Beachcombing in Fife

The Story of East Neuk Beach Crafts

I’m Louise Stocker and I’m the creative mind behind East Neuk Beach Crafts. The East Neuk of Fife (Neuk meaning ‘nook’ or ‘corner’!) sits on the East Coast of Scotland and is famous for its beautiful beaches, quaint traditional fishing villages and amazing wildlife, including puffins, seals and a whole host of amazing seabirds!

I started my little business in 2016 after moving to the area and quickly developing a passion for beachcombing and a slight obsession with anything and everything to do with the seaside!

Nestled on the shoreline where the glittering Firth of Forth flows into the North Sea, the rocky beaches of the East Neuk are abundant with washed-up, sea-worn treasures, both natural and man-made. Along with naturally tumbled sea glass and driftwood, my favourite finds are the tiny fragments of patterned pottery and china that gather between the pebbles at low tide.

After some research, I discovered many of these pieces are originally from the 1800’s and 1900’s, sometimes dating back to the Victorian and Regency eras when the nearby town of Kirkcaldy was at the heart of the Scottish pottery industry.

Despite being tumbled and smoothed by the Scottish waves for so long, the patterns and colours remain wonderfully vibrant and the transformative power of the sea ensures each fragment is entirely unique.

I love to create beautiful, unique jewellery from the sea-worn treasures I find along the shore along with framed mosaics and collages. It feels lovely to give these historically discarded treasures a new lease of life!

Oystercatcher and lighthouse on Anstruther beach painting

During lockdown, I found myself with more time on my hands and delved into the world of watercolour. I am now producing whimsical paintings inspired by my glorious surroundings and the wildlife that I adore.

The words I hear most often to describe my artwork are ‘cute’ and ‘cheerful’! It's such a joy to know that my art can brighten someone's day and add a little sunshine to their home. I love to think my artwork embodies the innocent and vibrant joy of the seaside, maybe sparking nostalgic childhood memories of carefree summer days at the beach! 

My art is now available on wide range of homeware and gifts including limited edition prints, coasters, mugs, tea towels, jigsaws, keyrings, shopping bags and much more!

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As Featured on BBC Getaways

I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to be part of the series BBC Getaways, in a feature on the East Neuk of Fife. I took the lovely Jean Johansson to my favourite beach for a spot of wind-swept beach-combing then back to my workshop to create some unique beach art!

...and BBC Radio Scotland

I had a wonderful time chatting to Rachel Stewart from BBC Radio Scotland about my favourite beach-combing finds and my love of the East Neuk of Fife. I've created a little video with images. I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you so much for reading about my journey - there are so many new and exciting plans in the pipeline and I'm so grateful to be able to share my art with you! Louise x

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