1. So, tell us a little about you.

I live and work in SE London with my husband and baby Daughter Ada. I love colour!

2. What’s your story? Tell us a little about your background and what you do.

I am a designer maker, I have always had a passion for making! Graduated from a furniture design degree to work in retail display design most recently at Monsoon/Accessorize. I got married in 2012 and spent the preceding 12 months making all sorts of decorations, mostly from paper.

I then launched ThingsByLaura to offer my new found passion to other couples for their weddings. Workshops are the most recent arm to my work - I really enjoy meeting new people and seeing them create beautiful paper things.

3. What artist or artwork inspired you the most growing up?

When I was at school, I was a real fan of Wassily Kandinsky.

4. What artist most inspires you now?

I went to an exhibition of Do Ho Suh's work at the Victoria Miro Gallery last year that really sticks in my mind. The colours were just amazing.

5. What do you create mostly for work and what do you create mostly for fun?

For work, I mostly create paper flowers in all shapes and sizes for windows or weddings. For fun, I am a knitter and sewer (making lots of clothes for my daughter!).

6. Do you think people are just born creative or is it something everyone has, but many don’t explore?

That's a tough one! I think you can definitely CHOOSE to nurture creativity and craft takes practice. All artists and creators practice.

7. What’s your favourite colour? Why?

Teal, I am always drawn to it. I think it is the bold richness and it looks so good with so many other colours

8. What’s your favourite album to listen to whilst you create and why?

I actually prefer to work in the quiet most of the time! If I am doing something repetitive, it's BBC 6 music in my studio haha.

9. If you were stuck on a desert island and had to bring 3 items with you to create with, what would you bring!?

A solar powered computer, lots and lots of colourful paper and my cutting machine!

10. If you could give advice to yourself growing up, with the benefit of hindsight, what would it be?

Be more brave and believe in yourself! Hate the job? Quit the job! Focus on what you would like.

11. What / who made you decide to become a professional creative, rather than doing it as a hobby?

Requests from strangers to make flowers for their wedding! It’s amazing how much word of mouth can spread. And not to forget the powers of Instagram.

12. What makes you most happy?

My husband, our colourful home (full of paper decorations of course) and my daughter’s giggles.

13. What’s next for you? What you would like to be doing in 12 months?

Returning to work after mat leave, doing the thing I enjoy most - and working around looking after my daughter, one of the good things of being self employed!

14. Is there anything exciting coming up that you would like to let people know about?

My paper flower workshop series with M.Y.O! I am very excited to be running workshops again.

[M.Y.O note - Laura ran a series of paper flowers workshops with M.Y.O in early 2018 - they were fab! To find out what Laura is currently up to check out her website here.]