Shell Creative VA

18/06/2025

A small snapshot of my week so far...

I’ve been working behind the scenes for a dental group with 11 different practices, creating a tailored social media content plan for each one.

That’s 11 unique sets of posts, all going out across Facebook and Instagram, three times per week.

I’ve written the captions, created matching graphics using templates I've designed for them, and today alone I’ve manually scheduled over 60 individual posts into their social media scheduling platform.

Each practice needs different content on different days, so it’s been a bit like completing a very specific jigsaw puzzle (with deadlines).

Even with as much automated as possible, the whole process took me almost 7 hours and yes, that dashboard screenshot from Social Pilot is real.

That's alongside juggling work from 7 other clients!

Is it Friday yet 😂

13/06/2025

Sharing a few of my recent Canva designs 😊

13/06/2025

Third time lucky this year maybe 🤞🤞

What a lovely surprise to start the week 🎉🎉

I got an email this afternoon letting me know I’ve been named as a finalist in the Creator/Influencer category of the Digital Women Awards 2025. (Me? An influencer? 😂 Still wrapping my head around that one!)

A huge thank you to whoever nominated me - it has made my day. I’m so grateful, and it’s a real honour to be recognised alongside so many inspiring women.

Big thanks to for the nomination, and best of luck to all the other finalists!

02/06/2025

What a lovely surprise to start the week 🎉🎉

I got an email this afternoon letting me know I’ve been named as a finalist in the Creator/Influencer category of the Digital Women Awards 2025. (Me? An influencer? 😂 Still wrapping my head around that one!)

A huge thank you to whoever nominated me - it has made my day. I’m so grateful, and it’s a real honour to be recognised alongside so many inspiring women.

Big thanks to for the nomination, and best of luck to all the other finalists!

04/05/2025

Absolutely loved designing these social media templates in Canva for a brand new family dental practice opening in London this month.

I created a range of templates to showcase all the behind the scenes content while the practice is being built, service offerings, oral health tips, FAQ’s, special offers and client reviews.

I also provided a 30 minute Canva training session to go through how to use the templates without having to spend hours in Canva!

03/05/2025

StickerGen is one of the many brilliant apps in Canva. If you’ve ever wanted to create your own cute stickers to use in your designs, this one’s for you!

In this post, I’ll show you how to use the StickerGen app in Canva, step-by-step. It’s one of those features a lot of people don’t know exists, but it’s so fun and easy to use.

Perfect for adding a bit of personality to your posts, planners, or digital products (and you can even tweak the colours to suit your branding once it’s in your design).

**You only get two ‘free’ credits per day - if you want to create up to £100 stickers per day you will need to subscribe to StickerGen Pro, which is about £3.50 per month.

For more Canva tips and tricks, join my free Facebook community, the Canva Cafe (link’s in my bio!)

02/05/2025

✨ Available to take on new Canva design projects in May ✨

If your social media is feeling a little mismatched, inconsistent, or just not reflecting your gorgeous brand properly, now’s the perfect time for a refresh.

My Spotlight Canva Social Media Template Package is my most popular for a reason because it’s designed for businesses that want variety, flexibility, and a strong, recognisable presence across every platform.

Here’s what’s included:

🌟 A full suite of templates for posts, carousels, stories, reels, and highlight covers, so you’re never starting from scratch
🌟 A cohesive, on-brand look that builds trust and grabs attention
🌟 Time-saving, high-impact designs that make creating content feel easy

🌟 Plus: A 30-minute clarity call to make sure your templates are perfectly tailored to your brand, and you can add on a walkthrough session if you need extra support once you’ve got your templates.

No more blending in! if you’re ready to stand out online, message me today.

01/05/2025

When is a VA not a VA?

When you’re expecting one thing… and hiring another.

Here’s what I mean:

🔹 When you’re expecting a tech wizard… but you’ve hired someone who shines in creative content.
🔹 When you need someone to run your diary like clockwork… but they specialise in launching courses.
🔹 When you want a sounding board and strategic partner… but you’re treating them like a task robot.

‘Virtual Assistant’ is a broad term, and not all VAs offer the same kind of support.

The key is knowing what YOU need before you start searching.

Here’s what you need to know before you hire one:-

✔ Some VAs are generalists - they help with admin, inbox management, research, booking appointments.
✔ Some are specialists - Tech VAs, creative VAs (hello!), podcast VAs, launch support, systems experts, event support.
✔ Some come from high-level corporate or agency backgrounds - they bring board-level experience, anticipate what’s needed, think three steps ahead, and act as a strategic partner, not just a task-doer.

So before you hire a VA, ask yourself:-

🔹 What do I actually need help with?
🔹 Do I need someone to follow explicit instructions, or someone who can use their initiative and run with things?
🔹 Do I want admin support, creative design help, or both?

I offer a hybrid blend of:

→ Executive Assistant support (inbox & diary management, board meeting prep, contracts, strategy, minute taking)
→ Creative Canva design (social media graphics, lead magnets, launch assets etc.)

It’s professional, proactive, strategic support, designed to take things off your plate and free you up to do the work only you can do.

If you need help figuring out what kind of VA you need, I’m happy to chat, with no pressure.

30/04/2025

As soon as the sun comes out my thoughts turn to holidays, cruises and being at the beach.

So I’ve created some colour palettes which are inspired by the coast.

Whether you struggle to find colours that work well together or just want a shortcut to that polished, professional look - these palettes are a great place to start.

Which one is your favourite? I’m loving number 1 and number 6!

29/04/2025

If you’ve ever wanted to add a bit of sparkle to your Canva designs but weren’t sure how, this post is for you. ✨

I’m walking you through exactly how to create glitter text in just a few easy steps - it’s simpler than it looks!

Save this for when you need a little extra magic.

28/04/2025

🌟 3 SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR MAY 🌟

ONLY £99.00 FOR A 1.5 HOUR SESSION

Looking for 1:1 Canva support bespoke to YOUR business?

My 90 minute 1:1 Canva Boost sessions are tailored to YOUR needs and YOUR business and you’ll leave each session feeling Canva confident, inspired, and armed with tips and tricks to help you design digital resources you are proud to show off!

This service is for you if:-

🌟 You’re fed up with spending hours on YouTube trying to find tutorials that are generic and not quite specific enough for what you need.
🌟 You are frustrated scrolling through social media because no matter how long you spend in Canva, you just can’t seem to get your graphics looking as polished and professional.
🌟 You don’t have the budget to outsource graphic design yet but you just don’t have time to sit faffing about in Canva coming up with resources that are average at best and not a true representation of your AMAZING business.
🌟 You might be a VA who is wanting to offer Canva design to your clients, but just don’t know where to start.

Whichever one you are, these sessions will fast-track your learning and boost your Canva skills, no matter where you are starting from.

You can book your session by clicking the link in my bio and fill out the form ⬆️

26/04/2025

When I get stuck and need a reminder to keep going, I think about how much I want to make these two people proud - I have SO much to thank them for 🥰

When business gets hard, as it does, it’s easy to lose sight of why we started, and I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve thought ‘sod this, it would be easier to get a job.’

That’s a sign I need to go back to my ‘why’ because that’s at the core of why I started in the first place. It’s:-

🌟 Having the freedom to shape my life exactly how I want it
🌟 Having the financial freedom for us to have a comfortable life
🌟 Having the flexibility to be present for Megan during her teenage years
🌟 Showing that there is life after a mental breakdown
🌟 Making my family proud

So, if you’re struggling right now, take a moment, find somewhere quiet, and reflect on your why ❤️

What’s your why?