The start of our blog and the end of an era . . .

I sit writing this on the eve of our last day with a physical shop. It was a tough decision to make and it truly feels bitter-sweet; I have loved the years I’ve spent crafting jewellery in that bright and airy space, surrounded by all my designs, displayed in their pretty cabinets. I’ve enjoyed countless chats with visitors to Oakham from all over the globe, discussed hundreds of custom designs, helped pick out birthday gifts, wedding jewellery, leaving presents, not to mention the thousands of pieces of jewellery made, hundreds of packages wrapped up, and the all the classes we’ve taught there too . . .

I’m going to really miss it. But, I need to do what fits right now; there were two major factors at play in making the decision - fitting the business around my little family, and sadly, the rising costs that have impacted us all over the past year or two.

Every working parent knows the school holiday juggle is near impossible(!). Scaling back a little and moving Lucy Flint Jewellery to my home workshop means I’m able to be lots more flexible and spend so much more time with my son when he’s off. We don’t get those years back from when they’re small, right? I don’t think I’ll ever regret my decision for this reason alone.

And then there’s the rising costs part. It’s hitting everyone hard right now. Looking at the figures, and taking into account my work that comes in via the website, it reached a point where it just didn’t make sense to keep the retail space going. It’s heartbreaking that high streets are suffering because of this, but it looks like the future is - at least for me - online.

Even with these changes, I’ll still be at the end of an email or phone, waiting to help with any jewellery-related queries you may have, so don’t hesitate to get in touch! I’ll be here, working at my bench, making jewellery for your kind orders, handmaking beautiful commissions for you and working with stockists, as before, just a few miles down the road from my home.

I’ve got a garage conversion on the cards to give me a larger workspace (keep an eye out for classes re-starting once I’ve got a bigger, lovely workshop again!), and I’m excited for the opportunities this new flexibility of working from home will bring - from both a business and personal point of view.

So, here’s to the next chapter, I’m excited for the future, change can be a great thing.

Lucy x