Hastings is on the map this month, with a pair of gifted Supercrafters showcasing the seaside...
I love wandering around craft fairs, seeing the wealth of ideas, talent and ingenuity that we have as a crafting nation. On a recent visit to Hastings, I spotted the monthly Pop Up Emporium at The Stade Hall, featuring local makers and creative small businesses.
Sited on the seafront in the vibrant Old Town, the Emporium was packed full of fascinating handmade items, but one stand, in particular, stood out. Providing a bright pop of colour in a corner was Periwinkle Shells, with rows of beautifully arranged, decoupaged treasures from the sea, a mere hundred yards away. It was love at first scallop...
Meet Supercrafters Sarah Jaffey and Jakub Kovac
Periwinkle Shells is the brainchild of Sarah Jaffey and her partner Jakub Kovac. Based in Hastings, where Jakub is a chef, he and Sarah had the idea of upcycling and repurposing the shells that Jakub handles on a daily basis.
“We didn’t want to waste all these beautiful oyster and scallop shells, so that’s when Periwinkle Shells was formed,” Sarah tells me. “Together we make these lovely, decorated shells. It’s so fun coming up with new designs and bringing them to life – each one is uniquely different.”
They are thrilled that their shells are so successful, with customers using them as trinket dishes, salt and pepper holders, or just as decorative items gracing a shelf somewhere. “It makes us beam that people enjoy what we do just as much as we enjoy making them. It has been wonderful doing this together, bringing out our creativity and selling at craft fairs together.”
The couple have another plan in the pipeline too. “We are just beginning a new project called ‘World is your Oyster’, where we’ll create miniature scenes in oyster shells. We have so many ideas and can’t wait to get started!”
You can see a sneak peek at their first scene here with many more to follow, so keep a lookout on Instagram at @periwinkle_shells. And if you’d like a little piece of Hastings beach for yourself, Jakub and Sarah’s creations ca
