Hi everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about how I started making clay jewellery and ornaments.
First of all I just want to say thank you so much for visiting my page. It can be so, so difficult for any new business just to get customers to check out their makes, so I just want to say a personal thank you because you are making a difference to individuals like me!
So I am a York girl born and bred, who has always been creative and loved her art. As a kid I was always drawing Disney charterers and my entire bedroom was covered in Spice Girl paintings at one point!
I did my degree in Textiles and Surface Design at Cleveland College of Art and Design, graduating in 2009.... when the biggest recession of out time hit. As most people did at that time I fell in to a part time retail job that had nothing to do with my degree, but I was determined to carry on been creative and in 2010 I started an evening course at Selby college in Millinery. This was a very exciting way of been creative and getting to showcase the hats and Facinators you had made at Race events and weddings, which I love doing, any excuse for a knees up.
My business Grosvenor Design was my little side hustle while working full time in retail and over they years, I was involved in some amazing events, from meeting Philip Treacy at Grazia Magazine HQ in London, Designing a hat for York Ebor Races, to promote Legally Blonde the musical and many Catwalk shows for fashion City York, I even have my own little studio in the garden.
Then the Corona virus pandemic hit in March 2020 and all weddings and race days were cancelled (including my own....twice now! will it ever happen?) business has dried up and I haven't had an order for my beautiful hats in over a year.
Been furloughed from my full time job gave me the opportunity to re evaluate my creativity and gave me time to try out new ideas, my first been re teaching myself the Adobe Illustrator package to make repeat designs that I could put on the face masks.... this went really well, so well in fact we managed to buy ourselves a hot tub, and why not I hear you say (don't get excited its only a blow up one). As this eventually slowed down I had seen people on Instagram making earrings out of polymer clay and this got me thinking, If they could do it then perhaps so can I.
I have now been making clay jewellery since July 2020 and I love it! maybe even more than hats. There are limitless possibility to what you can make and I love hearing customers suggestions. Been furloughed yet again from January to March 2021 really helped to push my business in the right direction. My Etsy sales have been the best they have ever been (with over 70 sales) and I took the opportunity to launch my website, where I would sell exclusive designs that can't be found on my Etsy site. Even though I have now been made redundant from my full time job, I am very hopeful that my beautiful clay earrings will be loved by many more people and help me to fulfill my creative ambitions.