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Welcome wonderful people……
I’m Ruby and my business is called Dotty Delightful!
From teen mum in a DV relationship that was so monetary poor, I burnt furniture to keep the house warm to a full time creative who inspires women around the world to be themselves, embrace their gifts and shine brightly.
I love to inspire and encourage people to see the magic everywhere, even in seemingly mundane moments.
I have been self employed for twenty years, over that time I have had various shops, created, organised and ran the North West's biggest handmade and vintage fairs, opened a community arts center and been part of a CIC to help teen mums.
I am now a full time zine maker and artist, I teach art, self esteem and creativity to people (mainly women) and I inspire through words, design and zines to help people connect to nature and themselves. Because I believe when we are connected to the natural world around us and our own cycles, we have better mental health, make kinder choices and feel a sense of wellbeing and possibility.
I also love to mentor women who feel stuck, or have lots of ideas but don’t know how to start or where to start. I am like your wise oracle and cheerleader all rolled into one!
Throughout this website I talk about using herbs, plants, flowers etc in foods, for teas and for personal use, I am not a herbalist or medical professional, these are personal accounts from my own life and I ask you to do your own research before using anything.
If you have any medical conditions or take any medication, consult a healthcare professional before using any herbs, flowers or plants. Avoid using anything you haven't fully investigated during pregnancy and breast-feeding
After doing your own research, start with a small amount, and look out for any side effects and stop using straight away if you notice any rashes etc, patch tests are recommended before full use.
Use everything in moderation. You are responsible for your own wellbeing. The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment.
Fast forward 30 years later and I have carried on learning about plants and flowers and herbs, I know what herbal remedies help for different illnesses, I forage locally, my house is full of plants and I grow veg and herbs in our garden, I love to encourage nature into our little area. We have a rescue dog and I am vegan for the animals. I am a wild creative woman that lives with my partner Tom in Lancaster, UK, we enjoy exploring, going to the beach, good food, watching movies, meditating together and reading books. I have 3 grown up sons.
You can find me as Dotty Delightful on all social media and Etsy, you can also join me on Patreon where you get access to monthly goodies, exclusive posts and more.
I have been attached to the magic of nature since I was a little girl. When I was a child, we had a wonderful rambunkled garden, full of flowers, veg, fruit and herbs, my dad had built this shack type thing that my mum called a summer house and grew honeysuckle and vines over it, so it became like a secret den, I would spend hours making mud pies and flower potions in it, I learnt a lot from my mum about different plants and was always keen to learn more. We looked after rescue ducks, had a hedgehog family living under the shed, and had a pet cat, dog, mouse, budgie and rabbit.
“Exploration is a wonderful way to open our eyes to the world, and to truly see that impossible is just a word.”
See more about exploring Micro Worlds here
Nature is my biggest inspiration, and the connection between everything.
I became interested in microscopic worlds through my love of moss, my partner is a photographer and he uses a loupe (magnifying lens) in his work and one day I borrowed it to look at moss and a whole new world opened up in front of my eyes! I couldn’t believe it, it was extra magic. After that I got a pair of magnifying glasses for my birthday and it is totally amazing to see all the tiny parts of plants and flowers, they really inspire my work.
I love all kinds of nature, but I am most drawn to moss, plants you can eat or make things with and flowers, I love trees too, but I am still learning about them.
I grow all kinds of things in our garden and always have a go at edibles, although these mainly get eaten by the snails! I love growing and using herbs in cooking, magic and for natural remedies. I always have a loupe (microscopic lens) in my rucksack, so I can zoom in and look closely at moss or flowers and see the microscopic worlds we live in. I also always have sample tubs in case I want to collect something to take home to investigate further.