Hi, my name is Joan Strain and I have worked in retail for over 40 years in total, from leaving school until I retired in 2015.  During that time, I got married and had two daughters, and I now have five grandchildren.

When my daughters were of an age to join Brownies, I got involved in helping and eventually became Brown Owl and ran the pack for over 20 years.

This is where I gathered a keen interest in crafts.

I have always knitted and sewn from a young age, mainly for my daughters and grandchildren, but needed to find another interest.

So, a couple of years before I retired from work I started making greeting cards, which are mainly decoupage, and I look forward to making many more to display in the shop.