here is a simple break down. The word itself is pronounced: i·kei·baa·nuh)

Ikebana is the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging, renowned for being minimal and capturing seasonal beauty. The word itself expresses the essence of "bringing flowers to life" through aesthetics and cultural significance.

With life now being fast paced, the art of Ikebana at home can allow you to self reflect, connect with the natural world and de-stress.

Self-kindness, self education and self accommodation are the keystones that I use to make my world a happier place for me and my loved ones. Its all so very complex but at the same time so simple. Every autistic person is different. There is a saying that if you meet one autistic person then you’ve met one autistic person. I guess what I'm trying to express is when it comes to supporting autistic needs, it is always on an individual level. Yes we do share traits but the degree to which they affect us varies and how they coexist with other aspects of our brains means like all our neurotypical friends we have our own personal strengths and struggles and can shin brightly as individuals. So yeah if you feel like your living in a world that isn’t suited to you, speak up, ask for some changes and find or create little nooks that work for you.

Here you'll find my personal top picks for meaningful gifts from indie makers and shakers.

Small businesses need our custom more than ever this year. Shopping from an independent is not only a gift to your lucky recipient but also to the creatives you purchase them from. Every sale means the world to all of us.

Choosing to spend your pennies at small businesses like these, fosters creativity, promotes sustainable living and reduces the environmental impact associated with mass production.

It is the season for blackberries! They start popping up across the UK from July to October, but it is said that late august is the best time of year to pick them.

Here is a quick piece about the importance of washing your fruits and included a 2 tasty recipes for you to try at home.

All clay is recyclable and reusable but its not an easy job if you don’t keep on top of it! Larger studios and educational facilities have a tough time recycling clay purely because of the large qualities they have to process. Some will be awesome at it and employ a specialist technician to take on the laborious task. Others will be overwhelmed and just chuck it in the bin.

These days there are many studio potters creating work using traditional and modern techniques, that have been evolved and refined by the wonderful artisans that came before us. The problem is the industrial world has also evolved and the harvesting of materials widely used in ceramics can not always be trusted to be ethical, sustainable or even traceable which is a real worry.

Accountability, understanding and traceability is desperately needed to ensure we are not supporting corrupt regulations in the mining sector, poor protection of human rights and harmful damage to our precious environment.

Choosing to grow your own blooms or to buy from a British source is a sustainable choice which also provides a happiness for you and your local habit. The bee’s and butterflies will thank you later.

I understand that growing your own may not provide the same instant pleasure you get when buying a bouquet, however you could create a new sense of wellbeing from tending to home grown flowers while also providing a safe space for many bees and insects.

Slow living is a term used to describe a lifestyle philosophy. A person, group or company defined as ‘slow’ have decided to create a more meaningful and conscious way of being that is inline with what they value most.

I define my Pottery as slow and by that I don’t mean it takes me ages to make it, however sometimes it does! What I really mean is that my work is made consciously and in a style that best suits me as an individual.

Making glaze for ceramics is not an easy job, it is massively time consuming and basically you need the knowledge of a molecular chemist to understand what you are doing but saying that if you don’t make your own glazes from scratch you will never know exactly what’s in them.

When I am sourcing bags of clay from a manufacturer or ceramic supply store, The first thing I do is research the company and the clays they have on offer. There are questions I endeavor to answer that reveal whether the clays and/or the company are a sustainable choice for my work.