Goodbye 2020... What a year...
Well !
I always take 5 at the end of the year to reflect on what I've done and where I have been with ScruffyDog... Our adventures, achievements and hiccups... Having just re-read the closing blog to 2019... a difficult year for me personally and with ScruffyDog very much taking a back seat... I was really looking to direct all energies back into my little business... 2020 was going to be THE year... I even bought a massive diary\organiser\planner called 'Getting Things Done' ! Ha !!!! It's just been sat on the side for months... its just full of scribbled out entries... so many Fairs, Markets and Festivals cancelled out... Oh... it's a really good job we don't know what is coming at us... It's just been about taking one day at a time...
So here I am a year later... I think like most... feeling a little ragged... but the most important thing is... I am STILL going... and I am more determined than ever to keep it that way. The events of 2020 made me think outside the box, adapt fast, and learn new tricks... whether that be switching to becoming a predominantly online business, but keeping that friendly ScruffyDog sparkle... and endlessly wrestling this pesky website... or sourcing funky letterbox friendly boxes, finding giftwrap so it perfectly suits and offering little notecards and handwriting personal messages so folks could send parcels direct to loved ones...
I had to think up ways of using only the materials I had to hand in The Shed when all my suppliers were closed... The Hugget... a dinky nugget of melted down silver scrap came into being out of neccesity... I simply needed to keep busy for my own self during Lockdown#1... and I had plenty of scraps about the Shed doing nothing... I had no idea how they would capture your imagination, I know some were sent to keyworkers, especially frontline NHS folks and some went overseas... This makes me feel impossibly proud.
Like many other folks I had to learn how to share my daily day to day with partners and family who found themselves stuck working from home... The Shed became so so very important... my own space... my sanctuary away from the increasingly crazy world... and it remains so. Only good vibes are allowed... It's a place to just be and sometimes simply to have some fun... and bash things... sometimes way harder than necessary !!! Feels good !!!
Reluctantly I decided to leave Vintage Guru... I had an amazing 2 years with them and I've loved having my very own cabinet just inside the door... but I can only ever give something my all... or not at all... and although I feel like a giant rat for leaving just before Christmas I simply couldn't fill my cabinet with enough sparkle to give a good account of myself, and do right by them... With no events running, I just didn't have the heaps of ready to go makes to hand like I would have normally at this time of year... It meant instead I was able to concentrate more on bespoke orders and take on more than I ever have been able to before. This really helped stretch my bubble and get my teeth into some really beautiful requests. 
Another flipside was the invention of the ScruffyDog Pop-Up-Shop... using my VW camper - Cookie - as a mobile stall... This came about as I was invited to set up outside our local bakery in the run up to Christmas when restrictions allowed. We had so much fun and it was just such a boost to see familar friendly faces... and I definately want to explore this idea more... Being perfectly petite meant a little sparkly stock went a long way ! Social distancing was easy with one person at a time at the van, giving me a perfect opportunity to natter and give one on one service... It just works ! Downside is the mask and visor wearing ! They stop you from eating cake !!! Arrrghhhhhhhh!!!!
So as 2020 comes to a close... I am reluctant to make any firm business plans, my gut tells me this limbo life will continue for a bit longer... I shall instead just keep on making as my mood takes me... I am so very lucky to have a chunky orderbook for January and I do have to replenish some of your favourites for the ScruffyDogShop... that should keep me quiet for a while !
I have to genuinely say that ScruffyDog has kept me going at times this year... especially during late summer when I kind of imploded... Everything caught up with me and I hit tilt. It was by having something to do, deadlines to reach, being responsible for sending out love on behalf of others that I began to heal myself. I rarely sit still... restless energy needs to be channelled into something postive... so this is what I did...
Each and every order means more to me than you could ever know. Thank you.
Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year. We've got this Folks.
Steph xx