About

Thank you for coming to visit me here.  Pinky and Boo has been a large part of my life for the last 7 years, and is my chance to share with people some of the things I love to do, to see and to create.

First things first, a little bit more about me.  My name is Claire, and I live in Nottingham with my husband David, 3 fluffy chickens and 2 kitties,  Betty and Stella (who regularly feature on the blog!).  It was in fact these 2 naughty kittens that provided my friend with the inspiration for the name, Pinky and Boo, which I think perfectly names my range of products.  It’s a bit kitsch, a bit 50’s, a little bit cheeky, a bit cute – all of which describe the things that I love and the things I make.

I have always crafted, and in fact cannot imagine my life without doing something crafty.  Until reasonably recently it was something of a guilty pleasure; none of my friends made their own clothes, sewed, and certainly didn’t enjoy crochet blankets, doilies and embroidered crinoline ladies!

I then discovered the rise in interest in vintage, kitsch home wares and best of all, craft blogs!  This gave me the confidence that maybe it was OK to craft, and better still, maybe other people would like to buy some of my bits and bobs.

Pinky and Boo has evolved in the last couple of years, as I have gained more confidence in different techniques, developed new ideas, even became obsessed with a few different fabrics.  Underneath all the things I make I want to recapture the warm, safe, happy feeling evoked by using pretty fabrics, old fashioned techniques, storybook pictures that I grew up with.  My Mam would sew, knit beautifully, embroider huge pictures and tiny details, crochet, my Dad would make anything I could dream up out of wood, metal, paper, did beautiful calligraphy, picture framing  – and it was natural for me to learn.  I am always thankful for what I learned growing up, without even realising it.  I use these techniques to bring life to the ideas I have buzzing around in my head at all times.

I am now lucky in that not only do I have the opportunity to sell some of the things I make, but that I can also pass some of my skills on in the form of courses I teach locally – you can find out more on the “courses and fairs” page.

I hope that you will enjoy your visit here at Pinky and Boo, and that you, too will find some of the familiar, the warm and cosy happiness that I have found in creating it.