We meet a multi-talented, mindful Supercrafter whose heart lies in Arizona...
We are currently at sea onboard Ambience, the stunning flagship vessel for Ambassador, the UK’s newest cruise line. We’re offering over 70 workshops on this special Supercraft Cruise, with the emphasis on recycling and upcycling: we’ve everything from aluminium art, mosaics and vintage tin dioramas to Easter garlands, oyster shell trinket dishes and tiny works of art on teabags!
Meet Supercrafter Melanie Richens
Melanie works as a celebrated personal development coach and NLP practitioner. Her creative side was reignited in 2018, when she and her colleague Andrzej co-created a 10-week motivational, goal-setting programme and Mel needed an artistic goal of her own to work on. “Knowing how beneficial crafting can be to mental health I decided to develop my creative side, so I joined a craft group and took up mindful crafts like mandala drawing and origami,” she explains.
“For the next course (with a fresh group of students) I decided to challenge myself to learn how to crochet, something I had thought impossible as a left-hander!” Not wanting to let her group down, Mel persevered and with the help of YouTube tutorials, she succeeded. “I love the versatility of crochet. One day I may be working on an intricate amigurumi piece and the next on a king-size blanket. It’s amazing!”
Mel soon realised that the process of creating was almost matched by the pleasure of gifting finished items to appreciative friends and family.
This led to an Etsy shop, PlanToCrochet. Mel and Andrzej have also recently published ACT – The Book for those who want to follow their successful goal-setting process. “I can’t imagine life without crochet now. For me, it has become a valuable act of self-care enabling me to relax and wind down, as well as an introduction to a new circle of like-minded people, who have become good friends.” For more info about ACT – The Book, products and future wor
