The Beginning…
I gave birth to Bruno right at the beginning of the 2020 lockdown, and like so many, I often felt quite isolated at home – not being able to venture to the usual mother and baby groups etc. and was desperate for a little escapism. I’ve always loved decorating and styling my home, so I decided to create a little home renovation/interior styling documentary page on Instagram. It was only very tiny, but it was something that sparked a little life on those long, monotonous days. It felt like my whole world opened up as I discovered quirky interior inspiration and exciting homeware brands. I continued this as my maternity leave ended and I returned back to teaching.
It was Christmas 2021 when I decided to have a go at making a bobbin frame, as I had some printed photographs of the boys that I wanted to gift to family. This was also the first time I’d done anything creative for so long and it felt like heaven! The presents were very well received, and it got me thinking about maybe having a go at selling some via my home interiors page. I intended for it be something nice and creative to do alongside teaching. Little did I know at the time that this was the start of something pretty major!
“I’m highly influenced by my surroundings and take inspiration from my observations”
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Colour..
I was introduced properly to colour during my art college days and it totally transformed the way I worked and viewed the world. I wasn’t your typical student; I would wake early and get into the art studio at the crack of dawn, sometimes when it was still dark, where I would spend coffee-fuelled days covering huge canvasses with oil paint. I particularly enjoyed contrasting duller tones with vivid hues. Since then, I’ve been rather spell bound by colour. I’m highly influenced by my surroundings and take inspiration from my observations. We live near many canals, and I’m always intrigued by the way cheerfully-coloured narrow boats glide through the murky water; I find the contrast rather striking. I tend to lean towards duskier tones for my frames, which remind me of the fading reflections of the boats that descend into the dark-hued waters.
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The perfect gift..
Frames are so versatile and can be filled with something sentimental and truly unique to the person you are gifting them to – a photograph, a postcard, a piece of fabric, something you/a child has drawn, a menu, art work, a map, an invitation, a treasured letter, vintage poster, old greetings card, newspaper clipping... to name a fair few! FYI - 5x7” and 8x6” are the perfect sizes to fit standard photo sizes..