A Little About Me...

My name is Tori.
I like to buy things.
And I like to make things.

As a result of this, I have ended up with alot of crafty things. Beads, ribbons, miles of fabric, buttons, zips, bags of glitter, a soldering iron... Loads of stuff! I started sewing with my Gran and I loved searching through her button boxes and the sewing basket for hidden treasures. This then led to taking Textiles at GCSE and A-Level, where I learnt that I hate the design process (mainly because I can't draw) but I love to crack on, start creating and see where I end up.

I also like magazines... Anybody who knows me can vouch for the fact that I buy too many magazines. But one of these magazines can be credited with starting my favourite crafty passion and that is making jewellery. There was a feature which had a Tatty Devine bracelet, a chain with multi-coloured plectrums and I LOVED IT! I did not love the price, I was about 14 and my pocket money didn't stretch that far... So I thought I'd do a DIY version. I went to Rock Box, a guitar shop, and bought a handfull of plectrums and then to Boyes, a shop that sells everything, and bought some chain, jump rings, pliers, and a clasp.

It was awful.

A really poor attempt. But it sparked something. My mum bought me a memory wire bracelet kit. I bought some tubes of beads and made some earrings. An attempt at a charm bracelet. A book in Textiles class about fabric jewellery. Bead shops discovered. More books bought and borrowed. People started asking if I could make them things for themselves or for gifts. And so it spiralled. I dabbled with Etsy a few years ago, I sold four things! Then life got in the way a bit. I stopped making. I did not stop buying. I love to go shopping in Leeds and always make a stop at Yum Yum Beads, and always make a purchase. I would get all these ideas when I saw the beads, buy them and they would just sit in the spare room waiting to be used.  

Then I was asked the classic question:
“What do you want to be doing in 5 years time?”
I want to make jewellery.
“What are you doing to get there?”
Erm... Nothing.
“Why the hell not?!”
Pass.
“If you are serious, I don’t want to be having this same conversation with you in 5 years time.”

So I had a think. I am serious. Let’s do this! At the start of July I did a week long course at the London Jewellery School and it just reinforced that this is something I really want to be doing. So here I am with a cupboard (and several boxes) crammed full of stuff, ready to create. My challenge is to turn the cupboard of stuff in to something amazing.

Stay tuned.