Why I love making Jewellery

My philosophy is "Life is too short for boring Jewellery".

Whether I am making a silver mermaid or a rare beetle or even an endangered turtle, everything I create is original and unique.

We are all individuals, with different characteristics and personalities. So I enjoy making jewellery that is as individual as each person I meet.

I live in a small village, near to the Ashdown forest where I am surrounded by trees, fields and nature.
Most weekends include a family walk either exploring the forest or perhaps along the Sussex coast. During these regular adventures I almost always return to my studio full of nature's inspiration.

Nature's organic forms, textures, and the wild mix of order and chaos always excites me.

I usually return with pockets full of seeds, leaves, mossy covered sticks, twisted dried bark, pebbles, drift wood and many other interesting finds. Often my young children find something even more inspiring.

Jewellery has always been my passion. As young children, my sister and I would investigate village fetes and charity stores for old jewellery. We would then carefully deconstruct the jewellery and refashion them into our own distinct designs.

In my early twenties I discovered the magic of creating jewellery from silver. I fondly remember my excitement  when I completed my first ever silver ring. I recall feeling that a part of me had been awakened. I could clearly see my future full of many jewellery creating possibilities.

During the jewellery making process I usually do the bare minimum of design sketching beforehand.

I have discovered that I work best when my ideas flow from my mind, to my hands and directly to the materials in front of me.

My creation process is very fluid with changes occurring throughout.

Quite often I will start making a new piece of jewellery and get part way through, then have an amazing idea for another piece. I feel compelled to stop the first one and commence making something else!

Thankfully when I return to the first item, I usually bring new ideas to it and it too ends up how I wanted it to be. Sometimes I can have 4 or 5 pieces of jewellery being made at any one time.

Currently I sell across Sussex , Kent and Surrey in Art Exhibitions, Craft Events and seasonal shows.