A new leaf in winter?

You won't even need to guess that I haven't been doing much jewellery making in the last while.

After two hectic six month stints in Germany we're now in the middle of moving house to Zurich in Switzerland. All my jewels and tools are packed up ready to move, so I should have them back for wintertime - something to do when all that snow falls.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to making things, so watch this space!

I'm not dead - just resting...

Well, despite my dreams of getting a jewellery business off the ground, it seems to be feast or famine in terms of getting the time to do so. Since leaving my full-time job last October, I've started working freelance as a translator and got a full-time contract in Germany from March - which means I'm not even in the same country as my beloved crystals, gemstones and silver!

But I'm back for a whirlwind resumption of business at the Kings Langley and Abbots Langley festival of the arts, with my own stand at the craft fair, kindly assisted by Wendy Beaumont (who is also appearing in the play! go and see it!).

If you're around Watford, take a detour out to the Abbots Langley church, which is worth seeing just for itself, and have a look at all the fantastic crafts that the village has to offer - patchwork quilting, card making, woodworking, lace making, stained glass and more!

We're on display again!

Oops - been a while since I've posted here. We had our half-term break in the silver jewellery course, and I've been unwell and working overtime again...

But the news is that some of my work is on display again at Thames Valley University's end of year show at the King's Road campus in Reading. There is a preview evening next Wednesday 20 June and it continues until the Saturday.

As soon as I get some of the pieces back, I'll take photos of the ring and earrings made to match the hammered bangle, and some experiments in that vein.

No question, it's hand made

I went out to dinner with some friends, one of whom is a silversmith, and showed them what I'd done in class. I really liked it, as I do the 'damage' pendants, but wasn't sure why.

But I think my friend understood - as she handed the bangle back to me she said "there's no question it's hand made."

We sometimes go around craft fairs together and speculate on what is and isn't mass produced. And while I have great respect for a lot of the silver jewellery I see, there's something too polished about a lot of it. I like seeing the tool marks, evidence that a human hand worked on it.

Simple is beautiful

I love these amazingly shiny Swarovski components - perfect for simple but eyecatching earrings, pendants, etc.

We're on display!

Some of my work, including the 'damaged' pendants pictured last week, are now on display in the main hallway of Thames Valley University's main Reading campus on King's Road. If you're passing, have a look in the perspex display cases inside the main doors!

Prototypes!

There seems to be something about exhausting my brain at work - I had a great and very productive session at my silversmithing class. My arms ache and the pads of my fingers and thumbs are sore, but it was well worth it!