Hello Dolly Issue 10

Added to Gloriarty recently was Hello Dolly Issue 10, June/July 2010.

Featuring on the cover Shirley Atkins and her winning competition entry. 

Natalie Milne has done an amazing job turning Shirley's initial picture into a beautiful work of art.

In this Issue of Hello Dolly there is the first part of a comprehensive AA tutorial by Lisa Pybus of Best Beloved Nursery.

In this Issue of Hello Dolly:

Interview with Sculptor Angela Anderson
Competition Winner Cassie Peek tells us all about her art
1st part of comprehensive AA skin tutorial
Heirloom Handkerchief Bonnet How to!
Amber Basurto shares her Reborn Collection.
Rooting Companion Review
Discover Dolls Blissful Slumbers Collection.

Brighton Doll Show Review.

To buy your copy of the latest issue click here

Storage Solutions

One of the hardest things about running a business, any business, but especially a retail business from home has got to be storage. For me it has been a perennial nightmare.

When I first started the business my stock didn't take up that much room, just a few shelves and boxes that could be tucked away here and there but over time the amount of stock just grows and begins to take over your home. Before I knew it there was dolls, kits, boxes of Hello Dolly Magazine, jewellery, paints, craft stuff everywhere. By the time I realised it, it was out of hand the house looked like a warehouse instead of a home and my sons were too embarassed to bring friends round. The dolls in particular were an enormous source of embarassment for my teenage sons.

I rented a garage from the local council for a number of years and whilst that was great for storing household crap, it was never a good place to store stock, over the years the roof had developed a leak and the weeds were starting to take hold creeping in through the cracks in the concrete and let's not even think about the little droppings I was finding, I was just grateful not to come face to face with the little varmint(s) that left those!

I was initially drawn to Access Self Storage when I was googling storage solutions, they have a wonderful 1p offer that meant I could get a secure storage space that I could access 24 hours a day and test it out for a month whether or not it would work for me. Trust me after a month of clean, dry, cobweb and rodent free storage there was just no way I was going back to that damp drafty garage, specially not with my valuable stock.

I can honestly say that since I took my storage space with Access Self Storage I have been very impressed by the customer service and the cheery, chatty staff that I meet whenever I go to my space during the day time. I've also loved being able to pop along at times convenient to me to pick stock up, sometimes that has meant at midnight after a cinema trip or just because it's the first time in the day I've had the chance to get there and because of all the security measures in place I have never felt afraid of going there. I go in, get what I want and go home. job done!

Outside storage has also meant that I can buy more stock and have more choice for my customers, having said that though the best part of having a storage room for me is knowing that I can pack my dolls and stock away in a clean, dry, easily accessible and organised storage space.

And best part for the boys? They can bring friends home without being worried about them being freaked out by my doll heads... or can they????

Happy Birthday Hello Dolly Magazine

Coming soon to Gloriarty the new issue of Hello Dolly Magazine. It's been a very eventful year for the magazine, from the first issue which was an A5 30 something page booklet to a full A4 glossy magazine in a year. It's been a trip.

This special birthday issue is jam packed full of of beautiful reborn artwork by very talented artists.

This issue Hello Dolly Magazine has some very special surprises for their readers including a little birthday gift for every reader as well as a fantastic crochet pattern created by Ceinwen Clarke of the Brighton Doll Festival and more adventures with Jane Bishop in her Reborn With Mummy feature.

So join us in wishing Happy Birthday to Hello Dolly and let's look forward to much more to come.

Doug Richards Meets Savannah

Attending the Enterprise Nation Conference last week was a very interesting experience, meeting up with lots of other entrepreneurs and hearing their stories and how they handle the challenges of running small businesses in today's economy was fascinating.

I also experienced a huge attitude shift of my own, too many time when I have looked at what I have achieved with Gloriarty and Hello Dolly Magazine I have not seen just what exactly it is I have done, how far I have come and just what I have built. The conference really did open my eyes and make me recognise that I am an entrepreneur, one of the great unrecognised army of hardworking people who create wealth for the UK but are almost invisible to the Government


Doug Richards holding Savannah

I was, by equal measures amused and embarassed by one of my reborn dolls ending up on stage with Doug Richards for his presentation, hers are the little legs you can see dangling over the edge of the podium in the video.




Savannah is listed on Gloriarty and is looking for a new home.