Liverpool Arts

It was time for a holiday!!! After the busy time I've had over the last couple of months I decided to have a break. I have always been interested to take a look round Liverpool and arts so thats were I went! We were lucky that we accidently caught the Liverpool Biennial which is a festival for contemporary art. There was a full programme of events and an art trail to follow. This consisted of installations and public art. We also visited the Tate and the docks.

My three favourite things were the Tate body sculpture exhibition, the Touch and Go windows, in a dissused building and the Richard Wilson Sculpture See photos.....

All well worth a visit!

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Middlesbrough Craft Fair

Well on a very snowy Sunday I took part in the Designer Marketplace Christmas fair. It was touch and go as to wheather anyone was going to make it or venture out in the snow!! However people did come which was great. It took place in Middlesbrough town hall which is a fab building with lots of character. There was a brill atmosphere with Christmas tunes playing, and a little glass of mulled wine was of course needed to keep warm!! Below are a selection of pics of me setting up plus some winter photos of Middlesbrough!!

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Origin

Well a day trip to London it was, to take a look round this years Origin. It has now moved and took over the inside of Spitalfields Market. It was quite bizarre walking into the market and being confronted by a 10ft high pink/purple box in which the exhibitors where showing.

We went for a little lunch first with plenty of little snack bars to choose from we opted for a little chinese. The it was time to join the que........30mins later we finally got in! There was some lovely works on show and lots of unusual things it was hard to resist!! These are just a few designers that I really liked just click on the link to see their sites Angela Fung Jewellery, Lisa Swerling and Clare Willard.

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Crakehall- Sale

This was a little bit of fun for a few of us Bedale business ladies, we got together and sold off some of our wares, at rock bottom prices just to make room for new things!! The little crakehall village hall was a lovely setting and we had a good stream of mums and friends etc coming for a look round and to pick up some goodies. We each also donated a selection of homemade cakes(from the pick I'm sure you'll agree.....yummy) and had tea and coffee available, all proceeds from this went to charity. It was good fun!!

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Website Work

Work continues on the website. I had no idea how much work is involved but I'm learning!! I now have a new front page to the site which I hope to keep updated on on the latest news and events that are going on with Jessica Jewellery Design. Also all pages have been sightly altered and more images added where required. There is now a great interactive map on the stockist page where you can click on your area of the country and find your nearest stockist.

Worked hard to re arrange the trade and shop catalogues. The trade catalogue is now based more on my printed catalogue and give customers a good overview of the ranges I supply. The shop also has a completly new layout which I hope will make it easier for people to take a look round all the products, more of which are constantly being added so please pop my site on your favourites bar and keep poping back!!

Visit www.jessicajewellerydesign.co.uk

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Swinton Park - Deer Park BBQ

In the summer a group of fellow Bedale business ladies and I got together for a bit of a night out. It is really hard when you work for yourself to remember there is a world out there, and that other people are having the sames trials and tribulations as you!! So a small group of us get together and compare notes. We decided on this occasion though to have a great social event. This was something really unusual, its a BBQ in the middle of a field at the deer park in a lovely little deer shed. There was only room for maybe 25 people but that was good. There was a small bar at hand and food was served. LOVELY!! The meat was yum and a good range of salads etc to go with it, a buffet set up to just help yourself. Then pudding was a sort of Eton mess/trifle or profiteroles.....we were cheeky and had a bit of both!!! There were too big fires burning which kept us warm and after great food and chat we all headed on our way.

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IJL

Well International Jewellery London was a great experience. The scale of the show was mad compared to other shows I have done. Also the variety of people showing was really interesting, in the Design Gallery where I was were a range of smaller jewellery businesses mainly makers but also some small companies. You were then surrounded by the really big companies such as your watches - Rolex etc and all the main brands of jewellery you see on the high street, lots of massively expensive diamonds, all sorts. Great to see, but have to be honest it was a bit intimidating!!

After an interesting journey into London I managed to get my work set out quite smoothly which was good. Set up days are always a bit mad but you just need to concentrate on your stand and on what your doing. I did underestimate the height of the stands so there was a bit of a hunt on for step ladders (as the mini steps we brought were not high enough!)

Once the show opened it was a slow start while we waited for the ques of people to get in. It was wonderful to have my work recognized from the award I won. A lot of people wandering past commented 'didn't you win an award...' I also saw quite a few faces of stockists I supply which was great. A couple who even though having stocked work with them for years I had never actually met in person, with the age of e-mails, so it was really lovely.

The tube strike really didn't help and think more buyers would have come if it hadn't been for that. It was fairly quiet on both the Monday and Tuesday, although the transport was only really badly affected on the Tue as I experienced!! The journey to the venue was normally taking 1hr-1.5hrs , however I set off on the Tuesday morning 6.30am and didn't arrive till 8.55am, not an experience I hope I have to repeat!!

I will be supplying some new galleries from the show so look out for details - here are a preview of a few with their websites - Stark Gallery, Polkadot Gallery and Jewell.

Back to the quiet life up north now just getting on with the orders!!!

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Window Shopping

Well this is my latest shop window, 'Celebrating Summer' if I had to put a name to it!? Although summer seems to be at an end with all this rain thats been coming down! The jewellery featured in the windown display is a range called Bold Blossom available in the three colourwaves shown. All these items can be found on the website and are for sale.

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IJL Editors Choice Award 2010

I was thrilled to receive a phone call letting me know I had won the Editors Choice award at this years International Jewellery London. Its a large trade show which is taking place this septemberr 3rd-5th at earls court 2, london. It is the only jewellery only trade show in the U.K. so its a great event that brings buyers from all over the world. It is the first year I have taken part and now feel ready to take the big step. Its a big show and I hope to get a lot from it in both experience, sales and new contacts.

Winning the award has been a good positive boost for me, it was my Alliums range that captured the judges. There are four catagories and I am a joint winner of the technical excellence category, follow link to see lovely IJL write up and for the Claire Adler podcast.

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Backyard Market

Weekend in London...well on Friday we headed down to find out where the Backyard Market takes place. Its a part of London I haven't been to in many years. With the sun blazing down we started walking. There were plenty of funky little shops and we found the entrance to the market quite easily. We had plenty of time so headed over to Spitalfields Market to take a look round. On the way back I was very excited about a sample sale that was taking place of Orla Kiely bags and clothes, so had to treat myself to a couple of pieces.

Saturday was a really early start, unfortunatly there were lots of works on the transport system so that delayed quite a lot. We arrived to see that friday nights on Brick Lane must be very eventful see photo of chap that must have had a great night!

Once we got to the Market ready we got on with setting up. It was our first go at a London market so we didn't really know what to expect. Well we got all the work out and customers started coming through. My work was really well received. The other stall holders were really welcoming and friendly which was lovely and sold some really intersting things, it was hard to resist. The streets were fairly busy but lots of people said that Sunday was the busiest market day.

Sunday was an even earlier start, we managed to find a quick enough route though which was good. We sorted out the stand a little better for the Sunday and were really pleased with the display. See photos. There was a lot more going on we had no idea. When we got off the train we were suprised to see market stalls, including fruit and veg etc for at least a mile, then once we got to Brick Lane there were even more. As the day went on there were just more and more people. See photos of the streets of bricklane.

There were both more market stall holders and customers at the Backyard Market so that was good. It was another hot hot day and after packing up we headed off just as everyone was starting to settle into bars and continue to shop in the quirky little shops that are all around Brick Lane.

Just a final note to say a big thanks to Claire who was a big help and worked alongside me to set up and sell at the market. Also the photos used in this blog were taken by her. It was good fun and will possibly take part in future markets towards Christmas time. ***********************************************************************************

GNCCF 2010

I am pleased to say that i have been accepted again to take part in this years Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester. The retail fair will be taking place October 21st - 24th 2010. Its a great show and a great opportunity to purchase handmade items from around 140 british makers either towards a birthday or Christmas or to just treat yourself. I am really excited to be taking part in this show again and hope there will be a few people who will remember my work from last year. I will be taking some of my most popular pieces as well as some brand new work.

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Contemporary Craft Fair 2010

The show was great and I was so glad that the weather held out....

Arrived Wednesday.... Our 6 hour journey went without a problem and wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Got to the football pitch campsite and set up the tent. There were just porta loos which weren't as bad as I remember them, hot showers though which were great. We had a little wander into Bovey and got sorted at the supermarket and of course a pub!!

Thursday set up..... Got my display together (see pic) and then just got ready for the private view evening, drank a little cider and got chatting to loads of people.

Friday showtime....Beautiful day!! There were plenty of people about which made the day go quick. In the evening we deciced on a mini BBQ and a few games of gin rummy.... I'm pleased to say I won with a score of 153 to 10!!

Saturday and Sunday..... More great weather two more busy days and it was great to see a few customers enjoying wearing some of my jewellery they had purchased at one of my stockists Nicola Hurst in Plymouth. The Saturday eve we went out to an exhibitors party, an event put together by the organiser and it was great. We got a bus up to a farm who served the most amazing buffet and then we had a performance of jazz which I really enjoyed. Sunday morning was time to pack up I left the tent to be packed up whilst I sold on the last day of the show, it went really well and then it was time to head home..... just as we were getting the last of the stand in the car the rain started to fall!! Got back pretty late but did mean I had the whole of Monday off!!

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Bovey Tracey, Contemporary Craft Fair

Well time is up!! The show is nearly here and I have been busy preparing. The run up to a show always seem to mad no matter how well I plan it always seems to creep up me. This is a retail show so have had to make plenty of stock to take with me. The ranges I'm taking are Leaves, Alliums, Look to the Sky and East Coast (see images) then a mixed selection of bangles and brand new cufflinks.

Its the first time I've exhibited at the Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey so really looking forward to it! I did take a look round as a visitor last year and it was great it was a little bit more unusual to other fairs I've been to, in that it has a real festival atmosphere. Alongside the 3 main Contemporary Craft marquees there are open air demonstrations and childrens activity tents punch and Judy etc.

Hope to see lots of you there the show opens this Friday (11th June) 10-5 until Sunday. Come visit my stand C19!

BCTF 2010 - New Ranges are a hit!!

Well another BCTF year and it was really good! The British Craft Trade Fair was really busy this year. My work had some great feedback and the new ranges were really well received. It was the same four day event. I went in first thing Saturday morning to start setting up, taking my time as I always do!! Sunday is the first day open to trade, then its open Monday and Tuesday and the mad pack up takes place Tuesday from 5!!! Photo of my display below.

Anyhow back to the actual show.... this year I launched two new ranges Cartwheel Flower and Manmade, plus a complete collection of cufflinks which have proved really popular. You can see the images for each if you click on the links also see selected images below.

The blue range features silhouetted images of a Cartwheel Flower, this range is made up of a new curve design as well as triple segment pieces.

Manmade consist of a variety of bangles using images of various buildings and structures from across the county that have interested me. I also made up some matching earrings and pendants.

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Leeds Exhibition

Taking part in a Park Life exhibtion, at the Leeds Craft and Design Centre, which opened Saturday 27th March. Its a collection of craft makers showing a variety of works around the theme of the great outdoors. Jewellery I have on show are from the Look to the Sky and Leaves ranges. Its a great gallery for contemporary craft worth taking alook!

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Trip to the Baltic

A few weeks back I took a trip to Newcastle to visit the Baltic and took the opportunity to have a walk along the river.

At the Baltic I saw a great exhibition by Martin Parr, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The exhibition starts with a collection of photos taken by Parr. The show then continues to a collection of all sorts it really was an amazing collection of photos and memorobillia. I would love to be a fly on the wall in his house where must he store all the things!!

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