My friend died this time last year. She was 43. We had been friends since childhood. The last time I saw her she was showing me her garden and all the things she had been growing from seed, and her vegetable patch. She loved nature and looked after any injured birds that would happen to pass her garden. When I picture her, in my mind, I can see and hear her telling me about what she is going to do next in her garden.

That excerpt is from a longer poem the author wrote about his friend who also died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage age 22. My home looks over the Tennyson Downs near to where he lived, so it seemed apt to quote it here.

More jewellery! I have been busy at my work bench lately, although trying to concentrate on what feels so insignificant compared to all that is happening around the world. I think a lot of us are feeling like that right now.

Anyhow, I have just added some little white diamond items to the shop, 18ct gold diamond ring and some 9ct gold diamond stud earrings.

Me! (excuse the blurry pic) I was going to take part in Meet the Maker on Instagram but I got side tracked. So here I am instead!

I'm going to be 44 in a couple of days, I live in a flat with my two children. I was born on the Isle of Wight where we live and I began making jewellery whilst studying Fine Art, where I sold it on the street to make money. I play guitar (a bit) and I like gardening and swimming in the sea. I learnt to drive when I was 41!

I have three older brothers. I have been a vegetarian since I was 10 years old. My parents came from London. I like to sing loudly when no one is around and I drink tea about every hour.

(my daughter and I when she was little)

A completely different subject...

I, like most other people, am completely horrified by the war in Ukraine, the loss of precious life and the terror inflicted upon the citizens. I feel so completely useless in my quiet little life here on the island. I can only help by donating some money, and educating my children about freedom and peace, the value and compassion for life, and the preservation of culture. They are just small, but for children this is something they don't really need to be taught because they understand these simple concepts from birth it seems. It is the adults that need to be taught this, and reminded of this (and I'm referring to a certain few in this world).

I have started to collate a board of Ukrainian culture, that my daughter and I have enjoyed and been very moved by. Simple, colourful, peaceful, happy, were the words my daughter used to describe these pictures, and it contrasts so desperately with the pictures she has seen on the news lately. I am sure that we will see more colourful Ukrainian art for many centuries to come, if you can make a crown out of flowers instead of gold.

All our love and support to, our neighbours, Ukraine.

It gives me such a joy to create something using these amazing stones.

More coming soon...

Happy New Year! Even though we are a week into the year already, I didn't really celebrate it until now because the children have been with their dad for a bit, so I waited for them to come back and have a bit of a celebration, the first new year in our new home!

In the meantime I got some jobs done around the flat, painting over a water stain on the ceiling, deep cleaning the carpets, all the fun stuff.

I did however put up my new desk lamps which I bought for myself for xmas and put under the tree. I'm really happy with the amount of light under which I completed my tax return : (

You have to take the small joys in life when you can, has been my mantra in life!

So I'm enjoying a sort of tidy desk and I also bought a lovely new cloth bound sketch book which I intend to use as an excuse to spend all day in a cafe.

I finally framed some prints of the kids! they are a bit bigger now but these sum up their personalities very well I think.

So a week after the big day, we had a proper candle lit tea and cake, followed by dinner, just eating all day.

I recently found some vintage handmade glasses, each of the three have different animals engraved on them. One of my favourite finds!

I usually save some presents from xmas to give them at new year...

This is a Panettone given to us for xmas from my brother and sister in law.

and this is the pizza I made for dinner.

Some pictures of a me that Pehr took...

and she was very proud of this photo she took of me and a creme brûlée.

I love the amount of candle reflections in the bay window.

So I have already ticked off a few dull January jobs from my list, we are excited about our plans for the garden and a trip to London to meet some relatives for the first time next month. Lots of jewellery materials are arriving too so I'll get on and make some new samples soon. I think this year will be a good one x

Happy Christmas everyone! We have had a really lovely time here in our new home, feeling very stuffed and very grateful. I cooked dinner for my kids and mum and eldest brother, which was a little nerve wracking because my mum is an amazing cook and also because I'm a vegetarian and they are not. Fear not because they already had pre-xmas meaty dinner the week before.

Me and the kids did quite a lot in the preperation regarding decorations and food, but I still managed to find cooking a bit of a learning curve.

I made gravy the week before (and froze it). Pehr and I made shortbread biscuits to go with the pudding too.

Leify decorated some biscuits too.

I ordered a dining table which arrived just in time, My living room is quite big so I can arrange the furniture around a big table (it folds down half size too). Really handy!

I decorated it with some dried grasses we found at Newtown Creek, and a gold moon and stars I made very quickly.

The stars are just gold stickers stuck on florists wire.

We made very buttery mince pies with added fresh fruit in them. In fact I have consumed a bit too many already, I am refuelled until about mid-june 2022.

I made mushroom and cheese pies for dinner (like always) and poached pears with ice cream and shortbread biscuits for puddling.

It has been a monumental year for me (and us) this year. Mainly the most significant thing has been to establish a new career and income to support us financially. The most scary thing in the world. Amazingly it has been going very well and we have not had to change our life very much and have had all the same things we are used to. I could give my children a lovely xmas which is wonderful.

Earlier in the year we also bought a new home after much lengthy anticipation and worry, at the very last moment it all came good and the house move went through just two days before my mortgage offer expired, phew!

We have had lockdown and home schooling and covid and redecoration thrown in too, as well as running a business. I. am. tired. but in a good way.

I'm so thankful and proud of this year and what I have achieved for us, I just need to maintain myself mentally and keep going, as it has been tough and draining and scary, and I have found myself spending days on end cocooned in my duvet when the kids are away, even afraid to poke my nose out of it.

I have lost a dear friend and family member, Marie, so suddenly in May. Her loss has rocked us all to the core, but most importantly her partner - my brother who has been through so much.

What a year, I cannot believe it has been just one. But, all on my list this time last year has been ticked off at least.

I will make a new list for the coming year, and it will be more about keeping us happy and safe. I am saving up for a holiday and transforming our little patch of garden in the spring, and taking life easy for a bit.

Check in with me this time next year and see if I have kept to my word!

Wishing you all a very safe, peaceful and healthy New Year, I think we all deserve it! xxx