Fun class

I had a one to one with one of my favourite students the other day, it was a real mixed up class.
Mandy asked how to make tube settings for small gem stones.

This is what we did, these rings are such fun to make a mix of metal clay and sterling silver.

The wide band ring is metal clay and the other ring has a
metal clay top on a sterling D band.
We had good fun:)

Glass Glass Glass

Oh dear, I think it was fatal me going to Warm Glass!!!!! I think I have another obsession.
Since coming home I have made some small panels to cut up to put in my bowls and had a go a drawing on glass which is really good fun, I am loving that technique.

The best thing I have made so far are my two bowls and I am still waiting for my stuff that I made at Warm glass to be sent.

These are parts that I will cut up to add to some bowl's

Here's a little look at all my first, go it alone projects, Guess what everyone is getting for christmas LOL

This is a couple of cabs that I made by drawing
directly onto the glass.

This is the second bowl I made
and I am very pleased with it.

This is my first ever bowl. Made on my own. I was really chuffed when I got this out of the kiln

This will be made into another bowl. I am
still choosing the back ground colours.

Now Back down the studio to make some more!!!!!!

Barbara Becker Simon workshop at Craftworx Beverely

Wow finally I got to meet one of the biggest names in the Metal clay world Barbara Becker Simon author of Metal Clay Beads and truly an inspiration to me.

The class was held by Tracey Spurgin at Craftworx.

Keith and I arrived at Tracey's a day early so we could see some of Beverley as I had been their before but had never had the chance to sight see.

Beverley is a small very beautiful little town.

Beverley

Whilst their Lynne Glazzard suggested going to the Treasury House as Jacqueline Stieger was displaying her work.
All of her jewellery was stored in draws so every time you opened one another little surprise popped out, her work is just stunning, the carvings are so intricate and she moves so freely between small components for jewellery to very large doors and garden sculptures.

Keith and I continued walking through beverley were we found a little arcade of antique shops full of so much stuff.
I found the silver cabinet, stuffed to the brim with spoons, forks, knives and tongs and couldn't resist. I purchased a very sweet silver, what can only be described as a mini fish knife, it is very pretty and I also purchased a gorgeous pair of tongs.

The fish knife will be a ring the tongs will be a bracelet, when I get time of course!!!!!

The next day was Barbara Becker Simon's class.

The class was great. Barbara live up to my expectations, we were shown step by step how to construct accurate hollow forms, as I myself had done this before, I found her technique very interesting, at first I thought why,what,when!!!! my brain was in over drive.

I did as I was told ( Yes I really did ) and thought this was a very clever way to build.

Since coming home I have tired to construct my way which was ok but not as accurate, I have also done it Barbara's way, it is so accurate every single time so thats how I will be making hollows from now on.

Thanks Barbara for sharing a fantastic technique.

Barbara's demo

This was my brain going at ninety miles an hour and Barbara saying
"no I don't think so" she was right :)

The two red heads

Bead Magazine

OWW I am really pleased with the latest issue of Bead magazine, some really nice photography of my work. I have written a 9 step how to for Bead but not only do I have a step by step tutorial but Chloe Menage Editor of Bead has written a nice little review on one of my classes yipppppeeeee.

Here's a sneaky peak at the pieces I made for them:)

Sterling silver Bangle with Ivy charm and
matching earrings with tiny handmade lamp work beads
Go check out Bead magazine from this linkhttp://www.beadmagazine.co.uk/index.asp

I have busy making;)

I have been so busy over this last couple of weeks making sure that the Art clay guild newsletter is ready to go out on the 20 Nov, but I have finally had a chance to play with clay.

Copper clay has been on the top of my agenda with my up and coming Masterclass at MCSJ in June 2-5 2012

I hope that some of you will come and join me for a very exciting 4 days. Can't wait.
here's a sneaky peak at some of my new samples.

Ginko leaf pendant

Copper daisy and humming bird

Silver daisy and copper humming bird

Copper and silver collar

And for all of my Facebook friends that asked here is my new cuff, which I love:)

Sterling silver hammered cuff

AC conference 2011

Hi all
I just thought I would share some photo's a delegate took and then emailed them to me, I thought they were grrrrrrreat.

This is me doing a demo on photography

This is Nicola Calow doing a soldering demo.

This is Tracey Spurgin doing a ring demo.

See what you think?????
Thank you Helen foster-turner for sharing them with. I have used some of the other pic you took in the next newsletter.

We did have a blast and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Roll on next year:)

Better late then never

Well I thought I better crack on and get my pendant finished that I made in Holly Gages repousse class.

So here it is, unfortunately I can't  show the pods I made, as silly me put them in the hold on my flight home and one got crushed, although it is back together I have yet to fire it.

Very Art Nouveau and very me :)

This is the back of the pendant which I completely forgot to show yesterday  Doh!!!!!!

WOW wee

Wow what an amazing week I have just had. I spent a week at the Mid Cornwall school of Jewellery with the talented Lisa Cain and Julia Rai taking a five- day intensive fast track Diploma along with Tracey Spurgin and Emma Gordon.

Boy it was blood sweat and tears, poor Tracey cut her finger with the tomato knife as she was chopping up the salad for our lunch. Tears form us all, so much pressure so little time. WOW still taking that on board. What an achievement for us all. Congratulations Emma and Tracey WE DID IT.

Then it was a six hour drive to Peterborough for the one day Art Clay UK conference, which was a blast with retailers and trash to treasure sale ( which I spent to much on ) and demonstrations. Mine was photography which I think went well.

And to top it all off I went and won the first prize in the competition for senior instructors 100g of clay whoopeeeeeee well chuffed with that.

This is the piece that won.

MEDUSA.

If you are interested I have been asked to teach this at the Mid Cornwall school of Jewellery
http://www.mcsj.co.uk/masterclasses/index.html
In June of next year as well as the potion bottle necklace with threaded closure.
Heres a sneaky peak of that piece of jewellery.

All in all its been an amazing week and then this morning i wake up to a delivery of Art Jewerly magazine and guess what I am in it.
Blimey can it get any better :)
I hope you enjoy seeing Medusa I loved making her.

Look I made these just for fun :)

Here are some beads I made the other night, I love the colours and really enjoyed making them.

I have made a necklace as well, which sold before I could take a photo, I think I will make some more beads and make these into necklaces :)

Not sure what to do with these ones any ideas???????
Enjoy

Polymer clay workshop

Yesterday I taught polymer clay Kaleidoscope canes, which we then made into a cuff and a small amount of beads. All that needs to be done is the polishing to get the lovely shinny finish.

I think they made a fantastic job. Just take a look!!!

These are the kaleidoscope canes my fab students made.
Great job ladies:)

Add captionThis cuff was amazing

 I think all my Students did a great job, I'm so proud of each and every one of you :)

Silver Smithing class

Here are the photos from my silver smithing workshop with Mandy on Sunday.

I think she did a fantastic job.

Well done Mandy :)

D band ring with a little domed cup.

Bracelet made with hammered washers and jump rings.

2mm wire bangle with a little pierced heart charm. 

Enjoy:)

Well what a day :)

Well what a productive day I had Yesterday, I have made three pendants and finish my prayer pendant.

One is silver, one is copper and the third is just out of the kiln and is silver and copper.

Most of you who know me know I am a bit of a silver snob, I think I have finally fallen for copper and silver. Even though it sends your fingers a nasty shade of green.

These are all just for fun, I will be selling these in the shop just so I can make some more:)

I also finished the pendant I made in Chicago.

So Gordon this one is for you as per your instructions.

I hope I did you proud :-D

Anodised aluminium

Well I finally got my anodised aluminium and had fun yesterday getting in a right mess!!! Lynne you would have been hiding in the corner it was cringe worthy, inks, dye's pens everywhere.


I think all the mess was worth it, so what do you think?

I love this cuff.

Then thought I should make so matching earrings.
and then.

A pendent as well :D

finally!!!

I have finally finished my fold forming, I made one into a brooch and the other is a collar. I'm very pleased with them as I have never done this technique before, until Lynne showed me.

It's very satisfying beating the hell out of metal. Now onto the sheet silver. Nail biting stuff :)

I really love the colours that can be achieved:)

I've been making beads

Thanks to my fantastic weekend away and time spent with Lynne Glazzard I have come home completely obsessed. I have ordered copper sheet to do some fold forming, got myself all sorts of dyes and colours to make some colourful jewellery, I can't wait to get stuck in.

So while I wait..... I have been making beads like a mad thing. They are encased with silver and look sooooo pretty. So which colour should I wear today hummmmmmmm!!!!!!