The Crafty Paddler Story

A painful knee injury caught up with me at 52, & I ended up having a partial knee replacement. Just like that, paddleboarding was off the cards.

I couldn't get out with my club, Mid Cheshire SUP. I couldn't manage a walk with my husband & our dog, Maggie, either. What I missed most was the water & everybody on it. Watching everyone else's adventures scroll past on my phone while I sat at home gave me a serious case of FOMO.

Then, one afternoon of spring 2024, I discovered a new craft obsession. By that evening, I'd ordered a ridiculous amount of craft equipment. I had no idea what I was going to make. I just had a feeling that something good would come of it.

It was meant to be a distraction while I waited for my knee to get better. It took over the house instead & then it took over me. I was making paddleboard-inspired gifts, handmade accessories & quirky earrings all of it keeping me tied to the outdoors while I couldn't get out in it.

It didn't stop there though.

The club looks after an adopted stretch of the River Weaver, so we're forever out collecting whatever we find on the banks & in the water. The amount of it was depressing, & every bit was headed for landfill.

I kept thinking there had to be something better to do with it. If I'm honest, I can't paddle or walk past a bit of litter anywhere - on a canal or river, a towpath, in the woods, on a beach, halfway down the high street or up a (small) mountain without excitedly picking it up.

At the same time I came across a resin which uses 23% by-product of the paper & pulp industry, is 100% synthetic therefore vegan & cruelty free. So I started experimenting.

I cleaned & cut up the rubbish I'd collected into tiny pieces & set them inside the resin & it worked far better than I'd expected.

That was the start of Rubbish Jewellery.

Every piece now has a bit of adventure in it, & a bit of rubbish that would otherwise be in landfill or littering our environment.

I'm proud to launch my premium range on the website, all products are made with either 316L surgical-grade stainless steel, titanium, 100% recycled sterling silver or for a bit of luxury, 14ct gold-filled wire.

Titanium is 100% nickel free, so that's the one I point you towards if your ears are really fussy. 316L Surgical-grade stainless steel is hard-wearing & tarnish resistant, most people get on with it perfectly well. Recycled sterling silver gives you the beauty of silver while using existing precious metal rather than newly mined silver. 14ct gold-filled wire has a thick layer of real 14ct gold bonded to a base metal, making it much more durable than ordinary gold plating.

I only started this because I couldn't get on the water! Somehow, it's turned into something I'm really proud of.

People ask about the pieces, which means people ask about the rubbish, the parks, streets & green spaces we love & the stretch of river I paddle gets a little cleaner for it.

Not a bad outcome for something that started with a dodgy knee & a ridiculous amount of craft equipment.

Thank you for reading all the way down & for being part of the Crafty Paddler story. I hope you love wearing my jewellery as much as I love making it.