I always loved science at school. I found it intuitive and exciting. I loved the processes involved, the scientific method and the sheer wondrousness of biological life.

As I progressed through my scientific education, the physics fell by the wayside (too much maths!) and I concentrated on Biology and Chemistry. I was fascinated by the way the natural world worked and the chemical processes that governed it.

I graduated from Queens University Belfast with an honours degree in Genetics, during which time I met my lovely husband. I then did a Masters degree in Medical Laboratory Science.  After working in the medical diagnostics industry for a couple of years, I decided to move into teaching and achieved a Postgraduate Certificate in Education as well.

I loved teaching. It is a challenging but very rewarding career but I wanted to take a small break while my children were babies. We had just moved to Southern Ireland from Northern Ireland so the time seemed to be right. Three children later and I discovered handmade soap.

I have suffered from psoriasis for many years. Thankfully for me, it’s not too serious but I do have flare ups every once in a while. I had read about natural soap in a magazine and had tried to find some locally here in Ireland but to no avail. I researched a little further and discovered that it was possible to make soap myself and bought a book with recipes and instructions. It seemed a good fit with my scientific background.

I was totally hooked and I knew this was what I wanted to do.

Financially the idea of starting my business here in Ireland was a complete nightmare as the housing market crashed and my husband was made redundant. With no income and a mortgage in negative equity, we had no choice but to move to where the employment was.

We rented out our house and moved to Stirling in Scotland where my talented husband had managed to get a new job. We moved in January and by August I started trading as Purple Herb Soap.

I started by booking some craft fairs. My first one was in the Scottish Wool Centre in Aberfoyle, a beautiful little Scottish village just at the foot of the mountains. I traded there over the summer and Autumn.

The next year I was invited to join a group of artists and makers who run a small craft shop just at the side of the main shop called Handmade. I was part of this lovely and supportive group of people for several years.

I joined the Made In Stirling Initiative who have a pop-up shop for local businesses in Stirling. It’s a great place to find something really unique.

I also did many many craft fairs! My favourite was the Christmas craft fair at Stirling Castle with carol singers, traditional music and dancing and of course, mulled wine and mince pies.

I became involved with Cowane’s Hospital which is historic building in Stirling. John Cowane was a merchant in Stirling who left a sum of money on his deathbed to build a retirement home for elderly merchants who had fallen on hard times. I was proud to be a trustee of the building and I had my soap making workshop there. I was involved in the organisation of craft fairs and fundraising events to raise money for the maintenance and eventual renovation of the building. I loved being part of the team there. (http://www.cowanes.org.uk/history/)

During this time I developed my perfect soap recipe along with a range of body butter, bath salts and bath bombs, lip balm and other assorted bath time goodies. I also taught soap making lessons and did kids soap making birthday parties. I gave demonstrations for ladies groups and I even participated in delivering youth training programmes. I was also regularly in Primary schools giving soap making lessons as part of their science curriculum and to teach them how to make soap for their own fundraising efforts.

I regularly opened my workshop to the public as part of the Open Studios programme. Have a look at this lovely article written about me from Ann Shaw, one of the organisers of the event. https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/4441636 I realised that there was no chance of me wishing to return to teaching…even though it might be better paid. I love being my own boss, working around the needs of my family and the creativity it affords me.

We lived happily in Stirling for five years until disaster struck. My husband was made redundant again!  So we were on the hunt for another job. In a strange twist of fate, my husband managed to find a great job back at the company he was made redundant from the first time. So I closed Purple Herb Soap and moved back to Ireland.  We are now living in beautiful Kinvara, County Galway and ready to start up the little business again. This time it’s called Hazelrock House.

I’m planning great things…so watch this space!