Large silver ovoid necklace

Finally making stuff again ....

kitsch experiment

I've been wanting to make some kitsch jewellery with a sense of humour and have been playing around with throwing different materials together.

This ring is made in aluminium and silver with a large synthetic ruby.


It was also a bit of an experiment in setting and turned out to be impossible to set neatly.
The "first go" had to ba abandoned: originally each claw was independent, but with the aluminium giving rather that the thick prongs bending it ws never going to sit still.

So I cut the number of indenendant parts in half, and made the claws on each side out or one peice of silver instead. This helped somewhat, but it was still a real pain to get sitting still.

Still experimenting was fun, and it's always useful for kicking off more design ideas.

Pink Tourmaline ring

Said goodbye to this ring today which was picked up from the workshop by it's new owner.

This is a good example of why I need to do more "real world" selling: because it really needs to be handled (played with).
It was snapped up at my first show I've done in Germany.

Some new stuff

I've been sidetracked for an awful long time with the HCJ Project, but need desperately to get back on track experimenting and making.
My partner has cajoled me (rightly) into actually stepping out into the "real world" and doing a show. So I'm in the process of flailing around seeing what I can come up with which is (hopefully) appealing, but doesn't break the bank in the current financial climate.

This is the first prototype of something I've been toying with for ages. Made in nylon with a handmade magnetic catch in aluminium.

There will be other examples with a silver catch for people who want a little more "finery", but I like the ways the materials are working together currently.

Hello Udo

I'm no longer alone in the workshop (at least sometimes not).

This is Udo, hopefully spelt right, who has joined me as a sub-tenant.
The main reason Udo's arrived is the finacial crash caused by doing too much "unpaid" work, but it'll also be nice to have some "life" in the workshop and should be good for my German too!

Present in the post

I was delighted to receive a copy of Metalsmith magazine in the post.
The magazine itself looks very readable: I'll be devoting some time to it when I have a quiet moment.

What delighted me about it's arrival wasn't the magazine: but rather what it signifies for me personally.
It was sent to me buy Jon: someone I have never met personally.
Jon is one of the HCJ Project "early worms": helping to discuss and shape the HCJ Project in the forums.
This kind gesture helps convince me, that although progress has been much slower and the work required much greater than I ever expected; that bringing artists and gallery owners together and building a stage to represent handmade contemporary jewellery isn't a crazy one.
It's just allot more work than expected!

Thanks Jon!

Happy Christmas!

In all the rush I forgot to post to let people know that the point has been passed where I can have orders made and delivered before Christmas '08.

I am spending Christmas with the family, which is always a real treat: time to put up my feet, enjoy the warmth and digest the large quantities of food I am forced (no unwillingly) to consume.

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and "einen Guten Rutsch" into the New Year!

Gallery Map

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Not quite myself

I had a rather odd weekend in hospital. I'm back home now but still feeling rather peculiar.
I was "discovered" by some kind sole, out for the count face down on Saturday evening (no I hadn't been drinking etc).
I had damaged my eyes earlier and was suffering quite acute blindness, which is why I gave up the idea of cycling home and was headed towards a friends house when I must have blacked out.
I have seen an optitian since coming home and he said there isn't any damage to my eyes he can see, but today has been a very trying day, and things are still decidedly odd.
I had to finish a couple of items today, and there are a number of things which are "pressing", so I can't take a break.
Hopefully things will "look" a little clearer tomorrow.

Slow progress ...

Well it has been ages since I last wrote anything here....

I have been doing NOTHING else apart from working on "the HCJ Project".

I have even (shamefully) left a couple of customers waiting longer than normal for me to pull my finger out and do some "real work". Generally people are sooo nice: I will try my hardest to make sure the "wait" provides them with more than they hoped.

I have been developing the handy "search gadget", a slightly "slimmed down" version is running on this blog.

What does it do?...

Well I have always been struck by the tripe that often floats near the top when you do a jewellery related search. That's because you search everything in Google's index.
This gadget searches only jewellery related sites which have been "cherry picked" to be included.
So the results will all be jewellery related and not just a high ranked page on an unrelated site, which happens to include the search term.

Neat eh?

There is more about the search gadget here.

If you know a site that isn't currently in the index you can also submit it for consideration.