Bowcottage

I’ve been making jewellery since I was a teenager, I never fitted into the average size range that you could find in the shops, and my skin reacts with plated or cheaper metals so that inspired me to start making my own. Firstly I made mostly beaded pieces but I always wanted to work with silver, when I was pregnant with my daughter I took a 1 day course, then later on did a 2 day stone setting course and everything else I have learnt along the way! I started Bow Cottage 6 years ago alongside a full time job but within 6 months I was able to leave there and work on my business full time, this has allowed me the opportunity to attend all of the school events and not have the stress of childcare in the holidays or for illness! A lot of my work, like my name washer necklace is personalised by adding hand stamped names, initials or dates making them very special keepsakes.

I am a mum of two with a long term chronic illness, as well as Bow Cottage I have a second business making printed and personalised gifts (Piccalilli Lane), I’m studying towards a business degree through the Open University, with a focus on finance (I am now a qualified bookkeeper too) I run a networking group for women running small businesses in and around Milton Keynes, and have recently set up a group to support small business owners with pricing and other finance related areas of their business