Q1. Where do you get your inspiration?

Initially my inspiration came whilst working away in the north of Scotland. I came across a driftwood mirror in a craft shop & decided to try making one myself. At the time I was living in Aberdeen and had the sea on my doorstep. So off I went to collect some driftwood & soon fell in love with the treasures that could be found on our beaches. I set to making mirrors, lamps, wall sconces, coat hooks and signs. I started attending local craft fairs and soon my little flat resembled a workshop. Luckily I had lovely neighbours who put up with the sound of the odd power tool & sawing going on in the building, although one did enquire as to whether I was building a replica of the forth road bridge above his head! I have since moved back to Hartlepool and after having my daughter I decided to set up my little business Deenpool Crafts. At the beginning of 2020 I started running workshops so I could share my love of crafts and upcycling with other people.

Q2. Which material do you most prefer working with?

My medium is most definitely driftwood & reclaimed wood. I would say 95% of the materials I use in my work are reclaimed. I also have a new found passion to help stop old quality vintage furniture from being thrown into landfill. I love the ethos of upcycling and feel more than ever that it is so important for us all to play our part in helping the environment. Since the first lockdown I have been helping out at a lovely little shop in Hartlepool called eco chic it. Here we buy and upcycle people’s old furniture and give it a new lease of life. I have learnt so much in the past year about vintage furniture, upcycling and restoration. It is definitely the way forward. Why buy new when you can turn a quality piece of old furniture into a statement piece that will last another 50+ years!

Q3. Are you working in anything interesting at the moment?

Like a lot of people I have spent lots of time in the garden over the past year planting a variety of different things. This has inspired me to incorporate live succulents in to my driftwood crafts. It’s a bit of trial and error at the moment as I am no Charlie Dimmock… but watch this space!