When I started blóma back in 2019, I was sitting on my bed making earrings from a £20 Hobbycraft bead haul and posting them in shiny pink bubble wrap bags from B&M. There wasn't really a plan, definitely no business strategy and no goals (which feels ridiculous to write) I was just simply making things because I needed something creative to hold onto at a time when life felt quite uncertain.
If you'd told me then that six years later I'd be filling a Dr. Martens store with trays of charms and helping customers customise their sandals, I probably wouldn't have believed you.
Yet somehow, a few weeks back for two days , that's exactly what happened…
When Dr. Martens first got in touch about hosting a charm bar workshop, I immediately said yes, the excitement lasted about five minutes before my brain moved into a spiral of thoughts that I instantly needed to get down on paper… How many charms would I need? What if everyone wanted the same one? What if nobody liked any of them? Had I forgotten something important already? You know just the usual small business spiralling thought process.
I only had 2 weeks to pull this off so it wasn’t long before my flat slowly disappeared beneath trays of charms, chains and beads as I plotted and planned.
Pearls gathered on the dining table, silver bows appeared on every available surface and jump rings seemed to multiply overnight. For a while it looked as though a craft shop had quietly exploded in my living room. I didn't mind though…In fact, choosing the charms was probably one of my favourite parts of the whole project! I've always been drawn to tiny treasures… Little hearts, ribbons, pearls, stars and charms that somehow feel too special to leave behind. Curating the collection felt a little like gathering together all of my favourite things and inviting people to make something completely their own.
What I hadn't anticipated was just how differently everyone would approach it.
Some customers arrived with a clear vision and knew exactly what they wanted to create before they'd even sat down. Others carefully considered every option, comparing charms and moving things around until they found the perfect combination. Some designs were delicate and understated while others embraced the more is more approach in the very best way. Every single one felt different.
That's always been one of my favourite things about jewellery. Give ten people the same necklace and they'll wear it ten different ways. The piece becomes part of their story rather than yours. The workshop felt like an extension of that idea!
Watching people sift through trays of charms and combine things in ways I never would have thought of myself was genuinely fascinating. The finished sandals looked completely different despite starting from exactly the same collection of materials. It was a reminder that creativity doesn't need to be complicated. Sometimes all it takes is a table full of possibilities and a bit of time to play.
What I remember most, though, isn't actually the sandals. It's the conversations.
People sharing ideas across the table, complimenting each other's creations, holding up charms for a second opinion, and getting excited when they finally found the perfect finishing touch they'd been searching for. For a few hours, complete strangers sat together making things and chatting like old friends. There's something quite lovely about that.
Running a small business can be surprisingly solitary scarily so. Most days it's just me, my cats , a cup of coffee and a to do list that's somehow longer than it was the day before. Events like this are the complete opposite. You get to watch people interact with something you've spent weeks planning. You get to hear their ideas, see what excites them and witness those little moments of joy in real time. Those moments never get old.
Looking back now, what makes me smile isn't necessarily the fact that it was Dr. Martens. It's the reminder of how these things happen in the first place. Not through grand plans or perfectly mapped out goals, but through lots of small steps that don't feel particularly significant at the time…A £20 bead haul from Hobbycraft, a Depop account created on a whim. My first market, the first wholesale order. And last but by no means least a workshop in a Dr. Martens store.
When you're in the middle of building something, progress rarely feels dramatic. Most days just feel like work. You answer the emails, pack the orders and make the jewellery. Then you wake up and do it all again tomorrow.
It's only when you stop and look back that you realise how far you've actually travelled.
And this was definitely one of those moments.
Looking for a charm bar workshop or creative brand activation?
I create bespoke charm bar experiences, jewellery workshops and creative events for brands, retailers and venues across the UK. If you'd like to work together on a future event, I'd love to hear from you.
