Artist's Profile

I wasn’t sure what to do for a career when I finished school, so I enrolled on an Art Foundation course at Rochdale College. This allowed me to test out a variety of artistic routes, and by the time I graduated, I had discovered my passions...ceramics and printmaking!

This led me to the best place to study both, the Staffordshire Potteries, where I embarked on a ceramic design course which perfectly combined both of my new-found loves. I was offered a job at my degree show, and spent a fantastic seven years working for a local pottery firm.

We worked on everything from Royal Palaces’ fine china, to tableware designs for cruise ships, to Harry Potter mugs! It gave me a fabulous understanding of working in the commercial world, as well as offering me opportunities to work on lots of varied design styles. Never a dull design moment!

I first discovered Phoenix Trading whilst visiting a country fete in a Derbyshire village, where, just next to the cake stall, was a treasure trove of beautiful products. It was a Phoenix Trader’s stall, and I couldn't walk past it! I remember buying quite a few cards, as well as an Advent calendar card, that had me transfixed. Such 'out of the norm' ideas! Now, some years later, I have been lucky enough to have my very own Advent calendar design produced with Phoenix!

I always relish the creative freedom you are given with Phoenix to try new things, and it's lovely to work with such a fabulous team, and see how innovative the next product launch will be. Having two daughters, I work from home with my partner, another freelance Phoenix artist, and try to achieve a good balance of work and family life.

I feel very lucky to have worked in lots of different industries already, and I look forward to designing lots more beautiful and creative products in the future.