I'm helping people's mental health with my new Sunderland craft shop

Lisa Maria Pattinson has opened her Artistic Flare shop in Southwick Green as a real passion project.

“It actually all started in my bedroom 15 years ago,” explained Lisa Maria. “I started making cards for my own mental health and would make them for friends and family. Sometimes they would buy them, but I’ve always been non-profit, I would just charge enough to cover my costs as it just kept my mental health happy.”

Her own personal journey with crafting has led to her opening the shop, which sells a range of items like paint kits, handcrafted cards, personalised gifts, printed cups, flowers, Macrame dolls, home scents and more.

The new space for the community also hosts workshops, with sessions including pottery painting.

Moving forward, there will also be seasonal items like candy houses for Christmas.

“You see that many kids sitting on games and iPads and I wanted to create something where people could find some mental health help by finding a passion for an art or craft, something they could take away as a soothing strategy,” explained Lisa Maria.

Word is still getting out there about the shop, but Lisa Maria is really hoping people will pop in and see what it’s about.

As well as items for sale, you can pick up a coffee for £1 and large slabs of cake for £2.50.

“I’m not taking a wage and putting a lot of my own money into this. It’s been my dreams for years,” she said. “I just want to create somewhere people can come and sit and not pay a fortune.

“People forget with birthdays and Christmas that a gift can be so much more meaningful if it’s hand crafted, such as a personalised guardian angel. We’ll also be introducing worry dolls and self soothing kits for people’s mental health with items like bath bombs, face masks and something soft to touch and feel, which is a big factor when you’re stressed.”

*Artistic Flare, Southwick Road, is open 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday, with classes taking place from 4pm to 7pm sessions.