I love anything to do with art - I drew before I could read and write, and my mother assured me that I drew (scribbled) and painted (sploshed and spilled) before I could walk or talk!

I do remember her teaching me how to embroider (very wobbly satin stitch and a rather better buttonhole stitch) when I was around 5.  When I was around 7 years old, I fell in love with French Knitting (with one of those funny little wooden dolls with nails around the top) and created miles of multicoloured woollen string - I never really did anything with it but I did enjoy the process of making it. This activity took up a lot of school playtimes and lunch hours - when I wasn't beating the boys playing marbles.

This progressed to little gusseted felt animals stuffed with kapok - dogs and elephants were my favourite. Aged 10, all my Christmas presents that year were felt animals and oven gloves - my maternal grandmother kept hers until the day she died! (I was SO touched). My paternal grandmother taught me to crochet, and I taught myself patchwork. I never really got on with knitting though: too long to finish a row (I specialised in the Dropped Stitch). Age 14, I made my first skirt (with one of those old Singer hand-operated machines) and then progressed to an electric machine. Once I learnt to sew, my father stopped buying me clothes - and gave me fabric instead! Many a night I sat up until 2.00am finished an outfit to wear the following day. So I've been drawing and painting and sewing every since.

I taught myself jewellery too - repairing necklaces and vintage brooches for my stall on Portobello Road Market, to designing and making them myself. I ended up with my own company in the '80s and '90s which specialised in handmade pearl and crystal jewellery and hair accessories (beaded & embroidered head bands etc). Then I had a company making nightwear and robes.

Then ... I discovered rubber stamps, bookbinding and journaling -  which then led on to altered books. I love to try everything - it's just a shame there aren't enough hours in the day!

I have been writing projects for various art & stamping magazines over the years, and teaching for around 10 years now (see Workshops for details of classes), hopefully  inspiring others to share my addiction.