From physio to pearls
After moving back to Northern Ireland from Scotland in 2007, I couldn't find work as a physiotherapist. After a family holiday in Cornwall, the south-westerly tip of England I fell in love with the idea of creating and crafting. On the long drive home I decided as I love jewellery, I was going to learn to make it.
Through a process of trial and error I taught myself the basics and started selling at local craft fairs and in shops. I found Etsy in January 2008 and had a steep learning curve of how to sell online. I couldn't even load photos from the camera onto the computer initially!
I learned quickly that for some reason it is my bracelets that sell best - ironic as I never wear bracelets myself. I have slowly extended my ranges but find that memory wire bracelets, pearl cluster bracelets and my new Bling range of pearls and rhinestones sell best.
I have found that I most like to work with pearls and over time realised that brides-to-be are desperate for custom made pieces to match their vision of the perfect wedding. I am contacted regularly by brides who simply cannot find the right colours in the shops and need the option of designing their own colour schemes - I have been amazed by some of the gorgeous colours I would simply have never thought to put together.