We love seeing the same faces coming to visit us year after year, as fingers are filled with familiar designs until we realise we need to get cracking on some new pieces before they’ve bought the whole shop! One of these welcome friends is Suzanne Carpenter; designer, illustrator and all round busy bee. A few months ago Suzanne happened to visit when Joy and Yasmin were both in and immediately got chatting as ideas started flying around and these ideas became… bees!
Suzanne Carpenter is a Cardiff based illustrator and pattern designer who grew up with a passion for paper collages using bits colour and texture from old magazines and transforming them into new pictures to illustrate brochures and books. The Pritt-stick and paper were then swapped for a laptop and she now focuses on creating digital images which draw heavily on her paper cutting techniques. She also collects beetles from Yasmin Everley’s Entomology collection!
Joy and Suzanne share a love of the Welsh countryside and have been listening with concern to reports of the depleting population of British bees - both designers have their own iconic bee designs - so it was obvious that they should team up to support the British Beekeepers Association.
Throughout the summer, for each purchase of Bee or Hoverfly jewellery, we will donate 10% of the total item cost to The British Beekeepers Association, Friends of the Honey Bee campaign. Funds raised will go to further scientific research into honey bees and to advance the education of the public in the importance of bees in the environment, supporting bees and beekeepers.
BBKA are a registered charity, no 212025
Joy and Suzanne have filled the Newburgh Street window with an entire swarm of bees; Joy’s in gold, silver and vermeil which Suzanne’s beautifully bright illustrations flow out from the window and spread like honey across the shop! Watch this space to read an interview with Suzanne on her creative process…
