Thewishingtree’s Weblog

A Weeks Work Experience At The Wishing Tree

thewishingtree — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:23:13 +0000

When I was asked earlier in the year if I would be able to find a placement for a work experience student, I was in two minds weather to say yes or no. I had heard that it could be more trouble that it was worth, but far from it, my student has been a little Gem. I can dispell all the fear of giving these youngsters a first taste of the working world, and it is my pleasure to give our very keen little helper an opportunitity to share the highs and lows of working in retail for a week, and I can only hope she has enjoyed it as much as me, I can honestly say she has motivated me into doing more work than usual, we have achieved a great deal, and I have leant a few things too….so here you are, lets see what she has to share with you….

Here I am on Friday afternoon, this week has gone far too quickly, I have had such a lovely time working here at The Wishing Tree, I have gained many skills from this one week, working and meeting new people has been one of the biggest skills I have used. If only work experience was two weeks, being in the work place is a lot less stressful than being in school. There have only been highs from this week, I have enjoyed myself and feel that this week has gone so well. As you can see in the picture one of my tasks was to design a poster. The Wishing Tree is a very ethical shop and the poster is advertising fill a handbag for the ladies of Kosovo. After a few hiccups Olivia was really pleased with the finished product and I felt quite good about it too. I was really pleased with what I had produced myself and for a really good cause. On my first day I learnt how to upload things to the website which was really interesting and something that I had not done before. I found this easy once I had got the hang of it, and confident to work on my own. Here are some of the listings I did. On Wednesday I worked with another member of staff and we created a wonderful window display full of cats, I used my artistic skills to great succes as we sold something out of it straight away. I have helped with loads of things this week and Olivia has offered me a Saturday job over christmas. I am going to be really sad to leave today I have had a great time, I would like to say a big THANKYOU to Olivia for having me to work with her this week, and I hope that she has enjoyed this week as much as me !!!! xx

Yes I most certainly have enjoyed it, and I am confident that the other staff have too. I hope that you can show this blog entry to your teachers and fellow pupils in school, and I hope this and the poster can be used in your school profile. Good luck with writing your CV and be sure to put my name forward as a referance.

Love and Light

Olivia

Editorial Piece in The Diss Express

thewishingtree — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:38:06 +0000

We were recently invited to place an editorial in the Diss Express, under the heading of Women in Business. So Helen and I put our heads together and came up with the following….limited to 150 words, it wasnt’t the easiest of tasks but we thought we made a good job of giving the readership a good impression of what The Wishing Tree has to offer….

Who’d have thought you’d have been able to buy a giraffe or an elephant in Long Stratton? Since September 2007 when Olivia Docherty opened The Wishing Tree this Aladdin’s cave has gone from strength to strength. Olivia and her team do their very best to make their customers wishes come true, sourcing unusual and ethical gifts both locally and from around the world. They also offer an unrivalled collection of JellyCat soft toys, Willow Tree Collectables, and the finest amber and gemstone jewellery for miles around. Recent customer interest has prompted a collection of mystical and magical items. A constantly changing window display of all the newest gorgeous things never fails to turn heads on the A140 and with an expansion in the pipeline before the year is out, the girls invite you to be part of The Wishing Tree’s future.

Earlier in the week the photographer had been and taken a few pictures of myself and Helen and the shop etc, which was great, and I managed to steel this one for my new facebook profile picture. I look forward to hearing som feedback from the editorial, and seeing a few new faces in the shop too. There are lots of people who drive past on the main road (A140) wondering what is to offer inside, visitors come from far off places, passing through on thier travels.

Look forward toseeing you soon

Love and Light

Olivia

An Interview with Natalie AKA Harvey Crafty Cards…….

thewishingtree — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:43:43 +0000

Hello Natalie, Welcome to The Wishing Tree, we currently stock some of your items from Harvey Crafty Cards, and as a local crafter I wanted to find out a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes, what inspires you, where you get your drive, and how long you have been crafting.

Hello Olivia, Thank You for asking me to write a blog post for you, What inspires me ? well there are many things that give me inspiration mainly my children my family and friends, I am a mother of 2 little girls, my 3 1/2 year old just loves fairies and angels, she loves to dress up as fairies and there has been many times I have had to take Tinkerbell to Tesco’s ! she even had me dressing her 10 month old sister to match , anyway its because of her I have made fairy themed items, as you can see from the picture every house, well actually every skirting board needs one of these you have to let the fairies into your home through there very own door, so don’t leave them locked outside let them in and let the magic begin, they are also available in a frame they look very pretty in your little girls bedroom or in any room to add a little colour and sparkle, what about the tooth fairy? these have been a good seller of mine , If you have a son or a daughter that has lost a tooth why not make them feel extra special and leave a little fairy dust sprinkled so they can see the fairy has been for themselves, works really well if you have a little girl or boy that loves their dummy!! I also make wooden plaques this one sums me up completely I also offer personalisation, so any colour, wording let Olivia know and it will come to life. Something which is a must is this beautiful item its one of my favorites and is also a featured item at the moment on the website.

Where do you get your drive? Well that’s a tough question especially on only 4 hours sleep lol, I get a lot of drive and motivation from fellow Folksy shop owners, getting a sale online is one thing that drives me, the fact that someone loves an item I have made as much as I have loved making it ,there isn’t a better feeling than that really.

How long have I been crafting? Well I have always been crafty, I remember watching my Mum on her sewing machine and wishing I could be just like her one day, I enjoyed all the art and textile classes at school, and have recently taken up sewing again I have been crafting seriously since I was carrying my 1st little girl, making cards and photo albums I also make Wedding Stationery and have completed 7 weddings of there full stationery this is an area I love and would love to expand further .

Right, enough about me if you haven’t been here you really need to visit !! lots to see inside this beautiful magical shop xx

Thanks Olivia again for this opportunity and for stocking my items

Nat xxx

Light up the Faerie Belief and Watch the Colourful Majick Glow

thewishingtree — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:04:11 +0000

beautiful faerie flames to brighten your table

When I saw these gorgeous little tea lights I couldn’t believe my eyes. Does it really do what it says on the tin? Well yes actually it does, but it’s not a tin so much as a box. You get six of these little lights and they are in lovely glass holders so you can re-use them. We like to bring you ethical quality. These really are very special, the coloured flames are Red Green and Orange and have a much longer burning time than the standard tea light. Made from special, water soluble crystals these gems are unscented, safe and non-toxic. They do not contain paraffin wax or animal fat, so can be used by vegetarians.

Place the tea light candle on a flat, non-heat sensitive surface, as the holders do get quite hot. Remember not to place them near a draught as this will cause them to burn away more quickly. Before lighting make sure to straighten the wick, and light it from the bottom not the top, as this will extend the burning time. never trim the wick. Darken the room for the best effect and in a few minites your candle will burn with a coloured flame you will love. In the right conditions your tea light will burn for approx 1 hour.

Always ensure you burn candles out of reach of children and pets, and away from anything flammable. Do not use them in oil burners or food warmers. It is not safe to move a tea light while it is burning as it is hot liquid and could spill. However if you do spill it, remember that these candles are water soluble and are dissolved by water. Use a damp cloth to wipe away any spills. And just to remind you, no matter how distracted you get, never leave a burning candle unattended.

What could be more romantic and Magical? Here at The Wishing Tree we like to bring you that little bit of something special and out of the ordinary, so also from the same suppliers there are more in the range. Taper Candles in boxes of 2 in Red, Purple, Orange and Green. Cute little Birthday Cake Candles in Boxes of 12, which are guarenteed to bring the WOW!! Factor to your Birthday Party. Something for everyone.

Light up the Majick in your home

Love and Light

Olivia

Mugs Away…..as the saying goes

thewishingtree — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:07:09 +0000

Huge Giraffe Coffee Mug buy online from The Wishing TreeBone China cup and saucer from the Konitz range from Germany at The Wishing Tree

I really am not sure where the saying comes from…Mugs Away…..lets Google it….Losers to start! An announcement to prompt the beginning of a new game in which the losers of the last are given the chance to start. Originally a phrase from the game of darts. So there you go….and I found the answer here. Amazing what you can find out hey ??….That has absolutely no referance to my kind of Mugs but lets not dwell on that. It inspired me to take to my keyboard today so I guess thats good enough. I happened upon this new Company at the Spring Fair this year at the NEC. Konitz are a German Company, with 100 years of mug making experience, I guess they know what they’re doing by now. They certainly impressed me at the Trade Fair, I had trouble deciding what to bring to The Wishing Tree. The Megga Mug in the photo above was my first choice. Being known locally as the Giraffe Lady, it was a “must have” and needing cups of coffee by the bucket load to get me through my hectic days, Size deffinately matters….this Big Mug holds enough caffine to wake up my world…..In the same design I plumped for a more normal size of mug too, for the not so desperate coffee drinker. They are all made from quality Bone China, so great for when the posh friends and relatives come to visit. My second favorite has to be the Teddy Bear cup and saucer, Konitz simply call it Honey. It’s almost big enough to hold a tea party in, and the Mad Hatter would deffinately be happy to have it on his table.

Cats…..did someone mention the Pur..fect cup for a brew is a cat cup…..here you go then, all the cat lovers out there, I know I have several pussy cat collectors amongst the regular visitors to The Wishsing Tree, so this little red number with a pencil drawing of a cat should keep you happy. And what else do we associate with The Wishing Tree then?? Yes I also chose Fairy Princess Hearts, and Elephants and Butterflies…..all available in the shop or online….Saving the sweetest til last “Sorry” yes a mug that says sorry, fill it with the Creamy Hot Chocolate and Cuddle up with the best appology possibe….its a Snuggle Mug, and it has Zebra and a Giraffe on it too…..

I think the girl did good, don’t you?

Or maybe I just need another brew….

Love and Light and Lovely Mugs ….with the Aahhhh factor of course,

Olivia

Having a go with Google Adwords

thewishingtree — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:32:55 +0000

we have been having a bit of a monkey around with google adwords

Mastering the art of creating the perfect Google Adword advert is not quite as easy as it seems. Luckily I was fortunate enough to be gifted a £50 google adwords voucher for a few weeks of free pay per clicks…..Monkey business right enough….needless to say my funds are somewhat depleated and I have not been finding it quite the easiest pussy cat to tame. It hasn’t been a total disaster mind you I have had a couple of “Google Ad” generated sales, but not exactly in the running for the next Millionare 0f the month awards…….

I think having such a vast range of products on the website may be the crux of our problem, where do you start and what do you target? However I must say that we are proud of the diversity of our product selection and have recieved heaps of wonderful comments from visitors to the Online Shop. It’s a big shopping street out there on the World Wide Web and I often try to visualise all the online stores out there, in a line on a high street…..what a thought, how long do you reckon it would take to walk that road?? And come to think of it, how much shoe leather do you think you would get through?

What is the secret to a good Google Adword advert then? The mystery remains unsolved to me…..I started by going for one of our best selling lines….The Jellycat Collectable Soft toys, can’t fail, surely? You bet your sorry ass it can….carefully selected heading and content, perfect link back to the page online, brilliantly selected keywords, as per instructed…..get set for the sales to roll on in…..beginners luck and on the second day we get an order for a Cordy Roy Cat.….wicked…..maybe not, as that where it peaked. Back to the drawing board, make a few changes, checkout the competition, introduce a few discounted promotions and here we go again…It’s all quite time consumeing and a bit mind bending, so I paused that ad and decided to take a side step with a Jewellery Ad…we have some absolutely fantastic Amber pieces newly listed, they had to be the perfect option…….not realising how high the competition would be in the jewellery market, I was well out of my depth here….the cost of each pay per click was too much for a little small fry like us……Collectable Dog Figurines was the next Ad for the pot of luck I was trying to stir……big mistake here, as the keywords I was targeting, were being used for buyers looking for the real live animal, not a cute little ceramic.….sadly my funds were going down fast…..so I decide to go back to the beginning and Jellycat it again, a few different tactics but to no avail…..

I have now decided to draw a line under it all for the time being and maybe concentrate on some more SEO stuff and some more networking and leave the complex stuff to the big boys. I am sure there is a secret formula to crack with the whole Google Adwords generated websales thing, but I need to re-group my thoughts before the next round and do a bit of research.

If anyone has any secrets to share my ears are always open to advice……

Love and Light my friends

Olivia

Early Spring and The Bunnies are About

thewishingtree — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:41:31 +0000

Tese 3 special edition bunnies from the Jellycat Bashful Range at The Wishing Tree

Glad to say that we have slightly less inclement weather this week. The recent sunshine is bringing with it the first of the Daffodils and Ive even seen a few Baby Bunnies about. I don’t know about you but I feel a little more like getting out and about to see whats new in the shops for the Season ahead. I have had a bit of a buying frenzy so needless to say The Wishing Tree is some what full of Wonderful New Things.
As some of you may know I am bit of a Facebook Fanatic, and I have set up a page for The Wishing Tree as well as my own personal page. So if you would like to add me as a friend then please feel free and become a fan too. You can also share this with friends who you think may be interested.
So more about the new stock….I am working at getting some of it on the website, so those of you who are website customers from further afield, can also be part of the fun.
Jellycat have brought out some New Lines and we have quite a few of them, loads of Bunnies just in time for Easter, so forget the chocolate eggs and get the kids a Scrummy Bunny instead, check out the Special Editions on the website and in the shop.
We are seeing an increasing number of Children in the shop now, yes we are child friendly, bring the little ones in, we have a new range of affordable, pocket money jewellery for children, both boys and girls, good quality and just what the kids love, loads of choice. Prices start at 69p.
Fab new range of Greetings Cards, and some wickedly funny fridge magnets for 99p too.
Saving the best till last….Megga Lots of new Fashion Jewellery, just what we all want now, chunky wooden beads in bright colours, button beads, bright coloured shell pieces, loads of bracelets too, charm style and chunky, fashion earings….it’s endless. has been very popular so far and easy to find something to compliment every outfit. Still doing lots of the Silver, Gemstone and Amber ranges too.
OK then that’s enough from me….go put the kettle on and think about it all.
Quick reminder to those who have been thinking of having a party, give me a call and make a date, there has never been a better time to book your slot as we have so much to offer you and your friends
Love and Light as always
Olivia
xx

Do You Need a Smudge Stick? Wish I’d Never Asked!!

thewishingtree — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:51:51 +0000

can't get by with out one

After listing our new stock of Smudge Sticks online in our website shop, bright spark here thought….”I’ll just Twitter the link with a little Question…..Do you need a smudge stick?? “ Ever get that thought….”wish I’d never asked”….that was the one….My Twitter account automatically posts to My Facebook profile…..where I have an assortment of Friends, Family, Customers and Business Networking buddies….There’s also a saying “your friends will never let you down”….they didn’t. The comments on my Facebook profile made me chuckle big time….

“Er, dunno what I have done all my life without one!! Lol….”….you need a little bit of edg-u-m-catin my darlin…..

“Will it rub out the bits I don;t like?”….a bit closer to the mark but not in the same context I thought.

So I set about the task of enlightening the slightly under informed, in the hope that we have a rush on the new stock….lol!!

On the back of the very informative packaging is written…..these smudge sticks are made with sage from New Mexico. All sticks are wrapped with 100% cotton yarn for safe and healthful burning. Each ingredient is concidered a sacred herb used for centuries by Native Americans in their “smudging” ceremonies. Smudging is the name given to the burning of these herbs for the purposes of cleansing and sending out prayers. Today people are smudging to recieve the benifits known to generations of our Native American Brothers and Sisters. ….How to use….Light the end of the sage stick and when it is fully ignited, extinguish the flame and direct the smoke around yourself, another person or around the room. You can use a feather to direct the smoke, this is the prefered method, to purify the energy. The smoke from your sage stick may also be directed as an invocation honoring the four directions, The Father, Sun and The Mother Earth (Father Mother God). When you have completed your smudging extinguish your stick completely and allow to cool.

So in answer to the Question Do You Need a Smudge Stick..? Of course you do…..

If you pop into The Wishing Tree sometime we can give you a full demo and you can see and feel the benifits. We also stock other things with the Native American Theme, as well as other spiritual, mystical and magical items. Always happy to share advice too.

Love and Light

Olivia

A Little Bit of Puppy Love in the Morning

thewishingtree — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 11:28:39 +0000

: Love me love my dog

It’s a super sunny morning where we are just now, if it’s the same for you then no excuse but to throw back the duvet and spring into action. If you are a dog owner what better than a refreshing early morning walk in the crisp cold frost??……Ahhhh… I can think of several things…..like a nice hot cuppa coffee, back in the warmth of my nice cosy bed….ha ha!!!! you go walk the blasted dog….I’m stoppin here!!!

My ideal dog would be one that could be content with a quick sniff round the back garden while the kettle boiled, followed by a few dog biscuits at the bottom of the bed, while I curled up with a good book and thought about getting up later. Afternoon walks would be my strong point. Hmmmm….thats possibly why I have cats and not dogs….they are so much more understanding. I am however thinking about a new cannine addition to the family and have pondered over different breeds to suit our lifestyle. She would have to be small (she…you may ask?? Hey we already have too much testosterone in this house….I ain’t bringing any more in). She would need to be tollerant of small boys, cats, and noise. She would never be lonely as I could bring her to work with me and have her here in the shop, where she would be able to set up her own little home from home as I do. Perfect….or is it? I still ain’t convinced so a dog is still a “yes we’ll get a dog when the time is right” kinda thought.

I have been wavering just lately though with all the new stock of Puppy Dog Collectables coming into the shop. They are all now loaded onto the website along with the Ceramic Relief Mugs, also in a selection of Breeds. They make great gifts for all sorts of occassions, so take a peek and see if there’s one there for you.

Guess I better get shifted now, Hey??

Happy dog walking you lot…..I may be joining you for a stroll when the weather gets a bit warmer….

Paws for a look at the website

Love and Light

Olivia

Snow Joke But Give Us a Kiss Anyway!!!

thewishingtree — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:05:50 +0000

don't let the weather stop you kissing

It has been Snowing again, just in case you hadn’t opened the curtains and realised it yet. Don’t let that stop you feeling all warm and romantic though, Tuesday marks the first day of February and that means only 2 weeks til the Weekend of Love. Valentines is the perfect time to fill your home with hearts, forget the Red Roses they’re far too expensive, Hearts are one of our specialities. Create the mood with something from our loving selection, Hearts always available Online and in Store so no excuses. Us girls always like something sparkly in a box, so get your mind above your navel chaps and think a bit more along the lines of this little number. You might be thinking that this is a little bit early for Valentines Shopping, are you one of those last minite Guys?? Now that could be taken in more than one context too, but keep it clean please!! So back to that Snowy weather I was talking about….maybe a holiday in the sun woud be a perfect idea to warm you up on this chilly willy morning, so get your little shivering body out from under the covers and do something about it. Just as a little hint for the lucky lover you could wrap up a little pressie like this one maybe??

Anyway…..have lots of fun in the Snow today and keep The Wishing Tree in mind when you do decide to get the Perfect Gift sorted, if you live local to our Shop in Long Stratton Norfolk, we are gonna be having an Open Night on Wednesday 10th of Feb, so come along and give us a look. We will be giving away the ususal free glass of wine and we have a special chance for you to get your Love Predictions read by our Favorite Tarot Lady. More Details to follow on that one.

Chill Willy Snowy Wishes then, Bye for now…

Olivia