It's hardly surprising that I have a passion for working with textiles. I learnt from a very early age the benefits of sewing and knitting from my mother, and back then being able to turn your hand to making or fixing your own clothes, or running up a pair of curtains, was more of a necessity than a fashionable thing to do.I have always had a love of toys, and remember as a child sharing my bed with a whole range of cuddly toys lined up down both sides of me, (didn’t all young girls do the same?!). For my 30th birthday my husband bought me a traditional style artist bear and it wasn’t long before I was designing and making my own bears. Running out of space for bears in my home, I began selling my creations under the name of Floridian Bears at shows in the South East and London. I was lucky enough to have my bears featured in, and on the cover of, Teddy Bear Scene magazine.
It was during a trip to New England in America that I discovered the world of primitive folk art. This really inspired me and I began working in a more primitive style, using different materials treated in a variety of ways to make the end product feel aged and well loved. My work developed to include a diverse range of creations, from snowmen to ghosts, penguins to circus elephants - one of which got me into the final heats of BBC’s Handmade Revolution hosted by Paul Martin!
More recently I have started to explore both traditional and contemporary styles of textile art, discovering new ways of working with fabrics and creating pieces in mixed medias. Every day is an adventure and I never know what will inspire me or what I will be creating next!
Please do visit my shop. I hope you like what you see and maybe you'll be tempted to add one of my creations to your own collection! I'll also be posting details of fairs and shows that I'll be appearing at, so please do come along and say hello.
I’m always more than happy to talk about my work, the techniques I use and the various sources of inspiration I have discovered. I'd love to hear from you so please do drop me a line via the contact page.
