Workshop Creations and Flowerings Exhibition

This weekend I ran a workshop at Rural Arts, in the small Yorkshire market town of Thirsk. I had a bit of an early start and long a drive but somehow I got there on time even though Google sent me the wrong way down the M1!



Rural Arts in the Old Courthouse, Thirsk

 The workshop was great with a small group of friendly participants who were really rather nifty with their fingers. First they all had a go at mastering my stitching technique with wire, with great results, making pendants and earrings using wire and the rings and sliders that you find on bras.



Bra ring stitched with wires by Sarah at the workshop

 Then after we'd had a break for lunch I got out some more haberdashery, hooks, eyes, buttons, press studs and kilt pins and gave them a few more ideas and then everyone experimented with their own designs there were some lovely results.

Mixed haberdashery necklace by Amanda at the workshop

Everyone went home with several finished pieces of jewellery and in fact I saw one of them the next day wearing her handiwork with a matching top!

Alison made this bag charm combining stitched elements and old haberdashery

To top it all there were some lovely comments at the end.

"It was more than I was expecting - I'm so pleased with all the pieces I have made today"
"A new skill and a day of fun"

That's great because I enjoyed running the workshop too!

What a prolific lot and such a variety too.

Flowerings Exhibition at Rural Arts
My floral jewellery is also featured in the current exhibtion at Rural Arts, along with three other makers, Ruth Moore, Iona Calvert and Dionne Swift.

Looking down into the cabinet with my floral jewellery
The big piece is based on a passion flower.

Some Iona Calvert's ceramic birds displayed on a branch

Time travelling jewellery....?

My Vintage Noir and Vintage Mother of Pearl Button jewellery is on display as part of this unusual exhibition at The Harley Gallery Welbeck, Worksop, Nottinghamshire -  Craft Revolution

The shop has been taken over by Hannah Obee, curator at Chatsworth, from 9 May - 20 June. Taking inspiration from Welbeck’s Portland Collection and Chatsworth’s Devonshire Collection she is showing how contemporary craft complements the history of these stately homes, focusing on the Royalist and Baroque styles of the 17th Century.

 

Imagine my surprise when I looked carefully at Jane Cavendish (whose family lived at Welbeck) - she's wearing my Alessandra earrings from my Vintage Noir Collection! She's also wearing a pearl and silver necklace by Yvonne Gilhooly.

What a clever way to show what the project is all about!

The jewellery in close up

Alessandra earrings - Vintage Noir





 I'd love to be involved in other projects like this. The idea of being inspired by a collection of objects is really exciting.

So if anyone has any challenges for me let me know!



Find pictures of the exhibition on the Harley Gallery's page on Facebook

The Curated Craft Shop project at The Harley Gallery is part of museumaker, a prestigious national project involving sixteen museums across four participating regions. museumaker is supported by Arts Council England (ACE), Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and its Renaissance Programme

Work in progress

Work in  progress



Last week I had a lot of jewellery to make, some for gallery orders, some for a bride and some to get ready for an exhibition! Friday was spent finishing off pieces by adding findings and packing up jewellery ready for the post office. Luckily they know me in my post office by now and are very friendly and don't bat an eyelid when I turn up at 5pm with 8 packages!



Vintage lace pieces ready to be made up.

These earrings are for the Courtyard Gallery in Cumbria, along with matching pendants, some Intricate jewellery in coloured wire and some Vintage Mother of Pearl button jewellery too.

And these pendants for Bellwood and Wright Fine Art in Lancaster.