29/08/2026
A wet Saturday afternoon, I’m shattered after a five-day training week and finally sitting down to eat — but before I do, I need to tell you about Louise Devlin and Pip.
Louise has given me permission to share this story, because I think it says so much about why I do what I do.
The last two days of Louise’s training were all about jewellery.
But the night before we started, as I explained what we would be learning, Louise told me about her rescue dog, Pip.
Pip wasn’t just a dog.
She was Louise’s whole world.
Pip had been due to be put to sleep.
She had just two hours before it was due to happen when someone called Louise.
Louise answered that call…
And saved her.
That phone call changed everything.
Pip went on to become such an enormous part of Louise’s life.
And then, just one week before Louise came to train with me, she lost her.
She was completely heartbroken.
She had even tried to create a keepsake of Pip herself, but sadly it hadn’t worked.
Thankfully, she had managed to take one precious thing before she lost her…
an ink print of Pip’s paw.
One little paw print.
A tiny piece of the dog she loved so much.
Then I explained the jewellery training.
Art Clay.
Fingerprints.
Hands.
Paws.
Turning precious impressions into beautiful jewellery.
And Louise asked me:
“Would we be able to do something with Pip’s paw print?”
“Yes.”
That was all I needed to say.
I saw the tears.
And suddenly these two days weren’t simply about learning jewellery.
They were about Pip.
We worked through so many techniques — fingerprints, hands, paws — and even little Pickle got involved with a nose print!
But Pip’s paw was different.
This wasn’t a practice piece.
This wasn’t just another technique to learn.
This was Pip.
The dog Louise had fought to save.
The dog who had been given a second chance.
The dog who had become her whole world.
And now the dog she had lost.
There were tears.
There were memories.
There were moments when things didn’t quite go to plan.
And then came the tears of joy.
Because Louise was creating something she could keep.
Something she could hold.
Something she could wear.
Something that meant a little piece of Pip could stay with her.
And THIS is why, for me, this has never just been about training.
The training is only the beginning. What my students go on to do with those skills is the part that really matters to me.
And Louise has already got such a beautiful vision for where she wants to take hers.
Through her work in a hospice, she sees families experiencing unimaginable loss.
She wants to work alongside other businesses to raise funds so that precious keepsakes can be offered to families who have lost someone they love, as well as creating them for her own clients.
She isn’t simply learning jewellery making.
She wants to use these skills to help people.
And that tells you everything about Louise.
She has a huge heart.
Louise, you have been a phenomenal student.
Five days.
Newborns.
Wriggly babies.
Hands.
Feet.
Airbrushing.
3D lifecasting.
Memorial casting.
And two full days of jewellery.
You have taken everything in your stride.
And I genuinely believe you are going to go so far.
I just know it.
And I will never forget these two days.
Because somewhere along the way, we stopped simply learning how to make jewellery…
and we made something for Pip.
The little rescue dog who was given a second chance because Louise answered a phone call just two hours before she was due to be put to sleep.
The dog who became her whole world.
And now…
her little paw can stay with Louise forever.
Pip’s story started with someone making a phone call.
It continued because Louise said yes.
And although Louise couldn’t save her this time, she has created something that means a piece of Pip will always be with her.
That’s what this work means to me.
Not holding onto the sadness.
Holding onto the love.
Louise, thank you for trusting me with something so incredibly personal, and for allowing me to share Pip’s story.
I feel incredibly privileged to have been part of it.
Now I really am going to eat!
Happy Saturday everyone.
