A Derry woman has told how she created a successful new clay business after he couldn't find a pair of earrings she liked in the city centre last year.
Jade Gallagher, from the Ballymagroarty area of the city, said has "always been a lover of all things arts and crafts" from a very young age and decided to take up the challenge last summer by opening 'HappyClays'.
Through HappyClays, Jade now crafts handmade polymer clay jewellery for people throughout the UK.
The business, which is strictly online for now, also sells wedding favours, home decorations, badges and pins.
Speaking to MyDerry , Jade said the support she had received so far had been "incredible".
"The idea came about last summer when I was on the hunt for a pair of earrings and couldn't find anything I liked," Jade said.
"Around the same time my Mum was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer, so to keep myself occupied I decided to try making my own earrings.
"While I was doing this I decided to take the opportunity to create fun and funky earrings for my mum to wear during her treatments, as a way to distract from the inevitability of hair loss - it just so happened that everyone loved them, and so I started posting them to Instagram.
"My mum is through the other side of it all now thankfully, and just loving all the freebies," Jade laughed.
She added: "To have the support of other local businesses and see the engagement from all the lovely people that follow my social media page is very rewarding."
"I wouldn't be where I am today without a single one of them all. The support has been incredible from day one.
"I am a very nervous person in general, so putting myself out there was incredibly daunting, but I am very glad I did.
"Aside from the obvious fact that people are willing to pay for and wear something I've created, I would say that building relationships and friendships with other business owners and my returning customers has been lovely."
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old said she hopes to take her new brand to the next level and be recognised across the city in the near future.
She said: "I've always been a lover of all things arts and crafts from a very young age, and I would have always made handmade cards and gifts for my family and friends for special occasions, but once I started working with clay, I knew that I'd found something I really loved.
"When deciding on the branding I wanted a name that would reflect the fun and vibrant designs I hoped to create.
"I also decided that I'd like to go with a play on the well known Derry saying "Happy Days!". So, I feel like HappyClays is the perfect fit for my designs and brand.
"I am very proud of the growth that HappyClays has achieved in just over a year, but I would love to see it continue to grow and become a recognised brand in our city.
