ELLIE - CEO
Ellie Smith-Barratt is CEO of Vanilla Ink Jewellery School and the founder of her own jewellery brand, Silver in Eden. Her own passion for jewellery making began just like you, diving into a Taster Session after a long-standing desire to make beautiful, sparkly pieces!
After studying Literature at Glasgow University, she worked for many years as a Private Banking Manager in London, before going into Events Management within the hospitality and travel industry. Add into that the fact she has also been a successful free house publican, this of course means Ellie is firmly in charge of organising staff nights out and team building!
Ellie is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. She heads up the business development side of our INKubator Programme and is all about people, supporting, coaching and generally being there, when you need her. Constant personal development is something Ellie is passionate about and is always driving her own skills development to support the future of the business. In addition to the business and people side of Vanilla Ink CIC, Ellie is often out and about developing relationships or buried deep in funding applications to support our Social Enterprise work.
Sexy stuff indeed.
Ellie is immensely talented and has soared like a rocket in the years since she began making! She is understanding, patient and incredibly approachable… the perfect recipe to be a jewellery tutor here at Vanilla Ink!
SCOTT - CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Scott McIntyre is a Founding Director of Vanilla Ink Jewellery School CIC and is responsible for commissions, class content and being a clown. With over 28 years of experience in the industry, there isn’t much Scott doesn’t know!
His jewellery journey began early, embarking on an apprenticeship when he was just seventeen in one of Glasgow's top workshops. In his career, he has picked up an extensive set of skills from a variety of other jewellers while creating and finely tuning his own techniques.
After years of plying his trade across Scotland’s Central Belt, he found his calling as a naturally gifted tutor. Scott has a wonderful ability to connect with his students, making sure everyone feels at ease and ensures that each student leaves his department with a far greater knowledge of jewellery making. His abilities, patience and tolerance are famous, as is his love of a life-enhancing playlist. Recently his book ‘Stone Setting’ was published. How fancy.
Diagnosed as autistic as an adult, Scott has always been open and honest about his mental health and aims to use his own experiences to help others who are struggling or have had similar issues in the past.
Jenna - studio manager
Jenna Webster began her jewellery journey by attending Cardonald College from 2010 - 2013, achieving an HND in Jewellery and Metalwork. Following that, she entered straight into 2nd year at DJCAD in Dundee, studying there from 2013 - 2016 and graduating with a first class honours degree. Fancy pants!
After leaving university, she worked in a Glasgow high street workshop for a year before moving through to Edinburgh where she began a two year apprenticeship at the prestigious Hamilton and Inches jewellers on George Street. Jenna spent over six years working on high end bespoke pieces, alongside carrying out repair work, remounts, designed collections, estimates and general administration within the workshop.
Jenna joined us at the beginning of 2024 as our full-time Studio Manager, working closely with Scott and her fellow team mates, Natasha and Annelies. She is an exceptionally talented goldsmith with bundles of natural flair, skill and talent. We are delighted to have her on board as part of the senior management team here at Vanilla Ink.
Natasha - studio manager
Meet Natasha, our dedicated Studio Manager at VI, where her passion for people, design and sharing her jewellery knowledge takes centre stage. After proudly graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Technology from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, she completed her apprenticeship in an industry-leading workshop, successfully mastering the craft and emerging as a skilled goldsmith with years of industry experience under her belt.
However, driven by her own dreams, Natasha took a leap of faith and went working abroad, landing in Scotland after following her heart on love and to start her own business. Her journey led her to Vanilla Ink where she joined the INKubator, where her dedication to the art of jewellery making found a new home. She now runs her own jewellery business alongside working at Vanilla Ink. For Natasha the South African lass, Vanilla Ink is not just a workplace but now a second family, and she continues to inspire and nurture the next generation of jewellery enthusiasts with her wealth of knowledge and experience.
annelies - class manager & Lead Tutor
Annelies started her jewellery journey like many, in Vanilla Ink. She enrolled in a beginners course, where it was love at first saw! She invested in her own tools, booked on to more classes and even moved from Dublin to Glasgow to be immersed in the Vanilla Ink environment… She interned here for 2weeks in 2021, became the Jeweller in Residence 2022 and is now an Inker and proud Tutor here at Vanilla Ink, encouraging lots of people to become addicted to the jewellers life…teehehee!
Her talent was soon spotted by all, including BBC1who invited her to take part in their new show called Make It At Market. If you haven’t seen it, it’s on the iPlayer and she’s on episode 8…go watch it, it’s lovely. This brought her work to whole new audience and she is now full time Jeweller.
Oh and she has a dog…PABLO
amy - inker in residence
Amy first joined the team as a summer intern in 2021 whilst studying her Bachelors in Jewellery & Metal Design at DJCAD, then a MFA Art, Science and Visual Thinking, for which she had been awarded the prestigious William Sangster Phillips Grant as a fully paid scholarship. Since she has finally finished her studies she’s back at full time! Amy is interested in continuing her research through her classes and expanding her skills as an interdisciplinary researcher.
Her business is centred around designing bespoke jewellery to improve the wearer’s mental health. Instead of mass-producing items as a ‘one size fits all’ basis, Amy creates with each person’s specific happy place in mind, allowing the wearer to hold a physical connection to said place with them in a subtle, private way – enhancing holistic practices such as mindfulness no matter where they are. As one of our 2024 INKers, Amy is developing her skills to an even higher professional standard, allowing her more opportunities to consider within her work - and putting her award-winning LaunchIT business training to the test!