Bunnies, toys, yoga…. Handmade…. Wellbeing…. Watch this space!

In this feature, I am happy to introduce you all to Charlotte. the owner of Cottontails Baby. She is a Herefordshire based woman in her 40s living pretty much in the middle of nowhere on a little small holding with two goats, seven runner ducks and – of course – the beloved Ralph, her house rabbit. She went to university in York and studied sociology. Since then she worked mainly in retail one way or another. Six years ago she went ‘back to school’ to train as a yoga teacher – and now her life is a mixture of yoga and Cottontails. Here's the interview:

How did the idea for Cottontails come up?

I had been working in retail since university, and didn’t really know where to take it. For several years I worked at Waterstone’s, the bookshop (I ran the children’s department in my branch – which I loved). I didn’t much fancy the ‘management track’ and moving around the country and eventually decided to take the plunge and open my own little high street shop. It was in a small market town, and I didn’t have a great deal of money – about a thousand pounds in savings, and a bank loan for a few thousand more. I had originally planned a more general gift shop – with lots of linen, candles, that kind of thing – and a nursery section. But the town I wanted to move to already had a few gift shops – but didn’t have a nursery/baby shop. So I reworked the plan and opened a (very small) shop selling baby and children’s gifty things – a mixture of clothes, nursery accessories and toys.

After a couple of years I launched a website to go with the high street shop – that was back in 2005 before everyone and his dog were selling things online! It quickly became apparent that the toys were the heart of the online business – and the Cottontails website as it exists today began to emerge.

After a few years of running the high street shop and website side by side (with a lot of help from my lovely mum, in the shop) I made the decision to move to Herefordshire, where I live now, close the high street shop and focus on building the online shop.

Are you the woman behind all your creations?

Gosh no – but that is the direction I want to take it in.

Everything has changed a lot for me in the past five years, and gradually (if only I had more time) Cottontails is morphing into a more handmade place.

Up until a couple of years ago, I was simply a retailer – I bought and sold. After years of trial and error and planning, I finally launched a small range of handmade rabbits – and this is where I want to develop things.

Looking at your website, we see a large range of gifts/ items from mice to cookies, can you take us through it all?

Actually the website is in a TERRIBLE state at the moment!

You have caught me in a period of flux as I do several things:

a) Teach more yoga so have less time for Cottontails

b) Try to create and introduce more handmade items

c) Inevitably let go of a lot of the existing lines….

So, things are a bit threadbare and a terrible mess at the moment.

The main thing is I am moving away from retailing the bigger toy brands – especially Maileg – and also cut down a lot on Moulin Roty. This feels really sad for me as I have been selling these toys for seventeen years - BUT there are literally hundreds of competitors now and I simply hate the way everyone undercuts one another and it’s all about the cheapest price, free postage and ‘an extra 10% off!’. I can’t compete – and don’t want to.

So my plan is to keep a small range of bought toys but focus on the handmade stuff. As I say – I am in the process of developing this and it’s a bit of a mess!

My plan is to make lots more handmade rabbits, with various outfits and accessories to go with them. Then to introduce a little range of wellbeing items – so I can tie Cottontails with my yoga life. So it will be about play / happiness/wellbeing – with a mixture of bunnies, toys, some yoga bits and – definitely – some yoga bunnies! (In little yoga outfits, with mats and tiny bolsters and things!)

Do you have a personal favourite among your work?

In terms of the toys I have been selling for years and years, it is the Moulin Roty Grand Family animals. I love them. In terms of the things I make myself – I am still playing/developing. Can you ask me this again in twelve months?

Does your field change throughout the year, do you create certain items for certain seasons?

It’s pretty constant, with the addition of little fabric decorations for Christmas.

When do you first discover you have some very creative genes?

I don’t really feel I do! I love making plans and ideas… I’m not that great at manifesting them. I am a real perfectionist though – so when I do make things, I like them to be just right. This probably holds me in good stead.

You are also a yoga teacher, can you tell us about that?

Yes!

The original plan was to use yoga teaching to supplement my Cottontails income, but over the past five years, the yoga business has grown and grown and is now a far bigger part of my life. This is nice I guess, but it takes an awful lot out of me and I long to have more time for Cottontails again, and to be able to work more on that side of the business. Truth be told I am happier working on my own – and whilst I do love yoga and all my students – I am naturally a solitary person and love the fact that I can be on my own at home for the Cottontails stuff. Or rather, with Ralph!

How do you see your projects expand over the next years?

I think I covered this pretty much a couple of questions back… basically, I would like to evolve into a much more handmade website, selling rabbits and some little wellbeing bits – creating an online shop that reflects my life. I know that sounds a bit mad but I have come up with a way of doing it / integrating it all….

Can you tell us the best experience all this has ever brought you?

Back in 2012 I had an amazing Christmas. Ages ago right! But it was so, so busy and it felt really lovely. Other highlights were making my little Cottontails Book, launching my first handmade rabbits.

Do you have an advice for others, who are pondering on some creative ideas?

Oh gosh no – I really don’t feel very creative and certainly wouldn’t dream of thinking I could help anyone else in this way. I need help and advice myself I think!!!

Ps I feel I haven’t mentioned Ralph enough. He is my little rock and I want bunnies to be at the heart of taking Cottontails forward into a more handmade realm.

So – bunnies, toys, yoga…. Handmade…. Wellbeing…. Watch this space!