CRISTINAS Quirky Crafts was launched by myself after I graduated from Sussex University in business management.

It was always my passion to run my own business, and I feel privileged to be able to sell a range of my handmade items such as custom-made frames, cufflinks and memory-sticks from Sew Very Vintage in Wallingford.

Creating bespoke and meaningful frames is one of the favourite handmade crafts I offer – from birthdays, graduations or a special wedding present, I love working with each individual customer to create the perfect unique gift. The main materials I use are Scrabble tiles and Lego, with Alice in Wonderland being a frequent inspiration to my work.

I also use a range of other popular game pieces such as Monopoly, chess and Mouse Trap. By up-cycling incomplete games that I’ve gathered from local charity shops, I create quirky key-rings, paper-maché money boxes, board-game coasters, notebooks and memory sticks.

Scrabble art frames have always been very popular and I am delighted to be able to offer them in Wallingford. Given the nature of Scrabble pieces, it gives me great freedom to create interlocking words both vertically and horizontally. Family names for example, written using scrabble tiles combined with 3D flowers and Lego pieces makes them completely unique and such a wonderful gift. With graduation for many fast approaching, orders are now being taken for 'congratulations' custom frames.

Recently I have added a range of pebble-art frames to my unit in Sew Very Vintage – I love the simplicity of natural pebbles, combined with drift wood of all shapes, of which I source myself from Devon Beaches. My most popular pieces have been pet-related, a young girl walking her small pet dog along a beach for example.

Selling my handmade crafts from Sew Very Vintage is just one platform I use to promote and sell my work – I also have an Etsy shop (etsy.com/shop/CristinasQuirkyCraft) where I sell worldwide. America, Germany, Australia and France are some of my most regular international destinations.

Running Cristinas Quirky Crafts is my full time job that I am completely dedicated to, which means I am continually making new craft items as well as trying out new craft techniques. Be sure to check back in the shop regularly as I am always displaying new one-off pieces that do not stay on the shelf for long! I love talking to enthusiastic customers who are both passionate themselves about crafting, as well as those who enjoy my work and return on a regular basis. I have a facebook page (facebook.com/CristinasQuirkyCrafts) which I update with new ideas and techniques.