By the way... my parents are AMAZING.
20 February 2012
Today I have...
... made some perfect little bezel cups for the commission for the US (plus an extra for the shop); and started the amethyst ring commission.
Once more in the Ice and Snow
How about this for a view when you wake up in the morning?
Once again I experienced the frozen and glittery kind of snow that is my very favourite.
It was amazing to look down from the ski lifts and see the animal tracks in the fresh snow. I didn't know what had made most of them, but you could definitely tell the lolloping feet of the hares. I definitely need some more moonstones to finish off the two arctic hares that I started working on before I went away. I've have come back from the French Alps, bursting with the need to get on.
Once again I experienced the frozen and glittery kind of snow that is my very favourite.
It was amazing to look down from the ski lifts and see the animal tracks in the fresh snow. I didn't know what had made most of them, but you could definitely tell the lolloping feet of the hares. I definitely need some more moonstones to finish off the two arctic hares that I started working on before I went away. I've have come back from the French Alps, bursting with the need to get on.
8 February 2012
What do I see
I just love reading makers blogs; finding out what they are working on, reading about what inspires them. I realised that I love seeing little snippets of life, beyond the workbench, or studio, so today I am posting some pictures that I took yesterday, in the gorgeous Spring sunshine, of the things that I look at and love.
I live in a Victorian house, and in the morning, the sun streams into this room and lights up some of my favourite objects. They are:
'Between the Headlands' by Janet Bolton. Janet is a British folk artist who's work is known and collected around the world. She makes gorgeous pictures with old textiles and found objects. I attended one of her workshops over a long weekend at the amazing West Dean in Sussex. Her works were dotted around the studio as inspiration, and I couldn't help buying one after gazing at it for days. Janet is a generous and inspiring person to be with, and I am happy to say this purchase was worth the investment as it makes me happy when ever I look at it.
'Mabel and Mr Fox', by Julie Whitmore. Julie lives in the US. I found her work here in her Etsy shop. You can't help smiling when you see her style. This piece was commissioned after a nasty fox, caught Mabel my gorgeous light Sussex chicken. I am happy to report she survived the ordeal. The Victorian bell shaped glass dome, was a great find at the amazing (one of Europe's largest antique markets) Sunbury antiques market, which is just down the road from me in Kempton Park.
'Snowdrops' an original etching by my mum! And all the snowdrops are out in the garden right now.
A miniature wedding cake favour, from my wedding 10 years ago. You didn't used to be able to buy anything like this, but I am sure you could now. This was such a team effort. My brother made a mould and cast all the cakes out of plaster. My dad cut out and made all the perspex boxes, I printed all the labels, and my bridesmaid and I drank Champagne while we painted all the little silver hearts!
'Charlie and his red Gibson' another Etsy commission from a talented guy in the States. You can find Cory at his shop PalmerandJane here. Cory really did a great job on this, and it made my Charlie smile when he opened it on Christmas day.
Smile :-)
xx
I live in a Victorian house, and in the morning, the sun streams into this room and lights up some of my favourite objects. They are:
'Between the Headlands' by Janet Bolton. Janet is a British folk artist who's work is known and collected around the world. She makes gorgeous pictures with old textiles and found objects. I attended one of her workshops over a long weekend at the amazing West Dean in Sussex. Her works were dotted around the studio as inspiration, and I couldn't help buying one after gazing at it for days. Janet is a generous and inspiring person to be with, and I am happy to say this purchase was worth the investment as it makes me happy when ever I look at it.
'Mabel and Mr Fox', by Julie Whitmore. Julie lives in the US. I found her work here in her Etsy shop. You can't help smiling when you see her style. This piece was commissioned after a nasty fox, caught Mabel my gorgeous light Sussex chicken. I am happy to report she survived the ordeal. The Victorian bell shaped glass dome, was a great find at the amazing (one of Europe's largest antique markets) Sunbury antiques market, which is just down the road from me in Kempton Park.
'Snowdrops' an original etching by my mum! And all the snowdrops are out in the garden right now.
A miniature wedding cake favour, from my wedding 10 years ago. You didn't used to be able to buy anything like this, but I am sure you could now. This was such a team effort. My brother made a mould and cast all the cakes out of plaster. My dad cut out and made all the perspex boxes, I printed all the labels, and my bridesmaid and I drank Champagne while we painted all the little silver hearts!
'Charlie and his red Gibson' another Etsy commission from a talented guy in the States. You can find Cory at his shop PalmerandJane here. Cory really did a great job on this, and it made my Charlie smile when he opened it on Christmas day.
Smile :-)
xx
7 February 2012
Guilty pleasures
Now some people have a thing for outrageously expensive handbags, some people love shoes that cost as much as my annual food budget. Not me - I am positively frugal on that front. However, I thought I better just go look and see if I had a sketchbook that I could use for the ring project, and I found that I have this 'little' stash of unused ones. It was a surprise to me! I guess it was not helped by the fact that a certain art supply selling bookshop went into receivership, and they were nearly giving everything away. These things just call my name... "Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte"
I am sure this little addiction is not unique to me. There must be arty people around the world with the same problem, and cupboards full of secret stash that they know they will use ONE DAY.
I am sure this little addiction is not unique to me. There must be arty people around the world with the same problem, and cupboards full of secret stash that they know they will use ONE DAY.
A ring a week.
I'm not the first person to do it, and I won't be the last, but I have decided to get going on a 'ring a week' project. I love making rings, creating bezels and setting stones, and this seems a great way to keep challenging myself and also adding to my body of work. I am going to try and do a ring a week for... not quite sure how long, but I do have a timescale in mind that I won't share just now!
The thing about small pieces like rings is that you can try lots of new techniques with a small amount of precious metals (with silver being as expensive as it is). I can use my etching skills, my piercing skills, and my stone setting skills. There are lots of ways of setting stones that I don't often use. The big stones I use normally sit in bezels, but I will use some flush settings, tube settings, and claw settings through this project.
I am planning to take lots of pictures of the processes and the finished items, some of which I will share here.
Pass me a sketchbook, and - does anyone care to join me?
The thing about small pieces like rings is that you can try lots of new techniques with a small amount of precious metals (with silver being as expensive as it is). I can use my etching skills, my piercing skills, and my stone setting skills. There are lots of ways of setting stones that I don't often use. The big stones I use normally sit in bezels, but I will use some flush settings, tube settings, and claw settings through this project.
I am planning to take lots of pictures of the processes and the finished items, some of which I will share here.
Pass me a sketchbook, and - does anyone care to join me?
Talking of rings... Sold this lovely huge pink amethyst ring last week, but it flew off the customer's finger onto her kitchen floor with a disastrous result. The stone chipped like a flint (a conchordial fracture apparently - you learn something new everyday!) and the stone flew out. I am making her a new ring, as I was thinking how I would feel if the same thing had happened to me. If only everyone behaved this way (maker of ceramic angel knocked over by my infant take note!) :-)
Nasty chemicals
Well technically 'salts' as opposed to nasty chemicals...
I am really buzzing today as I finally decided to order the dangerous stuff that I use for etching, for my home studio. Until now I have gone out to another studio to etch as I was so nervous about the combination of liquids that can eat through silver, and two small boys around the house.
I love etching and the results I can achieve with the photo etching process- wether this is images or just words. I also find that my etched pieces sell well. It is a fairly specialist skill, and perhaps there is not so much of it about, or perhaps it is the well thought out bits of wording that I use, that makes these items popular. I also like to etch the names and dates on commissioned pieces, where other makers might be 'stamping' into metal. I just feel it adds a little more craftsmanship to a piece.
Here is one of my earliest photo etched pieces. I love this image, but can't claim it as my own original artwork I am afraid. It was a design on a plate. As such this is something I enjoy wearing, but could never sell. Us designer / makers must respect other peoples work and images, although we may find after we have designed something, that something similar already exists, it is important not to copy!
Old piece, old photo. Good to see I have improved at taking pictures of shiny objects!
I am really buzzing today as I finally decided to order the dangerous stuff that I use for etching, for my home studio. Until now I have gone out to another studio to etch as I was so nervous about the combination of liquids that can eat through silver, and two small boys around the house.
I love etching and the results I can achieve with the photo etching process- wether this is images or just words. I also find that my etched pieces sell well. It is a fairly specialist skill, and perhaps there is not so much of it about, or perhaps it is the well thought out bits of wording that I use, that makes these items popular. I also like to etch the names and dates on commissioned pieces, where other makers might be 'stamping' into metal. I just feel it adds a little more craftsmanship to a piece.
Here is one of my earliest photo etched pieces. I love this image, but can't claim it as my own original artwork I am afraid. It was a design on a plate. As such this is something I enjoy wearing, but could never sell. Us designer / makers must respect other peoples work and images, although we may find after we have designed something, that something similar already exists, it is important not to copy!
Old piece, old photo. Good to see I have improved at taking pictures of shiny objects!
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