Art Market York - October 2015

Well what a weekend!!

As anyone that takes part in shows you will know these are great events but a bit mad.

Thursday 1st Oct 10.30 am - Set Up
Always a mad time and a feeling of being rushed that you are never going to manage to convert your tiny 2x1meter space into retail beauty!  People always think jewellery is easy to display as its small ...... but that just means there is a lot of it to display!!!  It took me from 10.30-4.30 to set up!

Unloading can be a bit chaotic

Friday 2nd October 10.00 am - Day One show opens to public!

Lots of exciting work to see

 Little cafe area to stop for refreshments

Saturday and Sunday 3rd 4th October - The show continued with lots of visitiors.  Talks and workshops took place throughout the weekend.  I was kept plenty busy and met some great people and chatted with some lovely customers.

Sunday 4th October - 4.00 pm - The breakdown, eaqually as mad as set up day but just quicker!!  It took me about an hour and a half to pack up!! - Overall it was a great show and I look forward to next year..... watch this space!!

Sunset at York Racecourse

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Enlancer - Susan Fabric Fantastic Q & A

I have long admired the work created by Susan Clark and her lovely designed fabric.  We first met way back at college on our foundation course, we took different paths to University but have kept in touch.   There has been great success with her designs and there are lots of items available take a look at her website - www.enlacer.co.uk -

I thought it would a good blog to interview Susan 10 questions, read on to find out about her inspirations, work etc...

1.    How did you get involved in art and design?
I have always loved art and design, in my school leavers book, my art teacher wrote best of luck, see you when your have come out of your Picasso phase! Think it was a compliment?!! I knew I wanted to take art into further education and after opting to take textiles at foundation course I decided that was what I would follow through to University

2.    What made you choose textiles to specialise in?
My love of texture and fabric I knew I wanted to study design and be hands on practical. At university  I took printed and woven textiles, I initially wanted to specialise in Printed, but took woven textiles instead and I now do both, design fabric, and have an old Harris loom in my living room!

3.    Where do you get your inspiration from?
All around me I love photography working from nature, from landscape, to abstract textures, visiting galleries and checking out latest trends and trade fairs, always find it inspiring to talk to other artist designers and hear what other people are up to! I also keep a pen and paper by my bed, I once had a vivid dream about a cricket design, (I don’t even like cricket), I woke up and sketched it out, the  next day I set up my laptop and designed it from my midnight doodlings. You never know when inspiration might strike! (See pic of cricket image right)....

4.    What made you decide to set up in business?
My love of designing and wanting to produce my designs into products, I love interior design as well, and thought my images would work really well as soft furnishings, so I looked into what products to develop, these now include lampshades, cushions, cards, and jewellery printed with my designs………..(see pic of bangles)

 
5.    What one top tip would you give to a start up business?
Research your niche and your market place, find an outlet for your work, don’t start too big, its fine to test your ideas, try online or craft fairs- and see how it goes! Don’t be afraid of a bit of self advertising either, be it creating twitter or facebook or designing your own website and I always have a few business cards in my purse, just in case. Also listen to other people’s advice, try joining a local networking group and ask questions, the more fingers in pies the better.

6.    Where do you sell your products? 
I sell through word of mouth, through local art markets in particular monthly Winchester Arts and Craft market and through my website www.enlacer.co.uk I have recently started up a blogsite enlacerdesign.blogspot and use social media sites https://twitter.com/enlacer https://www.facebook.com/pages/Enlacer/142994412393346

7.    What is your favourite Design or Product from your own collection?
I would say my most popular design is Tulip tree and bird on the wire, and I love my lampshades, I think they are unique and often have comments on how hard it is to find nice lampshades that are a bit different to the norm. Which is lovely, I like to think that’s what I provide!
I think my favourite design is Robin in field and my favourite lampshade design is 4seasons fabric with a gold reflective inner liner. I like it all, including my bangles printed with some of my popular images, they always make me smile.

8.    Name 3 designer makers you admire and why?
Jessica Jewellery Design  – of course! Especially for her wonderful acrylic bangles www.jessicajewellerydesign.co.uk
http://www.margaretsturton.co.uk/  A fantastic animator and illustrator
Oral Kiely I just love her designs
etre_creative interior design company based in Winchester, run by the very creative and inspiring Emily Tyers

9.    What do you hope future?
To continue to be inspired and that my designs become more  available to a wider audience! To carry on enjoying what I do, I love seeing a new design printed for the first time, it’s always so exciting!  To add to my products I would really like to have a range to bags with my images, for the future I would say I’d like to expand my range and brand.

10.    Name one of your favourite websites or online tools?
I often look at http://www.printpattern.blogspot.co.uk/ for interesting trends and designs
I'm always online scouring to find new creative things & Etsy for discovering new talent and fun creative things!

A big thanks to Susan for answering these questions, please do take a look at her site and follow whichever or all social media that you like!

www.enlacer.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Enlacer/142994412393346
https://twitter.com/enlacer
enlacerdesign.blogspot

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Rural Arts Acrylic Workshop

I had a great day teaching at Rural Arts in Thirsk, a 10-4 day long workshop with a little lunch in between.  I started the day giving an overview of plastics and how they are used in jewellery.  We looked though a mix of examples and I gave information about Acrylic which is what we were working with.  Showing how to work with Acrylic was really important so we spent the morning cleaning up, sanding and polishing pieces ready to transform into jewellery. 

Sanding

  

I think the students were surprised how much prep goes into working with acrylics, but realised its worth the effort once the finished items were made.  We went to the cafe and were treated to lovely lunch at the Rural Arts cafe included with the class.

After Lunch it was time to think about decorating the acrylic, I showed various ways to mask the pieces to create patterns.  Then with all safety wear in place we mixed some dye ready to dye the Acrylic prepared pieces.

 

Care needs to be taken when using dyes.

Washing the pieces well

When the pieces were dyed we took off the masking to reveal what patterns were created.  I then showed the students how to put the necklaces together and fix on the catches.

The fiddly bit......putting your necklace together

This is the final stage think everybody did a fantastic job and created some lovely necklaces, with some great effects!

Some of the finished items by the Rural Arts students, some fantastic effects created!

If you are interested in the jewellery I make feel free to visit my Etsy Online shop.  If you are interested to take part in any future workshops please feel free to join my mailing list on the front page of my website www.jessicajewellerydesign.co.uk and scroll to the bottom.  Also take a look at the Rural Arts homepage. 

Feel free to add comments if there is anything you may be interested in learning how to do, or other ways to work with acrylic.

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Blue, Blossom and Buttons

Cherry Blossom outside my workshop window

Blue Skies and Blossom, Spring is here!!

So looking outside of my workshop window what did I see a few days ago? I saw the above two pictures! Lovely Cherry Blossom and deep blue sky.  There is nothing more beautiful in Spring time!

This image has always inspired me and I have taken many photos of cherry blossom which I use in my jewellery and now in my buttons, both the handmade 'Odd Bodd' buttons, and my printed range.  I will hopefully get these on the website soon but in the meantime e-mail info@jessicajewellerydesign.co.uk for any purchasing enquiries.

"Odd Bodd" Handmade Buttons

Large printed buttons with my Jessica Jewellery Design image

Smaller buttons in 3 different shapes

Hope this blog has brightened a dreary day!!

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My Kinda Jewellery......

People always worry about buying me jewellery because I design and make it they think it must be impossible to find things I like. Very far from it, I think being in the business I am, makes me appreciate and love a whole host of different jewellery.  I also get asked quite a lot 'What "type" of jewellery do you like'....so I thought I would put a little blog together with a few pictures of some of the jewellery I have and love to wear by a few different jewellers who I admire, that also make and or design their own work. I should also add that I love all different materials, and am constantly fascinated by how people use and adapt materials in different ways.

Jane Dzisiewski - Resin.

Love this work she is based at the Manchester Craft Centre which is well worth the visit, loved it there then saw her work again at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.... So this was a lovely Christmas Prezzie from my other half!

 Sarah Packington - Acrylic

I have always loved the bold but simple designs that Sarah creates.  I was lucky enough to have a 3month work experience with her whilst on my degree which taught me a lot more about using acrylic.  I spent a LONG time polishing bangles like the one you see.  So now as well as loving the colour appreciate wearing it!!

 

  Tamsin Howells - Acrylic

A lovely lady who's work I have seen for a long time but who I really first met at the British Craft Trade Fair and since then our paths cross at various shows.  Love this bright cuff bangle.

Marmalade - Polypropylene

This is very lovely delicate work using printed patterns onto a polypropylene.  I have admired their work for many years and seen it evolve.  I got this piece as a birthday prezzie, its from MIMA which has a very good gift shop for contemporary handmade jewellery.

 

 Emma Turpin - Silver Necklet

Emma is based in the Southern England and she had a stand opposite me at the Bovey Tracey Contemporary Craft Fair, after chatting about business etc and admiring each others work I couldn't resist this lovely piece.  It also turns out Emma graduated from the same University as myself and did the same degree but was a couple of years below me.

Wood Ring

I am sorry to say I can't remember the designer to this one, it was from a mixed showcase at the Manchester Craft and Design centre.  I love the pattern and love that its so ornate and then made from wood.  Love a lot of the work that is out there at the moment using wood.  Its a material I would love to have a go with.

Lynsey Walters -Felt Bird

Not much of a story behind this little brooch, acquired from the GNCCF just loved the colours and love Lynseys bold use of felt and buttons in her work.

And last but not least another question I get asked is what is my favourite piece of my own jewellery!?  Well usually the newest ranges are always the most exciting because you create something you at first didn't know you could.  However I have made myself a bangle and necklace (necklace below) from the Cartwheel Flower lilac range.  Purple is my favourite colour and it goes with a lot of things I wear.  I also love the way the images came out, they involved a very late night trip out to a very muddy field in winter, to catch these Cartwheel Flowers in silhouette.

Jessica Jewellery Design - Acrylic

Quote from Resin Jewellery by  Kathie Murphy book ISBN 978-0-7136-7311-1 (page 17)

"Where plastics continue to receive little acclaim is studio jewellery.  Because plastic products tend to be mass produced for maximum profit, it is still regarded as a cheap material.  This criteria is not true of plastic jewellery that has been individually handcrafted.  The time and judgement taken to transform plastic into a piece with an aesthetic quality can never be inexpensive."

I think that is an interesting quote and think people need to value jewellery not necessarily because it is made from expensive metals and gems, but because of the work that has gone into it.  Also the value of jewellery is a lot to do with what it means to you.  I would love to hear your stories and see photos of your special piece of jewellery or and interesting item you have and why, or what it means to you.  The stories behind jewellery are so interesting.  I think it is important to enjoy your jewellery whatever it may be made from.

Feel free to post your pictures and comments on my Jessica Jewellery Design Facebook page . Please be responsible and do not post anything inappropriate. Thank you

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New Work .....

Well the brand new range 'Optical' has been doing really well so far, and is filtering into shops. You can also order direct by looking at the trade catalogue on my site then just e-mail your order as I haven't had time to get pieces uploaded to the shop.

The range is a brand new shape for me, a circular shape but very 3D and tactile. The use of black text on the back gives a unique optical effect throughout the pieces and you do find something new in them every time you look at them. I love that people are a little bit mystified and question what is happening when they look at my work.
Each piece is hand shaped and the surface of each piece of acrylic has been hand formed then sanded and polished as usual. The idea is that both the wearer and viewer can be puzzled and intrigued with the pieces whilst they still look pretty and wearable.


Spirograph images also feature quite heavily along side the text, I had great fun drawing with an original Spirograph set to draw up the patterns I felt worked the best. They also helped me come up with the overall design (although it may not be obvious in the final pieces!)

I hope that has given you a bit more of an insight into my new range of work. Keep up to date with all my news and of new work over at my website www.jessicajewellerydesign.co.uk

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