A lifetime of making has led us here...

From when I was a tiny tot, I loved to cut, snip & make.

 For my 6th birthday, I was presented with a large cardboard box filled with crepe paper, glue & scissors*. Mum had put it together for me & I LOVED it. It didn’t cost much, but so much effort & thought had gone into it

Fortunately my parents were hugely supportive of my creative pursuits and they actively sought out extra-curricular art classes, some of which were at Glasgow Art School. As a chronic introvert, attending classes was the last thing I wanted to do, but mum knew when to push just enough.

At school, I didn't actually take Higher Art, instead I chose Latin (still don't regret it - I know, honestly, I don't), and carried on with art in my own time. When I said I wanted to spend 4 years studying at Edinburgh Art College, my parents didn't skip a beat, and supported it 100%.

It's a precious privilege to be able to spend years studying art, design & craft.

My family, tease me mercilessly about the trials and tribulations of all that colouring in and rubbing out. But truthfully, it taught me so much.

When real life really got into it's stride, true creativity had to get put to one side whilst work, raising a family & paying bills took priority.

But it's a curious thing...

... if you are a maker at heart, you'll find a way.

Gardening, flower arranging, cooking & drawing became a more accessible way of flexing that creative muscle.

Creating brooches, cuffs & collars from hand stitched beads & found objects were easy to pick up & put down.

Finding a place to work could be a challenge.

Whilst pregnant with our first child, I had an actual bona fide studio in Stockwell, London. Shared studio spaces are the Promised Land, and rare...oh so rare once you leave the big cities. Also, they need to be paid for, which is a luxury. So ever since my slightly damp studio in Stockwell, I've carved out a space wherever I can at home.

Over the years, I've worked in the strangest of places, mostly next to washing machines, bins & lawnmowers.

You see, my background is jewellery making, which is a noisy, messy business.

More recently, I've re-discovered different making projects which can be done around the kitchen table, where it's warm and toasty, and not next to bins.

And that's when I realised, what to me is completely normal, others have never had the opportunity to try.

In boxes & cupboards, I have tools & materials to make lovely things, allowing you to lose yourself for a few hours whilst tinkering at the kitchen table.

After over 40 years of making, I'm keen to share all that I have learned, and help make your day a little bit brighter.

*my love for scissors hasn't faded... they must be sharp & there must be plenty of them.