For this week's meet the team we speak to our head art worker and the lady in charge of our laser cutter, Katie!
What is your favourite part of your job?I love experimenting, and the arrival of the rotary function for the bamboo travel mugs and the metal engraving machine was very exciting! When I get some time in the day, I like reading up online or in the laser cutting manual to find out more tips, tricks and opportunities in which we can utilise the laser cutter to its full potential. We often get customers asking for bespoke orders which always proves insightful and interesting, it gives us product development ideas too. It's great developing products that really are personal and unique to somebody.
What is your favourite Maria Allen Boutique product?
I have a love of glass products, especially ones that are etched as i think they look beautiful, so the glass sweet jars have to be my favourite. I love this sweet jar because it reminds me of the sweet jar my nan used to have on her mantle piece!
I also love the new personalised cassette necklace. As a 90's child i loved recording my favourite songs from the radio onto cassette tapes, so this necklace is also very nostalgic for me! The detail of the etch of the cassette engraved onto our cherry wood is amazing, and really shows off the detail that the laser cutter can achieve.
What is an average day like for you in the studio?
I start off the day art working customer orders and responding to any custom requests that need art working and developing. I artwork and then laser cut orders by product, I find this to be the most time efficient way especially in the very busy periods. Towards the end of the day I then have more time for other things such as making wholesale orders or developing new products with Maria.
What did you study at university?
Product and furniture design. That's where I first learnt how to laser cut! Having the chance to produce small and large scale pieces in an amazing workshop with different machinery was very rewarding.
How do you spend your spare time?
I have 2 horses so at a weekend or on a nice sunny evening in the summer, I go horse riding along the downs, it's a natural stress relief for me and always feels good getting out into the wonderful Sussex countryside. I also love going on city breaks in the UK and abroad, i have a bucket list of places in Europe I want to visit! Last month I went to Dublin. Here at Maria Allen Boutique we love hexagons so was only right to go and visit the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland where there are pillars of basalt rock naturally shaped into hexagons! Here are some photos from my recent trips:
