Designed to be kind, what does that mean?

If you know me, or my work, you may have heard me say that my products are designed to be kind. But... what does that actually mean?

It means I do my best to be:

Kind to the planet: I put a lot of thought, research and care into each item that I bring to market. The products must be sustainable and ethically produced, with minimum negative impact on our planet.

Kind to animals: The animals that feature on my giftware are my inspiration, my passion and my joy. My way of showing my appreciation for that is to give back through my work – with a portion of sales profits from my giftware going directly to a selection of Irish animal charities.

Kind to people: My customers mean the world to me. I’ve been dealing with many of them for years and now consider them my friends. I pack my products in the way that I would like to receive gifts, with thought and meaning. And I try to thank each and every person that buys from me, I do my best to add value and bring joy to them through what I create. For me, kindness and compassion go hand in hand. A gesture like feeding a stray dog, saying "hello" to a stranger, remembering to recycle and cooking an extra plate of food to give to someone less fortunate may seem insignificant. But those small gestures make an immediate difference to the recipient and to us.

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” (The 14th Dalai Lama)