Your craft chooses you .... eventually

I wasn’t always a jeweller.

For years I was a lawyer in London, immersed in a world of grey and corporate routine. But I always dreamt of a life of freedom and colour, where I could be my own boss doing something that I loved.

In 2002, on the spur of the moment, I bought a gorgeous little converted chapel in Dorset. I’d never been to Dorset before nor did I know anyone there (my family lived the other side of the country!).

But that was it.

Goodbye London, hello Dorset

1/19

I fell in love with the house, the river by my lane, the countryside and coastline of Dorset. And the gentler kinder way of life outside London.

After 5 years of weekly commuting, I finally took the plunge and moved to Dorset for good. Leaving behind my legal career, a salary, my friends, my whole way of life.

And I’ve never looked back.

A creative spark

I’d always loved contemporary craft especially colourful silver jewellery.

Initially, I considered opening my own gallery but instead, ended up working in a local contemporary craft gallery with the tough job of sourcing handmade work for the Christmas exhibition.

Surrounded by beautiful work, I realised I wanted to create my own and still hankered to be my own boss.

I had the right initials all along.

In 2017, I started to learn silversmithing. What else? My initials are the chemical symbol for silver after all. Finally, the pieces fell into place.

If you'd told me when I was a lawyer tied to a desk in grey non-descript offices, that one day I'd spend my days making something by hand, in my small garden studio, in my colourful cottage garden, in a country lane, a stone’s throw from a beautiful river, I'd have called for the men in white coats.

But that is where you’ll find me.

Funny how life turns out

I still live in the same converted chapel I fell in love with all those years ago.

I'm incredibly lucky to have a river on my doorstep. I try to make time to go down there every day just to take a few moments to breathe. I’ll often catch the fantastic flash of turquoise and orange as a kingfisher whizzes by and if I’m very very lucky, the spectacular sight of an otter.

That’s always a really good day.