"Hi I’m Clare, owner and designer at Clare Gray Makes, based near the beautiful city of Cambridge. 

I studied art and design at university in Lincoln, before returning home with an MA in design, but not a clue what I wanted to do next! I started working as the manager for a deli in my home village. I made friends, I learned how to cook, I became one of the family, but the little voice in my head that wanted to create beautiful things was starting to grow louder.

So after six years of riding the highs and lows of managing an independent business, and eating A LOT of cheese, I left the deli in 2018 in order to pursue my love of stationery and all things pretty paper.

Now I live with my husband Jake, and our cuddly black and white rescue cat, Steve. I can usually be found in my little attic office working away. Steve sometimes joins me, and apart from the occasional wool attack, he is the perfect office cat.

I love our planet! I worry all the time about climate change, and the impact my business could have on the world, so I work hard to make sure I’m working sustainably. I do my research to source plastic-free materials, to find eco-friendly printing methods, and to reduce and reuse materials as much as possible.

When you shop with me, you can be sure that I have considered the environmental impact of everything I do." — CLARE