Eleven years ago I was a freelance graphic designer, toiling away in my spare room designing children's books about diggers and fire engines. One day an advert in the local freebie paper caught my eye about a half-day a week course in silversmithing. When yet another commission came through about tractors, I decided the course would be a welcome distraction. A year later, I was a fully fledged metal addict and signed up for a one-day a week course, I had found myself space in a local studio, away from the computer and vehicle books. In 2009 I rented a shop on our local high street, and with 5 talented crafts people, we sell our wares, and gossip with customers. And there's not a giant truck book in sight.

There are masses of things that influence my work - from the daisy chains my daughter used to make, wild roses growing in my mother's garden and the birds on the bird feeder. I also love the work of Rob Ryan, Tord Bootnje, patterns of vintage lace and embroidery .

All my work is handmade from start to finish by me in my garden workshop in Bristol. Each piece is unique, made to order, and many pieces are made using lace and other textured material to imprint a surface pattern on the sterling silver before I begin to work with it. This means that even when a piece is made many times, the pattern on the individual elements will always vary. All my silver is 925 sterling silver, purchased from Cooksons in Birmingham, the largest suppliers of silver in the UK. Every part is sterling silver, including clasps, chains, earring posts and earring scrolls.