APRIL 25, 2019

“I’m satisfying my inner Womble…”

Hi, I’m Kim Watkins and I make pictures and beautiful things out of old and used paper and card. Up until five years ago it was very different, juggling work commitments with my need to create. I then plucked up the courage after being unwell, and gave up my job to work for myself full time.

I have always recycled things, and love the fact that I am using other people’s rubbish in a fun and wacky way! I take inspiration from all around me and each picture tells a tale by the papers I have used and it satisfies my inner Womble! I am always on the lookout for materials.

Soon, word spread around my village (I’m so lucky to live near the sea in South Devon) and I have almost daily deliveries from friends and locals, of old interesting bits of paper and empty bottles (which I remove the labels from) and they then feature heavily in my work.

I now work every day in a lovely little shed in my garden, where the sun shines through the windows (and even the rain sounds great on the roof!) watching the birds on my recycled bird table and working hard, I have never been happier.

A personal highlight for me was when I had my design used on a commercial jigsaw puzzle, the day the sample arrived was incredible, I felt like I had just had my first book published!

It’s not always easy, I struggle with the technical side, the website and social media but partly because it takes me away from what I want to do more!

Everyday is different, I never get tired of cutting and gluing, then sewing all the bigger pieces together on my sewing machine. My head is permanently full of ideas, just not enough hours in the day to make them all, I love it.

Meet Kim and Random Stuff Paper in the Artisan Marquee on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 May