When I was little I used to make bracelets and necklaces out of scrap bits and pieces. Beads and the like. My mother reminded me of that when I told her that I was designing my own jewellery range for The New Zealand Mint.

"You always wanted to be a jewellery designer, congratulations, Boh!"

I'd forgotten how much I liked to make things to wear. I had sketches and ideas that I had kept for a long time. I had also collected costume jewellery for most of my life. I can never pass by an antique store or a thrift shop without going in and seeing if there was anything shiny that caught the eye.

The opportunity to have my own jewellery came about from an introduction to The New Zealand Mint by my friend Deborah Pead. She thought they would be able to help with an ambitious sculpture I wanted to make for The Raukatauri Therapy Centre Charity Auction. The Mint ended up making me an offer I couldn't refuse. My own designs brought to life in precious metals!

I gave a lot of thought to what I would like to do for my first jewellery range. I thought about what would be interesting subject matter. I wanted something to reflect New Zealand and that would appeal to New Zealanders as well as visitors to our country. I also wanted to give something to New Zealand Mint that was a bit different from what was out there.

I decided that I would like to design charms that represented our unique birdlife