Nikki has been beading since 2006, when her husband accidentally bought her some jewellery components that just did not go together, so she had to buy a few more… and a few more… and then even more. The obsession has taken her from stringing gothic style pendants, through a (very) brief flirtation with knotting, wirework and onto bead weaving, Precious metal clay and fine silver wire fusing, although there are plenty more techniques she intends to learn and perfect. She works with a variety of materials, from semi-precious gemstones and freshwater pearls to glass beads of all shapes and sizes and wire, sourced from all over the world. She began attending craft fairs at the end of 2006 and now has a regular stall at the Chipping Norton Farmers' Market, along with a permanent display cabinet at the Yarnton Antiques Centre at Yarnton Garden Centre, Oxon.

Nikki can be contacted at nikki.mortimer@btopenworld.com or visit her new (and basic!) website www.nixbits.vpweb.co.uk .