DoodlePippin

I started DoodlePippin in an old lawnmower shed in 2015. My kids were tiny - returning to my hectic journalism career in London seemed an impossibility.

So I fell back on my original craft skill - playing with clay! I specialise in "millefiori". This ancient technique has been around since at least the 6th Century (millefiori beads were found in the Anglo Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo - yes, the one featured in the recent film 'The Dig!').

Millefiori creates amazing kaleidoscopic patterns in coloured clay. But it's a frustrating medium as all the patterns are unique and can't ever be repeated. So I take high-res images of the original millefiori canes and use the digital version to create my range of 'prints' - fabric, ceramics, stationery and homewares.

Since 2015 DoodlePippin has grown a lot. I now work from a purpose built studio at the end of a long garden filled with chickens and fruit trees. My studio assistant Jude and I can be found several days per week making and packing orders, and the rest of the time is spent mucking about with clay.