Spring Madness!

Hello all! I know, I've been a bad girl and haven't blogged for ages but I'll get on to that in a minute!

It's Spring, we even have flowers in the garden! Yes I know it's still raining, but over Easter we did have a little bit of the bright stuff, a big yellow thing made an appearance in the sky and the birds were singing! Doesn't it make you feel better?

So what have you all been up to?

I've had some good news of my own - my daughter is having a baby! That's right I'm going to be Nanna Val in the autumn! Happy news.  I'm also going back to college in late September to get myself some formal training whilst still running my business so it's going to be a very busy time.  In view of that I am taking the opportunity to make plenty of stock now. That's why I've been so busy.

So what have I been up to? Well, I've found a new aluminium supplier and I've been experimenting with new designs and colourways.  The new metal is much harder to work, but takes colour in an amazing way, really intense and vibrant.  Rust is a texture/colour which I simply cannot pass by, particularly if the metal has been painted and is peeling and I have been exploring this effect in my newest work.

This brings me to my sale - there's 25% off everything on my website, but only until the end of April and this is to make way for some of my new collections.  If you have a favourite piece, now would be a very good time to get it! There's free postage too! Tell your friends! Tell everyone!!

I've also got some fab new stockists, Created Gallery, The Hayrack Gallery, Number Four Gallery and finally Rostra Gallery which is brilliant news! Do check them out if they're in your area.

Finally some pictures of my new work, would love to have your feedback!

These are samples of what I've been up to, more next time! Thanks for reading!

News, news, news!

Hi - hope you're all safe and dry and haven't been flooded! What a horrible start to the year!

I've been keeping busy, it's that time of year when new ideas get tried out, some work, some don't and some don't work yet but I feel they will in time.  I've reworked a couple of old silver pieces which had been shelved and are now shelved again pending further inspiration!  I started off this year by thinking about the things which inspire me (rust - plenty of that round here with all the seawater being thrown around) and looking at how evident that inspiration is in my resulting work.  I realised that what floats my boat isn't always obvious and so I'm making a more concerted effort to find ways of showing that inspiration. Sometimes it's the colour of rust, particularly on old concrete and sometimes it's the lovely knobbly texture blistering through layers of old paint. With all this in mind I painted and dyed a sheet of aluminium last week which I do think represents my ideas.  I dare say the finished pieces (when they are finished!) will appear on here for you all to see.

A few weeks ago I had a fun day teaching polymer clay bead making at Orchard Learning Centre in Gunnislake, Cornwall.  For most people it was the very first time they tried using polymer clay and a great day was had by all, with much hilarity and some great results.  I'll be there again on the 2nd March if anyone would like to try their hand at making polymer clay pendants using foils.  If you'd like to book a place please book through Orchard Learning Centre direct - oh, and Jay the centre owner includes a lovely lunch!!
Here's some pictures of what the students made during the day.












The following picture is an example of the kind of pendant we'll be making in the forthcoming course so hurry and make sure that your place is booked and I'll look forward to another day of fun and giggles!

 

I've also been working on a statement piece of jewellery - the Dazzle neck piece is now available to buy on my website and I can even produce it in the colour range of your choice, be it blues, pinks, greens etc. All you have to do is let me know! Do you like it?

Dazzle Neck Piece 

In other news this week, I'm proud to announce that Created Gallery is going to be a new stockist and they are in Chesterfield so if you're in that area pop in and take a look. 

I'm also going to be exhibiting with Number Four Contemporary Art and Craft Gallery from 12th April for twelve weeks so I hope you'll go and see what they have to offer up in St Abbs, Berwickshire.  It will be a selling exhibition so take along your pennies!

Anyway, back to the workbench and I'll see you all soon.