Moving on

The last 48 hours have been a flurry of activity getting my house ready for photographs to be taken. A  slow and tedious divorce means the house has to be sold. I offered to walk away from money and pensions so the kids and I could stay here, as I think that would have been best for the boys, but sadly the ex had no desire to try and retain any stability for his kids with their home, even after all they have been through over the last couple of years. Still; I know a loving home can be created anywhere. It's not specific to just one set of bricks and mortar. Where one door closes...

So there has been cleaning, and painting, and tidying, and to be honest, the house hasn't looked so great for years. All the jobs that couldn't be done because they wouldn't be paid for, are getting done out of necessity. I have been wielding the paintbrush because ex refused to split the cost for a coat of paint before sale, but I have done house projects since the age of 25 so this is nothing new for me. yesterday the window cleaner came, and today the photographer.

So while the Estate agent photographer worked with his wide angle lens that seemed to make all my rooms look three times their actual size, and whizzed round and took a few more arty snaps of my own.

Today the mantel piece is sporting three bits of Hensteeth textile art, a Claire Hillerby collage, an Abigail Brown bird, a piece of Julie Whitmore pottery, some boot sale finds, and some teeny cotton voile bunting I made.

A perfect spot to grab five minutes with a magazine.

The children's rooms have been tidied and edited. 

(They won't look like this for long!)

Small boy's room...

...and big boy's room

I have jet washed the deck, the grass has been cut.

The dining table has been spruced with flowers for viewings to start.

And I grouped and hung some of my favourite pictures that the kids have done over the kitchen sofa.

The other wall has my favourite clock on it...

(But the number of times it cuckoos compared to how many times the little cuckoo pops out seem to have gone wrong since I reset the time. Ooops.)

..and of course there is my perfect Alex Snowdon artwork, that was designed just for me and the boys. It is actually a perfect pale blue, my photo is not doing it justice.

My bedroom is decorated with angel's wings, and some car boot sale teacups that cost me £1 for the lot.

And now the spare room has been cleared of eight years of hoarded junk, and the ex's belongings that he has refused to take for the year and a half that he hasn't lived here, my Grandma's old dressing table looks just perfect, and the beautiful cream stocks, make the room smell lovely.

Once more, I can hold my head high that I have done all this work, and made this place look great. I have negotiated with estate agents, and am house hunting, while running my little business, and looking after the boys (who will always be my number one priority). Thank goodness my family breeds strong, invincible women, who are not afraid to work hard, and know how to do the right thing!

The Cheapside Hoard: London's lost jewels.

Last week I had a totally indulgent jewellery day out in London. Firstly I hopped off the tube at St Paul's and visited the Museum of London to see The Cheapside Hoard: London's lost Jewels. It took my breath away.

The Cheapside Hoard, was dug up in 1912 when a building was demolished in the City of London's Cheapside. The demolition brought to light ancient cellars and it was here that the biggest hoard of priceless jewels from the late 16th early 17th was found caked in mud. The treasures give us the most in depth knowledge of Elizabethan and Jacobean craftsmanship. 

Gold and garnet ring

You enter the darkened exhibition through a vault type turn style. There are burly security guards, and the jewels are so valuable you can't even take a jacket or a handbag in with you. Once inside you are invited to borrow a huge magnifying glass so you can study the amazing details of the precious items on display. They are numerous and stunning.

Long enameled and jeweled chains

I loved the chains, not only for their amazing detail, but also because they were incredibly long, and must have looked utterly stunning when worn.

As well as the amazing jewels themselves, the exhibition tells us about London in the time they were buried, the history of the London Goldsmiths, and it speculates on how the jewels could have come to be lost.

Tiny jeweled scent bottle

You can see a Goldsmith's workshop from the time the jewels were made, and it is amazing to think that the tools that I use today, are the same as those that were used to make the things on display.

If you rush, you can still catch this exhibition that is on until the 27th of April 2014. I would really recommend it to fans of all things sparkly!

(Note: I struggled with images as you are not allowed to photograph the exhibition. All photos used here are credited to the Museum of London website. Obviously it is very important to me not to infringe on copyright and I hope that using this images in this way does not do so. I suggest Googling images of the Cheapside Hoard as they are numerous and spectacular. You can also buy a book of the exhibition.)

Swapping a skill for a skill

I love the idea of being able to trade for things, no money exchanging hands. Swapping your time for a skill, or a skill for some baking, exchanging expertise for objects...

I have admired the work of Snowdon Design & Craft for some time. Lovely hand drawn text, making beautiful bold images. A year ago I filed for divorce and am facing a new life alone with my two boys. It's been a very, very tough year, and it's all not done with yet. Most likely we will lose our home, but I am confident where ever we end up, we will make a warm and loving home for the three of us. Because the year has been so tough, I had been thinking about something that I wanted to have on the wall that we could look at every day, a little mantra for our new lives. I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, so somehow, one day I was brave enough to ask Alex of Snowdon Design & Craft if she could help me with my quest.

Now I know it can be tough being asked to do something if you feel the work is 'not quite you', so I was a little worried about what Alex would think of the words I wanted. Luckily, she was happy to go ahead. Best of all, we agreed on a swap. Alex liked the aquamarine rings I make, so a trade was arranged, a skill for a skill.

We were both rather busy, so things didn't happen instantly, but one day Alex sent me some rough sketches, and I knew the finished piece was going to be great. First she drew the design in pencil. Then she hand inked it in. 

A screen was exposed and Mr S was dispatched to the garden to clean it down. Suddenly I was picking a colour (the most perfect blue), and the print was made and waiting to dry. I was so excited waiting for it to arrive.

I haven't got it in a frame yet, so this little snap I took doesn't really do it justice, but it really is just perfect, and I know it will make me smile everyday, and remind me to find a little fun, a little laughter and a lot of love every single day.

Thank you Alex. It's perfect.

Here's what I made for Alex in return.

You can find Alex's wonderful work on her website at Snowdon Design and Craft

Her facebook page is here.

And you can even buy your own copy of the Fun Love & Laughter print here.

'Two Turtle Doves' by Alex Monroe. (A book review and a bit of thinking.)

I treated myself to a copy of Alex Monroe's book 'Two Turtle Doves' A memoir of making things. A dull brown Amazon box was opened to reveal a bright blue book with a strong graphic cover with just a hint of gold.

I was interested to read this book for two main reasons... I had heard that the tiny items that Alex uses in his jewellery cast in silver or gold, don't come from found objects, or wax carvings, but are infact constructed by Alex himself, cut, filed, soldered, textured and engraved in solid silver. I was intrigued. 

Now I like to cast tiny items to use in my jewellery, but they are often things I find, or small treasures I have hoarded over the years, not things I have constructed myself. I loved reading about Alex's bee necklace. The way he carved the bee from a bit of solid silver rod, the way he applied the texture, and the way he soldered on it's little wings and legs. Reading about that has inspired me, and as well as a couple of found objects that I am in the process of casting, I have in mind something new, which I will make myself from scratch. The construction will definitely test me, as it's going to need a multitude of solder joints, but I will give it a go. A new way of working. I have to try.

The other main reason I wanted to read this book was because lets face it, Alex Monroe is really successful! He sells a lot of jewellery. 

These days, we are  bombarded by pretty base metal fashion pieces that can be picked up at a teeny percentage of the cost a piece of hand made, solid silver or gold jewellery. So I worry, will people understand my work is laboriously hand made in precious metals? Will they understand the price of a piece because of that? Will they part with their hard earned money for it?

I think Alex Monroe's customers and mine have a similar mindset. They don't want blingy over statement. They don't want mass produced, base metal, high street finds; they want something more special. They want subtle. Pretty and delicate. Precious metals. Thought about packaging. That's what I do.

As a maker, I often question myself and my work. Who exactly is my customer? what should I be making? At the start of each year especially, I like to sit down and focus on where I think I'm going. Each year I seem to come back to the same thing. I make what I love, and I make what I like to wear. I couldn't make something that wasn't me. Subsequently it's quite subtle, quite pretty, quite delicate, not cutting edge, and dare I use the word... quite 'commercial.' Back in the 80s it seems Alex was pondering the same thing. He didn't fall into the category of glitzy Bond Street jeweller, nor did he wish to make jewellery as art to be displayed in a gallery. Real jewellery, for real people. I can relate to that.

The book also taught me about Alex's approach to building a collection. It was an eye opener that an initial idea could become a collection, ready for press launch, in the space of two months. Sometimes I return to things I scribbled in a sketch book, two years after I first drew them. I think I need to get faster. There's part of a new collection that's been in my studio for two months now, going nowhere. I learned that around 30 samples may be made for each collection, and then they are whittled down, concentrating on shapes that have sold well, or upping the number of rings, reducing the number of earrings etc. I don't over produce then edit, but it is something I will endeavour to do in the future. Skimming the best cream off the top of the milk.

Alex has a busy workshop, with staff who file, and polish, and add tags. My studio is just me, and maybe once a year my dad comes to help. (Perhaps I need to pay him more than tea?) I balance my working hours with my main job as mum. In reality a few hours a day, and not five days a week. That time is not just making time, it's admin time, social media time, wrap, pack, and post time. There are never enough hours. I couldn't afford to pay anyone to help, but equally I am still at the stage where I say 'Handmade by Charlotte Bezzant' because it is exactly that and I'm not really ready to let that go yet.

Ideas, and manufacture are the starting point, but Alex taught me it's PR, relationships with buyers, press launches, and shows that elevate your reach to a whole different level. It's no good just waiting for a lucky break.

Let's not forget, added to all this was a twisting narrative about Alex's life. (Afterall, not every one is as fascinated by the making and business bits as me.) His childhood in The Old Parsonage, building bombs and getting into scrapes, go-cart builing, moving house, growing older and moving to London.

So... I enjoyed the read, and learned some things along the way. Alex Monroe has shown me that it is possible to have a successful viable business making things you love, but there's a lot of us out there making lovely things, and not many as successful as him. For now, I shall carry on doing what I love, hoping that my business grows and I can keep on following my dream.

Latest gemstones

London was basking in Spring sunshine today. Only it could have been mistaken for Summer sunshine. It was glorious and 17 degrees.

I had an appointment with my gem dealers. Before they went on their last two month buying spree to India, they had left me with 4 whole packets, and a tiny box of gems. A large assortment of aquamarines and the palest watery green amethysts. They left them with me on trust, for me to pay for what I used - gulp.

So, I have slowly been making rings from my stocks. All aquas so far, non of the green amethysts just yet, as the aquamarines are so popular and I only work at a certain speed.

Every single ring I have made I love. Somehow I am always selling them, and don't have one for myself yet. I must rectify that.

The trouble with this sort of deal, was today I had a hefty bill to pay. That's the downside, but the upside was that I loved having gems on hand for when I needed them, and also lots of options to show my customers.

You may remember, before Christmas, I made this huge beauty for a customer...

Well my gem dealing pals had bought a packet of treasure on their shopping spree with just me in mind. 

So now before I have started making, I owe them money all over again! I came away with these gorgeous aquamarines. How could I resist? Just look at the scale...

So if you want your own slice of 'water of the sea' heaven, please get in touch, as aquamarines like this are very hard to come by.

You won't find these in my online shops, please email me at twocharlies@blueyonder.co.uk (I really must get round to changing that address, since the other Charlie is walking his own path these days) or you can get in touch by my busy facebook page for Charlotte Bezzant Jewellery

I really, really enjoyed working with one of these aquamarines before, and I know I will feel just as happy working with these.

Stone setting - a master class

...Poor neglected blog. I am still here, but life is not being kind right now, and I have to pick where I put my energies. I can't believe that March is just about upon us, and the year is whizzing past. Still, at least it means that Spring's full blown arrival should be imminent. We are already getting days with some sunshine and blue skies, such a change from the grey rainy skies that have sat over our island for weeks on end. In the garden the snowdrops are fading, but the daffodils are bursting forth with their sunshine colour. I am looking forward to the feeling of re-newel that I seem to get in Spring. When everything around me is bursting into life, I seem to get a new blast of vitality myself. To be honest, I desperately need it.

My return to my blog is brought about by the fact that I have just spent some time in the classroom again. A snatched day - but a whole day; immersed in trying something new. I love to learn. I love to expand my knowledge. At the start of the year, when I tried to sit and make plans for the year, I was finding it tough. Circumstances are making it tricky for me to plan anything, my life is rather frustratingly out of my control just now. I asked myself about the things I knew I could achieve. There is a lot to be said for putting your energy into the things you can control, while not wasting energy on the things you can't. I came up with two things that were definitely on my 'to do' list for the year. One was to improve my Photography, and I started an online course to do that almost straight away. The other was to increase my stone setting knowledge. I think it would be fair to say that I am already an OK stone setter - better than many others I know, but I had a desire to try grain / pave setting which is more specialist, for finer work than I am currently known for.

Finding a course was tricky. I looked at West Dean, The Cass, Holts Academy, London School of Jewellery etc. Turns out, if you want to learn to set a cabochon, there are lots of courses for that. In fact I could teach you that myself. But what I wanted to study was proving illusive.

I logged in to the forum on Cooksongold, and found chat about a certain setter who I can only imagine is a very busy man. Everyone seems to use him. Not only that, he is the man who set the diamonds and sapphires in none other than Lady Di / Princess Diana's engagement ring, now worn by Catherine The Duchess of Cambridge. The wonders of the internet lead me to a little workshop in Kent where he was teaching, and a quick e-mail just managed to get me in, to snap up the very last place on a day course. You know sometimes when you just think 'this was meant to be.'

We started the day with the tutor showing us all his amazing samples. Little works of art. From those, we could select which type of setting we wanted to work on. Most people went for gypsy or flush setting (the top one), but I can already do that. One went for a little row of claw settings ( I picked one of those optimistically thinking I would do both in a day!). Someone was setting a big stone in a claw set ring she had made in the workshop the day before. I was the only one to pick grain / pave.

Next the tutor showed us how to grind our gravers, and then in fact mainly did them for us. Having done an engraving course before I was very relieved. If you get the steel too hot on the grinders, it 'blues' and you have to temper it again - yucky scientific stuff that I couldn't master before, so was relieved not to face it again. (...and now I know the bottom kind isn't spelt Spitz, we even thought it could be 'spits' for a while!)

We heated setters wax, and melted our settings into place.

Patiently and with great skill, Tony showed every person how to do one of their settings, while the rest of us watched on and took notes.

Then we all scuttled to our benches to have a go.

The radio was on, the atmosphere was relaxed, and of course there was lots of jewellery discussion as there was a mixture of hobbyists, jewellers that could do some setting, jewellers that sent their setting away for someone else to do it etc. As I work alone in my studio, I loved being surrounded by other like minded people, and having a good natter. There was a pause for lunch, and a chance to look through Tony's photo albums of some of the amazing things he has set. (Including a pic of 'that' ring.) Then we were back to work for the afternoon. The time absolutely flew past. 

By half past four I had produced this. Not quite as impressive as Tony's, but each stone had taken me less time than the one before, and the last stone and its little grains were definitely so much better than the first. 

So now its practise, practise, practise if I want to improve. I am thinking of signing up for another day, and perhaps doing the row of claw settings that I came away with un-started.

I can really recommend Edward and his studio, Tony and the course, to anyone interested. You can find their website here.

A gentle start to the year

I am taking a couple of weeks to do a photography course. Nearly every single image you see on my blog or facebook page is taken by me, and I decided it was time to learn how to do it properly.

These were a few of the efforts from day one. 

So far day two and three have been rather technical, but I was particularly pleased with some of the results from today. It's so great to be learning something, and also to be pushing myself too.