Love what you do and do what you love
Hi! I'm Emma, the owner and creator for everything you see on BooksnBobs.
As a child I loved drawing and painting, I think I inherited it from my grandmother, who was an artist from Sweden. I was always in trouble for making a mess with my paints and cutting up catalogues to make collages! As I grew up I went on to study Art and Design at university and hoped to make a career from my talent. Unfortunately I found that there was a pressure to earn a living. I got a job as a fundraiser for a children’s charity and I really enjoyed it, and my artistic side was put on hold.
As my life moved on I met and married my husband and left my job to support my husband in his career. We moved around the country and during this time I had three little girls. Sadly, my marriage was a very difficult one that I managed to end with the help of Women's Aid. I was alone with my young girls and had no income. I used local food banks and got help from a local church and other charities. It was a very difficult time and I was diagnosed with PTSD, but I was determined to do everything I could to give my girls the best childhood I could.
Over time we built a life together. I always feel such sadness that I couldn't give my girls the material things that their friends had. I had been out of the work place for ten years and with the cost of childcare it seemed impossible.
I knew that I had to find a way to make money for myself at home so that I could work my own hours. It had been a long time since I had the time to paint or draw but with a limited income I found that I could use my creativity to sew and knit clothing, cooking and baking, and making art projects. At this time we used the library as a fantastic free resource and reading together was an activity we all enjoyed.
As the girls grew through school ages I had more time and I began to use my paints and sketchbook. I loved painting things that I was drawn to as a child. Memories of the countryside, and the emotional connection I had to books; The Brambly Hedge stories, Beatrix Potter, Alison Utley, Little Women, The Secret garden and many others. Making the connection that I loved the nostalgia of these books and could turn them into lovely sketches and paintings was my lightbulb moment. I knew there would be others that felt the same nostalgia for their favourite books and stories. At last I felt that there was a way I could earn an income and support my family. I began illustrating classic novels and children’s stories and started ‘Booksnbobs’ in 2019.
I now manage my small business, from my home in Shakespeare's county of Warwickshire, England. I design artwork based on wonderful authors, stories and fictional characters. I am inspired by the love and nostalgia that stories bring.
Aside from designing the artwork, I answer messages, I print and pack every order, I run my social media and enjoy connecting with like-minded book lovers! Every time I hear a ping on my phone from a sale I always say thank you out loud, which reminds me how grateful I am that I have a purpose in life and am able to do something I love.
My girls are growing up now, two of them are at university and my youngest is at Fashion College. I am so proud of them. I would love to take them abroad on holiday, which is something I still have never been able to do. My last dream for myself is to own my own home in the countryside.
Thank you to everyone who is supporting my business and my dreams 😊
