The Craft House by Tobin

40 Years of CraftingI’ve been crafting for around 40 years, alongside a professional corporate career. Over the years I’ve tried everything from jewellery making and pottery to painting, diamond painting, crochet, resin, vinyl and woodwork. These days, crochet and resin are my particular favourites, along with creating personalised pieces using my Cricut.From Corporate to CreativeThere’s quite a contrast between my professional career and crafting. I spent many years in a corporate environment where everything was logical, structured and black and white. Crafting gave me the opportunity to be creative, experiment and simply enjoy making something with my hands.The pivotal moment came at Christmas 2025, when people started asking if they could buy the things I had been making. I realised that something I had always done because I loved it could become something more. That led me to step away from the corporate world and pursue something I genuinely love, creating The Craft House by Tobin.Why I Love TeachingTeaching feels like a natural part of my next chapter. During my corporate career I mentored and taught many people, and I’ve also taught crochet and resin informally to friends and family.When I looked for workshops myself, I often couldn’t find the specific things I wanted to learn. So I decided to create the kind of workshops I would want to attend.What I love most is seeing someone learn and grow — particularly someone who arrives thinking they aren’t creative. I want people to enjoy the process, discover their own creativity and leave feeling proud of what they’ve made.A Little Bit About MeI’m practical, direct and naturally quite a perfectionist — which makes crafting an interesting challenge because handmade things aren’t always perfect! I’ve had plenty of crafting disasters over the years, but I’ve learned that sometimes the best projects come from working out how to fix something that went wrong.I also can’t seem to leave a craft alone once I’ve discovered it. I’m always thinking about what I could make next.I have two grown-up children, and I introduced my daughter to crochet — she went on to learn it brilliantly in her own way. When I’m not crafting, you’ll probably find me with my cocker spaniel. I’m a huge dog lover.After 40 years, I’m still learning, experimenting and trying new things. That’s what makes crafting so enjoyable — there’s always something new to discover.