Hey there, can you introduce yourself?

I am the Editor of Making Jewellery magazine and have just started writing books for GMC who also publish the magazine. I did a BA (honours) degree in 3D design (specializing in silver jewellery) and have been in the design industry for 20 years working in lots of different materials from ceramics, paper, fabric to metals.

Tell us a bit about the book?

Cats is part of the series called Magpie, which is aimed at young (or young at heart!) jewellery fans who want to learn to make jewellery. The projects are all easy to make and you don’t need any experience to be able to make the jewellery.

What was the inspiration behind it?

Because it’s part of a series I was asked to use Cats as the inspiration, from that I went away and work out ideas for 20 different cat themed projects.

Which is your favourite project?

I like quite a few of them but I think my favourite is Coco, which is a black silhouette of a stretching cat made with Shrink Plastic (I love Shrink Plastic!).

What is your craft space like?

As I work as a freelance Editor, writer and jeweller I have two workspaces. One is a room in my house that has been kitted out with two walls full of shelves for all my supplies it has a desk with my computer and a light tent for photography. The other is in the garage and is a more traditional silversmithing bench with a silver clay kiln and polishing machine.

Have you always been creative?

Yes! I think I was drawing before I could write.

When did you first start crafting?

My mum says I used to make figures in plasticine for my parents when I was about 10.

Who are your crafty heroes?

As the Editor of a monthly magazine I see a huge range of books from really talented authors! So it’s hard to pin down particular favourites but I am into learning new skills in Polymer clay at the moment so my favourite reads are Polymer clay books by people like Donna Kato and Lisa Pavelka. As a huge fan of silver clay my crafting heroes are the really amazing metal clay artists like, Wanaree Tanner, Terry Kovalcik, Barbara Becker Simon and Gordon Uyehara. There are many more but I’m guessing there is not enough space here for that!

Where do you find inspiration?

Coming from a traditional background of University, I was taught that inspiration is everything that’s around you. So I just keep my eyes open all the time and find things to spark my imagination from all sorts of places like shadows created by the sun or really cool architecture. I take a lot of photos on my smartphone whenever I’m out and see something I like the look of, I also use my phone to jot down notes if I get inspired when I don’t have any paper with me to write or sketch on. I also love the internet for research, there is so much incredible content on the web, with sites like Pinterest available the quantity of inspiring things is almost overwhelming.

What's next for you?

Well I am working with GMC Publications on more books for next year all in the jewellery making category and I’ll be editing the magazine for the foreseeable future I hope as I really love it. As a jeweller I’m always looking to push forward with my skill base and will be on the hunt for new techniques to master!

Taking inspiration from our bewhiskered companions, big and small, this book is packed with gorgeous jewelry and accessories to make.  This inspiring new title shows how to make 20 stunning items, all with a cat motif, with clear step-by-step photography and instructions.  With projects including cat charm earrings, tiger strip pendant, wire cat face ring and lion face borrch, there's something to appeal to all tastes.  Starting with an easy-to-follow techniques section, the book is packed with inspiration and is designed to cater for all skill levels, especially the novice crafter and those on a budget.