A Choreographer of Clay
I always molded things as a child - whether it was homemade Playdoh my parents made me and my brother, or clay from the mud bank near our house (I remember drying tiny mice figurines on the wood stove!), a malleable starburst candy (before eating - tastes better as a cat shape!), or simple plasticine made into television characters. I guess moving on to polymer clay makes sense in hindsight!
And I've always needed that creative outlet. In Spring 2011 I opened my shop on Etsy. A colleague in my office had one, and I thought, "I could do that!". I went out to Hobbycraft and bought £20 worth of polymer clay and set to it.
In December 2011 my contract at work ended. I took it as an opportunity - I could look for another job, or I could see how far I could take my crafting. I gave myself three months, then another three... the ride has been too fun to stop! Now I don't know if I could ever return to the office!
I went back to university to do a PhD in archaeology, and Etsy funded my studies and gave me the flexibility I needed.
When covid happened, working from home was a godsend. There was such a push to buy from small online businesses as well.
Recent years have been tough on small crafting businesses like mine but I've added lots of new designs and the sales keep coming in. I'm going nowhere and can't wait to make you some book jewellery!