Featured Maker // Sister Sister
Sarah Meade
Sister Sister
Sarah is the founder of the brilliant, quirky brand, Sister Sister. Ever since she can remember, Sarah has had a pencil in her hand! Sarah fell in love with painting pottery at a ceramic cafe in Tenby many years ago and that started her on the road that she’s on today. Sarah opened her own ceramic cafe back in 2002 and customers soon asked her to start painting things for them. Sarah’s twin sister, Catherine joined her around 2008 and by 2016 they had developed their own brand which they fittingly called Sister Sister. From there, Sarah began experimenting using her own illustrations and turning them into other products, some which she makes herself and some which she has produced for her. Sarah sold her shop in 2018 to concentrate fully on Sister Sister and although her sister decided on a change of career, she still helps Sarah out when she needs advice.
Sarah left school at 16 and for a couple of years, she followed the Youth Training Scheme until she found a full time position with the Ministry of Defence in one of their Admin Departments. Even during this time, Sarah was drawing and making items for work colleagues. Her husband started his own business and so for a few years Sarah worked with him, organising his office and setting up working practices. In 2002 Sarah started her own business in Llangollen. In 2009, she was approached by the local Heritage Railway to go and work for them as their Commercial Administrator and after 6 months was promoted to Commercial Manager. During this time, Sarah continued to run her business in addition to holding a full time position with the railway and was kept very busy with all their events (including being responsible for A Day Out with Thomas and their Santa Special events). Sarah left the railway after 2 years and opened her second shop in Oswestry, Shropshire. After opening her second shop, she began a family and in early 2017 closed her Oswestry Shop. Sister Sister was starting to take off and Sarah had family commitments, so in November 2018 she sold her shop in Llangollen and was able to fully commit to Sister Sister.
Here, Sarah tells us a little more about her work, her inspiration and how Lockdown has affected her business.
What do you make and which materials do you use?
My pins start life as a digital illustration, which are then printed onto a shrink plastic. They are all cut by hand and I then apply a clear resin to them to give them their protective shine. All my ceramics are bought in at the moment so I paint them with underglazes and once they are dry, I glaze and fire them in a small kiln in my studio.
My tea towels are all printed in the UK for me (some of my designs are being updated, so please keep watching for a stock update).
In November last year, I launched my first 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, which has been very well received by my customers. It has lots of eco friendly credentials in as much as it is made from recycled millboard and is printed on FSC approved paper source using water based pigment inks. The box is recyclable and so is the shrink wrap and if that wasn't enough, the jigsaw pieces are housed inside the box in their own cotton drawstring bag!
“I don’t worry so much now about the mechanics of how I should be doing things, and just trust my instincts to create things that I enjoy. ”
Tell us about your inspirations
Having children has enabled me to see life as they do and I think that is shown through my work. I don't worry so much now about the mechanics of how I should be doing things, and just trust my instincts to create things that I enjoy. Lots of my customers say that I have a definite style which is fun, quirky and makes them feel happy!
Are there any particular artists or makers whose work you admire?
I love the work of Lisa Congdon and find her and her work to be incredibly inspiring. She often says that she found her artistic voice later in life and that age really shouldn't be a barrier to creativity. Being older means that you have more life lessons and experiences to draw on. I also love how she encourages everyone to just do it your way.
How has lock down affected you and your business?
I've been lucky throughout lockdown. We live in a rural area, and although homeschooling was another added pressure we tried to keep the children to a routine (the children turned our dining room into a school classroom and we even made them wear their school uniforms!!). Lockdown did to some extent remove the daily pressures of having to be in certain places at certain times and gave me the opportunity to connect with other creatives through the Pedddle Platform. I brushed up on my Instagram skills and joined online markets such as Handmade Hour (who even knew there were such things before lockdown). I was incredibly lucky and grateful not to have family members affected by Covid, and my heart really goes out to people now who will forever feel the pain of this pandemic.
Visit the website: www.sistersister.biz
Follow Sister Sister on Instagram: @sistersisterdesigns
