My Sterling Silver Lantern Papercutting Earrings had won me a national award for Jewellery category at Showcase Ireland in January 2026.
I have attended the tradeshow in RDS Dublin before I have set up my business Saw Framed. Dreaming and visualising me standing in one of the stalls selling my sterling silver design. Over the years, with my Cork city local enterprise office's support and funding, I was able to attend Showcase for the first time in 2024, and slowly over the years, I have built up my stockists in Ireland. I knew to expand oversea with handmade jewellery would be a challenge as I only have two hands. How fast can I make?
Graduated from Crawford of Art College with metal work, I 'accidently' got into the jewellery trade with zero knowledge of how the industry works - they casts and make bulk items and hire staff to 'finish' their pieces or have trained staff to make their pieces following their model. While I enjoy making every single piece, this process never sits well with me, and every piece my customer owns came from my hands and they are all individual. The question is no longer about time as slow making and sustainable is the back bone of the process. I now ask myself - How well can I make?
Photoshoot call with Council of Irish Fashion Designers in A/W 2025 gave me the inspiration and platform to test this out, without budget restriction for my wholesaler stockists in mind. I went into my workshop and start making something I had created in my head for months. I made what I want to make, my voice of artistic creation came to life - Limited Edition of wearable art was born - I don't think I realised how important that day was in my career till now.
I have been nominated for an award in previous years but it is this year I took home the honour. Along side with me are two power house women in the business, Mary Blanchfield, CEO of DCCI and Mary Palmer, Chair of Showcase. It was a very special day to be standing along side the winners.
Six years in business, metal price has risen to all time high. It had given me the opportunity to claim my name as a sculptor and open up time to draw more and expand range. While I am finished making my 'gift range' in sterling silver, I feel 2026 is going to be a turning point for expansion. While production is slowing down, my creative mind is only firing up.