About me

Born and bred in Carlisle, in the beautiful county of Cumbria, I have always been a bit of a magpie, enticed by shiny things and reflections.

I am currently working with blown glass, fused glass and sandcasting, but this can change in a millisecond as I am often sidetracked by other techniques!

I like to incorporate lots of colour and patterns into my work.  I use pattern making as a form of meditation and relaxation and it is interesting to bring this into my glass designs. 

My Story

From a young age glass has fascinated me, from the facets on Swarovski Crystal to the smoothness of a Millifiori Paperweight. One of my earliest treasures was a ‘Lucky Duck’ from Scarborough, which I still have to this day!

It was no surprise then when I opened a bead shop full of sparkly shiny things in Carlisle, and this led naturally on to me wanting to create my own glass beads.

In 2004 I started Lampworking from a shed in my back garden.  The door was open for ventilation, and I worked at night as I could see the flame better.  I fried more moths than I care to remember, and made a lot of misshapen beads.

After a few courses and masterclasses with some well known Lampwork artists, I upgraded my equipment and researched other ways to work with glass.  Before long I was fusing and slumping and creating stained glass pieces with copper foil.

I had been a visitor to The National Glass Centre in Sunderland many times, each time admiring the amazing work in the galleries while promising myself that ‘One day, I will do a course here’.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself applying for The University of Sunderland’s degree course in Glass and Ceramics.  I can honestly say I have had the time of my life doing this course and would recommend it to anyone.  I will hopefully graduate in Summer 2024.

My Learning

CV