On the table in the conservatory of Marianne Design’s villa Apeldoorn are plastic containers with sketches, drawings and examples. This is the collection under construction for the month of September. And no, he is not allowed to photograph. “Otherwise, it’s already on AliExpress before it’s in stores here,” says founder Marianne Perlot (68).
Crafts teacher at fair trade school
He shows how times have changed for his work. Perlot says: “My first book was published in 1989: Making decorative dolls from fabric and yarn. In a short time 160,000 copies were sold. Everyone had such a baby hanging in a glass ball,” she says. The publisher was enthusiastic and asked him to write another one.
In the years that followed dozens of books appeared with a wide variety of ideas for crafts and hobbies. “In total, about a million copies have been sold,” says Perlot. “Initially I also worked as a crafts teacher at the fairground school here in Apeldoorn. And I was a notary’s clerk. After this first book, I left it to focus on writing full weather forecasts.”
Brochures were the springboard for Perlot to start her own company. He worked for years with two wholesalers for which he designed entertainment products. It received royalties for the illustrations and accompanying booklets. “These collaborations have become increasingly loose. I now supply fifteen wholesalers. Four in the Netherlands, the rest worldwide: Canada, Australia, South Africa.”
insert correctly
The products it supplies range from cutting sheets and cutting templates to clear stamps, stencils and printed paper. Perlot says you won’t see these in sale boxes or Action. “I don’t sell to shoppers. When I run out of stock, I make candy bags for shopkeepers. I refuse to stand in such a white bookstore. Gucci is not with Hema either.”
Over the years he has brought amateurs to the Netherlands with all kinds of techniques. Ornare for example: piercing with a drill, but not for hand-eye coordination, but to get a nice pattern. “Not many people can sew very neatly, so I’ve already made metal templates with holes in them. The needle can only go one way and it creates a very nice pattern.”
In the 1990s there was a dedicated team of volunteers who gave demo evenings at hardware stores. Perlot took care of the supplies, the shopkeeper gave them a voucher or money. “They loved it,” Perlot recalls. “This can now all be done via video via the internet. It’s like asking questions. We have such an enthusiastic fan base that we don’t have to answer questions ourselves on our Facebook page. Plus, they dive.”
For a long time he did not publish any booklets with models, examples and techniques. “The internet has taken over everything. Blogging, vlogging. We have another magazine that comes out four times a year. You used to spend your days at trade fairs, now everything is online.”
You can throw a greeting card
With Marianne Design she now focuses on greeting cards in all kinds of variations. “A large painting, embroidery, pillows: fun to do, but who do you give all this to? And who wants to keep all this? But a greeting card, a few weeks later you’re done with it and throw out a legit one. Nobody cares.
It launches about 25 new designs and products every month. “People often invest years in hobby items, which I try to build on. For example, that a design from three or four years ago would fit very well there. A lot of things stay good, no metal molds.” It wears off very quickly.”
He currently designs a small part of the collection himself and also collaborates with many independent designers. Perlot says it was a conscious choice. “If you’ve had your own business all those years, it’s still your business. I have preferences, I have a certain style, at some point you have to expand that. I can’t do everything remotely.”
No punishment for working
“His” self-employed people enjoy great freedom. “I’m not really going to check everything or ask for an explanation if they give up a certain hour for their work. I’m not going to argue for hourly wages either. What are you worth? .If they don’t send an 80-hour weekly bill, they will. Impossible, they would never waste that much time.
Perlot still works four days a week. “I’ve wanted to work one day less since I was sixty, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I don’t think there is a penalty for working; Being able to motivate and inspire me always makes me very happy. people. †
Craftsmanship connects people
He employs three people, including his bride. “He started updating and maintaining the website, but is now taking care of everything. And very sensitive, just like me. We wear a lot of hats together: buying, selling, accounting. I have all the logistics services, it’s great. It costs a bit, but my main job is to invent new things.
Perlot says that crafting teaches you to think creatively. “Because you have to make do with what you have. Being able to do things with your hands isn’t bad. Many people abhor it, but if you can’t hang a painting because you don’t know. vehicles, where are you?”
He gives meaning to the days of many people. “There are many people who are stuck at home, unable to work, but have a lot of fun blogging and learning techniques from others. If a hobby means a lot to you, it connects people.”
Source: RTL
Smith Charles is a talented entertainment journalist and author at The Nation View. He has a passion for all things entertainment and writes about the latest movies, TV shows, music, and celebrity news. He’s known for his in-depth interviews with actors, musicians, and other industry figures, and his ability to provide unique perspectives on the entertainment industry.
