All things Silver

It was Silver Clay jewellery making day at the studio yesterday. Linda and Shelagh make beautiful silver jewellery but had never used Silver Art Clay before so booked on a day's course.
Linda had been talking about the course to someone at a china painting exhibition she went to and Mary turned up and decided to stay for the day too.

We started the day making a pendant and rolled out the clay. We then used sweet cutters to make a shape and added decoration.

Linda made a teardrop shape and added small rolled balls of clay to her design.

Shelagh can be seen putting the finishing touches to her pendant, before firing it. She had cut out a triangle and added thin strips of clay as decoration.

Mary was hard at work on a similar design to Linda's pendant. She had cut out her shape and added small balls of clay to finish it off.

We then went on to use silver clay paste and painted it over leaves several times, this shows all the small tiny veins in the silver when it is fired.

I demonstrated making a ring and Mary chose to do this project after lunch while Shelagh made earrings to match her pendant and Linda did another beautiful pendant by making a triangle then folding the sides onto each other which made a cone type shape.

It was Linda's birthday and her husband had made a rather yummy cake which she brought along and then I totally embarrased her by getting everyone singing 'Happy Birthday' - sorry Linda but I do work in a school and it is sung to everyone in the dinner hall, no matter how old you are - secret is ... don't let on it's your birthday when I'm around.

We finished the day by enamelling a piece of copper and then laying some very fine pieces of silver art clay on top and firing into the enamel. We nearly had a disaster as a piece came off Shelagh's but she moved it around, refired it and it looked really good.

I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and I hope the girls did too.

Busy Busy Busy

It's been a busy few days at the unit with courses. I had an evening class last week then 6 people on Saturday for the whole day and a couple of people last night. All in all busy busy busy. Here are just a few pics of some of the things I've been working on lately. I've got a few of them for sale on my web site which I'm trying to update to show more of my work http://www.honeycombcrafts.co.uk/

This top picture is a panel I scragfittoed in the style of a McIntosh Rose. It's just very simple but I liked it.

This next one is a pendant I made. I drilled holes along the bottom then enamelled it with black opaque powder. After firing the front and back around 5 times I added some glass pieces then swirled a design while it was still in the kiln. When it was finished I added some swarovski crystals which picked up the colour of the swirls.

Shattered but great day.

I was truly shattered after yesterday's course. 6 people to teach enamelling too but they were a great group of people and we had a great day. The pieces they worked on were excellent and I could tell immediately that they were craft minded, their ideas just flowed. By the time the day was over every part of my body ached, legs, feet (as I'd been on them all day), arms - needless to say it was an early night. I'll post some pics soon.

Pearl

I haven't posted much since I was at the conference as I've been so busy with one thing and another. I'll get some pics posted soon of what I'm working on. I've been running several courses and have 6 teachers this weekend so hopefully I'll remember my camera and get some photos taken. I had a lovely lady on a course a couple of weeks ago, Pearl. She was a joy. Pearl came into the studio when one of the other units was closed, liked what she saw, booked a course and is now a fully fledged enameller. She's got herself a kiln and has been back to show me some of the things she's made and I have to say the colours are beautiful, she's done a great job. She's even got some of the chaps who work for her making enamelled tools. We had such a laugh on the course, she is very bubbly and the oo's and aah's she made when something she'd done turned out nice was just brilliant. I can't wait to see some more of her creations. Pearl made it a great day.

Guild of Enamellers Conference 2009

Well what an awe inspiring weekend I had in York at the Guild of Enamellers Conference. It was my first time at conference and everyone was just so friendly and happy to share their ideas and tips, it was wonderful. I have always said I am only just touching the surface when it comes to enamelling and despite the fact that there was so much exquisite work being exhibited it was heartwarming to know that those I thought had created fantastic pieces said the same thing of someone else and that they too were only touching the surface. I guess it doesn't really matter at what level you are just as long as you have a passion about doing something you love. Here are a few pictures of the weekend.
This beautiful fountain, with 4 horses in the centre and water cascading around them greeted us.

Thorpe Underwood Estate, York is a residential school but accommodation and function rooms are let during school holidays. It was a beautiful estate and we stayed in dormitories which were excellent, microwaves, dishwashers, televisions to name but a few of the things in the rooms. There was a lot of equestrian facilities behind the accommodation block too.

The accommodation block we stayed in is just behind the fountain on the next picture, the door was just to the left of the tree but we had to walk right to the end of the long corridor for our dorms.
The following pics are of the tutorial we did with Sarah Macrae in Developing Design Techniques. I say we, as I travelled to York with Linda. Linda did a beginners enamelling course with me last year and I was so glad when she said she was going to conference so we travelled up together and really did have a great time. I think the only thing missing was the midnight feasts in the dorm (lol)
This is Linda working on her designs and cutting out a leaf form in silver foil.






This is a pic of my designs and me cutting out heart shapes. The first drawing was a section of a picture, the second was a section enlarged, the third was just the shape of the zigzag bit enlarged. I then looked at this one through a mirror which revealed heart shapes and I drew what I saw. I cut out hearts in silver foil, wrapped them in wire and then stuck them onto card and introduced colour.


This is the picture of the hearts and the finished result. Hopefully I will be able to incorporate this into my enamelling.




Linda and I were shattered by the end of the week but we were totally inspired by some of the work we saw and here is just a small sample. Needless to say I'd like to go back next year. (Pics will follow but it's late now)

Happily Crafting

It's been a nice week at the unit, although not very busy but I have been happily crafting. I have managed to get a few things done though and have been working on a pendant and earrings for a customer whose daughter is going to a prom. I was really touched when she said she wanted me to make something special for her as she knew no one else would have the same piece of jewellery on and it would match her dress.
I've also been busy cutting some shapes out, I'm trying to do the tragedy masks and my arms are aching after cutting out the design, or rather part of it yesterday. I'll get some pics up as soon as possible.
I'm off to the Enamel Guild conference at the weekend so will tell you all about it when I get back.

New friends

I had a lovely surprise today when Nicky came to visit the studio. It was the first time we had met but it was like meeting an old friend and very soon we were talking about the Lord, about our families and the hours just seemed to fly by. I even got to show her some enamelling. Thank you for making it a special day Nicky. Hope to see you soon.