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I was very lucky to be chosen to feature in The British Craft House Newsletter 🙂 You can read below : Some jewellery is designed to be perfect. This isn’t. This is jewellery shaped by nature. I was browsing The Silver Hut this week and one piece in particular completely stopped me scrolling… A cluster necklace combining sea glass with cast silver elements with each part slightly different, each one catching the light in its own way. It’s not uniform. It’s not polished into perfection. And that’s exactly the point. The maker uses traditional techniques like cuttlefish casting and sand casting, where molten silver is poured into natural moulds, creating textures that can’t be replicated. Beautifully made and completely unique – exactly what handmade jewellery should feel like.
But if statement jewellery isn’t always your thing… There are also beautifully simple pieces:
And then there are pieces like this… A true one-off ✨ No two sand cast pieces are ever the same, the texture comes directly from the mould itself, meaning each ring has its own character. It’s the kind of piece that feels like it was made just for you.
As always, thank you for supporting genuinely handmade. Dottie x |
Category: Artisans blogs
Bluebells everywhere!
A visit to my local bluebell woods at Blickling Hall in Norfolk was quite simply stunning!
Nothing beats getting outside and reconnecting with the countryside to inspire artwork.
This photo is definitely a piece of art waiting to happen, I am already imagining what fabrics I will use and the techniques needed to recreate such a beautiful scene.
I’m not sure if this a particularly good year for bluebells but the show here made my jaw drop. Go if you can if you are local to Norfolk, you won’t be disappointed.
My single stem bluebell has made it to a card, created by my favourite things, ink, watercolour and applique details in Liberty fabrics.
A little taste of things to come…..
How Did This Nonsense End Up on a Mug: The Everyday Womtras Origin Story
From Charming Oddities to Everyday Womtras, this is the tale of how these sass stuffed affirmations came into being.
I draw. Constantly. Always have. School, university, corporate meetings where I was definitely supposed to be paying attention, I’ve always been drawing (and occasionally nodding off – if you’ve ever been in a meeting with me – you know).
When I started trading at markets, selling my fine art prints, I would sometimes have long stretches of time between customers. So I doodled. A lot.
Then one crisp autumn morning in 2024, at Gloucester Green market in Oxford, someone noticed what I was doing, laughed, and asked if it was for sale.
Reader, I charged her.
Some perfectly sane woman handed me actual money for a grotesque doodle paired with a rogue thought. (If that was you – hello. You started this. I owe you everything.)
At the time, they were all called Charming Oddities. Hand-drawn, signed, slightly chaotic little A7 folded cards, scribbled onto whatever paper I had lying around. I’d draw them in quiet moments at the stall and sneak them onto the display.
They sold. Quickly.
I regret not photographing all of those early ones – but also, there’s something quite right about them disappearing into the world. I refined the characters down to a bank of around 20, polished them up, designed photographed and refined a consistent alphabet – and boom, I was printing on mass.
With the cards doing well at local markets, I thought: why stop at there? I ordered a small batch of mugs for Christmas.
They flew.
Which was great. Except buying them from a third party wasn’t going to cut it long-term. So I did what I always do, I figured it out myself.
A dangerous mix of YouTube, AI, and sheer stubbornness later, I was printing them in-house.
Some might call that controlling. I’d call it… consistent with the brand.
From there, things escalated (naturally). Mugs, tumblers, bottles, totes, notebooks. I even experimented with umbrellas, shoes, t-shirts and caps, because once you start putting your thoughts onto things, it’s hard to stop.
But the greetings cards? Still the best sellers. There’s something about handing someone a distinct drawn insult that really lands.
A few months (and many sales) in, I realised this might actually be a thing. Which meant it needed a proper name.
Charming Oddities had been plucked from thin air, with zero research and even less foresight. So I took a step back and thought about what these little characters actually were.
They’re not just drawings. They’re tiny, chaotic affirmations. Mantras, if you will, but for women who are done being polite.
And just like that: Womtras.
Not a real word. Not then, anyway. Now? It means female empowerment, with a side of sass.
“Everyday” came from those hyper-positive Instagram affirmations we were all force-fed years ago, but this felt like the antidote. Same intention, very different delivery.
And that’s how these loud, slightly unhinged, deeply honest little characters came to life.
Welcome to Everyday Womtras. They’re not here to behave.
Butterflies…
I’ve been enjoying making new butterfly 🦋 designs and will be creating more very soon… the name Venna signifies a ‘butterfly’ in Greek and ‘peace & love’ in Scandinavian, which is quite apt for my middle name Venna (which is also my Mum’s name) as butterflies are also symbols of love and peace 🦋🤍💕
Freak Like Me Arrives at Sandersons Department Store, Stroud
There’s something special about seeing your work in a space that values craftsmanship, individuality and considered design. That’s exactly why we’re so pleased to share that Freak Like Me jewellery is now available at Sandersons Department Store in Stroud.
Set within one of Stroud’s most loved independent stores, our collection sits among a carefully curated mix of brands that celebrate quality, creativity and originality – values that have always been at the heart of Freak Like Me.
Jewellery That’s Designed to Be Personal
Freak Like Me was created with a simple idea:
no two people are the same – so why should their jewellery be?
Each piece in the collection features a handcrafted leather cuff paired with a natural gemstone centre. Every stone is completely unique, shaped by nature, with its own colours, patterns and character.
What makes the collection different is the interchangeable design.
The gemstone can be removed and paired with different leather straps, allowing you to change the look depending on your style, your outfit, or simply how you feel that day.
It’s jewellery that evolves with you.
Discover the Collections In Store
At Sandersons, you’ll find two distinct collections:
The Unique Collection
Bold, statement pieces featuring larger natural gemstones.
Each one is designed to stand out – expressive, individual and impossible to replicate.
The Slim Classic Collection
A more refined, understated take on the same concept.
Smaller stones, slimmer cuffs – perfect for those who prefer something subtle but still distinctive.
A Cabinet of One-of-a-Kind Pieces
The display at Sandersons has been designed to reflect the nature of the jewellery itself.
Each bracelet is presented individually, allowing the stone to take centre stage. From vibrant turquoise to softly patterned agates, every piece offers something different – a colour, a texture, a detail that catches your eye.
It’s less about choosing a product, and more about finding the piece that speaks to you.
Why Sandersons
Stroud has long been known for its independent spirit, creative community and appreciation for craftsmanship. Sandersons reflects that perfectly – a space where customers come to discover something a little different.
Being part of that environment feels like a natural fit for Freak Like Me.
Come and Find Your Piece
If you’re local to Stroud, we’d love you to visit Sandersons and experience the collection in person.
There’s something about seeing the stones up close – the depth of colour, the natural patterns, the individuality of each piece – that can’t quite be captured online.
Because in the end, this isn’t just about jewellery.
It’s about finding something that feels like you.
Mila x
Freak Like Me – Unique Like You
Plymouth Colour Collective Summer Exhibition 2025
Since 2018 I have been a part of the Plymouth Colour Collective. This was a group of artists including Brian Pollard, Arth Lawr, Lou C Fused Glass, Henry Sells and myself. For a good few years now we have been exhibiting together and for the past two years we have been lucky enough to exhibit at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth. The space was wonderful and we brought lots of colour to the walls. We also had the opportunity to iunviute a guest artist each which was wonderful!
This year the group is moving forward under the name Colour in Plymouth and we are busy hatching new plans for working together. Watch this space!
Winning SBS with Theo Paphitis
A few years ago I was honoured to win Small Business Sunday an intiative set up by Theo Paphitis. This was a big surprise and I was lucky enough to go the the ICC in Birmingham the following February to collect my award along with the other winners. It was awesome to listen to all of the wonderful people speaking and to meet lots of other small business owners. I was able to give Theo a picture of London which was really special and I am now invited each year to go and mingle with the rest of the SBS community. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many great people!
Made it on to the BBC News!
On my way back home from Cornwall one afternoon with my family I was really surprised to find myself on my BBC News feed! It was such a lovely surprise and came not long after I had been featured on BBC Upload.
It was really nice to reach a few more people and I think my Mum was proud too!
A birthday isnt a birthday without cake.
A birthday isn’t a birthday without cake.
Birthday’s are made special by the people you spend the day with and of course birthday cake.
A handmade cake topper changes a normal birthday cake into a special celebration.
My hedgehog is lovingly from felt and is sewn entirely by hand. The hedgehog is wearing a pink party hat and is carrying a tiny cupcake ready for a birthday tea party.
After the cake is gone the hedgehog’s skewer and wiped down and kept to make more birthdays memorable
Looking back to 2019 and a surprise appearance on Countryfile with Anita Rani
It was a surprise phone call one day that let to me meeting Anita Rani and a team from BBC Countryfile on Wembury Beach. We talked about the things that I found on the beach and how I made my pictures but the biggest take away for me personally was that it became the first time that I had publicly (very publicly) admitted that I had suffered from post natal depression after having our daughter. Along with hypnotherapy, beach combing, fresh air and the mindful nature of picking up pieces of glass and other items from the beach helped me to emerge from a really tough time, find a glimmer of hope and find myself again.
Little did I know back then that it would become an actual career.
The team were so lovely as was Anita and we even had a coffee and a pasty in the cafe after filming. I think in a way I would like to revisit it as my pictures have developed and changed and certainly become more colourful since then. I have also found ways to use much more of the rubbish that I find too.
That’s all for now.
See you soon!
Laura