“Every piece is made by hand in Galway”.

I say this a lot! But I love to say it and I will continue on saying it to whoever will listen.

I am a maker, I feel so very lucky to have made a career out of making beautiful things with my hands. It’s an absolute dream.

I work alone, I make to order and I ensure every piece that leaves the studio is beautifully finished, well packaged and wonderfully presented.

No piece will every be the same, every item is unique.

Recently,I had the pleasure of attending a talk by the DCCOI in Collins Barracks about Creative Livelihoods.

A talk about valuing craft in communities.

The afternoon was incredibly interesting and very inspiring.

We heard from the wonderfully spoken Lorna McAuley from Harris Tweed-she spoke of the history and future of Harris Tweed.

It was lovely to hear about the weavers who create the famous tweed. Every weaver works from home and the weavers ages ranged from as young as 21 to the 70s.

Tara Kennedy of the Freemarket, Venice Biennale Exhibition spoke about exploring the potential for regeneration of Irish market towns and examining the role and opportunities for craft in this context.

Eamonn Terry of Criostal na Rinne spoke about how he developed his business in a rural setting. His journey from Waterford Crystal cutter to having his own business. His story from the beginning is inspiring-how he has adopted his business to the changing times, how he has adopted new ideas into his business and how he finds new and exciting opportunities for his work.

I live in the foothills of Connemara.I find it encouraging to hear stories of successful businesses thriving in very rural settings.

It gives hope and aspiration for small handmade businesses like mine.

A day away from the studio to hear some wonderful stories can be a very very good thing for the mind and the soul.