There is something so special about finding a gift that is a one of a kind and thoughtful. Personally, I love that feeling of finding a gift that is unique and personal. So when we got the chance to catch up with the creator behind Create Wish Angels, Cork based artist Audrey Shallow, we just had to find out how she came up with it all.
The inspiration behind these simple and beautiful designs began with 9/11, a time when Audrey believes people were looking to connect and to find hope. Beginning with a project called the ‘Tree of Life’, people were invited to express their wishes and share their hearts in response to the request ‘Create Your Vision For Life’. At a time when people needed uplifting, Audrey described to us how everything just seemed to magically fall into place when organising this Wish Tree in the heart of Cork’s English Market in December 2001. The project was a huge hit, with over 500 members of the public contributing their own personal wish, hope or dream, each one written on a simple white and gold angel. The universality of people’s wishes is what inspired the journey that has become Create Wish Angels.
Audrey explains that Create Wish Angels gifts are about ‘heart and soul’ as well as ‘a way for people to connect and express their heartfelt wishes’. She shared with us so many great stories from her clients. One of our favourites was about a bride and groom who decided to treat their parents to one of Audrey’s unique gifts. The gift was a double frame with personalised Wish Angels created from the bride’s fabric with this quote:
“Parents hold their children’s hands for a while but their hearts forever.”
Another great story Audrey shared with us was a personal story about a wedding she went to in Co. Louth last November. Audrey and a friend decided to visit the Hill of Tara before the wedding to place a small Wish Angel on the Tara Wish Tree. This tree had been known as the original wishing tree at the Hill of Tara by few local residents and older generations of the area. She decided to return to the spot where her Wish Angel hung a few days later, only to find that it was missing. After some time searching the hill, it seemed time to give up the search. It was then Audrey remembered another wishing tree that she had been told about. Locating this, in a different field…low and behold, there was her Wish Angel securely fixed to the tree! To this day, she has no clue how or why it was moved…
