I am an enameller and maker of hand crafted, enamelled copper vessels, and  Cruan is  our family run business based in Cornwall. Cruan is Irish gaeilge for enamel. The designs for the pieces draw inspiration from my childhood in Ireland and the Celtic traditions of copper and enamel work, as well as the beautiful surroundings of my adopted Cornish home. The pieces start with a concept for a particular shape vessel. These are often hand-raised by myself or my husband and then hand-spun by a skilled, silver spinner based in Sheffield. The bowls are prepared and then coated with powdered enamel. Each is then fired in a kiln to melt the enamel to form the inside or outside coating. Chemical reactions, which depend on time and temperature, produce the myriad effects that we see in the finished products.  My experience and intuition as an enameller contributes a degree of control to these reactions, but tiny fluctuations can have a dramatic effect and there is always the excitement and anticipation to see exactly what the finished effect will be. Cruan's studio is based in Krowji, the largest creative-studio complex in Cornwall, and our work benefits from the heady atmosphere of so many artists working in close proximity. We are fortunate enough to have qualified for a Cultivator creative export grant which has allowed me to expand my business. I am a member of the Guild of Enamellers and the British Society of Enamellers, both of which play a vital part in keeping the craft of enamelling alive. Sinead