By now you have all seen this small business pop up a few times on my Instagram account. This creative queen and I have developed a beautiful professional relationship and a growing personal one.
Bojangles Bazar has been a part of the CannaCraft fayre for 2 events and returning to the Spring 2022 fayre as a sponsor of our virtual event. They will also be joining me in the flesh at the brand new Pop Up Market that's happening in my family B&B in Pembroke at the end of March.
Its always a pleasure to the senses when opening a box from Bojangles. I have felt nothing but love from this badass babe.
Lets stop waffling and get down to the main body of the article...
What is your business? What do you sell/create/distribute?
I make and sell jewellery and have more recently started sourcing and selling the best crystals Mother Nature has blessed us with. As well as a range of incense, incense holders, spell candles and things of the like!
What inspired you to start your business? What makes it unique to you? I have Stretched Lobes and couldn't find any jewellery similar to that for pierced Lobes in the UK. It was rare to see statement pieces or dangling beauties I was used to wearing before I stretched them. I decided to start making my own as I had always made jewellery as a hobby in the past. I made the decision to start selling on Etsy however I was nervous to launch my products so I sourced some top quality brass pieces direct from makers across the globe so that the stock was in the UK and you could order and receive delivery within a few days, rather than waiting weeks for international shipping. This gave me the courage to launch as my pieces were blended in and it wasn't as scary putting my work out there.
I like to think I bring my unique quirkiness to the world via my products. For a long time I worked a job that required a very Conservative dress sense, so my only way to express myself was with the jewellery I wore. I love crystal jewellery for the properties they carry and their beauty. And I also love big bold statement pieces that allow you to express your true self and have some fun with how you dress.
I'm a big fan of bright bold colours, mixing textures and clashing prints!
Where did the name Bojangles come from? What is the story behind that? How long have you been in business?
We have a rescue dog whose name was Alfie when we adopted him. We found ourselves always calling him Alfie Bojangles and Mr Bojangles. When we were launching the shop we spent hours trying to decide on a name. Bojangles Bazar just had a great ring to it and once I had it in my head I couldn't shake it. I started with 20 products in draft on Etsy and wasn't sure when to launch. I’ve always been a little superstitious in the past but I had reached a point in 2018 where I was fully taking ownership for everything that happened to me so I launched on Friday 13th. I had two sales in the 1st day and I just knew this is what I wanted to be doing for ever. The world has changed so much since then but my love and passion for the brand has remained the same. I now have over 200 products on Etsy.
Have you always been drawn to crystals? What attracts you to them? The first crystals I ever bought were in the gift shop after a school trip to the National Coal Mining Museum. I bought a bag of fools gold nuggets and a bag of mixed gemstone chips and I’ve been obsessed ever since. I love beach combing and always have random stones and crystals in my pockets and bag. They all have a different meaning and purpose and bring me a lot of comfort. I have crystals that motivate and inspire me and crystals that calm me down and help me relax. I love watching youtube videos of crystal mining and being mesmerised by nature's natural beauty. There’s nothing more special than when I discover a rainbow within a crystal! I have a very overactive mind but gazing into a rainbow filled crystal clears my mind like nothing else, I find it therapeutic for my soul.
What's your top 3 best selling items?
My top seller is my mystery crystal packs. They start at £5 upwards and you receive a selection of pieces totalling over the value you paid. Each piece arrives with an information card so it's perfect for beginners and collectors alike.
My random earrings are always popular too. No two pieces are the same and it seems a lot of you love something a bit odd as much as I do.
They're really fun to make. I just get lots of pieces together with no plan and just see what happens.
Ear Weights are the reason I started the business and I’m pleased to say they're still my biggest sellers. I’m really excited to trade at Tattoo
Conventions this year and bring my stretched lobe jewellery to such a big audience.
What's YOUR favourite thing you sell?
My favourite thing to sell is specialised sets. I really enjoy putting together packs for set intentions. I have two new products launching this year. The first is a Chakra Gift Set and the second a Modern Day Witches Box. You can also message me for personalised sets for yourself or as gifts, I work to all budgets and create something special.
Where can we find your business?
My Etsy Shop is:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BojanglesBazar
I also have a Depop:
https://www.depop.com/bojanglesbazar
My Crystal Website is:
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/bojanglesbazar
https://instagram.com/thecrystalcrypt
What do you hope to achieve with your business in the future?
I plan to do more live Instagram sales this year so make sure you're following. I want to become a travelling seller. My partner is going to convert our van into a travelling shop so we can bring the magic to you to hand select for yourself.
I'm also looking forward to attending more pop up shops and markets. I have two coming up in March one being alongside the amazing Buddy Mary and Yos Houze on 26th - 27th March in Pembrokeshire.
I'm also going to have a stall at two tattoo conventions this year which has been a dream of mine for such a long time. Tattoo Tea Party in Manchester and Leeds Tattoo Expo. I hope I get to meet some more of you lovely people at some upcoming events.
You’re in the process of kitting out your van to travel, where are you currently based? What's your local area?
We're currently based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. It’s got a bad rep but I love it, there's so many beautiful places to walk my dogs.
Do you do many markets local to you? I actually struggled to get accepted at Markets for a long time. They're a great way to meet people but it seems you need to be well established to be accepted in most places. That's why things like the virtual CannaCraft Fayre are amazing. They give new and small businesses a great platform and opportunity to get themselves out there. I did my first ever pop-up shop at my brother's house. He has a beautiful back garden with a stream running through and it seemed like the perfect place to showcase what my shop is all about. It was a great success and I really enjoyed seeing all the products out on display, I felt proud of what I have built. My favourite part was meeting customers. The closest I've had before is being tagged on social media and reading your reviews and seeing your photos. To see your reactions in the flesh was a whole new level of magic that warmed my heart so much.
Since then I have been a regular at @TheYorkshirePopUpClub and been successful in securing more events. I would love to be able to do at least one every month.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. I am so looking forward to our Pop up Market in March. You can also catch Bojangles sponsoring the Spring CannaCraft virtual fayre end of March/beginning of April.
A MASSIVE thank you for the stunning Galentine's Day gift box you sent me. You can check out my Unboxing video on YouTube here.
Don't forget you can get 20% off Bojangles shops with BUDDY20
You can get 10% off Buddy Mary's website with BOJANGLESBAZAR at checkout which isn't just 10% off for yourselves but 10% commission goes into Bojangles pocket! Spread that love.
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