GeckoRouge officially began in 2008. I was an amateur artist in a long-term relationship, and like many at the time, I’d just been made redundant during the banking crisis. My mum had picked up a new hobby, cross stitch, and I got curious. Could I turn some of my artwork into patterns? I started experimenting. There wasn’t a plan. It just felt like something worth exploring.
About a year later, the long-term relationship came to an end. After nearly a decade together, she made the decision to move on. It was heartbreaking, and everything felt uncertain. Then, just a few weeks later, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Not long after that, my nan, my mum’s mum, was also diagnosed. They say bad luck comes in threes. For us, it did. It was one of the hardest times our family has ever faced.
But through that pain, something steady began to take shape. GeckoRouge became a much-needed focus, somewhere to channel positive energy when everything else felt like it was falling apart. Although it had already been running for a couple of years on Etsy, selling small patterns I designed and a few newly licensed pieces from other artists, it was still early days. I realised it could offer my mum, Debbie, and my sister, Kimberley, who was also expecting at the time, another outlet. Something creative and grounding during an emotionally difficult time in our lives.
For us, it quickly became more than just a cross stitch business. It was something we could all build together as a family, with my brother Adam involved as well. Without their help in those early years, things could have taken a very different path, and GeckoRouge may not have made it to where it is today.
In 2022, Kimberley moved on to focus on her growing children's entertainment business, and in 2023, Debbie stepped back to prioritise her health. It was a big shift, but their part in shaping GeckoRouge is something I’ll always be proud of. And now, I get to spend time with them without work being the main focus which, especially after Mum’s health issues, feels just as important.
If you’d like to learn more about the people behind Team Gecko, you can visit: https://www.geckorouge.co.uk/meet-team-gecko-48-w.asp