Janis is passionate about crafts and has over 50 years’ experience of making jewellery. She has a love of detail coupled with what she describes as a butterfly mind. This can be seen in her eclectic designs: finely etched designs on copper, unusual silver chain work and hand-knotted semi-precious bead and pearl necklaces with handmade clasps. 

Her jewellery making involves a range of different processes, from fine sawing, forging, soldering and polishing to hand-knotting semi-precious beads. She has also experimented with precious metal clay, making her own moulds from either found objects (for example buttons and shells) or originals that she has made herself.

Whilst Janis particularly enjoys making decorative chain necklaces and bracelets, her work includes a variety of other items including earrings, pendants, spoons and keyrings. She uses semi-precious beads and stones to enhance her work and beautiful, unusual pearls and semi-precious beads to make desirable necklaces.

After training as a silversmith at Hereford College of Arts, where she gained City and Guilds and Open College qualifications, she attended Birmingham School of Jewellery and trained to advanced standard in pearl threading and knotting.

In addition to her jewellery making, Janis's fondness for detailed work and hand-sewing led her to designing and making miniature teddy bears, rabbits, and mice using mohair or plush fabric; in this she is influenced by traditional teddies. She likes to give her creations individual expressions, characters, even hand-made accessories, and is always happy to make them to commission.