Alasdair says:

Aged the wrong side of 30, I quit my chosen career as an HR Guru back in 2005 to become a full-time parent and have been doing it ever since, it was an easy decision to make at the time given the choice of working with adults who behaved like children or looking after the children who actually mean something to me.  It hasn’t been easy, but nothing ever is and it is more rewarding than my previous employ … sometimes.

It’s been during this period that an interest in arts and crafts has developed, initially I was drawn to drawing and later painting, however, my real and current passions lie with papier mache and wood carving.  Generally speaking I like to think that I’m a stylistic anomaly, although it’s probably closer to the truth to say that I’m a talentless anomaly … self-deprecation is one of my more irritating personality traits!

Something that I have come to realise is that what constitues quality arts and crafts is largely subjective, and I hope that you enjoy viewing what we’ve created as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it.  I personally welcome constructive critisicm, I may not agree with you but I do believe that one opinion is as valid as another.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

Regards,
Alasdair

Jolene says:

I started making things in 2003 shortly after our son was born.  He needed nappies and I was bored so I bought a sewing machine and a pattern and made nappies.  I found I was quite good at that, they didn’t fall apart which is a bonus so I continued to make stuff.  I call it stuff because it doesn’t fit into a particular category.

For years I had to have a pattern, otherwise the things I tried to make turned out wrong. Nowadays I can manage without a pattern, which means I can create some very unique pieces.

At points over my life I’ve either inherited objects that can be used to craft or have spent way too much money on something pretty I’ve seen; like a magpie, if I see something shiny, I have to have it.

I take my inspiration from many places, particularly japanese craft magazines and zakka.  Most of what I make these days could be categorised as such.  I’ve also recently started to experiment with acrylics and decoupage.