From beats to babies and back again
I'm a scouser born and bred, the daughter of a rag and bone man, my mum a creative herself that never pursued her creative dreams. I guess that's where it started for me, the product of parents that were one half creative and half entrepreneurial...I went through school and thrived in the art block, struggled to find my place anywhere else - and my dream to have my own creative business was cemented.
All through my teenage years I entered one drawing competition after another. From coming first in the local 'Sayers Young Artist' 3 years in a row to winning national drawing competitions for BBC's Clothes Show to coming second in Micheal Jacksons 'Heal The World' global drawing comp - and I was even on Rolf's Cartoon Club!
Alongside entering competitions I flexed my young business skills, selling baby portraits to kids parents for pocket money in junior school. Thanks to Kylie in the 80's (with her extra thick hairbands) I hit a home run in my all-girl-high-school, sewing and selling headbands to over 1000 girls!
I was always chasing creative opportunities - I even got offered work experience in the Steven Spielberg Amblimation Animation Studios when I was 17, after which I got offered a position in their Hollywood Studios!
But I refused - I couldn't imagine being that far from family that young.
Whilst still studying for my graphic design degree in John Moores University I started my own company designing flyers for local businesses - which all changed after two years when asked to design the album artwork for local band The Coral.
When The Coral got picked up by Sony Music things really started to escalate and I went on to design for The Zutons, The Dead 60s and Toploader amongst others. All were local bands, so I decided it was time to branch out. Now, with my company a 4-strong-team we went on to design for The Artic Monkeys, The Stands including the entire catalogue for local record label Deltasonic - even venturing into music videos.
During this time I had my first child - and I realised I wanted to be at home more for her - that, and my role in my company changing to predominantly managerial as opposed to creative, made me take the leap to close the studio and start up again as a freelancer - and get back to the creative stuff I love.
After a year of hard slog things really took off and I had a blast designing for many record labels, but mainly Island Records. My Client list included The Klaxsons, The Feeling, Nicki Minaj, Jessie J, I Blame Coco, The Wanted and Queen.
Two more kids later (3 altogether now) and having designed to briefs for years I downed computer and started drawing again, late at night, when the kids were in dreamland...these developed into my illustrated prints and greeting cards. I'd decorated my kids rooms with them and friends started buying them and thought - hang on, maybe I've got one more start up left in me - so here I am selling on Etsy, starting something new again! xxx