A passion for craft results in successful jewellery firm

FROM her house in Bitterne Park, Carolyn Ford has been hammering away on her tool bench making unique silver jewellery to keep up with increased demand following lockdown The Solent University graduate set up Silverbird Designs in 2013 after doing a jewellery course and teaching herself further through books and YouTube "I've had a passion for arts and crafts for as long as I can remember and from an early age could always be found drawing, painting or model making.

I worked as a graphic designer for ten years and loved it, but I decided to find a career that would better fit our young family's life, yet still give me a creative outlet What started as making jewellery for friends and family quickly turned into a business," she said Silverbird Designs, a name inspired by the first pendant she created, offers unique and contemporary silver jewellery, that can be worn every day or for special occasions.

"Each jewellery piece starts life in my sketchbook The sketch could become the outline of a design or an illustration that I can use to emboss onto a metal I love using silver with accents of gold in my collections" Her local café in Bitterne Triangle also stocks her jewellery and Carolyn is passionate that - now more than ever before - it's important to support local traders and buy independently.

"You know you are buying something made with love Seven years on and I am still thrilled when I see someone wearing my jewellery It is humbling to think that people want to buy what I make and it gives me great pleasure to package it up and send it to someone they love". More