strong links with Fair Trade organizations. In 2009 she rebranded the shop and named it Sanaa House, meaning Art House in Swahili, her first language.

Vicki Smith - Bodyshop

My name is Vicki Smith, I am a Senior Area Manager with the Bodyshop at Home and have been in the business in a self-employed capacity for over 9 years. We take products into people's home and offer a personal pampering and shopping experience to enjoy with friends.

I have a passion for the values and ethics behind the Bodyshop brand and adore the wide variety of products. I really do 'party' for a living and love the opportunities I have to increase womens' self-esteem, get people together for fun pampering sessions and also help new consultants develop and grow their own successful direct sales businesses. I currently manage and mentor a team of 31 fantastic ladies of all ages and backgrounds, all loving a fun, flexible way to earn an income.

On the day I will have a large selection of Bodyshop products and beautifully packaged gifts at discounted prices to take away on the day. I can also offer free mail-order direct to people's doors for anything I don't have with me. I can also offer 1-1 make-up and skin care advice and will have all testers available.

I will be happy to donate a Bodyshop gift bag to the value of £30 as a raffle prize.