Hi everyone! I've got another podcast for you that I'm really excited to share! This month I sat down for a chat with Becki Cross, Founder of StationeryFest, PlannerFest and JournalFest!

Bex, a university lecturer and devoted planner enthusiast, transitioned her extensive event management background into founding PlannerFest in 2019, expanding to launch JournalFest and StationeryFest in 2023 - Europe’s largest gathering of stationery lovers. Learn more about how Bex uses planning to juggle the different aspects of her busy life, her journey to organising an event for stationery fans, and her hopes for the event in 2024 and beyond!

You can find more from me at: 

Website: sunshinelane.co.uk 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshinelaneuk 

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sunshinelaneuk 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunshineLaneUK

Find more from Becki at:

Website: https://stationeryfest.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stationeryfest/ 

It's episode 3 of the Coffee & Sunshine Podcast and I had the chance to chat to the lovely Becca from Rebel Jones.

Becca is a self-taught illustrator creating kawaii-inspired stationery and gifts. But this wasn’t her original goal. Her dream growing up was to be a famous singer and she performed at every opportunity. But being filmed for The X Factor led to her falling out of love with the music industry, just as she was about to start a commercial music degree. Learn more about Becca’s story, how she found a love for illustration almost by accident, and how she chose to enjoy music on her own terms.

Hope you enjoy!

You can find more from Sunshine Lane at sunshinelane.co.uk and find more from Becca at rebeljones.com

This month's podcast features my lovely mum Allison, who some of you may know in this community... but even I learnt new things from this podcast!

We talked about her dreams for the future when she was a child, but how she found leaving school and entering adulthood to be a daunting prospect. It was a few years later that I came along and, as children tend to do, I shifted the focus. She did all kinds of weird and wonderful jobs while I was growing up, and we had a good chat about her interesting work experiences! 

It was after I left home that she started to think about what she wanted for her future outside of being a mum. She experienced depression during this time, and after receiving support for her mental health, she decided she would return to her dream of being a nurse, with a focus on mental health and supporting others the way she had been supported.

She now works as a perinatal mental health nurse, supporting pregnant women and new mums who are experiencing mental health difficulties. After discovering that she was autistic in the last few years, she has brought her passion for supporting neurodivergent women into her work and has been instrumental in a number of changes to the way her team support neurodivergent women who pass through their service.

Clearly I am biased, but I think she's an amazing woman, and I think you will enjoy listening to her story. It might not have been as straightforward as other people's, but I’ve always thought that makes her all the more incredible and she’s my biggest inspiration.

Enjoy! xx

You can find more from me at www.sunshinelane.co.uk  

This episode features Emily Harvey - talented illustrator, lover of lilac, and mum to an adorable little boy. I've followed Emily's journey since starting her business with a three-month old. She's recently transitioned from her studio to working back at home, and we talked all about how she's navigated shifting priorities over the years.

You can find more from me at:

Website: sunshinelane.co.uk 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshinelaneuk 

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sunshinelaneuk 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunshineLaneUK

Find Emily at:

Website: emilyharveyart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyharveyart/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmilyHarveyArt