Have you always had a passion for flowers and nature?
‘Yes, I was brought up on a farm in Suffolk. As a little girl, I used to roam for hours along the river bed amongst the primroses and cowslips in the spring, watch the barley fields turn to a beautiful golden glow in summer, and pick walnuts freshly fallen from the tree in autumn. I learned to see what was around me. I think a lot of people look but they don’t see.’
What inspires you?
‘I’m inspired by the breathtaking beauty of nature, and the changes that the seasons bring. Flowers and foliage reflect those seasonal changes as well as captivating our five senses (but of course don’t taste the poisonous ones!).’
How did you get into floristry?
‘When I worked in London I really missed the countryside and every day as I walked past a rosemary bush on my way to the tube, I’d rub the leaves between my fingers to release the beautiful fragrance and think one day I’ll be out of this town. Then when the children were small I saw Ercole and Kelly from Mcqueens on the TV in the early days, and that was it – I was smitten and knew I wanted to work with flowers.’
How would you describe your work?
‘I love to put texture and movement in my work and found that with the more experience and confidence I gained I could start to play around with the materials. I started to deconstruct flowers, seed heads and grasses whilst studying a technique called pavé on my City and Guilds Level 4.’
How did this evolve into creating flower jewellery?
‘I love to wear large statement rings so I started to experiment and make some wearable floral jewellery.’
How do you see the floral ring trend progressing?
This floral ring [pictured] has generated interest from a client who wanted to buy it to give to his girlfriend when he proposed – as a stop gap for buying the ring together. Great idea I thought! I now need to find time to market that idea.’
The floral cuffs are a unique departure from traditional corsages. How did they come about?
'We designed some floral cuffs [pictured] for a ‘Great Expectations’ inspired wedding. The bride didn’t want a bouquet – she wanted a floral cuff for her and the bridesmaids.’
