Our Story
A Little Bit About Me!
How it all Started:
Starting by making greeting cards featuring puns and hand-painted watercolour designs whilst working a part-time cafe job, running a full-time business wasn't a thought I had even entertained! I have never been one to stick to any career path. I wanted to be an author when I was a kid, which then change to wanting to own and run a cafe, which changed to wanting to be a tutor with the Open University with whom I studied with. So, I suppose a lot of my career aspirations growing up involved being self employed in some sense!
As was the case for many people, the Covid-19 pandemic meant that I was furloughed, and it was during this time that I seriously started working on Green Grove Designs (formerly Paperchain Designs!) I started by buying charms and assembling them onto hooks, but soon realised that I wasn't using my skills to their best extent, and knew I needed to make the jewellery myself from scratch in order to feel accomplished. So, after a bit of brain-storming, I came to the conclusion that Polymer Clay would be my material of choice, since I was familiar with it after growing up with my mum making mini sculptures from FIMO.
Fast Forward Several Months...
Whilst being in and out of lockdowns, the cafe I worked for ended up letting me go, and I accepted a temporary 6 month job in marketing, whilst working on my jewellery and applying for craft markets. I came to realise over these 6 months that running a full-time business was something I could see myself doing. At the end of the 6 months, I was offered a permanent job with the company I was with. We were still in lockdown, and having grown the start of what would be a really successful small business, I realised that it was now or never, and refused the offer to work full-time on my business! This was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Where are we Now?
Over 2 years later, Green Grove Designs continues to grow and thrive! I couldn't imagine I'd ever be where I am now. With a stunning little shop/studio at Redlands Yard, a fully-booked year at markets and a growing list of Green Grove stockists, I am certain that I made the right decision and I am eternally grateful for my customers and everyone who has supported me in some way in my journey.
My Inspirations:
My inspiration has always been nature. Growing up in the countryside and regularly going outside, I find solace amongst the trees, sheltered in the branches and leaves. Everything we have ultimately stems from the natural world, which is why I feel duty-bound to respect and protect it. With every purchase, I fund the planting of one tree via Switch2Zero, and we have proudly planted over 1900 trees, the equivalent of almost 2 forests (The majority of these have been with Ecologi, but we switched partners in October 2023 to Switch2Zero.) I also offset 6 tonnes of CO2 per year. You can find more information about our environmental progress on our FAQ's section, our home page, via the Ecologi link below and the Switch2Zero image!
