I first turned my hand to jewellery making to raise money for charity. In 2010 we suffered the devastating loss of our 5 week old son due to a complex heart condition. I felt compelled to raise money in his memory to help the amazing Birmingham Childrens Hospital where he had received such outstanding care.

I bought a bit of polymer clay, had a little play about with it and before I knew it I was addicted. The process of conditioning the clay with your hands is very cathartic and setting your creative mind free can transport you to a place where your heart feels light and your body invigorated. Working with the clay became my therapy during some very dark and difficult times.

The way I work keeps my designs fresh and unique, I love to sketch ideas and designs whilst curled up on the sofa but ultimately once I’m at the workbench, I let my hands do the thinking. I love that I don’t always know for sure what beauty I’m going to create. The joy of ‘cane work’, where the design is built inside a block using different colours of clay (much like a stick of rock) means that the true splendour of what you have created is not revealed until you take a deep breath and slice open your design.

At first I just sold my jewellery to family and friends, giving all my takings to the charity filled me with pride. But as time went on, and customers returned, my confidence grew I took the brave step of selling to the public at my first ever ‘Handmade Market’ stall. My jewellery went down a storm; my enthusiasm went through the roof and so it was time to consider the future and that’s when I opened my Etsy shop.

The name Self Raising Flower is derived from the process of baking the clay in my home oven to cure it. It comes out with a beautifully subtle matte finish but with the vibrant colours and intricate designs still intact. And of course the name also reflects the origins of my business, a means of raising money for charity.

Whenever I sit down to set my creative hands to work on the clay I feel it brings me close to my son, he has left me with a passion that brings light into my life, he has nurtured a talent in me I didn’t know existed. My jewellery making has become a hugely significant part of our existence as a family. I have raised over £1500 for the Childrens Hospital through jewellery sales alone and have pledged a lifelong commitment to giving 50% of my profit to the charity no matter how my business may grow.

More recently, since the birth of our daughter, I have turned some of my creative time towards illustration. Easier to fit in around chasing a toddler I find it equally relaxing and rewarding as my jewellery making and am excited to have my first portfolio of illustrations printed professionally as quality greetings cards. I hope to continue to develop my illustrative skills and perhaps branch out into other art forms alongside the jewelllery and cards.