The beginning of Ollie and Blue

Let me tell you the story of how I came to create Ollie and Blue

Let me take you back a few years to when I was working as a nursery nurse. This was a job I loved very much as I was seeing first hand a child’s reaction to learning something new for the first time. That amazement in their face would bring me joy. I had been a nursery nurser for 13 years by the time I was pregnant with my own child.

The creative side was what truly inspired me, I loved to make things and develop something new. You would always know when I had been at the play doh table with the kids as there were always little roses made from the doh left at the table. This was something my mum taught me as a child, she is so talented in her art work and something I remember from my childhood, in fact I still have the bero book from the 80’s that has my mums hand written recipe of how to make home made play dough. My mum is a very talented artist, and very modest with it. She took her hand at cake decorating and honestly… if social media was a thing back then, she would have been trending. However her lack of self confidence and the fact that she didn’t want the joy of making for others as a gift to be removed meant that she’s didn’t do this as a career. She felt that she would lose that joy.

So you could say that I’ve been surrounded with creativity from an early age. This is something that I am very passionate about and creativity is good for the mind. It brings out the best in our abilities and that is where I am a little different from my mum and using the medium that I do. I look at this as an expression of myself and acknowledging that it is a slow process.

Fast forward to 2020 in around October time if I remember correctly. During the pandemic many of us, myself included, suffered with our mental health. Crafting has always brought ease to my mind, I painted when I was trying to get pregnant and I do believe that it helped me to relax more, so I tried my hand at a few things. I did the painting by numbers and the diamond paintings that I think we all did… we all have one lurking in the cupboard somewhere. It was clay where I found my true passion, I could create anything from it!

Many YouTube videos and instagram accounts scrolled through later to learn what I could make with the clay, and that was me hooked! I said to my husband that I wanted to use £80 from our savings, I looked at all the basic things I would need to start creating, to invest in a business idea, to which he supported me 100%. Our daughter Olivia, almost 4 at the time had asked me to make some ‘ladybug’ clip on earrings like the ones in her favourite cartoon, and well it all started from there.

I dabbled in some Christmas ideas which all sold out quicker than I thought, and it was the joy from my customers that kept me going... that and the demand! And here we are… just under 2 years later and I have a website! I have sold over, to date of writing this, 1000 pairs of earrings and growing each month. I am getting to do something I love and bring joy to others at the same time. What more could I possibly want.

So, that is a little bit about why I got started! Olivia is our daughter and we call her Ollie. This is where the start of the brand name came from, her favourite toy when she was 2 (and still is) was a blue jellycat rabbit that she named ‘Blue’ and so Ollie and Blue was born.

I am so excited with this new chapter for my business, don’t get me wrong I am a little terrified but that’s because I love it so much! I have finally found that passion, my drive and my gift.