A CLOCK-MAKER has vowed to hand-deliver her unique works of art to stressed shoppers this Christmas.

Designer Gillian Swan has been busy getting her business off the ground from her home in Albert Road, Leyton, and decided to offer the personalised service of a hand delivery to Londoners in Tube zones one to three to help boost sales.

She said: “If people are in trouble because they don't have a present but want something unique, then I can bring it to them.

“I will deliver it in person because I am always going around London and can just pop into their office or home. It is a nice personalised touch and means they don't need to worry about the post.”

The 27-year-old industrial design graduate worked for an interior design company after graduating from Brunel University, then decided to branch out on her own.

She launched her business, Oscar & Victor, this year and while she has some parts of the clocks made elsewhere, she puts them together and paints them at home.

She said: “I thought I would specialise in clocks because they can be made from home and it is a simple function but can be something interesting and has a lot of scope for different designs and collections.”

Her winter collection, Hiding in Corners, is inspired by rock formations and shadows, designed to look different depending on where placed.

The inspiration, she said, came from an unlikely source - by leafing through a National Geographic magazine.

Now she is working on further designs to show at trade shows next year, with the hope of selling a more “commercial” range to high street retailers in the future.

She said there have been sacrifices in starting her own business as she and her boyfriend, Nick Boin, have been sleeping in the living room so the main bedroom could be used as a workshop.

She said: “We have been sleeping in the lounge. But my boyfriend has been very supportive and he quite likes it because he gets to watch TV in bed.”

For more information visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/oscarandvictor