Daisies for Emily

Fresh as the summer sun… Emily is wearing our new silver daisies with a sunshine yellow centre and waving white, crystal petals.

Every collection is unique but this collection is very special. Emily is not just modelling the jewellery, all the Daisies have been designed especially for her by Sheila.

In the autumn of 2013 Emily started to work for Sheila in her Kirkwall Gallery. Like many young girls Emily likes jewellery, meeting people and sharing good fun. But unlike most young girls Emily has a rare form of cancer, neuroblastoma. Emily was diagnosed with neuroblastoma aged 14. Following two and half years of operations and treatment she was stable for 18 months until she relapsed in January 2014′.

Sheila decided to help:
I asked Emily if there was anything she liked and she said “The Daisy is my favourite flower”. This was rather special for me and very poignant. Years before  I too had chosen the Daisy… for my wedding day. I made my wedding dress with my cape and hat of lace daises and my bouquet of fresh daisies.

Sadly, I lost my husband, Rick, to pancreatic cancer at the end of 2013. But one of Rick’s most iconic photographs was a picture of daisies taken at dawn below our home and Workshop in Orkney. It was this picture of his daisies I used to help me design Emily’s daisies; it’s a tribute to his life and his memory too.

Sheila began sketching and designing as 2014 dawned. As the spring unfolded the collection took shape… a pendant, necklet, earrings, ring and bracelet all in various sizes. The team were captivated and the first responses have all been very positive.

Sheila began introducing her new collection during her Meet the Designer event in her shop in Stockbridge and in stockist Matthew Henderson’s in St. Andrews at the beginning of May.

Left – Sandra Murray in St. Andrews viewing example pieces of “Daisies for Emily”

Right – Baby Savannah with mother Claire, was entranced and was the very first customer of “Daisies for Emily”.

“Everybody loved it and above all hoped it would help Emily” said Sheila “We’ve made more pieces since and are now ready to launch!”

A special launch is due to be held in Sheila’s Kirkwall Gallery on 31st May 2014.
We hope you like our new collection.  If you are in Orkney, do come along to the Kirkwall Gallery on Saturday 31st May. Sheila looks forward to meeting you and showing you the new collection. For every sale from the Daisies for Emily collection a contribution will be made to the Orkney Charitable Trust to help support Emily and her family.

Sheila with Emily and her mother, Michelle, and little brother, Max together with Craig Spence of the Orkney Charitable Trust and David Cunningham of the Archie Foundation. Both charities are supporting Emily and her family.

Follow Emily’s blog https://emileejane18.wordpress.com/