Lucy — PaperLuce
#SWMamasThatCan is all about mums supporting mums. It’s about celebrating and showcasing amazing #SWLondon mums and their independent businesses as well as the amazing and talented ladies they are.

What inspired you to start your own business?
I’ve been a stay at home mum for 11 years and a home educator for 5. A mixture of my daughters’ increasing independence and a need to do something for myself led me to start looking for fulfilment outside of my home. I began by reading self-development books, which eventually gave me the impetus and confidence I needed to start my own business. I’ve always been creative and love a bit of paper craft so to go into paper cutting felt like a natural step.
Mental health and female empowerment are two issues that are close to my heart so I love that I can use my papercut design to get my messages out into the world. I feel that children in particular have such a raw deal in terms of mental health that I donate 10% of my profits on children’s papercuts to Mind. It feels really good to be making a difference, even if it’s quite small at the moment!
What challenges / hurdles have you faced?
Balancing the needs of my family with my business is a day to day challenge; I’ve also had an uphill climb learning about Etsy, social media marketing, product photography and developing a business mindset; but by far the hardest challenge (which I’m still working on) is having the courage to market myself. I’m a massive introvert so it takes a lot for me to put myself out there and blow my own trumpet!

What do you like best about your job?
Where do I start?! As I work from home I can choose my hours to suit my family; I love that I’m my own boss, and I love connecting to and learning from other entrepreneurs online. However, the biggest satisfaction comes when a customer buys a papercut that really resonates with them — their reviews make all the hard work worthwhile.
Tell me a Mama That Can story…
Starting a business has changed me inside and out — I realised that I couldn’t home educate and run a business without looking after myself first — I wouldn’t have the energy! So each day I make sure that I do some sort of exercise, I eat healthy food, I journal and listen to a self-development book.. I’m so much more confident in myself and my abilities as a result. I started my business less than a year ago and I think it’s fair to say I’m not the same person that I was before.
Top 3 tips for other SW Mamas That Can?
- Don’t wait for things to be perfect — they never will be — do it now!
- Find a community, online or IRL, that understands what you’re going through and can give support.
- It sounds cheesy but ‘enjoy the journey’. If you don’t enjoy what you do then the end result will be less meaningful.
Do you have any Real Mama Moments to Share?
I remember a few months ago I ran a very successful flash sale and got a heap of orders in. However, the next day both my daughters came down with a vomiting virus! That made for a rather exhausting few days. They only wanted me for comfort but with my husband’s support we made it through. The orders even got dispatched on time! Sometimes when I’m up to my neck in work I can just look back on that vomiting weekend and realise that things aren’t that bad…
Any upcoming events?
I have a few new product launches coming up, including a brand new line which will be out in the next month: Kindness Cards! They’re based on the random acts of kindness idea — and the cards will be something that the whole family can enjoy.

Favourite item / product?
My ‘A wise woman once said’ papercut. It’s my bestseller and I have one framed in my bedroom: it makes me chuckle every day…
Follow PaperLuce
If you are a #SWMamaThatCan and would like to feature in our campaign, please do get in touch swmamasthatcan@gmail.com or via our social media accounts.
