Meet the Southsea mum who turned her lockdown craft hobby into a full-time business

Lynsey Pleasance started experimenting with arts and crafts to keep her three-year-old son, Rudy entertained during the first lockdown.

But now she has turned her and Rudy’s hobby into a full-time business after leaving her job as a store manager in Gunwharf Quays and launching Craft & Tonic.

Lynsey set up an Instagram account to showcase the pair’s creations and give other families inspiration for their own arts and crafts.

She began creating craft kits and gave them to her neighbours’ children – and from there didn’t stop.

She built a workshop in the garden of her Milton home in November and quit her job in December to focus on it full-time.

Lynsey said: ‘I just made an account to inspire other people and I created little VE-themed craft packs, which I gave out to the neighbour’s kids around VE day. That’s when I decided to set up my Etsy store and it went from there really.

‘So far I’ve made over 1,000 sales, have nearly 150 reviews on Etsy and have around 18 different variations of packs that I sell.’

She sells themed ‘Paint Your Own’ craft packs that include handmade, plaster models that she makes in her workshop, as well as paint pots and brushes for people to pain them

however they wish.

Some themes include dinosaurs, vehicles and numbers, and she offers personalised name plaster figures.

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She also sells a Cookies in a Jar craft pack, that provides all the ingredients for homemade cookies in a mason jar, as well as an apron and paints to decorate it.

She is also working on bespoke special occasion favours for weddings, birthdays and other events.

She said: ‘I just wanted to make other parents’ lives easier and give them something to do with their kids that’s not only fun but will help them learn and help with their development too.

‘Even though it’s now a business for me, I still make time to enjoy crafting with Rudy.’

Lynsey sold her creations at the We Create Market and the Love Southsea market.

Her goal is to open a craft café to allow parents to enjoy a coffee while giving their kids a safe and welcoming space to enjoy activities.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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