MEET YOUR MAKERS
Ash
Ash started making Jewellery in 2003 after years of slogging away as a chef in Zealand and on yachts overseas. His Mum recommended a Jewellery course as a distraction and Ash took to it immediately. Loving the way materials influenced the design and the design influenced the materials, Ash finally found a way to express all those good ideas he had floating around his head while whisking hollandaise.
Ash started off selling his work at markets in Auckland and then was picked up by a few galleries willing to take a risk. His designs struck a chord and soon, he had around 15 galleries stocking his work.
Ash is world-famous for his love of toast and the fact that he once made his own pair of jeans. No other parents will hang out with him anymore because he's raised the bar of fatherly-awesomeness so high we all just bump our heads on it. He once spent all afternoon making a "flying bike" out of old kites that he knew would never fly, because he wanted Henry to believe anything was possible.
Laurel
Is me, I'm Laurel Hilton, so I'll dispense with any third-person trickery.
I grew up in Texas and moved to New Zealand when I was 27. I spent most of my adult life in Texas making friends with super-talented people and doing everything I could to make them famous. It never worked, but a few of those people ended up making themselves famous which makes me super proud.
That life was fun but didn't add much grist to my resume, so when I had a hard time finding a job, I forced my way into Ash's business. I made him buy a computer, a filing cabinet, a website and forced him to let me say nice stuff about him on the internet even though it made him want to spew.
I feel I'm a great parent as my 7-year-old will eat spicy food (the 5-year-old won't, but he has a dimple, so that's all good). I also think that Siggy Hilton should be in the #2 spot instead of me as she's worked here the longest. However, I can't figure out how to move the photos around, so we'll just have to stick with this for now.
Tamsin
Tamsin! Well, Tamsin came into our lives and its just the best thing that's ever happened to any of us (sorry kids). She's kind and funny and completely unflappable. And smart! Soooooo smart.
Which is why she's so perfect to work with all of our lovely customers. She never misses a single detail, makes the whole process super fun and easy and makes sure your rings arrive way before you need them.
Tamsin also is an amazing illustrator and designer. She turns her hand-drawn illustrations into cards and mugs and dreamy fabric. You can find her here: https://www.instagram.com/tamsin_baxendale/
Siggy
Ok, I already feel like I'm going to cry just thinking about all the nice things I want to say about Siggy. Siggy is Ash's little sister, although really, they just seem like best friends. She started working with Ash pretty much from the get-go and has been by his side ever since (taking time out to have 3 beautiful boys along the way).
Siggy just makes everything better and more fun. She's insanely smart, can even get Ash and me to understand math, will kick your ass at cards and is always the first one to suggest that we stay up all night and watch the sun come up.
She runs the workshop like a boss, makes sure no orders slip through the cracks and is incredibly good at catching all the details the rest of us miss. There's no way we could get by without Siggy. I would marry her if I wasn't already married to her brother.