Paper2Pearls started in 2016 and was born out of a challenging situation. In the spring of that year I developed severe arthritis in my neck and sadly had to give up patchwork and quilting. I needed a new creative outlet and I discovered that I could do origami. One day I wondered if it was possible to make origami jewellery, did some research and practice and started making origami jewellery using origami paper. I gradually started to use old books and after finding how popular this was switched to using old books and sheet music. The range of books I offer is what makes me stand out and it is also this which makes my jewellery resonate with customers.
I am proud of my Small Business Sunday award from Theo Paphitis which I won in 2017 and also of my Plastic Free Champion Status awarded by Surfers Against Sewage.
Most evenings you'll find me folding small pieces of paper into origami roses, birds, ,fans and more ready to varnish them before finally assembling them into jewellery. My afternoons are often spent in my studio which is at the bottom of my garden where I cut and varnish paper, make my own earring hooks from recyceled sterling silver wire and complete pieces of jewellery while listening to an audio book or podcast.I work from home in my own jewellery studio at the bottom of my garden.
With my move out of London I became more aware of the natural world and began to worry about the kind of world my grandchildren may inherit. I continued to develop my use of books and have also used other materials such as old DVDs and plastic bottles. I am really focussed on making my business, tiny as it is as sustainable as possible and complete a yearly sustainability audit.
I source old books from charity shops, Ebay and also get given ones to use. My earring hooks and stud backs are made from recycled sterling silver and come from a UK supplier that uses plastic free packaging. Other findings are from small UK sellers. All my packaging is plastic free with the exception of any padded envelopes I receive which I reuse. In 2023 I also managed to source a natural varnish so now use this for most of my work. Oddments of paper that I can't use are collected for recycling and I also save any odd pieces of sterling silver so that these can also be recycled. Any electricity I use for light or heating is renewable. As I have mobility problems I can't walk to my nearest Post Box so I make use of the Royal Mail free collection service. In 2022 I joined Ecologi and a tree is planted for every £20 spent.
I plan to continue my link with Ecologi to plant more trees as a gift to our planet and also to continue with my sustainability practice and to learn more about how to further reduce my carbon footprint. Over the last year I have built up my links with a local sustainable CIC (Up The Garden Bath) and this year I plan to offer some workshops in their shop, Unity, as well as design a product to be sold to raise money for them.
I also plan to grow my business through improving my online sales as well as finding new outlets for my jewellery.