Looking for an addtiontional creative output to my day job as a outerwear design for brilliant brand Barbour I began to make jewellery for myself from Sea glass I collected when visiting local beaches with my children (as I had done as a child with my mother). I Instagram'd photos of my work and ever since I have been making jewellery for other people also.

As every piece of glass is unique so is every piece of jewellery I make.

 

A little Sea glass history...

I mostly beachcombe for glass along the Seaham coastline, it is rumoured to be the best in the world.

Until 1921 there was a glass bottleworks in Seaham called The Londonderry Bottleworks - founded by John Candlish. As a result of the bottleworks with every tide there is Sea glass of all colours, sometimes two or more in one piece (due to the changing of colour on the line). Bottles were made for all sort of purposes - beer, milk, bleach, medicine even poison. I like to think every bottle had it's own story.

Botanical Silks & Dyes...

The botanical range is steadily growing also focusing on plant dyes I make using foraged, homegrown and waste foods I dye silks for scarves, scrunchies and soon a broader range of accessories. The silks have not even found themselves into jewellery with the Botanical Silk Sterling Silver / Gold earrings. In previous years I have used silk newly purchased however I am now moving onto vintage silks to be even more sustainable.