About me - the person behind Zoe Ruth Designs

I started Zoe Ruth Designs in 2012 when my constant love for art and design had narrowed itself into a desire to work with silver and copper to create simple yet beautiful jewellery.  It was as I ventured down this path of learning new skills through books, videos and generally having a play that I found out that my paternal Granddad had ventured into silversmithing and a box of his tools was unearthed from a garden shed.  I still use and treasure these tools using some of them to design and create the jewellery you buy from me today.

I am the designer, maker, experimentor, workshop tutor, social media manager, marketing team, sales department, exhibition team, accounts and finance, online tech team, post and packaging department, gallery and shop liason, and coffee girl.  I really do enjoy my work but I do forget to take time off, running a business, being a full time parent, and attempting to keep the house in a reputable state doesn't leave much spare time but it is important in this fast-paced world to slow down, to take time to look around us and appreciate the small wonders in the world we find ourselves in. With this in mind I find time to take walks around my local countryside and towns, meet up with friends for cake, drinks and to put the world to rights, visit and enjoy time with my family, potter about in my garden and talk to my ever growing collection of house plants.  You may spot these influences as I endeavour to capture the beauty of bark from a woodland walk, the colourful mix of flowers from a neighbour's garden, the textures and patterns from a walk about town. Work and life are very entwined.

My home studio is situated on the Northamptonshire and Leicestershire boarder, and I am very lucky to have such inspirational countryside and architectural towns around me.  I enjoy creating my jewellery for people who love skilled handmade pieces, who appreciate the time and care I put into each piece, and who want to own something they can wear time and time again for many years.  On the back of this I really love to teach these skills and you can find me at a few local venues teaching workshops, and I also offer private group sessions where I bring the workshop to your home and give you the materials, tools and guidence to make something yourself.