Ever since I was little I have always been devoted to thrift and making my own things from decorating my dens, to creating tree houses, rafts and boats, clothes, bags, jewellery quilts and all manner of useful things. I think it partly comes from never being able to find things that I liked or expressed me so I made them. We also lived in a tiny village so it was a case of make your own entertainment which resulted in me being a very curious, interested and inventive child.
This month I have been invited to take The Hoolala Circus to Oxford to exhibit and demonstrate at the Need, Make, Use Day in the Pitt Rivers Museum. I am so excited as they have only invited 14 of us and it is in my all time top five museums - they have the most wonderful collection of objects all housed in a beautiful building.
Deciding what to take has been difficult but I decided to go back to the beginning of Hoolala 10 years ago and look through the archives where I found a few of the first pieces I ever made which includes the Sacred Icon Found Object Charm Bracelet as it has inspired so many of my collections. It has all the ingredients for my Pitt Rivers Collection which will include pieces that are part of the make do and mend ethic and using beautiful relics, found objects, handmade charms and even a picture of my Russian Great Grand Father who's picture hangs above the bench in the studio.
