My story

It all began with wanting to find a way of relaxing after work.

That’s when my journey into watercolour started. It became a way of switching off, letting go and simply painting the garden in front of me.

Then came the paints. Not just the ones you can buy off the shelf, but beautiful handmade artisan watercolours from independent makers in the UK, America, Canada and across Europe. I was hooked. In a big way.

And, of course, once you have the paints you need the perfect sketchbook.

I’ve always loved reading and I love old books. Give me a book with an interesting cover, beautiful lettering or a bit of gold detailing and I’m drawn to it. So eventually I thought, why not try making my own sketchbook?

I joined the Society of Bookbinders, took bookbinding courses and started learning. There have been plenty of trips, falls and glorious mistakes along the way — and I’m still learning.

Eventually, I took the plunge and bought some vintage books to transform. Taking that first one apart felt completely wrong. I genuinely felt as though I was destroying a book.

But then the transformation happened.

An old, forgotten book became something that could be loved and used all over again, filled with beautiful watercolour paper and ready for somebody else's paintings, sketches and ideas.

I was over the moon.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Three Birds and an Owl grew from a love of painting, old books and making things by hand — giving beautiful books a new chapter and creating somewhere special for other people to make their own.