Hello!
Welcome to our second entry on the Starlings Blog.
Each month we will feature one of our creative members at Starlings with a list of questions and answers.
For our first entry, I am excited to introduce to you our founders - Charlotte & Joe.
You may recognise Charlotte from the Colonnade Shops on Bexhill seafront.
She can be found there at the weekends come rain or shine, often layered up preventing frostbite, supplying Bexhill with some of the most beautiful handbags you have ever seen.
I gave them a list of questions, and here are their answers, starting with the Shop Statement.
We are a collective of inspirational local artists and designer makers - working together to promote each others work.
Like the birds, Starlings by themselves are little brown garden birds but when they fly together they create an amazing murmuration that's hard to define - just like our members.
1: What inspired you both to create Starlings, has it turned out how you expected?
"We both moved down to Bexhill because it seemed like such a nice place to live. Charlotte had been trading in Greenwich Art & Craft Market for 20 years.. and when we opened our kiosk on the sea front.. we met so many talented local artists and craft people that we thought we could use the shop space to showcase their work...a bit like being part of a thriving Art and Craft market. It has been an inspirational experience - even after only 4 weeks.. it has surpassed our expectations."
2: What do you Create?
"Charlotte - handbags handmade using a wide variety of fabrics embroidered with lots of different motifs"
3: Do you have a favourite quote or anecdote that best describes you?
"Charlotte - accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.. and don't mess with Mr. in-between"
4: If you were to be ship wrecked - what five items would you take with you?
"My cat, my mother's paintings, wizard of oz DVD, thermal socks and vests (can't live without them at the moment) and a lifetime supply of chick peas."
5: Are you working on any projects at the moment, any sneak peeks?
"Yes..Spring fabrics - gannex tweeds and cotton prints. No sneak peeks yet, but we will keep you updated!"
6: Give us a little insight as to where you see Bag Ladies heading?
" To build business up at the colonnade on the sea front and then to promote Starlings to get more tourists into the shop"
Thank you Joe & Charlotte for allowing us some insight into your lives - I am sure you will all agree, that Bexhill is a much nicer place for their presence.