Bronze and Blossom

Hello folks, today is our first wedding anniversary and so much has happened during the last year - very many changes on a personal level.  I no longer have a day job! Now I feel properly self-employed (my business was formalised in 2008 but was very part-time up until recently). I've expanded my aluminium range to launch my Signature Collection on the website, which marries the material with silver elements and designs where I can explore my creative ideas.

On leaving my job after 17 years, my lovely colleagues gave me some money 'to be spent on jewellery tools' and so I bought a kiln and I've been experimenting since it's arrival with textures from nature on bronze.  These are not yet available for purchase but will be in to not too distant future.  I'm always drawn to texture and colour around me and I've been making moulds from just about everything I can find! Even the cat's started to eye me up warily and not stay in one place too long!!

I've used silver clay many times in the past, but always torch fired it which was fine.  Bronze clay, unless it's a very small piece, doesn't fire as successfully with a torch and not all of the pieces fired successfully in the kiln, but I think I have the measure of it now. #crossesfingersandtoes









These pieces were cast from pieces of wood and the ring was taken directly from a lump of lavarock and has an adjustable silver ring band.

I've finally launched my Cherry Blossom collection on the website this week too.  Thank you to all those of you who've given me such lovely comments on this one.  I think it's going to be a favourite of mine in the same way that Surf's Up was.  You can find Cherry Blossom at http://slicksilverjewellery.co.uk/page10.htm

So, in other news, yesterday was a bit of an emotional one! All mums out there will know that no matter how big your kids are etc etc.....
Yesterday I packed my very grown up son off on the train that would take him to London, then Heathrow, then Australia - where he's off travelling for 3 months.  He's going to have a fabulous time and he'd better bring me a wallaby back or else......

Tomorrow we're off to our favourite place in all of UK - St. Ives.  We went to St. Ives for our honeymoon so where else could we possibly go for our anniversary? Galleries, here we come!!

SlickSilver Jewellery - The Return!

Well hello all - I'm back from my travels yet again!

We had a wonderful week in London, housesitting for friends in West Hampstead and getting out each day to visit galleries and exhibitions and new places.  My husband, artist and composer David Muddyman, spent most of his life living in the capital, indeed until 5 years ago when he moved to Plymouth and met me, so he truly knows his way around.

As we both love contemporary art, we're perfectly happy to wander around looking at new work and great jewellery and we both found things to inspire us especially in Tate Modern and Electrum Gallery, such exquisite innovative jewellery.  One moment that was really lovely was going into Studio Fusion Gallery in Oxo Towers http://www.studiofusiongallery.co.uk, where we met Louise O'Neill. She took time to tell us about all of the artists involved in Studio Fusion and even showed me her kiln - in all, a really nice lady to have met.

Last monday saw us visiting Brighton (a first for me) which was great but very wet.  It literally poured with rain so we dashed into a shop, bought 2 umbrellas and came back out to glorious sunshine and blue sky and no more rain - oh well!

Since I came back I've been producing new sheets of aluminium pattern ready for cutting.  Very soon you will be able to buy Cherry Blossom and Coral Reef from my website.

Coral Reef

Cherry Blossom

I plan to turn these two gorgeous sheets into a limited number of cuffs, pendants and earrings and perhaps a necklace. The sheets are approximately 10 x 7 inches.

I'm always inspired by nature and I've also been making moulds this week of tree bark, woodgrain, lavarock and all sorts of things in anticipation of my kiln arriving.......one day my kiln will come..........

Ok folks off to wait for the kiln delivery man! I think he may be walking......

Galleries, Museums and birds

This blog is being bought to you this week from London!  We're house-sitting for friends and taking the opportunity to visit galleries and other lovely places!

Yesterday was a wonderful day which was spent at the Victoria & Albert Museum, where we idled many happy hours in the ceramics, contemporary glass, silver and jewellery sections.  My husband is an artist and we are both inspired by colour and texture and whilst we don't always like the same pieces, we are generally happy in the same sections particularly the more contemporary works! I found the more modern jewellery so inspirational. This gorgeous collection of blue birds were made as an installation by Claire Twomey using various shades of Wedgewood clay.

Today was shopping day - well, it has to be done, doesn't it?! Of course, we had to look at all the shoe shops and jewellery shops! We finished the day in Hatton Garden - it's a good thing that I'm not into diamonds!!  I did come away with a Cookson's new catalogue and plenty of ideas for my wishlist.

We're hoping to fit in a visit to Tate Modern, the Lanes in Brighton and as many other lovely arty places as we can.

On that note - I'm off for a cosy night tucked up with my Cookson's catalogue!

See you next week.