Jewellery inspired by the natural beauty of Galloway
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I am a crochet jewellery artist. I work with tiny crochet hooks, fine cotton thread, semi-precious gemstones, silver and copper, to create unusual and beautiful jewellery.
One of the joys of working in thread is the ability to match the colour to any outfit, and I specialise in bespoke commissions and wedding jewellery – a highlight of my first year in business was designing a choker for a close friend, and seeing her wear it at her wedding.
Not that long ago my life was very different! I lived in a nice suburban house in Southampton and ran my own accountancy business. Now, I live in a wee cottage in Galloway Forest Park and I make crocheted jewellery. Quite a change!
So how did I get here? Well, I got to the age of 38 doing all the normal things I was told you were supposed to do: go to school, get good grades, go to university, get a proper job, get a mortgage, get a bigger house with a bigger mortgage, you know, generally be a grown up. Along the way I met the love of my life, collected two gorgeous furry dogs, and was generally pretty happy with my lot.
Choker photographs by David Moses
Then in 2010, we had a think about the direction our lives were going in and decided we needed a change. We both felt we were not really living life to the full. We were caught up in the hamster wheel of work, business, and stress that city life entails. We realised that we didn’t have to carry on doing the same thing – life could be better, less stressful, simpler. We both loved walking, the outdoors and nature; we both valued time over money – and so, a plan was forged: sell up, downsize, move to Scotland, and get out of the rat race!
As you can imagine it took a year or so of planning, house hunting, selling our business, soul searching, and trying to convince friends and family that we hadn’t gone completely bonkers. Fast forward to February 2012, and finally we had sold our business, sold our house, ditched an awful lot of “stuff” and moved to our wee cottage in Glentrool. From a big 4 bed house to a small 2 bed.
From a busy city with shops on our doorstep to a tiny village with the nearest shop 10 miles away. From gas central heating to a log burner. It’s fair to say it was a big change! There were tears, laughter, ups and downs along the way – but we have never had any regrets, we both feel it’s the best thing we ever did.
I truly feel that when I moved to Galloway I came home – I honestly can’t imagine ever living anywhere else! If you can find the equivalent of your soulmate in a place, that is what I have found here. I still look in awe at the amazing scenery every day. I get to walk my dogs amongst mountains, forests, lochs and streams. On a clear night the sky is filled with stars the likes of which I never saw when I lived in a city! As I sit making jewellery at my desk I can see from my office window birds, trees, mountains and the occasional red squirrel jumping from branch to branch. I am so grateful for my little corner of “planet paradise” as my good friend Andy called it.
The amazing connection that I feel with this magical place is what inspires my creativity. My pieces of jewellery are all rooted in the natural beauty around me: my designs include flowers, trees, leaves, sunshine, stars and snowflakes.
My current collections include my “Four Seasons” Pendants range, inspired by the ever-changing seasons here in Galloway. Spring is represented by colourful flowers, summer by glowing warm sunshine, autumn by vibrant leaves, and winter by sparkling snowflakes.
