My client had photographs from the beautiful Sandwood Bay which he sent over so that I could draw up my designs. He wanted a necklace to show the full bay of Sandwood and a pair of earrings that would represent the giant sea stack, Am Buachaille. 

I came to Finland to unleash my creativity and find a balance between my client led jewellery and my self-directed designs. I was stopping myself from being creative, even here, in a number of ways.

The essays, blog posts and books were explaining similar things in different ways, and different creative processes were shown as effective for different people. The more I looked for answers to my creative process the more I found lots of paths that all seemed to be interconnected. This was the day I discovered accretion, it spoke to me and slotted nicely into my creative process.

I began to realise how important time was for me here, in a more traditional sense. I was living, socialising, and working in the same place, so it became easy to switch from one to the other. I had time to explore my working style and I began to realise the residency was turning into a personal journey too.

Part of my Finland residency blog series. Starting my one month residency ; getting to know the area, how to use Sauna and exploring my creativity.

This is the first in a series of posts about my residency in Finland in 2017. The residency was made possible by the generous support of Creative Scotland and Arteles. This blog is an edited version of one you may have read on my previous website.

In early 2017 I was commissioned to make a three bridges brooch and bangle inspired by the new Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh.

These wedding rings were for a September 2015 wedding but the email about them pinged into my inbox in May 2014.

When you buy some jewellery directly from me, you'll receive a little care card with your item, this has details about caring for your jewellery on it to help you get the longest life from your jewellery so it always looks its best.