PitstopX Jewellery Blog

Collect 2012 at the Saatchi Gallery, London

05/17/2012 14:16:00

It’s too late to go and see this now, sadly, as Collect is only open for a few days each year, but if you get a chance to visit this in the future it’s well worth the effort.

I visit Collect every year, and it’s a fantastic show for anyone who is interested in contemporary craft and design objects. The top galleries from around Europe are invited to show work by the top artists that they each represent, aimed at art collectors (hence the name) but a great inspiration for students and artists too.

My focus of course is on jewellery and metalwork and this year the stand out pieces for me on show were by these five artists;

In Galerie Ra’s space I loved the two huge black over sized chains by Noon Passama – I love the way she plays with the basic form of simple chain links, working with scale and materials. See more of Galerie Ra, a great gallery in Amsterdam at http://www.galerie-ra.nl/

There were also two fabulously bright and beautiful brooches by Peter Chang shown by Galerie Ra – I’ve admired his intricate, brightly coloured resin and acrylic based creations for years, they seem almost have a life of their own, and it was great to see these. See more of his fantastically colourful work at http://www.peterchang.org/

Emmeline Hastings - http://www.emmelinehastings.co.uk/ had some gorgeous work on show using carved chunks of Perspex, encrusted with titanium, silver and gold elements looking like freshly dug up minerals - her work was part of the Lesley Craze Gallery show.

Jacqueline Cullen http://www.jacquelinecullen.com/ had some gorgeous pieces of work on show in Lesley Craze Gallery’s space (http://www.lesleycrazegallery.co.uk/) – Jacqueline specialises in using the beautiful solid black Whitby Jet which is often then encrusted with gold or other metal nuggets to create really gorgeous pieces.

I loved the sculptural silver piece on show from Theresa Nguyen http://www.theresanguyen.co.uk/ from the Bishopsland Trust, inspired by natural forms and roots, clinging onto a surface http://www.bishopsland.co.uk/

There was of course lots of other fabulous art to look at too, from ceramic pieces to glass work, furniture and textiles as well, so it’s not just jewellery!

Look out for the show again next May, and check out the Collect website for much more information at http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/collect/

Gemstone Facts - Ametrine

05/13/2012 14:08:00

Also known as Trystine, this is a gorgeous variety of Quartz, a combination between Amethyst and Citrine – it has a lovely pale purple colour with a frosted, translucent look to it, creating a beautiful, subtle effect, sometimes showing the mix of purple amethyst and yellow citrine elements more clearly. This stone is found in Bolivia, where the oldest mines are and the best quality stones come from as well as some areas of Brazil.

Ametrine combines the properties of both Amethyst as well as Citrine and is said to calm the mind by clearing stress and tension from the head. It balances and soothes emotions and relieves depression as well as stimulating creativity. The stone supports taking control of one’s own life by aiding concentration, bringing clarity, and action, easing transitions. Ametrine also strengthens the immune system and aids the autonomic nervous system to help heal physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.

The images here show a necklace set I made recently using Ametrine beads, interspersed with Sterling Silver. The colour change between the Amethyst and Citrine is not so clear on these beads, but they still create a beautiful effect!

Crimps & Crimping for Jewellery Making - FREE DOWNLOAD

05/05/2012 15:56:00

Crimps are small metal beads that are used to secure beading wire – for example to secure the ends of a necklace where you attach a clasp, or as stoppers to hold a bead or series of beads in place at points along a wire as in a floating or illusion necklace. They are used with flexible beading wire such as Tigertail, Beadalon, Flexrite and many other brands (look out for a future posting on the different types of wire!).

There are two different styles of crimps –tube crimps are cylindrical tube shapes, crimp beads look like little metal beads and are rounded. For securing necklaces, I prefer to use tube crimps as I find these easier to use and neater once secured. When using crimps as stoppers to hold sections of beads in place along a wire, I use the round crimps, secured with flat nose pliers (not crimping pliers). For this, you must make sure that the secured crimp is large enough for the bead not to slide over the top of it, so check the size of your bead hole against the crimp size.

Click here to download my FREE CRIMPING INFORMATION SHEET for much more information and tips

NEW - Beginners Jewellery Making Course

05/03/2012 14:01:00

I will be teaching another course for students new to jewellery making, starting later this month - if you've been wanting to try making your own jewellery, come along and join us for a fun, very friendly and affordable introduction!

Beginners Jewellery Making Course

Monday evenings, 7-9pm, Golders Green, London, NW11

Five week course starting on 14 May 2012

Course fee includes all materials as well as information and instruction sheets to take away. Places are limted, so if you're interested, get in touch soon.

Learn all the basics with a different project each week, including; -

Elastic bracelets
Memory wire bracelets
Stringing a simple standard necklace or bracelet
Making a wire and bead cocktail ring
Shamballa style bracelets
Simple dangly earrings

To book and for more information, please call the community centre organiser - Avital on 020 8922 2901

Craft & Design Month - May 2012 Specials

05/02/2012 21:09:00

May 2012 is Craft & Design Month, and to celebrate this, I have two special offers running on my jewellery making workshops / tuition; -

Bank Holiday Beading Day

Monday May 7 2012 - Special one off day for Craft & Design Month...

Come along at either 10am or 2pm, bring an idea of what you'd like to learn, any questions you have, or a project you need help with and and pay just £20 per person for a 3 hour session.

Fee includes all materials you use, use of my tools, instruction sheets to take away (if relevant), tea, coffee and biscuits!

Please book in advance as spaces are strictly limited

New Student Special Offer

Special offer open to new students only - try me out for a 3 hour 1-1 tuition session at less than half the standard price - just £35 instead of the usual £75 - contact me to check availability & discuss what you'd like to work on, before making your booking.

Take advantage of either of these offers at http://www.pitstopx.co.uk/Book-a-Workshop.html

Find out more about Craft and Design Month, as well as to find more special events, exhibitions, open studios and courses happening this month at http://www.craftanddesignmonth.net/

Fascinating Exhibition - Last Few Days

12/29/2011 14:15:00

The Power of Making is still on at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, it's free to enter, but it closes on the 2 January, so it's the last few days now for you to head over to see it!

I went to see it yesterday and loved it, the exhibition is designed to highlight the skills involved in creating items from everyday household items to unusual art works. The focus is very much on how the items were made, which as a maker myself was fascinating. There is everything on show from a dry stone wall, oversized knitted 'Aran Rug', carved wooden masks to a cardboard table, ceramic eye patch and some really fascinating desktop sized 3D modelling machines that can create your own designs in a variety of plastic and other materials...

A true showcase of highly skilled craftsmanship from all around the world, both amatuer and professional, with a collection of the highest quality and most fascinating of traditional, but still very relevant and valuable skills, to unusual spins on everyday skills and the growing array of cutting edge techniques, both completely new and adapted from traditional skills.

If you get a chance to visit the exhibition, I'd very much recommend it; make sure to look closely at the exhibits and their labels - they take on a whole new life once you look closely and start to think about the process and item on more than a surface level. You may well come out looking at the objects around you in a whole new way and excited about creating your own artworks, whatever your chosen techniques are, or about learning new techniques yourself.

I loved the exhibition and found it very inspirational - it's given me an added impetus to continue improving my own skills.

Sparkling Shows....

09/28/2011 20:34:00

I had a really lovely day out today, visiting Goldsmiths Fair, and Origin - two of my favourite jewellery / contemporary craft shows. I can't begin to describe all the beautiful jewellery I saw today, but i thought I'd share here some artists that stood out in my memory today - click their names to see their own websites and galleries;

Catherine Martin - I always look out especially for Catherine's elegant and intricate braided wire jewellery -absolutely stunning pieces on show as usual
Teri Howes - Teri's intricate crocheted wire-work is also stunning - some lovely silver spirals in the collection that i hadn't seen before
Gilly Langton - Gilly makes big, bold and colourful pieces which I really love - using hand dyed elastic and silver, she creates gorgeous woven and looped shapes
Lesley Strickland - Lesley creates beautifully subtle yet bold bangles that i love, using her trademark cellulose acetate and silver - i particularly loved the new translucent purple colour she's added to her range
Joanne Bowles - Not a jeweller, but i loved the stunning shapes she creates and the contrast between the steel frames and delicate porcelain dishes in her sculptural vessels.
Jill Devon - I was very excited to see Jill's stand at Origin - it's the first time I've seen stitched bead work displayed alongside more traditionally 'precious' jewellery and it looked fabulous - a lovely colourful mix of intricate work and a great showcase to bring bead work to the attention of jewellery collectors - fantastic
Carol Mather - i have to admit, Carol's animal sculptures would not normally have grabbed my attention, despite being beautiful and skillfully made, but Carol had a little rat amongst her silver menagerie, and as I'm a little obsessed with my own (rather poorly at the moment) pet rat, i fell completely in love..... absolutely gorgeous
Yen - I'm particularly intrigued by the necklaces, almost spiky (spiky always gets my attention) but with round pin heads - they give a lovely unusual and tactile look to the jewellery - you just want to pick them up and play!
Wally Gilbert - again not a jeweller, but this time a silversmith - creating the most lovely vases, goblets and silverware - just ready for any medieval feast - beautifully heavy and intricately detailed
Chris Knight - another silversmith, this time creating spiky vessels (did i say i can't resist spiky?) gorgeous and perfect in their spikiness

There were of course many, many more fabulous artists and artworks, you can find full exhibitor listings on the Origin website, and Goldsmiths Fair is still open for another week, with a change of exhibitors at the weekend. I'm looking forward to see what treats are in store when i go back next week!

Gemstone Challenge - Week 8

08/30/2011 10:20:00

Well i'm still running rather behind on my challenge, but here's my latest update - with this gorgeous deep chocolatey red necklace.

Made from a combination of flat oval Brecciated Jasper beads, smaller round Garnet beads and a mixture of black glass beads.this necklace is extra long, so no clasp is needed. It is strung on a black tigertail (flexible beading wire) and is on two rows, which creates the unusual style.

Jasper is a beautiful and varied opaque gemstone, coming in a wide variety of colours and styles, often incorporating beautiful patterns and banding within the stones. I particularly like this type of Jasper because of it's warm colour and love the combination with the subtle deep dark red Garnets and the mixture of black glass to add a further contrast in shape and texture.

Gemstone Challenge - Week 7

08/25/2011 14:10:00

For this week of my challenge, I created bracelet using a mixture of gemstone beads from my stash. I used Rose Quartz , Picasso Jasper and Agate beads to create a bubbly pastel bracelet using silver chain and silver plated fittings.

I'm not usually a fan of pastel colours, which is why these gems have been in my stash for so long waiting to be used, but the Rose Quartz - with its translucency, and the lovely smoky textures often found within it is beautiful and contrasts beautifully with the opaque pinky cream Picasso Jasper. I added in a few of the mottled Agate beads for another layer of contrast which I think creates an interesting balance.

The bracelet was made during a teaching session demonstrating how to create wrapped loops to attach beads like these to chain or other elements. The wrapped loops create a more secure attachment than standard loops and add an extra level of decoration at the same time. They form part of my Jewellery Making Intermediate Day.

Rose Quartz is a stone that has properties traditionally liked with increased self worth, bringing the wearer peacefulness, a strong sense of love and some say lasting youthful looks.

I also made a matching necklace and earrings to go along with this bracelet during the same class session, which make a pretty set for anyone who loves their pinks.

New ideas

08/04/2011 21:56:00

Although I'm a working jeweller and jewellery making teacher and I've been studying and working in this field for almost 20 years, I still love learning new techniques and working to improve my existing skills.

I love adding to my stock of techniques whenever possible, so that when I come up with a design, I have the skills to be able to put it into practice to turn my designs from ideas to real pieces of jewellery. There are a huge range of skills and techniques used within jewellery making, so there is always something new and new teachers and artists to inspire and teach me.

With this in mind, over the last few weeks, I've been having a great time...

I am in the process of challenging myself to complete the Level 2 (senior) Art Clay Certificate, (taught by the fabulous Joy Funnell in Hastings) - I did the four day course and completed all my required pieces and they all passed. I am now working on my three independent pieces to send off later this month for marking.
I went back to Hastings last week for a one day course learning about Joy's specialist Enamelled Accents technique - adding colour to silver clay jewellery with traditional enamels - lots of fun, but definitely needs lots more practice to get a nice even colour and coverage! The image shows one of my pieces from this day.
A second wax carving day course at the London Jewellery School - lots of fun, i was concentrating on working to create neat joins between pieces of wax, so that as well as carving wax, i can start to add bits together to build up designs if i need to. Wax carving is used to create masters for lost wax casting - a model is made in wax which is then used to create a copy in precious metal.
This weekend i am attending an Etching course at the London Jewellery School. Unlike wax carving and enamelling, this is something i know the principles of but I've never tried before, so I'm intrigued to see this in practice and see what i can come up with! Looking forward to Saturday!