I made this pin for my friend Ahmad as an art exchange that we talked about doing well over a year ago. I've been pretty slow at it and actually had a whole other design ready to go, that I then scrapped when this idea came to me all of a sudden.As well as being very kind and funny, Ahmad is one of the most talented people you could ever meet ~ he's adept at cooking, baking, ceramics, writing, themed parties, and is currently finishing his PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Most impressive of all, I once saw him tailor a plastic Sainsbury's bag into a stylish top.

The first design featured this Sainsbury's couture alongside some of Ahmad's other creations, but I realised that it was getting too busy to be a little wearable emblem. So instead I combined it all on a single cake slice, loosely based on the one he made for our friend's wedding last year. The backing card features a plate he made with Mai-Loan Tu and the back of the pin is embossed with his maker's marks (that he designed and 3D printed).

In exchange, I got an unbelievable alien vase to match my pink bathroom. My request was to make something that wasn't totally perfect, and I love how the crazy spontaneous shapes are grounded by the base ridge, and the solidness of the material. It reminds me of a frozen paper bag, or a sandworm. Thank you Ahmad!

• 30mm wide
• Gold plated soft enamel pin
• Cut-out detail
• Two heart shaped rubber clasps
• Embossed Ahmad’s marks & the Mink logos
• Guaranteed good time