A lighting designer who turned her hand to creating with Jesmonite and turned heads on Instagram with her colourful and unique designs will now start teaching others what she knows.
Carmen Gray, the woman behind Make Hay Studio, is the latest Jesmonite ambassador – and we’re so excited to have her on board!
The UK-based creator posted her first Jesmonite make on Instagram in February 2021 – and four years later she’s been making waves in the community.
“I am really really excited to become a Jesmonite ambassador,” she said.
“I obviously follow Jesmonite and I see the other ambassadors and they are so business-minded whereas I do it for enjoyment – when I was asked to become an ambassador it came as a lovely surprise.
“I have lots of ideas and love the product, I like its versatility and particularly love the colour, the way material takes on the colour.
“I have tried other cheaper versions but you get what you pay for, the other materials don’t colour as well, they tend to water down, but Jesmonite can be so vibrant.”
Her business was born from a love of creating and finding joy in colourful everyday objects.
Make Hay Studio sell sustainable, handcrafted, minimalist jewellery, coasters, vases, dishes, clocks and much more.
Carmen said she also loves the fact Jesmonite enables her to produce something so quickly.
She found the material on Instagram when researching colour a form, topics she became interested in after discovering Polymer Clay during lockdown.
But once she found Jesmonite, she became inspired by the posts of makers and wanted to emulate them right away.
Carmen’s designs are inspired by nature and aim to be niche.
“I once bought a lampshade making kit and it started there really,” she said.
“Friends and family started asking for them. I like homeware especially and if I can’t find something that I want for my own home, I like that I can produce it myself.
“I went into lighting design and still run that business, but do the Jesmonite creations for fun. I do it because I enjoy making rather than running it as a business and I know that is a real privilege, to do it just for the joy.
“I want to use my Jesmonite ambassadorship to show the whole process, pass on my experience and knowledge I have learnt about using Jesmonite and help others with their creations.
“Looking forward to getting involved.”
And we can’t wait for her to get involved either!
Carmen may also start to run Jesmonite workshops in the Leicester area where she is based – as she does for lighting design.
Her lighting design company is called Make Hay Design and you can find her Jesmonite creations on her May Hay Studio Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/make_hay_studio/) and Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MakeHayStudio).
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