When I did my machine embroidery class (a million years ago it feels like), I met a lovely girl called Helen, who makes wooden automata. I went to see her work exhibited at The Glass House here in Brighton, as part of the Open Houses. She doesn’t have a website yet but here is a video of her work.

I love how simple and pretty it all is without being twee. She only uses found and reclaimed wood and does all the woodwork and painting in her studio. For the hearts on sticks, she shapes each heart by hand, then drills holes in them, pushes cocktail sticks in and sands them down. It’s labour intensive but the finished results are heart warming and tactile.

I bought this box.