2024 - A Year in Review

Writing this on the cusp of 2025 is a bizarre feeling. I’m not sure where the year has gone! Wasn’t it just April? Maytember? What month is it again?

2024 has been a busy year for Accessories by Antoinette, although most of it has been behind the scenes. This year, I’ve focused a lot of my time and energy into creating a space to create in and get back into the world of regular crafting. So, let’s review what’s been happening!

As I covered in one of our earliest blog posts (The Hiatus is Coming to an End), the past two years have been chaotic and I have wanted nothing more than to get back to normality. Shop updates, getting my hands covered in clay, random creations, experimentation – I’ve missed it so much. But to do that, there were a lot of things I needed to organise.

I have wanted the craft room to be a place that I can always go to when I am stressed or in need of inspiration.

Working towards the ideal mix of comfort and productivity, I set aside space for things that matter to me. Meaningful quotes, photographs and art pieces were a must for me, all the while leaving plenty of space for work to happen. I wanted to streamline the space so things were easier, and everything had a designated place. Magnetic whiteboards on the wall for orders, reminders, events, goals and more has been a game changer!

This year, I tore down the lifeless grey curtains that came with the house and replaced them with handmade curtains out of some of my favourite pieces of fabric. I also made a matching curtain for the built-in wardrobe, which was one of the largest sewing projects I have worked on to date.

There were moments that I felt intimidated by the project at hand, mostly by its size and the unreasonable, internal and learnt expectation for perfection. But while working on the final curtain for the wardrobe, I felt a huge sense of calm wash over me.

The project became easier and the rules I placed on myself became far less strict. I wasn’t triple checking every single stitch and felt like I could take a breath without the world threatening to crumble. I am particularly grateful for that project because it truly helped me to release layers of the unrealistic expectations put on me in the past, and helped to inspire me even further with projects to come.  

With my grandpa’s expertise in metalwork, he has helped me to build on my ideas and maximise the space in my new craft room that I have to work with.

From additional storage space and built-in shelving to a customisable plant wall and various other wall hangings, he has helped me to turn this room into a space of creation and inspiration. I have learned so much from him and had so much fun while bringing these ideas to life. I have lost count of the times we have burst into laughter while working together, making jokes and countless puns.  

In the new year, I will be diving deeper into how we created the craft room of my dreams and doing more of a tour for you all! But for now, back to 2024…

In September, we launched our blog – which I have been wanting to do for years. I’m so thankful to finally have the opportunity to pursue this among my other creative passions.

I first began investigating the blogging features available on our website in 2021, but there was far too much happening and I knew it was best to put that project aside. But now with a true space to call my own, I have been able to invest the time to begin writing more about my small business experiences.

In October, we had our first shop update since 2022! Throughout our hiatus, I debated what I was going to create as our first shop update back. I had the idea for dragon eye magnets and pendants during the hiatus, and it struck me as one of the ideas I was most excited for!

Throughout the year, we attended many amazing markets, including the One Tree Hill Country Market, the Blakes Crossing Market and the Magill Sunrise Market. And for the first time, we attended the October Vine and Dine Event, hosted by the organisers of the Blakes Crossing Market and members of the Playford Council. We were also invited to the Saint Peter's Lutheran Church Christmas Market and had a wonderful time!

We have been truly overwhelmed and honoured by the orders and commissions we have received this year – never failing to do a happy dance with each smile we see on our customer’s faces! It’s a fantastic feeling that can’t easily be put into words when you create something with all your heart and see someone fall in love with it just as much as you had – if not more.

This is our last blog post for 2024 while we recover from a fantastically busy market season and prepare for the new year. We will be returning to our regular blog schedule on the 16th of January, 2025. As usual, all blog updates will be posted to our Facebook page, Instagram account and our Facebook group!

The team behind Accessories by Antoinette wishes everyone a safe and peaceful holiday season. We hope you have a fantastic time with your friends and family and wish you all the best for the new year!

Thank you for being here!

Kimberley

Accessories by Antoinette