Moonflygirl

My Friend Suzy's Exhibition

2012-02-01T20:04:00.002Z

My lovely friend Suzy is a paper-cutting artist, and her first solo exhibition opened today. Tomorrow is the preview evening, and I can't wait, it's so exciting! I'm going there straight after school (I'll be grubby, covered in metal dust and ceramic dust but I hope they'll still let me in :-)

Suzy has made some wonderful new work specially for the exhibition, so if you are in London, I hope you go and have a look, here are the details (click for a larger image):

If you can't come, have a look at her blog - her work is amazingly intricate and gorgeous, and also her Etsy shop. Yes, I'm shamelessly promoting a friend, because she is a good friend and because I love her work :-)

Here are a couple of examples:

Weak Spot...

2012-02-01T09:07:00.006Z

I cut these beautiful shapes yesterday for earrings (you know I'm in love with this pattern) from a rare large piece of Willow Pattern pottery shard - and discovered that this shape has a weak spot. The first cab broke before I even set it - and the second one broke during setting.

Disappointing - the shapes take quite a long time to cut, but they were just too weak at the top. These will have to be re-shaped into chunkier drops...

......Some hours later......

Here is the end result - I reshaped the cabs, added Thames Glass cabochons in a gorgeous blue colour, of which I only managed to make 3 with the piece of glass I found...

I'm so glad I am managing to correct my disasters, and that I can reshape the pottery pieces and not ruin expensive stones for instance. I do treat my pottery pieces with care because although they are 'free' - they do take a long time to collect, clean, sort out and shape.
I'm resisting the urge to oxidise these...

The Ghost by the Tower

2012-01-31T11:48:00.002Z

I found this curious piece of pottery the other day - I'm sure it shows a ghost by a tower!

And here are some more dot earrings I made:

Black and White Dots - Bracelet Finished at Last

2012-01-31T09:37:00.001Z

I bought a magnetic clasp for this bracelet, and I feel like a cheat - I should have made my own clasp!
But I wanted something that was secure and easy to put on and take off. Magnets seemed like a good option but I have never used them before. Any comments welcome!

The clasp is from Bellore, and I think it goes nicely with the design.

Pottery Shard Bracelet in Black and White with Magnetic Clasp

I also made another pair of recycled cabochon earrings in blue, after my first pair sold quite quickly... These are a slightly lighter blue.

Recycled Thames Glass Cabochon Earrings in Blue

Simple Lime Glass Dot Earrings

2012-01-30T11:55:00.000Z

Some recycled lime glass earrings, this time I left the silver white, and the dots are smaller then the blue pair - about 1/2 an inch in diameter.

Recycled Glass Dot Earrings in Lime

Simple Blue Glass Earrings

2012-01-29T13:33:00.000Z

Just finished these:

Recycled glass cabochon and oxidised silver earrings

The Fixed and Finished Earrings

2012-01-28T11:29:00.001Z

So to celebrate the fact that the earrings weren't completely ruined - I decided to add one of my brown Thames Glass cabochons (frosted) as a top tier. I like triple tier earrings, as you probably have already noticed.
They are quite long!

These took way too long to finish, but I'm pleased with how they turned out in the end.

Pottery shard ,recycled glass and oxidised silver long dangle earrings

Frosted Glass Cabochons

2012-01-27T08:07:00.000Z

These are some of my Thames Glass cabochons which I frosted using my enamelling matting salts. I wasn't sure what they would turn out like, so I didn't do many in case I ruined them, but I like the effect!

As If By Magic...

2012-01-26T18:20:00.001Z

The stain disappeared... I woke up this morning and there was no sign at all of yesterday's disaster - the stain had dried up and vanished. I had panicked for nothing, and ruined the other earring in vain.

So here is yesterday's earring as I had intended - the pottery shard cabochon is in lovely shades of ivory and rust... And I have just enough crackle shard left for the other earring. Phew!

Oxidised silver and pottery shard earring - click for a larger image

Earrings That Ended Badly

2012-01-25T19:01:00.004Z

At the moment I only have two days that I can dedicate to jewellery making, so I usually try to cram in as much as possible. Unfortunately this sometimes ends badly, like today...

I was really pleased with the design of these earrings. I used quite a fetching piece of crackle pottery and shaped it into a drop, and decided I liked it upside down.
The problem happened when I oxidised the piece - the pottery shard absorbed some of the oxidising solution, and turned grey! I tried to rescue the second piece of pottery by removing it from the bezel before oxidising - and broke it :-(

I need to find a way of sealing the cut edges of the shards before I set them, so that it doesn't happen again.

So I have ended up with earrings which I will have to fix - but grinding a piece of pottery to fill a ready made setting is quite tricky, and I don't have enough of that nice crackle shard for two new cabochons...

They would have been nice though!

Here you can see the cab turning grey round the edges
where it absorbed the oxidising solution

This is the only piece of that crackle pottery I have left,
not enough for two earrings!

Thames Glass Earrings to go with the Y Necklace

2012-01-25T10:18:00.001Z

These long dangle earrings are made out of my Thames Glass cabochons, and go with the necklace I made last week:

Silver and Recycled Glass Earrings

Silver and Recycled Glass Y Necklace

I also just finished these today:

The blue and white pottery shard came, of course, from the Willow Pattern!

Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination

2012-01-22T22:40:00.004Z

I have always loved medieval manuscripts, so today I visited the exhibition at the British Library - Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination. Quite amazing really. What I really love are the tiny little details painted in the borders.

I recommend it if you are in the London area! Some of the books appeared in the BBC Four series: Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings and it was great to see them in 'person'. I only wish I could have been closer, and able to turn the pages...

Inside the British Library

Outside the British Library

It looks like a fairytale castle, but it's St. Pancras Station,
as seen from the British Library - beautiful!

I had to wander round to find a slightly better view - click for a larger image

Sleeping Copper Fox Necklace

2012-01-21T10:26:00.000Z

I finally decided what to make with my copper fox. Not a ring, but a necklace:

He is surrounded by a fine silver bezel, and attached to a hand made sterling silver chain.

A Few of my Favourite Tools #1

2012-01-20T12:45:00.011Z

We are all tool junkies, and my collection of useful (and some not so useful it turns out) tools grows monthly, but I thought I'd share some of the tools that have changed my work for the better, and that I wouldn't be without.

Looping pliers - I make my own jump rings, and with these pliers I can make consistent sizes. They are also handy for simple ear wires. I made most of my handmade chains using these. They were bought in Cookson.

Sanding Rolls - I first saw these being used by Andrew Berry in his very excellent training videos to which I subscribe - and they are in constant use. The finish on my work is much better since I started using them.
They come in 3 different grades, and I use them all.
You can make your own with a split pin and some emery paper, but these are inexpensive and come in packs of 10 which last for a very long time. Also from Cookson.

Fiskars Soft Touch Micro Tip Scissors - These were recommended in one of the jewellery newsletters I get - for cutting bezels. I use these for cutting fine silver bezels (no need to file), and also for cutting sheet silver up to 0.45mm thick. I used to use Gilbows but these are smaller and more precise. I know they won't stay sharp forever at this rate of use, but for now they are a great time saver. I bought these on Amazon.

Optivisor Glasses - I think I also saw these being used by Andrew Berry, but I have reached the age where your eyes are not quite what they used to be.... Anyhow, a little help seeing the small details is welcome, and these are always to be found firmly on my head when I am working.... Also from Cookson

I've Been Stalked!

2012-01-18T12:13:00.005Z

I was surprised by a message telling my I had been stalked!
The article, covering 'Winter Blues' kindly features my pendant.

Click on the image to go to the article:

Just a Quick Better Picture of Yesterday's Glass Jewellery...

2012-01-18T11:47:00.003Z

I'm never going to photograph them under fluorescent light again!

Recycled Glass Cabochons and Sterling Silver Earrings

Now you can see the colours and a bit of the texture of the glass...

And the Y necklace:

Recycled Thames Glass Y Necklace and Earrings

2012-01-17T18:16:00.006Z

Today I did some work with the glass cabochons I made out of Thames Glass. I liked the Y necklace from yesterday, so first I made one of those in shades of blue and green.

Recycled Thames Glass Cabochon Necklace in shades of blue and green

Then I made some of my favourite triple earrings - using glass again, but these pieces are opaque, so I think the glass must have been quite old.

I prefer the opaque pieces, and love the colours, which are actually much nicer in daylight - this photo was taken with fluorescent light. I pretend they are peridots, Andean opals and sapphires...

And Working Some More....

2012-01-16T18:59:00.000Z

My last offering of the day, I now officially need glasses I think, not to mention a cup of tea...

Sterling and Pottery Shard 'Y' Necklace with Textured Blue Pieces

I'll list this tomorrow if there is enough sun for pictures...
Thank you so much all for the nice and encouraging comments, they really make my day!

Working, working...

2012-01-16T12:40:00.005Z

It's supposed to be the most depressing day of the year today, but I disagree... The sun is shining and I have been able to take some photos of my newer pieces, and list them in my Etsy shop:

Silver and Pottery Shard Pendant with Chased Border Decoration

OK I made this a while ago, but I only finished it today...

Finished last night, I really like how these came out - my favourite pattern!

Willow Pattern Triple Drop Earrings

2012-01-15T19:40:00.002Z

Just finished - a pair of earrings made out of pottery shards with my favourite pattern - from the borders of the willow pattern.

Sterling silver and pottery shard earrings made with with the
willow pattern border. Shown with my entire collection of similar pieces.

These pieces are quite hard to use, as most of them are curved. They come from around the edge of plates and I rarely find flat ones. The pieces in the earrings also have a slight curve, and were a bit tricky to set.

I love these though - each earring has three different shards from different periods in time, in slightly different shades of blue, and all the patterns are hand painted!

Copper Owl Pendant

2012-01-14T10:52:00.001Z

Here is my finally finished owl pendant, complete with glass eyes and a floral brown and white pottery shard:

I found this hard to complete with a hand torch - the metal just wasn't getting hot enough to solder properly. I think my next investment might need to be a proper torch. If any of you in the UK can recommend one I would be very happy to hear!

Black and White Dots - Necklace and Bracelet

2012-01-10T22:09:00.003Z

Here is what I have been working on the last few days:

This necklace is a commission:

And because I liked the black and white dots, I decided to make a bracelet too. It's not finished yet - it's taking soooo long (soldering tiny tiny jump rings is quite time consuming!) but I like it so far:

Silver and pottery shard bracelet - work in progress

These tiny 2.5 mm jump rings almost killed me...

Recycled Thames Glass Earrings

2012-01-09T10:41:00.004Z

Some more earrings using my glass cabochons, this time oxidised silver with beaded wire decoration. I decided to solder the ear wires on with these ones, making them one unit.

Silver and recycled Thames Glass Earrings

I also made a smaller pair, with moonstones:

Silver and Moonstone Earrings

They don't look smaller in the photos, but they are...

Hallmarked!

2012-01-05T18:27:00.003Z

My first hallmarked pieces were ready today! All my items passed the metal purity test, which I'm pleased about because I have been recycling my silver so it's good to know I have done it all correctly.

However, I was slightly disappointed because the marks are pretty much invisible to the naked eye. They are half a millimetre tall, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I thought they would be a bit more noticeable. Also - they had hallmarked the earrings on the ear wires, not on the backs of the dangles!

You can choose where the marks are to be done, but since this was my first batch, I thought I would trust their expertise. Next time I will be more specific. Live and learn.

So here is proof:

Hallmarked pendant - very close up view

Hallmarked ear wire! Seriously tiny!

Even More Thames Glass Cabochons

2012-01-04T13:50:00.005Z

Sometimes I make sketches of ideas for jewellery, but most of the time I just play around with my materials and see what comes out. Connections happen that I would not have been able to plan.

Here is an example of what I mean. My entire collection (so far - I'll make more!) of the recycled Thames Glass cabochons, even those that didn't work out so well:

Recycled Thames glass cabochons, click for a large image

And here are some things I might make in the future:

Butterfly?

Brooch? Necklace?

Earrings!

I probably won't make this, but it shows the range of
colours I have managed to get - a rainbow(ish)

These are mistakes - or a landscape!

And here is the necklace from my previous post, still unfinished, I thought I had it right :-(

My workbench with a necklace in progress

Perhaps I should have made these instead!

Pretty colours! These could have been nice earrings. Too late now!

Still Learning, Still Making Mistakes...

2012-01-04T11:51:00.004Z

I spent hours on this necklace (every tiny jump ring is soldered closed...), and thought that I had sorted out all the issues - so I finished, tumbled and polished it, set all the stones...

Then I tried it on, and it doesn't sit correctly (the beaded silver links stick out or twist) - so that was a waste of time.... Oh well. I'll have to take some of it apart and adjust it... again. Bother!

I have even made the parts for matching earrings, so I guess it's back to work...

The Assay Office and some Wet Protest Tents

2012-01-03T16:22:00.003Z

So I took the plunge, and handed in all my silver items at the Assay Office this morning. They should be ready on Friday!
The place is not much to look at from the outside, but we visited with my jewellery class last year, and it's fascinating inside (I got to hold a kilogram bar of gold - it's much smaller than you might think).

All the items are tested for their metal purity, and if found to be within the standards, they get marked with the maker's mark, the traditional fineness mark ( a lion for sterling silver), a 925 sterling mark, the Assay Office mark (the London office is a lion head) and a letter for the date. All these are just half a millimetre high!

Entrance to the London Assay Office

The Assay office is quite near St. Paul's Cathedral, so I took the opportunity to photograph the protest tents. The weather last night was appalling - so I don't think they had a very good night. At least a few people still occupy some of the tents. Poor wet protesters.

Protest tents near the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral

Protest tents outside St. Paul's Cathedral

The weather is very very different, but the protests and the tent city are much like the ones in Tel-Aviv which I photographed in the summer

Shades of Brown post earrings

2012-01-02T15:16:00.001Z

I don't usually make this style (post earrings) but just for a change - here are some dangle post earrings, with brown Thames pottery shards and Thames Glass cabochons.

Sterling silver, pottery shards and Thames glass post earrings

Triple Pendant and Square Peg Earrings

2012-01-02T10:13:00.000Z

I made these last week as well, and they are in my box of items to be taken to be hallmarked. I have never had anything hallmarked before, so I'm a bit nervous and quite excited!

Oxidised sterling silver and pottery shard earrings

Sterling silver pendant with three pottery shards,
on a sterling silver chain

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T23:09:00.001Z

2012 is upon us, and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

First Pendant using 'Thames Glass' Cabochon

2011-12-30T08:26:00.002Z

My second batch of 'Thames Glass' cabochons came out well. I cut the glass into smallish pieces, placed them on a sheet of mica, and fired them in a kiln at 850C for about 10 minutes. Not all the glass melted, some of the pieces must have been a higher temperature melting glass or maybe I should have left them in a bit longer... These are still work in progress :-)

Some of the cabochons come out matte, some completely transparent. I think this may hint to the dates of the glass pieces - the clearer the newer. This is based on nothing scientific - just guesswork!

So here is a pendant I made with a blue floral pottery shard and a blue glass cabochon, a tiny moonstone as well.

Sterling silver pendant with pottery shard,
moonstone and Thames Glass cabochon

Another Thames Trip

2011-12-29T12:52:00.001Z

Encouraged by my kiln glass experiment, I decided to go and find some more glass and pottery shards. I had the beach to myself for a whole hour before families with excited kids and their collection pots descended on *my* patch :-)
One does get a bit territorial when mudlarking.

I found some nice pieces, my favourites pictured below. I also have another batch of Thames glass cabochons in the kiln, and can't wait to see what they will come out like.

I thought this was a secret vial, until a nice man
with a metal detector explained that it was an old fuse...

I have no idea what this is - it appears man made. This is one side

And this is the other side. It seems to be made of glass, or perhaps bone?

A nice glass button

I love marbled clay. This small lump was just waiting for me to find it...

I found lots of bird parts.... shame there were no whole ones

A building, some acorns, my very first find with gold lustre,
a grand peacock feather and at the bottom, my favourite pattern

Some fine patterns, my favourite is the flower at the bottom

two pieces with writing (very rare!) and some 'seaweed pattern'
and a piece with a quatrefoil style pattern

Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue (and Green)

2011-12-27T18:31:00.004Z

This has nothing to do with weddings though. I was back at my bench working today, so I decided to try and make something with some of the Thames glass pieces I found in the summer.

Old - bits of glass found in the Thames
New - the results!
Borrowed - an idea I read online
Blue (and green) - the resulting cabochons

I placed small pieces in my kiln on a piece of mica (the borrowed idea) - and fired them until they seemed to change shape and become roundish. I didn't time myself or note the temperatures, probably because I didn't believe anything would happen - but it did!

I'm thrilled with the results, because I love sea glass - but the Thames glass is too sharp to use. This treatment makes it usable, and the cabochons will go nicely with the pottery shards, and continue my 'Thames' theme.

I will be making more of these (if I can remember how).

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T09:02:00.001Z

I was going to paint a card and post it here for Christmas. But I never got round to it.
So instead, here is a Lego Santa Workshop scene I did in the past, I wish you all the best holidays and 2012!

Lego Santa's Workshop, click for a larger image

What I've Been Doing This Week...

2011-12-22T09:49:00.004Z

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted - shame on me. But we've all been busy preparing for the holidays, I'm sure.

I have been at my bench as much as possible, making jewellery to list next year. Working more with silver than copper, as I would like to take my stuff to be hallmarked!

Here are a few things I made. Not likely to get any awards for photography for these ones, but there isn't much light here, which never helps...

silver and pottery shard snail pendant

silver and pottery shards with sea glass

silver and pottery shards dangle earrings in shades of red

silver and pottery shard dangle earrings with birds

London Metropolitan University Open Day

2011-12-15T18:42:00.003Z

I visited East London today to see the jewellery department at the London Metropolitan University, as part of their open day. I came away very jealous of their facilities, and their work space. It's huge! A room dedicated to enamelling, a room dedicated to etching, a room dedicated to stone setting... a room... you get the picture :-)

Here's the link if you are thinking of enrolling...

East London is a really interesting place, and it's changing so fast. Every time I go there - more huge office buildings have sprung up. However you can still catch glimpses of the past, and I was quite surprised to see this still there:

A small reminder of the Jewish population that used to live in the area (including my family). I did a bit of research online and have found that it used to be the emblem of the Jewish Daily News newspaper that was once in that building. The sign was designed by Arthur Szyk in the Arts and Crafts style.

I also got a chance to photograph a nice pub sign which I spotted last time but didn't have my camera on me:

I love the gold and black - here's another one from an earlier blog post.

Then into Oxford Steet, which seems to have quite a strange theme for the Christmas lights this year - cobwebs and umbrellas (?)

Two New Pairs of Studs

2011-12-15T07:16:00.001Z

Busy busy busy, but here are some stud earrings I made on Tuesday.
These ones have flowers:

These ones also have flowers, but are smaller:

Soon the holidays will start so I'll be able to work on more jewellery... Yay!

Wood and Ceramic Silver Earrings

2011-12-10T12:47:00.002Z

So here are some new styles I have been working on - the first pair is made out of pottery shards I made myself:

The shards are these ones which I shaped:

This is what they look like on:

The second pair is made with some striped wood I made, using marquetry techniques:

This is what they look like on:

The Art of Fine Enameling

2011-12-09T21:40:00.001Z

I'm really excited by a new book I bought that arrived today - The Art of Fine Enamlling by Karen L. Cohen.

I had to order it from the US as there were no copies available in the UK - but it was worth the wait. It has step by step projects for some interesting and complex techniques, something which I have not seen in other enameling books.

I haven't had a chance to read much of it yet, but the pictures are amazing!

Lego Christmas Tree at King's Cross Station

2011-12-07T18:56:00.001Z

I still have a soft spot for Lego, so it was great to see this tree at King's Cross today. It's very big!

Lego Christmas Tree

St Paul's Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T18:04:00.003Z

I happened to be near St. Paul's Cathedral today, so here is a picture of the Christmas tree. You can't see all the protest tents from this side!

(Here is a link about the protest at St Paul's.)

At school I was testing my pottery shards, trying to use them together in interesting combinations that could be made into brooches:

Or earrings perhaps:

I chose to work on the second from the top, the brooch is in first steps of fabrication.

Initial Necklace with a Tiny B Pottery Shard

2011-12-03T10:51:00.002Z

As soon as I saw this tiny pottery shards with a B on it, I knew what I wanted to make. A pretty dot necklace, perfect for a Barbara, Betty, Beatrice, Bella...

Five Dot Necklace in Blue and White with B initial

Earthy Blue and Brown Pottery Shard Earrings

2011-12-02T10:18:00.000Z

I made these on Wednesday, but only had a chance to photograph them today. I love this combination of colours and pattern!

Pottery Shard Earrings in Silver

Paste Solder Fix

2011-11-30T18:46:00.008Z

Below I have described my first attempt at rejuvenating dried up hard solder paste. This worked for a while, then I found it dried up again. I did the same thing again, but this time I used 3-in-1 Multi Purpose oil, as I figured out it wouldn't evaporate so easily. It works just fine, but it does smoke a little when you solder. This doesn't bother me much - but I recommend wearing a mask so you don't breathe in the fumes.

Here is the original post:

I mostly use paste solder, as I find it behaves nicely and goes exactly where you want it. I have hard solder, medium and easy, and they all work just as well as strip solder and flux.

My hard solder was playing up - it had dried up quite a bit inside (I think I just had it too close to a flame a couple of times), and was very difficult to squeeze out. So I scraped it all out (it was almost the consistency of metal clay) on to a plate, and added a few drops of lavender oil. I mixed it in well with a spatula, adding more oil until the consistency was soft again. I washed out the tip of the syringe really well (there was some wastage, but not nearly as bad as if I had had to throw it all away) - then replaced the tip, and filled the syringe with the now soft solder.

It worked! Rejuvenated solder! Perfect pipeage has been restored!

Just thought I'd share that. I don't know why I decided to use lavender oil - possibly because it is used with metal clay so I knew it would be OK to heat it up with no problems. And it's something I always have in the house :-)

Rejuvenating Silver Solder with Lavender Oil

Flower and Pearl Pottery Shard Earrings

2011-11-30T08:46:00.001Z

I made these yesterday, there's not quite enough light for photographs yet, I'll have to redo the photos later...

Blue and White Pottery Shard Mismatched Earrings
Silver, Flowers and Pearls

Fox Set

2011-11-29T23:01:00.000Z

So I finished my fox commission of matching brooch and necklace, and now I'm free to do other stuff. I'm back to pottery shards (from the Thames, not the ones I made myself) and made a pair of flower and pearl earrings which I shall list tomorrow. I think I just needed a break from them for a while, now I'm enthusiastic about them again.

My enamelling experiments will continue, as there is so much to learn... Wet packing, enamelling on engraved and etched surfaces, etc....

Here are the foxes:

Blythe Jewellery Enamels - Colour Tests

2011-11-26T17:29:00.001Z

My new nice enamels arrived, and I spent the day doing colour tests. I think I chose good ones! They seem to be a bit smoother than the Schauer enamels I bought last time, and I definitely love the colours.

Here are my colour tests:

I'm completely torn. I love enamel and colour, and I also love the rustic, neutral colours and textures of the ceramic pieces I made. I will continue to work on both until one takes over I guess. Or maybe I'll find a way to combine them? Only time will tell...

My Own Hand Made Pottery Shards

2011-11-24T18:34:00.005Z

A couple of weeks ago I went to the ceramics department at my college to try making my own pottery shards. I would eventually like to make my own ceramic components for jewellery, but different in style of course to Thames pottery shards.

Here are some of the pieces:

Home made pottery shards - click for a much larger image

I have no idea how I got these results - I was supposed to take notes about the oxides and glazes and stuff - but I didn't! Big mistake!
My favourites are the top left and the one underneath it.

This week I was taught how to stain clay, so blue and white pottery shards will be coming soon....

Fox Necklace Revisited

2011-11-23T19:47:00.002Z

I put my enamels aside today, because someone asked me to make one of my copper fox necklaces, so that's what I was working on. I haven't done etching for a long time, but it got me thinking that I should etch some pieces to enamel on...

Here's my freshly made fox then... I still have to work on a matching brooch.

And here are a few enamels I made last night, trying out some different colour combinations.

My favourite one is the top one, but I stoned it back a bit too vigorously and exposed some of the white layer by mistake :-(

Blue and Green Enamel tests

2011-11-22T16:42:00.003Z

Today I was doing some more sgraffito tests, trying to learn how to control the colours a little. Here are the results - I may have to conclude that there is not enough contrast between the colours I chose to work with (the green and blue) but my collection of enamels is limited at the moment, and I was trying to make something I might like to wear.

The technique: painting a layer of either black or white liquid enamel onto the copper, firing, painting the opposite liquid colour (ie white on black, black on white) and then sifting a third colour over the top.
Scratching out a design, firing, sifting a fourth colour over the top, firing, stoning down to smooth, then firing again to bring back the shine.

I think the colours worked out better when the black layer was the first, with white on top. You can see that they are the brighter ones (the top two, and the bottom two on the right)

Click for a larger image

Enamel Sgraffito Testing

2011-11-21T16:06:00.004Z

It's amazing how time consuming enamelling actually is. There are so many steps involved, and multiple firings... Cleaning up between steps, adjusting the kiln temperature... Anyway, I decided to practice some more sgraffito techniques, and here are my results.

I think I'm starting to get the hang of the fusing times and temperatures.
Although everything I do is still quite random - I feel as though I'm slightly more in control :-)

I decided on two tone pieces, and had a clear idea in my mind what I was trying to achieve. The results, of course, are not even close... But it was still fun.

I'd like to do more, but I'm exhausted! Tomorrow...

Enamel Colour Testing #3

2011-11-21T12:06:00.002Z

I'm on my third day of colour tests, and am beginning to feel slightly fed up. Although I know it's practical to make colour samples and technical notes - I just want to play!

So - I allowed myself a little time off, and here are the results.

This piece was made by painting wet process black enamel over a previously fired light blue. I then scratched the design into the black after it had dried on top of the kiln.
After firing the black, I sifted some transparent green over one side, and some transparent blue over the other.

The second one:

Here I painted wet process white enamel over the copper. When it had dried, I sifted some light blue over the top and scratched a design through both layers. After firing, I sifted a darker blue over the whole lot and fired again. Then I stoned back through the darker blue, so that it remained in the recesses, and fired it again to bring it back to shine. I think I saw that technique in the Linda Darty Enameling book - currently my bible.

Here is a closer look at the effect - click for a much larger image.

Enamel Colour Testing #2

2011-11-20T22:29:00.000Z

Seven more colours tested today - I'm not quite sure why I chose these particular colours, they aren't the most inspiring ones I have ever seen.... But anyway, they all worked well.

I fired the Grey Blue from yesterday again at a much lower temperature this time and the result is much better - but even now it's not entirely even. Maybe it's just an odd batch.

Again - there are two layers (two firings) to each piece, with the colour sifted directly onto the copper.

This is a bit time consuming, but hopefully it will pay off when I need to choose colours for jewellery pieces.
Only one more opaque colour to go, then - the transparent ones.

Enamel Colour Testing #1

2011-11-19T18:51:00.003Z

So my kiln is up and running, and I own a sifter and a few enamel colours, a glass brush and carborundum stone. Nothing can stop me now :-)

I spent many hours today doing colour tests - with intentions of making a smooth evenly fired piece of each colour. Most of the time it went well, although I did have to do two coats on nearly all the pieces. The best behaved colours were the light blues. The only colour I had a problem with was the blue grey - I think I need to fire it at a lower temperature.

Tomorrow I'll do the rest of the opaques, then it's on to the transparent colours!

I'm trying to be methodical and organized about this (not like me at all!) so that I'll have good reference pieces for the future, but it is tempting to just have a play... I'm sure I'll be doing lots of that as well though.

These pieces are all copper, with the enamel fired directly onto the metal.

Uninspired... But there is hope...

2011-11-14T19:58:00.004Z

It's one of those weeks, I'm not feeling particularly inspired to make anything, just busy doing research into enamelling...

A pair of my earrings (from a better week) are now featured on Kelly Callahan's lovely blog, please check it out, she has chosen some very nice items in '2011 Handmade Gifts for Her'. While you're there, be sure to look at '2011 Handmade Gifts for Him' as well!

The earrings she has featured are these ones:

Good news - I have actually operated my kiln for the first time, it works - and I am less afraid of it now. I'm so keen to get going with my enamelling that I have had to overcome my fear of kilns! I don't have all the enamelling equipment yet, as there was no point in getting any before I could use the kiln, but hopefully I'll sort that out this week, and have a weekend of experiments!

I even fired some copper clay owls in the kiln, and they seem to have come out fine. Beats torch firing!

These are really very tiny - they will fit on the tip of your little finger!

Surface and Substance at the CAA

2011-11-11T15:31:00.002Z

Last week at the enamelling course Joan Mackarell mentioned a contemporary enamelling exhibition that was being held in the Contemporary Applied Arts gallery. I went there today, just in time too as it ends tomorrow...

It was an interesting exhibition, although I have mixed feelings about the wear-ability of many of the pieces. Well, let's say they were art jewellery, pushing the boundaries and all that. Some pieces were particularly beautiful, some were in my humble opinion just boundary pushing :-)

There were lots of matte surfaces, rough surfaces, things embedded in surfaces... I joined a group of students who were having a guided tour by the girl who works there, and she mentioned that people are a bit suspicious of matte surfaces in enamel, they don't think of them as practical or wearable, although they will still buy a brooch if it's huge but has a shiny finish. Interesting.

The gallery itself was really lovely - the exhibition was on the top level, and there were ceramics, textiles, glass and jewellery in the basement. I saw some lovely pieces of ceramics by Paul Scott, Jane Adam walked in with her Christmas jewellery collection, and I spent far too long browsing the books and magazines...

There was one book in particular which I really wanted, way too expensive though:

Inside it I discovered the work of Robin Kranitzky and Kim Overstreet which is pretty amazing. They do art brooches in mixed media, well worth a look!

I know I should probably have been at home making jewellery, but I guess that's what I'll be doing over the weekend...

Links:

Surface and Substance at the CAA

Paul Scott Ceramics

Jane Adam - anodized aluminium jewellery

Ornament as Art on Amazon.com

Robin Kranitzky and Kim Overstreet

Pricing One's Work, Ceramics and Dazzle 2011

2011-11-10T21:15:00.004Z

Brooch by Gill Galloway-Whitehead
Click for a larger image

This morning we had a lesson on how to price our work. It's really difficult, even though there is a formula... It seems as though I'll have to learn how to use spreadsheets (it's easy I'm told).

The formula includes working out the running costs of your business, dividing it by one's working hours. Then deciding on an hourly rate. You add your running costs, your hourly rate (times the number or hours it took to make the piece), materials, plus a percentage of profit. That works out as your wholesale price. To get your retail price, you multiply it by two...

After all that mind boggling stuff, I attended my first session at the ceramics workshop. I want to make my own pottery shards, and started work on some textured pieces. I'm still only getting to know the clay and what can be done with it, but it was great fun. I used my metal clay tools, for quite fine textures. Next week I get to use porcelain! Pictures will follow!

Lastly, I went to visit my friend who's working at the Dazzle exhibition in the National Theatre. Dazzle is... a jewellery exhibition, and all the work is for sale of course. Many of my favourite designers had work there, including Daphne Krinos, Marianne Anderson, Ruth Tomlinson and Grace Girvan, but this time I have a new favourite as well - Gill Galloway-Whitehead.

Links:
Dazzle London 2011
Daphne Krinos
Marianne Anderson
Ruth Tomlinson
Grace Girvan
Gill Galloway-Whitehead

The Enamelling Course...

2011-11-07T20:34:00.008Z

This sample has layering, sgraffito
and rubber stamping

... was amazing. I really enjoyed every minute, and although I produced a pitiful amount of work, I learnt loads.

Joan Mackarell is very knowledgeable and an excellent teacher. She demonstrated many different techniques, then let us get on with experimenting.

There may have been more, but she definitely taught:

Sifting techniques (layering, stencilling, sgraffito, rubber stamping, painting with a holding medium)
also - inclusions (wire, copper shapes, glass beads)
Wet packing
Cloisonné
Painting Enamel
Wet Process Enamels
Transfers (decals)
Matting with matting salts

A shame it was only two days, I could have done with a few more. I asked Joan to teach me some engraving, as I would like to do some basse taille enamelling, so she showed me some basic techniques, and now I need to practice...

My very first attempt at engraving:

Straight lines on the right, then I did some
curved lines on the left

Not everything worked: I spent quite a long time engraving this sample piece, so I could try enamelling it. I have no idea what caused the bubbles!!!
Sadly there wasn't enough time for me to stone it down and try again...

Engraved copper with flux (clear enamel) and something
has gone horribly wrong!

I doubt you will be impressed be the following, but it's my very first enamelled dome, and I'm very proud of it :-)

Copper dome enamelled with clear enamel (flux)

And my word of the day is... Vermiform - meaning 'in the shape of a worm'.
As seen on the website Button World...

More Enamelling!

2011-11-04T20:05:00.001Z

Tomorrow I'm off to another enamelling course - this time with Joan Mackarell .
I think her work is beautiful, and I'm really looking forward to learning a new approach. It's only a two day course, but I'm sure it will be good!

Pictures will follow!

In the meantime, here is a brooch she made, and I think it's amazing!

Duck Brooch by Joan Mackarell

Copper Fox Ring

2011-11-02T19:24:00.001Z

I had a very busy day today, alternating between my bench where I make the pottery shard jewellery, and my living room, where I make metal clay stuff. As usual I managed to spread out into the kitchen as well...

Here is a new design - a copper clay fox. I wasn't quite sure what he would be when I was making him, but now I think he would be nice as a ring.

I don't usually make rings, because of the sizing issues. I sell most of my work to the US, and it would be a shame if I sent a ring half way across the world and it didn't fit the recipient correctly. I may have to rethink this, as I have loads of ideas for rings...

Sleeping Fox - copper

Sleeping Fox Ring - copper

Blue and White Pottery Shard Wing Necklace

2011-11-02T10:17:00.000Z

After the warm copper and pinks of yesterday, I'm back to the cooler silver, blue and white today. First offering - a pendant with a pottery shard that features a wing. It's simple and pretty, and I love wings!

New - A Tutorial! Bails for Pendants

2011-11-01T19:04:00.005Z

I have decided to add tutorials to my blog - but only things that I have worked out myself. I won't be doing tutorials on how to wire wrap or make jump rings (unless I discover a brand new way of making them) because there are thousands of those already.

But - there will be things I discover as I work, and those will be on my tutorials page - linked from the tabs above.

My first one is bails - I couldn't find a good template for a simple bail shape that I could cut out of sheet metal, so I had to 'invent' one...

Please have a look and let me know if it's clear - it's my very first one:

Tutorial : Bails for Pendants

A Copper Pig Brooch

2011-11-01T17:21:00.000Z

Just for a change from earrings, I made a brooch today - a copper pig with three different shades of pink pottery shards.

There is not much natural light here this time of year, so the photo was taken in a light tent, which is OK but daylight is better... You get the idea though...

Fish, Dragons and Flourishes - The William De Morgan Museum

2011-10-29T18:33:00.010+01:00

I have long been a fan of William De Morgan, who apart from being the man with the largest forehead I have ever seen - made some of the most beautifully decorated pots and tiles.
He is considered one of the most important ceramic artists of the Arts & Crafts movement, which is my favourite style.

After seeing some of his work in the V&A a couple of weeks ago, I discovered that there is a dedicated museum in Wandsworth!

It turned out to be one of those hidden gems you get in London - quiet, nice coffee shop, and beautiful art. There was hardly a soul there even on a busy Saturday (everyone must have been out shopping...).

His work is breathtakingly beautiful, and although there is just one large room, I spent a long time there taking in all the details. I think I particularly like the creatures he draws, as well as the pure decorative indulgence. His wife was an artist, and her work is there as well.

Enough words, here are some pictures:

Photography is not allowed, but the nice lady at the desk let me take this picture of the space

This isn't actually in the museum, but I love this pot, image taken from a book

Also from a book - some of these tiles were on display

I always see books I want - Secret London and Quiet London are now on my wish list...

Tea & Cake London also sounds like a must have to me!

Links:
The De Morgan Foundation
De Morgan image search
More info...

Lovebirds - Finished Necklace, also some Whale Earrings

2011-10-27T12:05:00.004+01:00

So I have sorted out the 'kinks' in the lovebirds necklace, and now it's in my shop. It was a matter of balance :-)

I have never made an asymmetrical necklace before - I'm usually a fan of symmetry (which is probably why I keep making earrings). But - because of the odd shape of the shard - it made more sense to balance it out visually with various elements.

I tried it on, and it does not twist, and even though it's not small - after a little while you just forget it's there - so it's comfortable as well, and I'm pleased about that!

I also made these today - some more whale earrings in oxidised copper and pottery shard...

Willow Birds Necklace - Work in Progress

2011-10-25T17:02:00.000+01:00

This is what I have been working on today - a necklace made out of a pottery shard that has the two love birds from the Willow pattern.

It's the only one I have ever found, so it's special, and I wanted to give the birds a place of honour.

Sterling silver, freshwater pearls, pottery shards from the Willow pattern

Earrings I Made Last Week - Brown Stripes

2011-10-24T16:37:00.001+01:00

I love the colours in these earrings - shades of white, black, orangey brown, reddish brown and pink. Decorated with beaded hoops, oxidised sterling silver with hand made ear wires. Completely one of a kind :-)

Brown striped pottery shards, sterling silver

Ashmolean Museum Oxford

2011-10-24T06:44:00.005+01:00

My computer died on Friday - it's now fixed but working with a limited capacity... So blogging is a bit tricky but I'll do my best.

Inspired by the ceramics section at the V&A, I went in search of more British pottery at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford on Saturday (any excuse to go to Oxford again!).

Unfortunately that part of the Museum was closed off for 'installation' - very disappointing! But it's still a great place to visit, so we looked at other stuff instead.

If you would like to see all the photos I took - have a look at the Flickr set - but there was very little light so they aren't great...
Here are some of my faves:

Ivory carved Japanese Rain Dragon

Toad or frog Tsuba - Japanese Sword Mounting

Chicken

Gold Acorns

Roman Gold-Glass. I love this technique of gold leaf fused between sheets of glass

You can see how this was made in this video I found on YouTube:

What could she be saying?

This pot was covered in owls

Great Unicorn!

Unicorn and Large Rabbit having friendly conversation

It's hard to tell but these look liked winged horses

My Garden - Autumn 2011

2011-10-21T09:51:00.001+01:00

The garden wasn't a success this year - July was too hot, it rained the whole of August, and by September I had given up...
But it's such a beautiful morning today that I had to go down and see how things were looking... Here is what I found:

My garden in Autumn 2011 - click for a larger image

I wish I had a macro lens, but I did my best to zoom in on the details.

1.Artichoke in flower 2. A lone tomato 3. Pods
4. A rosehip 5. Grapes 6.'mind your own business'
7. Purple flower 8. Pepper 9. Beauty Berries

Earrings with Crackle Shards

2011-10-19T15:10:00.002+01:00

I'm always happy when I find shards that have a crackle finish, I just love them!
Here I have used quite large pieces with hoop links - beaded and plain.

Crackle pottery shard earrings with hoop links - sterling silver

Why Didn't I Think of This Before? Identifying pottery at the V&A

2011-10-18T19:47:00.005+01:00

Today I visited the ceramics department at the V&A for the very first time. I have no idea why I waited this long - probably because I never found the 6th floor... I usually head straight towards the jewellery, ironwork and medieval galleries.

Amazing, is all I can say. I was especially happy with the British pottery, and managed to date quite a few of my pottery shards, and see which kinds of pots they came from.

For an example - see the brown textured pottery shard on this brooch that I made:

Now look at this:

So my brooch has a shard from 1770-1780 - and it once could have been a coffee pot! That kind of thing amazes me! And that was just one of the many pieces I managed to identify and date.

You can have a look at the entire collection of photos I took at the V&A today in my Flickr set

And, I just discovered that you can search the entire V&A collection online!!!

Exhausted now...

Little Book of Owls

2011-10-14T07:53:00.002+01:00

I had completely forgotten about this book - which reappeared while I was trying to organise my jewellery books. It's a small book about owls - with a poem or quote on each page, and an accompanying picture. Cute!

Images are always good for owly inspiration, so here are my faves! Click on them for larger versions.

Awwwww!

Experiments and Mistakes = Earrings

2011-10-12T12:12:00.008+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I bought some silver 'pearl' wire (beaded wire) with intentions to experiment.

I was not entirely happy with my first attempt (I was being a bit precious with the wire - it's really expensive here) - although I liked the colour combination, the earring looked rather small and unfinished, and I chipped the pottery shard when I was setting it... so I put it aside:

Yesterday, I was making some copper flower earrings, with a pottery shard in the centre. Oxidised black - I quite like them. Simple but cute.

Then I suddenly thought - what would happen if I combined the flowers with those unfinished bits from last week?

And that's how these earrings came to be:

Silver, pottery shard and coral earrings, oxidised black

And this is what they look like on:

Quite a lot of work, but I'm happy with the result!

Black and White Spongeware Earrings

2011-10-11T13:20:00.003+01:00

As I'm working with pottery shards in my jewellery, I think it's my duty to learn a little bit about them. I get quite excited when I can identify an approximate date or type of decoration used.

The earrings I made today are from spongeware shards - pottery that was decorated by dipping a piece of natural sponge into colour, and dabbing it onto the pot. Some patterns were loose and irregular, but more specific patterns could be made by tying the sponge with a pieces of string to form shapes.

Originating in Scotland, spongeware was cheaper to produce than hand painted pieces, and sometimes children were given the job of decorating the pots.

Here are my shards from the Thames, the earrings I made this morning, and some samples of the kind of pots they might have come from.

Art Discovery of the Week - Leonora Carrington

2011-10-08T14:52:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I came across the work of Leonora Carrington for the first time. She was a surrealist, the muse of Max Ernst, a painter and author.

She painted lots of creatures, which I'm sure were inspiration to the creators of the Studio Ghibli animated films.

Here are three of my faves - there is also a nice article about her in another blog here:

The Book Cover - Leonora Carrington

Very 'Ghiblish' creatures

Click for a larger image

click for a larger image

A Panda in a Courgette

2011-10-08T13:39:00.003+01:00

When I was making lunch today, I sliced in to a courgette (zucchini) only to discover a panda inside!

Quite cute, I think!

Art Deco Bee Pendant No.2

2011-10-05T21:10:00.003+01:00

This is definitely my last post of the day!
The last task on my to-do list today was to finish off this pendant for my friend. I originally made it for a school project last year, and she asked me to make one for her - but just the pendant without the chain. It is cast in sterling silver, and I oxidised the background.

So here it is - a simplified version of my bees: (not much light, picture not great)

Here is the original one I made last year:

What I Made Today - Studs & Cake Toppers...

2011-10-05T16:57:00.001+01:00

I haven't had time to make anything new for a while, but since both pairs of blue and white studs have sold, I decided to replace them. Here are the new ones:

They are both the same size, not quite sure why I photographed them differently. Maybe because there is hardly any light left now... Days are drawing in, and the heatwave is gone at last! Now we can have some proper Autumn, or so they say...

Also I promised someone some Lego cake toppers, even though I'm not really in to Lego any more...

How To Peel Garlic in 10 Seconds... It Works!

2011-10-05T13:27:00.005+01:00

My discovery of the day:

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/how-to-peel-garlic-in-10-seconds.html

I tried it immediately, and it works perfectly!

Yay! Had to share, in case you missed it on Yahoo!

Willow Pattern 'Nankin' Border

2011-10-05T08:39:00.004+01:00

One of my favourite patterns to find when I am searching for pottery shards, comes from the border of the 'Willow Pattern'. I can't find much information about it except that is is a 'Nankin' border.

That information comes from the lovely and useful book 'Encyclopedia of British Transfer-Printed Pottery Patterns 1790-1930' which I use to try and identify some of my finds.

Even though the Willow Pattern is one of the most popular and common, the following collection is the result of many trips to the river! I just love the variation of size and shades of blue in the different pieces.

Pottery Shards - Willow Pattern Borders

Pottery Shards - Willow Pattern Borders - close-up

The Encyclopedia of British Transfer Printed Pottery Patterns 1790-0930

That particular pattern has featured in two of my earring design, and now I want to make a necklace as well.

Picasso's Ceramics

2011-10-04T20:52:00.003+01:00

Looking at some of Picasso's ceramics online, I came across this plate:

And thought to myself - could he have possibly invented the Space Hopper?

But enough silliness, I really love his ceramic pieces, and had no idea he made ceramics as well as paintings.

Here are some of my faves, found online:

Cool Pastel Sea Glass

2011-09-30T13:47:00.009+01:00

It's sooooo hot here today, we are in the middle of an unusual heatwave. I'm possibly the only person in the country wishing for rain, as I'm not a fan of hot weather.

Here are some beautiful pieces of pastel sea glass in nice cool colours which I bought recently, waiting to be make into a necklace one day, when it's not so hot :-)

Pastel Sea Glass

Fruit:
I just found these in my bag - I collected them in Oxford the other day - three stages of fruit. I don't know their name, but I wish I had a macro lens to capture the great bumpy texture!

Possibly 'Arbutus ' berries

My Dream House of the Day... Yesterday

2011-09-29T19:43:00.006+01:00

Yesterday was spent in Oxford with a guest from Australia. She had never been there before, so I jumped at the opportunity to show her around.
Oxford is a most wonderful place! We did a tour of the colleges, then walked down towards the river. It was a beautiful day!

On Folly Bridge I fell in love with this house (it had a 'For Sale' sign outside, so of course I started dreaming...)

It's called 'Caudwell's Castle':

I managed to find a little bit of information about it here:
http://www.thamespathway.com/chapter5/osney-to-folly-bridge.aspx

Here are some more pictures, I had a look at it from all possible angles :-)

Copper Owl With Acorns Necklace

2011-09-28T09:07:00.002+01:00

This is the only thing I managed to work on yesterday - I finished it this morning. The owl and acorns are copper clay, and the chain is silver.

copper clay owl pendant with acorns

Goldsmiths' Fair Week One

2011-09-27T20:17:00.000+01:00

I actually went to Goldsmiths' completely by mistake today. I had everything ready for a good day of concentrated jewellery making... then discovered I had left my hand torch at school. I can't do anything without soldering, so I had to make other plans.

If I had the funds, I would have bought work by:

Barbara Christie
Zoe Arnold
Grace Girvan
Andrew Lamb
Zehava Hashai-Spellman

Here is a brooch by Andrew Lamb - all his work was amazingly beautiful.

Next week I'll go and see my favourites - Daphne Krinos, Sarah Parker-Eaton, Polly Gasston...

Here is the link to the Fair:

http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/exhibitions-promotions/goldsmiths'-fair/

Green Dot Necklace!

2011-09-26T19:44:00.001+01:00

At long last I managed to find the time to make the green pottery shard dot necklace, and gave it to my friend as a birthday present. She likes green, and I hope she likes the necklace too!

I will make others, but they won't be exactly the same of course...

Ceramics in the City at the Geffrye Museum

2011-09-24T21:24:00.002+01:00

I have always loved The Geffrye Museum, and today especially, as they have a three day ceramics fair there:

http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/whatson/special/

I had already seen a few of the exhibitors at 'Art in Clay' in August, but there were a few exhibitors that were new to me. My favourite was Yo Thom, who does... stripes (I'm a fan of striped ceramics) - here work is very beautiful and she kindly allowed me to photograph her stand.

Have a look close up (it's a very large image) so you can see the pieces.

Yo Thom Ceramics at the Geffrye Museum

Her work is featured in and on the cover of a ceramics book by John Mathieson 'Techniques Using Slips':

Her website is here: www.yothom.com

Here are some other images from today:

This spider and I had lunch together in the herb garden of the Geffrye Museum

Bug from the water fountain in the herb garden of the Geffrye Museum

Since I was in town, 'pottery sharding' was inevitable....

Origin Contemporary Craft Fair - My Favourites

2011-09-22T22:55:00.010+01:00

Sophie Woodrow - it was worth going just to see these amazing sculptures!
click for a larger image

This was my first visit to Origin. At first I thought it was going to be a jewellery fair, but it was for all contemporary crafts. I recognised quite a few exhibitors from previous visits to craft fairs, and I'm learning a bit about the life of a jeweller - doing lots of fairs it seems!

I found a jewellery artist who collects pottery shards from the Thames and used them in her work... A very different approach to mine - her work is big and bold... Very nice stuff.

Amanda Caines: http://www.amandacaines.co.uk/

There were other artists who were new to me as well, and here are the links to the ones I liked most:

Jewellery:

Pauline Edie: http://www.paulineedie.com/ - silver and porcelain

Jee Yun Chung: http://jeehyunchung.blogspot.com/ - Jee crochets plastic thread onto wire structures - original and beautiful.

Alison Macleod: http://www.alisonmacleod.com/ - uses found objects, very nice work!

Liliana Guerreiro: http://www.lilianaguerreiro.com/ - twisted wire work, I especially loved the rings

Rose Ellen Cobb: http://www.roseellencobb.co.uk/- porcelain jewellery...

Ceramics:

Sophie Woodrow: www.sophiewoodrow.co.uk - amazing porcelain sculpture

Chris Barnes - http://www.morvernpottery.co.uk - I loved the colours!

Adam Frew - http://www.adamfrew.com/ - nice little stampings on the pieces. Just really nice!

Sue Binns - http://www.suebinnspottery.co.uk/ - stripy pottery gets me every time!

There were also many textile artists and glass artists there as well, but I notice those less to be honest :-)

Spitalfields Treasures

2011-09-22T18:22:00.004+01:00

I'll do a proper post about Origin Craft Fair a bit later on, once I have processed all the postcards I collected. Meanwhile I'd like to share the lovely treasures I found in Spitalfields Antique Market, just round the corner from where the Origin Exhibition is being held.

I haven't been to those stalls since 2007, and they are still full of lovely quirky stuff - I just wish I had had more money to spend!

click to enlarge

In the first row - some vintage blue glass buttons, the second row - vintage German hand made doll glass eyes (I would have bought the whole lot of those if I could - each one is different!), and the bottom row - two carved mother of pearl angel heads with wings.
One of these days these pieces will feature in some jewellery :-)

Origin Craft Fair

2011-09-22T08:01:00.000+01:00

Today we will be visiting Origin Craft Fair with our school (I love school outings!) - it should be fun!

Here is the link: http://www.originuk.org/

Tiny Fish and Tiny Acorn

2011-09-21T21:53:00.000+01:00

These tiny things (photographed on the tip of my little finger) are meant to be bail decorations. They are made out of copper clay using a mould for the general shape, then the details are added on individually.

Copper clay shrinks a little when you fire it, so they are even smaller than I expected. The Acorn will go on a woodland themed bail, and the fish on a sea themed bail.

I made some others today but I haven't fired them yet - flowers, leaves, hearts and spirals...

Copper Clay Bat Necklace for Halloween!

2011-09-21T18:13:00.001+01:00

Just for a change from pottery shards, I made this copper clay bat necklace today. I designed the mould myself - the mould has the basic shape but the fine details are added to each bat individually, making each one unique. I love his slightly forlorn expression, and doing the fur is fun!

He is inspired by an ironwork bat that I saw in the Victoria & Albert Museum a few months ago.

Oxidised Copper Bat on Sterling Silver Chain

Ironwork Bat at the V&A Museum

Green Sea Glass!

2011-09-21T11:06:00.000+01:00

I would love to go beach-combing for sea glass, but I don't live near the sea... I had to buy this but I'm really pleased I did - there's enough here to keep me busy for a while!

Sea Themed Jewellery

2011-09-20T16:13:00.000+01:00

At long last I posted off an order of sea themed jewellery I have been working on.
Now I can hopefully work on some new pieces for my Etsy shop!

Wood Samples for Jewellery

2011-09-19T14:37:00.002+01:00

Today my friend Sara and I went to Moss & Co. in Hammersmith to buy wood for our project. They were student-friendly and helpful, and we decided that the best pieces for jewellery were samples - which cost £1 each!

http://www.mosstimber.co.uk/

I have an idea of what I want to make, so I bought a small selection of samples in various colours. The stripy on on the bottom right is Zebrano, the dark one above it - not quite sure (forgot to ask).
I was after some ebony of course, but they didn't have any in stock...

Boat in Whale and Blue Seahorse Pendant

2011-09-18T18:41:00.002+01:00

I haven't been lazy, just too busy for words. Now that school is 3 days a week, I'm struggling with getting all of my other stuff done. I guess I'll just have to get used to it!

Here is a seahorse pendant, and also a whale pendant featuring a pottery shard with a tiny boat, swallowed by the whale...
Neither are new designs, but part of an order of sea themed items.

Anna Pugh - My New Favourite Painter

2011-09-17T19:25:00.008+01:00

My brother and his wife told me that while they were on holiday, they had seen some paintings they thought I would have liked.
So we looked up Anna Pugh - and I do like her work. Very much.
I'm sharing it here so more people can see.

The website: http://www.annapugh.com/

You can order a signed copy of her book from the website (I really want one!) - and here are some of my faves (click on the images for a much larger version) :

Beautiful Nature Photography

2011-09-16T21:54:00.001+01:00

My visual discovery of the day was work by the photographer Karl Blossfeldt.

Maybe everyone knows about him, but I didn't! I wish I had seen his work last year when our school project was 'twists in nature' - but I'm glad I found him now!

Here is the website:http://www.karlblossfeldtphotos.com/

And here are some of my faves:

I would love earrings like these!

Researching Wood Jewellery

2011-09-15T18:05:00.000+01:00

One of the reasons to go back to school is to be made to do things you don't necessarily want to do. I'm quite happy on my own little pottery shard planet - but now I have to make jewellery out of wood, steel and acrylic.

Wood is the material that interests me the most out of the three, so I decided to look into wooden jewellery - something completely new to me, and this is what I found:

Katy Hackney is a London based jeweller who uses wood and other non-traditional materials in her work

Gallery Loupe

Julia Harrison is a US based jeweller who works in wood - her face brooches are amazing! Here is her blog

Grace Girvan - A Scottish jeweller who uses wood and pebbles. Now that's exciting!

The London Jewellery School run Wood Carved Jewellery classes - so it must be popular!

So many lovely things that people make, so many different approaches to using wood in jewellery... I just need to come up with something completely different :-)

Seahorse Earrings with Seaweed Shards, and Whale Earrings with Sea Glass

2011-09-14T16:27:00.004+01:00

Today was one of those days... I managed to drop my box of silver scrap onto the carpet, and spent ages having to pick up tiny pieces of silver out of the pile with tweezers. I soldered some stuff on the wrong way round, one of my copper bezels broke in the ultrasonic cleaner (sort of 'exploded' - I have no idea how that happened), and the tail broke off the first whale I made.

I should have called it a day, but I am at school tomorrow and won't have time to make anything, it will be too late by the time I get home.

So here is what I managed - some slight variations on older designs, only these ones involve a bit more work. Typical me... I'm absolutely exhausted now!

Copper Seahorse Earrings with Seaweed Pottery Shards

Copper Whale Earrings with Pottery Shard and Sea Glass