An Interview with .... Nanuk Jewellery

Published in Issue 19, October 2012

Tell us about the lady behind Nanuk Jewellery 

My name is Louise, and I set up Nanuk Jewellery about 3 years ago to start selling my own hand made jewellery designs. I studied Silversmithing, Goldsmithing and Jewellery at Kent Institute of Art and Design, and a couple of years after I finished my degree I began to make and sell my own work.

When did first begin creating your designs, and why? 

I have always enjoyed making things and trying new crafts, and eventually got into beading and jewellery-making, but Nanuk jewellery really kicked off once I left university. After some time working for a local jeweller’s and making a few pieces for people in my spare time, I set up on my own making and selling my designs.

What is it that you enjoy about your work?

I love being able to make the ideas in my head into actual objects – although they often end up quite different from the original idea! – and seeing people wear and love something I have created. I especially love to work on commissions, when I have designed something especially for that person.

What is your biggest crafting achievement, and why? 

I have been very pleased with some of the wedding jewellery I have been lucky enough to work on lately. I also recently made a moongazing hare pendant which someone had asked for, and I was thrilled with how it turned out (as was the customer!), so much so that I am planning to make some more, including my Nanuk bear in a similar design.

Other than your crafting, what else do you like to do?

If I’m not making jewellery, I’m usually making something else! I love to draw with pen and ink, making cards and decorating notebooks and things, and I am hoping to begin introducing some of these into my Nanuk range. Other than that, I love to read when I have time, and get out and about taking the dog for walks.

If you had to choose your favourite from your creations which one would it be?

I tend to switch favourites whenever I come up with a new idea I like! However, I think my Leaf Dragons, the pendants and earrings, are my all-time favourite designs, and I would like to create some new dragon-themed ideas.

Where does your inspiration come from? 

I get most of my inspiration from the illustrated books of fairy tales I had whilst I was growing up, featuring the work of artists such as Kay Nielsen and Edmund Dulac. I love all the detail and colour, and I like to use a lot of stones and beads and wire-wrapped details to represent this in my work. I am also inspired by the stories themselves, which had led to the mythical creatures and dragons featured in some of my work.

If you could change one thing about what you do, what would it be?

I would definitely get someone to do my finishing for me! All the emerying and polishing can be time-consuming, and very fiddly on some of the more intricate designs.

Do you have a favourite website?

My favourite site at the moment is probably Folksy (http://folksy.com), which I sell my work through. There are some amazingly talented people selling their work on there, and so many beautiful things, I have to try not to get too distracted browsing through them!

Has any person helped or supported you more than any other?

My family and friends have all been very supportive of my endeavours, but my sister in particular is my biggest fan. She is always willing to tell everyone about my work, and she has helped me with craft fairs and by letting me bounce ideas off her.

Tell us a random fact about yourself!

I have a slightly freaky ability for remembering completely random/useless facts and words – very helpful for crosswords!!

Find Nanuk Jewellery here:

Website: http://www.nanukjewellery.co.uk/

Folksy shop: http://folksy.com/shops/NanukJewellery

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/NanukJewellery

It's Christmas!

Published in Issue 19, October 2012

Written by Tracey Kifford

www.wowthankyou.co.uk

It's Christmas!

In the immortal words of Slade’s Noddy Holder ‘Are you hanging up your stocking on your wall?’ Well, fairenough if you aren’t, but for the craft designers among us now is the time for making preparations for the festive season. The watchword is to start early; taking a leaf out of the supermarkets book, late August/early September is the time to start. You need to decide what your best selling items are, build up your stock, plan for craft fairs and markets, source packaging and raw materials early so that you don’t run out and press gang as much help as possible. Remember the run up to the holiday season is when customers come out of the woodwork and spend, spend, spend. Just think when you’ve sold out your entire stock and counted the profits you can sit back, pour a drink and take a well-earned rest over the Christmas holiday! Maybe it’s not quite as cut and dried as that but you can still dream J WowThankYou asked a group of sellers what their Christmas preparations are like – when do they start preparing and what the pitfalls are. 

The talented Samantha of Manfymoo produces delightful purses and bags with cow and pig prints and she has written a little poem to sum up the Christmas experience for busy craft designer/makers everywhere…

Christmas is a busy time for us crafters,
Attending craft fairs with my fellow grafters.
Hoping customers will spend lots of pennies,
Bags of sewing, wrapping and sending.
All my goodies are delivered by Royal Mail,
So let’s hope there will not be too much wind and hail.
Drink Milk with Santa and leave a carrot for Roo,
Make someone smile at Christmas with Manfymoo!
Samantha Wallbank – Manfymoo


ChicnTrendy’s Helene and Suzi have a love for natural products, producing a range of painted wooden and pottery products as well as felt and hessian bags. Christmas is one of their busiest times of the year. Helene explained how they prepare for the Christmas rush.

We start thinking about Christmas in earnest during early September as that is when we spend a week together on a sort of craft retreat in France. There are just two of us as well as my husband and dogs so no intrusions just time to spend thinking, planning and crafting – sharing hints and tips we have found in our experimentation/product development from earlier in the year. 

Our main preparation is planning what to make especially for Christmas – this year 
(2012) we will offer more products in hand made felt including bags, a new range of decorated and gold leafed glass and a larger range of natural wreaths and Christmas decorations. At this point we also plan which Christmas Fairs to attend – based on last year’s experiences which were pretty positive (we have only been trading for just over a year). In fact our success at the Christmas Fairs last year was an impetus for us to take it more seriously and now we have also taken to using a number of craft website to sell our items as well. We have realised though that our product range is best appreciated when it can be touched and seen in detail. The disadvantage of this is that we have to attend the fairs in person and as much of our product is breakable and heavy (pottery and now glass) we spend hours packing and unpacking at arrival and departure from the various venues.  


One of the main differences about our Christmas prep compared to the rest of the year is planning the logistics of the targeted Christmas Fairs as we do not go to fairs during the rest of the year. This year will also involve setting up a special Christmas section in our on-line shops with Christmas specific gifts and decorations and we will be doing this during October. Another new idea is to start offering small ‘make-it-yourself’ parties and workshops locally to us during October and November.

Sandra of Sandy Mitchell Jewellery produces some fantastic contemporary necklaces, brooches and bracelets. One of her best times of the year for sales is Christmas and here she shares her preparations in the lead up to festive season. 

As a designer and maker of contemporary jewellery who sells both wholesale and retail I have to start thinking of Christmas back in August when most people are lying on a beach sipping a cocktail! I send out a newsletter to the shops and galleries who stock my work in September and then start my retail promotions via events, exhibitions and through my website at the end of September. 

I usually offer some kind of incentive to customers to place an order early - such as 10% off for orders placed before the end of October or free shipping. This makes a huge difference and spreads the work out more evenly in the months before Christmas. 

I usually end up working on individual orders right up until about 10 days before Christmas – there is no point in taking orders beyond that because you are then at the mercy of the Post Office! 

I try to design something 'sparkly' for this time of year or something that will go with the LBD (little black dress) to wear at parties. Last year my best seller was a Christmas Sparkle Bracelet – this year I am launching a Christmas Sparkle Sphere Necklace.

By about 18th December I start to wind down and I usually take my holidays over Christmas and New Year as a well-deserved break.

Catherine of Little Memories Keepsakes produces a fabulous range of keepsake jewellery including finger, hand and paw print cufflinks and key rings and pendants. Here she explains how Christmas is different to other times of the year for sales and work and how her craft business fits into her busy schedule.  
Typically my keepsake business toddles along for much of the year with a relatively steady turnover each month. January is quiet along with the summer holidays and during these periods I only get a smattering of orders (which suits me as I have two boys at home). I set up my business nearly three years ago and on average I make 60% of my entire annual turnover between September and December.

 I now make sure that by the time it gets to mid-September I've ordered all the business stationery I'm likely to need (to give out at events) and have ordered as much stock as I can afford. The last thing you need when you've got 15 pairs of cufflinks to make is to be thinking about ordering promotional postcards and gift boxes on a three week lead time!  I keep my social calendar as clear as possible without offending anyone.  The last two Christmases I've tried to take orders right up until mid-December and it's meant late nights and early mornings to ensure the work gets finished in time. 

I used to attend events all year round, now I concentrate mainly on September to November with a couple chucked in around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  If you're at an event lasting 5 hours there are inevitably quiet periods so I try to plan my work in the run up to the event so I can take bits and pieces of jewellery that need polishing by hand with me.  Plus I use these quiet periods to arrange appointments and contact customers about finished jewellery so that no time is wasted!

This year should feel slightly easier as my youngest is now in nursery every day so I'll have some more ‘free’ time to turnaround the jewellery. Of course I still need to find the time for my other part time job, housework, Christmas shopping and running the house! January is then for updating the website, doing my tax return and booking our summer holiday with the profits! 

Laura of Kozmic Dreams produces a brilliant range of knitted owls and cats as well as some fantastic baby hats. Here she explains how Christmas affects her work schedule and what she has to do to make the festive season a success for her. 

Most crafters think about Christmas on and off all year round, which can be quite disconcerting when we're in the middle of Summer! I tend to attend a lot of local craft fairs from September onwards and sell a wider range of goodies to include hats, scarves and stocking fillers. 

I try to target as wide a range of potential customers as I can. I have lovely postcards that promote my goods and lead everyone to my WowThankYou shop. I love going to craft fairs as well as selling online; the Christmas fairs usually have a great atmosphere and even if I don't sell anything, I love chatting to other crafters. It's also the best way to do some market research and get feedback on my products. People also tend to pick up my postcards and hopefully this leads to future sales. 

Beverley of Just Bev Soaps loves Christmas but has to start preparations in the middle of the year to keep up with her sales and craft fair commitments during the festive season. Here she explains how she manages her time and resources. 

Christmas for me begins in August if not July. In July I have to think about what I am going to make and from what. August is the month I need to make soap. All cold press soaps have to dry for four to six weeks before being sold anyway and so that is one of the big hurdles for me. Around this time I also have to source fragrances from suppliers and that can be a big delay if their Christmas ranges are not ready.

I sell at farmers markets and fairs quite regularly throughout the year and so around about September time I take samples of Christmas products to gauge what my regular customers need for Christmas. September is also a time for wrapping and making up boxes/bags/

baskets etc. ready to sell. When we get into November we have so many fairs that we really do not have time to make new products or wrap gift boxes anyway. I also make sure to look back at the previous year’s sales so that we are stocking our previous Christmas best sellers. One of our biggest winners at Christmas has always been chocolate orange soap made with real chocolate! This I demonstrated at a fair two weeks ago and people were amazed that we actually used real fair-trade chocolate!

So there you have it. How do you prepare for Christmas? Start early with your preparations, plan your work load accordingly, go to some selected craft fairs to sell and fly the flag. Make sure you have enough reserves of stock to cover the Christmas rush and above all keep smiling and have a drink or two, you deserve it.  

May we be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas from the WowThankYou team 

An Interview with ... Auli'i Beads

Published in Issue 19, October 2012

Tell us about the lady behind Auli’i Beads 
So, a bit about me ... I've always loved jewellery and you could frequently hear "not more bracelets? " being said in my general vicinity. A colleague asked just how many bracelets etc I had, as I always seemed to have different ones on and they always seemed to be colour co-ordinated with whatever I was wearing. What can I say I like jewellery!

When did first begin creating your designs, and why?
I began creating my designs in the last 18 months. I'd bought some beading elastic to repair a bracelet which had broken and had quite a bit left over. I was going out and I just couldn't find a bracelet to go with the outfit I was wearing and I remembered the left over elastic. I decided to get some beads and make myself a bracelet as I'd be able to get exactly what I wanted then. I was pretty much hooked after that.


What is it that you enjoy about your work?
I've always wanted to be creative but really didn't think I had it in me until I started making bracelets and getting positive comments. I love designing new items. There isn't anything about it I don't like (expect having too many ideas at one time).

What is your biggest crafting achievement, and why?
I think my biggest achievement to date has been making a bracelet for a friend's boyfriend. It was one of the first woven bracelets I'd made, so I was a bit nervous. Not only that but it was the first time I'd made something for a man, my designs are usually for women. The bracelet was a surprise for my friend's boyfriend and I'm pleased to say he was delighted with it.

Other than your crafting, what else do you like to do?
Other than crafting I love watching films, reading and I'm a big Rugby League fan.


If you had to choose your favourite from your creations which one would it be?
I would be hard pressed to choose a favourite from my creations but if I had to at the moment it would be one of my charm bracelets "Rouge Noir". I just love it. Luckily I have very tiny wrists so I can't keep this one for myself!

Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from all over the place. It can be something I see while I'm out, something in a magazine, a book or on tv.

If you could change one thing about what you do, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about what I do, it would be to give myself more hours in the day to work on my designs.

Do you have a favourite website?
I don't have a a favourite website but love looking at anything bead related.

Has any person helped or supported you more than any other?
I'm lucky that my friends and family have all been really enthusiastic and supportive of my jewellery making. It's lovely that they all get excited for me.

Tell us a random fact about yourself!
A random fact about me - I have an 8 year old long haired chihuahua called Tito.

Visit Auli’i Beads at
www.folksy.com/shops/Aulii
www.facebook.com/AuliiBeads
www.auliibeads.blogspot.com

Wedding Wonders With No Wonga Part 2

Published in Issue 19, October 2012

Written by Kerry from Scrapbookerry

www.scrapbookerry.com

PART 2

Mr L proposed, I said yes and now we are trying to get the wedding of our dreams with the least amount of money possible. Some things we are making ourselves, some things are beinggiven to us, others we are getting through hard labour and lotsof rooting around for bargains and other things just can’t bebudged. So we will try some haggling instead.

If you are interested in helping us along the Wedding Wonderswith No Wonga journey then please do contact us at weddingwonderswithnowonga@gmail.com

The first plans.

These last couple of months we have been trying to work out exactly what we want from our wedding and have been having to look at some of the things that we do need to pay for! The dates, themes and venues have been at the front of our minds!

As soon as Mr L proposed, I knew right away that I wanted to get married on the last weekend in August. I didn’t really care what day of the week it was, it just had to be that last weekend. Luckily Mr L knew that I would want that and was happy to go along with that date as well.

The date is important to me. My own parents were married on the 1st of September and my sister and brother in law were married on the 29th of August, so it just seemed right to get married in between them. 

Once we looked at the diaries we saw that in 2014 the 30th of August falls on the August bank holiday and it is Saturday as well. It must hve been destined as it was perfect for us, so within days we had the date set.

We have had lots many discussions about what we wanted and our ideas for our wedding. Everything we have been thinking and talking about has been put into our Wedding Art Journal so we can record all of our ideas. Our ideas usually end up being the same! We are both country people in our hearts and we both want that to be reflected in our wedding.

We thought we would have a quiet wedding and a reception in a field.

We didn’t want anything fancy. We wanted a vintage feel with old style tea sets and a nice simple hog roast for the food. We had various ideas for colour combinations, but eventually decided on brown and cream. It is a colour combination which suits all of our immediate family. As I am strawberry blonde, Mr L is brown and Baba is ginger we needed something that suited us all.

So we were raring to go….

But we came unstuck with the field. We have gone over this idea for the last
few weeks, trying to decide whether it is truly what we want. It is something that we both would love, but and it is a big but, we are both very nervous of the great British weather. We can’t afford to have massive marquees and were thinking of having tents instead. Our next hurdle was trying to find a field near us. We live in an area with lots and lots of fields around us. However finding one that we wanted was a different matter. 

We began looking into village halls instead and some of them near us were remarkable. We have managed to find a fantastic hall we can hire for the whole weekend and can decorate to our own specifications. It has great grounds, so we still have space for our hog roast and it has a playground for the children. It looks fantastic. There are car parking spaces and it isn’t too far from the church. So all in all it is perfect and the best thing is that it is undercover and the price is great! A really good deal for the whole weekend. 

We are set on having vintage china sets and we have narrowed it
down to two options. We can either go hunting ourselves searching car boots, eBay, charity shops and jumble sales or hiring all the china from a company. Like Dormouse and The Teapot http://www.dormouseandtheteapot.com/ This company hires enough china out for a wedding of 80, which would be perfect for us.

They have a stunning range and it is just what we are looking for. But at the moment it is still a decision to be made - whether, to hire or to buy ourselves?

We are planning far in advance so we decided that we wanted to make some Save the Date cards. Nothing too complicated as we wanted the cards to fit in with the simple theme of the wedding itself.
We could go with a very simple Save the Date card, where we would fill in all the details, but this could be time-consuming, or we could opt for a more personal photo Save the Date card.

 

This is more us and fits in well with my scrap booking. Plus once it is made it can easily be reprinted to send to all our family and friends.
The card is more in keeping with a wedding and more in line with what we
are wanting for the rest of our wedding. So it has been decided that these are
going to be our Save the Date cards and the rest of the wedding stationery will be
based on a similar design!

If you are interested in helping us along the Wedding Wonders with No Wonga journey then please do contact us at weddingwonderswithnowonga@gmail.com

Make a Crystal Band Watch with Tassle

Published in Issue 19, October 2012

Written by Sally-Jo from The Bead Bounty

www.thebeadbounty.co.uk

This piece was inspired by the beautiful colours of autumn and is perfect for the party season ahead.

Supplies

Approximately 56 Crystals for the bracelet (I have used 4.5mm x 5.5mm doughnut beads)

7 x 4mm contrasting bi-cone Crystals for the tassel and chain dangle

Size 11 seed beads for the tassel

2 x wire protectors

2 x 4-5mm jump rings

1 x eye pin

1 x head pin

1 x clasp

1 x 50mm piece of chain

1 x 12mm end cone

2 x 50cm lengths of fishing/fire line

Beading needle and beading thread

Glue or clear nail varnish

Scissors

Round/Flat and side cutter pliers

A beaders watch face 

Beads and watch face used produced a 7 and a half inch band.

Step 1. With the first piece of fishing/fire line, thread on a wire protector and position it at the centre of the thread

Step 2. Thread on first crystal crossing the threads through the bead hole and positioning the bead centrally to the wire protector.

Step 3. Pick up 2 beads on one thread and 1 bead on the other thread. 

Step 4. Pass the thread with the one bead on through the second bead on the first thread so that the threads cross again and pull the threads tight.Step 5. Continue this process until you have added 28 beads in all.

Step 6. Pass the threads, one through each side, through the hole on the watch.  

Step 7. Pass the threads through the first bead on the strap and then back through the hole on the watch and once more through the first bead on the strap.

Step 8. Run the threads back through the length of the strap in the same way as before with the threads immerging at the same place just above the wire protector.  

Step 9. Tie a good knot and add a dab of strong glue or nail varnish.

Step 10. Run the extra thread up through several beads, tying knots as you go and adding glue then cut off excess.  Repeat the above for the other side of the strap.

Step 11. Add a 4mm bi-cone crystal to the head pin.

Step 12. Bend the pin to a 45 degree angle.

Step 13. Shorten the wire to approximately 6-8mm with wire cutters.

Step 14. Using the round nose pliers, make a loop.

Step 15. Attach the loop to one end of the 50 mm chain.

Step 16. Attach the other end of the chain to one end of the bracelet.

Step 17. Using a jump ring, add the clasp to the other end.

Step 18. Thread the bead needle with approximately 50cm of thread and tie one end to the loop of your eye pin.

Step 19. Pick up 20 size 11 seed beads.

Step 20. Pick up 1 4mm bicone crystal and 1 seed bead.

Step 21. Pass the needle back up through the crystal and pull the thread so that the crystal meets the seed beads.

Step 22. Now pass the needle up through the 20 seed beads and the loop on the eye pin. Please read N.B below before you continue with 23.

Step 23. Repeat this process 5 more times and tie the two ends of the thread together. Add a dab of glue and trim the excess thread. 

N.B I have done 2 strands with 20 seed beads, 2 with 22 seed beads and 2 with 24 seed beads but you can do them all with 20 if you wish and you can also do them shorter if you feel that the tassel is too long for you.

Step 24. Put the bead cone on to the wire of the eye pin and over the top of the seed beads. Now repeat step 12 – 14 above to make the loop for your tassel.

Step 25. Using the second jump ring, attach the tassel to the Watch Band.

Upcycling makes the World go around

Published in Issue 19, October 2012

Written by Bridget from Inkahoots

http://www.inkahoots.co.uk/

It's quite possible that we are in the midst of a new craze sweeping the nation… No, it's not the pursuit of celebrity or trying to beat Usain Bolt - it's a much quieter pastime that's crept into our culture gradually over the last few years. Now is the time to start shouting about 'Upcycling' and appreciating the amazing results that can be achieved with a little time and skill! 

If you've never heard of it, you won't be alone, but put simply it's the act of taking something that you would otherwise throw out and finding a way to make it into something else, something better or more beautiful. Or, as I would say 'taking something a bit naff and turning it into something that someone might actually want!'

So, why has it become so popular? There are lots of personal reasons why people do it, but the main themes are an interest in eco-living and not wanting to leave an huge footprint on the environment. Doing things like shopping locally, reducing energy consumption, saving precious resources and doing your bit by recycling and re-using in all its forms. The recession has played its part too, people are looking to save money and the planet - Upcycling does both.

A book by William McDonough & Michael Braungart, 'Cradle to Cradle - Remaking the Way We Make Things', published in 2002, brought the topic into the fore by getting people to rethink the way they used things. It was only last year I discovered that Upcycling was the word for what I'd been doing for the last 5 years!

The fantastic thing about Upcycling is that we can all do it and we can do it at home, in our lounge whilst watching telly or at the kitchen table. It's so satisfying to see something transformed from a very ordinary thing (or even a horrible thing!) into something that is unique, a one-off. Your options are endless - you can redecorate by using paint or decoupage, or change it completely, such as using an old jumper to make a doorstop or turning an unwanted children's game into hanging decorations.

You'll find that lots of the handmade products, sold on Etsy and other craft sites, are made with Upcycled items. In fact, the number of products on Etsy tagged with the word 'Upcycled' rose from 7,900 in January 2010 to 167,000 in October 2011! The craze is here, without a doubt, but is it here to stay?

It seems we are hooked on Upcycling. It's a bit like our obsession with vintage - that harking back to another time. Everyone recycled and upcycled during the wars - 'Make Do & Mend' wasn't something invented to go on tea towels! There are opportunities too, for mums like me, to set up a business and work quite happily from home, using a personal website or bigger craft websites, like Etsy or Folksy.

Also, it doesn't have to cost much to get started, you basically need glue, a bit of left over paint…. and there is inspiration everywhere you look on craft websites, magazines and Pinterest. There are even blogs and videos to show you how to tackle specific projects. I think that we've all got a little 'Upcycler' in us - the only thing to do is have a go - you never know what hidden talents you may discover. 

I'd like to see Upcycling Clubs spring up in our local communities - places where folks can go to be creative and artistic, swap ideas and finished products, sell their creations and, of course, do it over a cup of tea and a big wadge of cake…. now there's an idea…!

An Interview with .... Helen Rose Glass

Published in Issue 19, October 2012

An Interview With

Creative Crafting speaks to Helen Rose Glass

Tell us about the lady behind Helen Rose Glass
I am a glass artist living in the Essex countryside just outside Chelmsford. I’ve worked with glass for 8 years now and while fusing is my main skill, what I create is constantly changing and developing as I learn new glass techniques. Over the last few years this has included stained glass, lampwork beading, glass casting, printing on glass and restoration work. I find it interesting to see how these techniques can work together to create something new and exciting. 
I am currently in a period of major change where my crafting life is concerned as I’ve just left classroom teaching after 11 years to do this full time. I was starting to find that opportunities were presenting themselves and having given more hours than I’d care to remember to my school and going part time last year, I decided it was now or never. So here I am all excited and scared about my future crafting career. 
Perhaps unsurprisingly considering my teaching background I run various glass fusing workshops which take place in my home studio and at ‘Handmade’, Colchester and ‘Make, Do and Mend’, Chelmsford.
I sell my work at ‘Glass from the Past’, Billericay, Essex, ‘Handmade’, Colchester, Essex, via my website www.helenroseglass.co.uk and at local craft fairs. I am a member of The Guild of Essex Craftsmen and regularly attend their craft events.

When did first begin creating your designs, and why? 
I first discovered glass fusing at a local craft fair and after buying huge amounts of it over several months, I decided to learn how to make glass for myself. I’d been looking for a craft to do at home that was completely different from what I spent my days as an Art Teacher doing, so this was ideal. I found a day course in London and loved it. That was it, I was hooked. I signed up for their evening classes. For 10 months I took the journey from Essex to the studio which involved 2 trains and a 20 min walk. I loved going so much that it didn’t seem like a huge effort. 

What is it that you enjoy about your work?
I love being creative. When I don’t craft I just don’t feel like ‘me’ so can happily spend hours making glass, printing, felting, sketching ....pretty much doing anything arty or crafty. Being creative is so relaxing and it’s the ultimate compliment when someone else likes your work enough to buy it. I am so thankful that I am now able to do this full time.

What is your biggest crafting achievement, and why? 
Last year I learnt how to do traditional leading with a view to making my own design for the kitchen/hallway door. So not doing things by halves, this was my first project in a new technique. I decided to have a peacock as the image and designed it to include elements of glass fusing alongside the traditional leading. I even melted my own sheets of mixed coloured glass in the kiln to create the peacock ‘eyes’. It took around 6 months of evening classes to complete and then with the help of my Dad, I installed it into the door. The peacock design was perhaps more adventurous than I’d first envisaged but when I see the light come through it every day I am glad I took on the challenge. 

Rehearsals can be pretty full on as the music is always challenging and the conductor is extremely strict but it’s one of the best things I’ve joined in years.

If you had to choose your favourite from your creations which one would it be?
I love my koi carp coffee table. For ages I’d wanted to make a wood and glass table for my house for ages but finding a piece of wood with a hole was trickier than I’d realised. Thanks to Ebay though I found a company in Scotland that had the perfect piece. I made a template for the hole, spent hours shaping the clear glass and began experimenting with ways to create the various elements of the design, whilst also keeping a sense of the movement of the fish. I’m pleased to have such a unique piece of furniture in my home that I can proudly say I made.

Where does your inspiration come from?  
I find inspiration in many different things and keep sketchbooks of images I like, postcards from artists, photos I’ve taken etc. As someone who studied design at university, it’s a process I’ve always followed and even as a glass novice couldn’t follow pre made designs in books. I just didn’t find it inspiring enoughand the process of creating my own work always starts with design and experimentation. I’m currently exploring ways of combining printing and textiles within my glasswork. At the same time I’m also using nature within the imagery e.g. prints of leaves, peacock feathers, shells. 

If you could change one thing about what you do, what would it be?
I’d like to be working alongside other like-minded people in a craft studio but at this stage when I’ve only just stepped into the full time craft world it’s an expense that I can’t justify. For now I’m going to work at home and pop into visit friends in their studios instead.

Do you have a favourite website?
I know most people use Facebook to stay in touch with friends but I also find it great for coming across new and exciting crafters on a regular basis. I’ve found loads of inspiring designers via people who tag them in their posts or pictures. This year I visited ‘Art in Action’ and managed to talk to several people whose work I’d only ever seen online before which was fantastic.

Has anyone helped or supported you more than any other?
There are 2 people who have helped and supported me more than any other but each in vastly different ways. Jan Waller of ‘Love, Make, Think’ and Caroline Weidman from ‘Glass from the Past’. I first met Jan when we worked together as art teachers and she helped me through my first years in the classroom. Since then we have been firm friends who support each other emotionally and artistically. We can openly discuss our ideas/designs and give each other encouragement at the points when doubt starts to creep in. I know I can call Jan for advice whenever I need it and thanks to Skype we can still do this even though she’s now in USA. Caroline has been a kind of glass mentor after I randomly met her in a car park at a craft fair! When she opened her glass gallery I was honoured to be asked to display my work for the 1st time. Caroline has taught me copper foiling, traditional leading and has now taken me on as her studio apprentice where I am restoring stained glass windows. The experience is invaluable and one I am very grateful for.

Tell us a random fact about yourself!
I grow lots of my own fruit and veg in the back garden.