'I have a passion for hand-crafted and handmade bespoke pieces...'

Submitted by Crafty Poppins
instagram @craftypoppins
twitter @craftypoppins

'I began training as an Art Psychotherapist in Ireland and during this process I could not disguise my desire to express with fabric and craft. I wanted to embrace all apparel with a playful attitude. This is when Crafty Poppins was born. An alter ego perhaps, but most of all a chance for self expression without pressure.

My current collection focuses on bespoke clothing, accessories, craft, gifts, photography and smaller household items. All pieces are upcycled, revamped and recycled. I have a passion for hand-crafted and handmade bespoke pieces. My own ethos was to create wearable and usable art, firstly for myself and now with aspirations to share this communication with the public.

Embracing the ever changing individual within us. My current fantasies are allured by pom poms, silk, velvet, plastic toys, spray paint, unicorns, felt, luminous, shoulder pads, the wearing of trees and dinosaurs making a come back! I want to continue to take the upcycling movement to heart and promote better conditions for clothing productions with a hint of general feminism!

I think there is a real translucency for me between my love of art therapy and of textile expression. They are very ingrained within each other. My interest began in the area of mental health in my teenage years and realised I wanted to dedicate my time to supporting adults suffering with their mental health. Alongside this more pragmatic process was the development of my creative expression and I found myself crafted my own up-cycled clothes, my own accessories from up-cycled toys or turning my favourite books into handbags.

As my confidence matured I began wearing these creations in public and it began to seep into my identity. I found myself consciously wearing and creating according to my emotions and my physic. I often fantasied about creating a clothing line to be distributed, but in retrospect there was a reason I stalled myself. In 2012 I completed an art, craft and textiles course to improve my technical ability with designing and sewing my creations. By 2013 I discovered art therapy as a training ground and decided to commit to begin this training as an art psychotherapist.  

It was not until I began my training that I intensely acknowledged my personal connection to my creative process, more specifically fashion. How fashion had been my voice, my exploration of my world and my way of connecting more deeply to the experiences I was having around me. I began embracing my creative side in a way I had not been aware of before, I began trusting it really.

Through this process I created Crafty Poppins the brand. It is a means of me creating my designs but simultaneously being able to share them with people in a 'made to order' manner. A focus on personal style, quirky fashion and up-cycled accessories. I now continue to put energy into Crafty Poppins in a calm easy pace and hope to continue to interact with people in that creative way and share my designs.'