About Me
I have been artistic and creative all my life. Several years teaching art and pottery in mainstream secondary education was interrupted by a 7 year spell at the Hatton Craft Centre in Warwickshire, where I began making ceramic pictures (calligraphy ones now!) and then jewellery from polymer clay, where I handmade the beads and matched them to customers outfits to create necklaces, bangles and earrings. At its height I was supplying 60+ shops all over the UK and had several people making and threading beads as outworkers.
Another interruption, this time to have twin boys, to add to the two children I already had about to embark on secondary education.
After a spell helping my husband in his business, I returned to teaching, on supply at first and then wound up my career with 12 years teaching art again but this time to young people with special needs.
The Craft Room
Calligraphy
Calligraphy has always been an interest, but was put on the back burner as I got stuck in to potting, working with clay, and creating ceramics studios and workshops.
My unique handwriting style is freer and less formal than the more traditional italic style and has been developed after I came across some interesting pens in America. In the years between college days and now, the computer has also had a profound effect on writing styles to such an extent that you can now recreate perfect handwriting, without going near a pen or ink!
My writing is not perfect, but it is original, and when combined with other contemporary applications, can be used to create beautiful stationery for weddings or any celebration.
Another way to include calligraphy in an original framed piece, is in a scroll. All kinds of special occasions can be marked by a celebratory scroll. Gilding with gold leaf is an ancient craft which was used on old manuscripts. The number or initials can be illuminated in 22ct gold leaf or silver in a variety of designs from Gothic to Art Deco. The calligraphy details are then handwritten onto parchment. A wax seal, brass finials, velvet scroll and tassel complete the presentation in a box frame to make a beautiful keepsake.
Finally you can visit my Etsy Shop to see how I have used original calligraphy to write such things as quotes, poems, and well known sayings and turned them into picture gifts. If you contact me by email, I may be able to personalise a picture by using your choice of poem or song lyric for a gift.
