Merry Foxmas 🦊🎄
How are you all? Are you all ready for Christmas? I'm not sure if I am or I'm not, but I know I'm ready for a lovely break!
The workshop has been a hive of activity for months now which has been absolutely brilliant and I've loved every second of it. I need to spend a day or two going back over the photos and update the website with some gorgeous new pieces that people have made, because there are loads of fabulous pieces.
But, I best cover some of the bits and bobs I wanted to tell you first
- If you weren't already aware, Gail has started teaching the Tuesday evening group and they love her! She is continuing with Tuesday nights next year, and we're hoping to add a few more One Day Workshops in with ideas of maybe putting a Fold Forming workshop in and perhaps a Copper Flower workshop, as well as some of the usual workshops...but I thought it might be nice to add something a little bit different for a change! Let me know if you'd be interested in hearing more.
- Ooh, also, let me know if there's a workshop you fancy doing, but it's not on the website, preferably jewellery related, although I am open to other arty suggestions!
- There are a couple of spaces available on the weekly classes on either a Wed or Thurs evening, 6.30-9 for 9 weeks. I've offered them up to the people on the waiting list first, but if you're interested let me know, other wise I will be opening them up on the website on Christmas Eve.
- Bench Hire will be returning in the New Year. It will be alternate Wednesday's for the time being, but I am in discussions with my landlord about taking over the room next door...unfortunately he needs to tidy all his rubbish out of it...I did offer to help, but for some reason he declined 🤷ðŸ»â™€ï¸. So, we'll have to wait and see when I can expand Bench Hire to more than Wednesday's.
I'm sure there was plenty of other things I needed to tell you, but for once I will keep this quite short, other than to say a huge Thank You to everyone who has supported me over the last 12 months. It's been quite a crazy ride for all of us and I can quite safely say Jewellery Making has been the saviour for quite a few of us while the world does it's crazy thing around us. What's better than hitting metal to ease the stress...ok, so melting metal into balls...that might be just as good 😂.
As always, I've got grand plans for the New Year, new classes, old favourites, some more aluminium stuff...if you've not tried aluminium yet you'd love it, it's so much fun, promise...guest tutors, bench hire, oh and some secret squirrel stuff too 🤞. 2022 should be a good year!
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Printmaking workshop
A couple of weeks back I taught a none jewellery workshop and I loved it. I love to get creative in my sketchbook (when I have the time), and I've done a few courses over the years, before putting all the techniques together and teaching a printmaking workshop. We used alcohol inks, acrylic paint, quink and bleach, some gum arabic transfer (paper lithography) and a little bit of gelli printing, to create a whole range of fabulous art works. Some will be framed up, like this one above that Jan created, and some will be the start of sketchbooks, while others will transfer their designs across to aluminium to make into jewellery. A messy, colourful, successful day all round I think!
If you fancy giving this a go then drop me an email. I've not planned any dates in yet, but I'd like to if there's demand for something slightly different to jewellery. I find it's the perfect way to destress and just allow yourself the time to be creative with no thought in mind.
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Lasercut Christmas
Well, if you've been following me for a while, or you've been to the workshop, I do like to have some plans, one of which was to create some Christmas decorations with the laser cutter I bought earlier in the year. Unfortunately, for very good reasons (far too busy with lovely jewellery workshops!), I didn't get the time, but I did start to experiment a week or so back. There's still lots to tweak, but I'm really chuffed with my first experiments!
The grand plan is to create stencils for jewellery, and some rubber stamps for the aluminium kits, but it can be used for jewellery design, packaging, ooh and it can actually laser etch anodised aluminium as well!
Once I've got it sussed I may even add a workshop 🤞
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I started Christmas early in our house. I decided to treat us to a new tree this year in our new home, so as soon as it arrived we had to put it up to check it 😠🎄. To be fair, it took me another couple of weeks to decorate it!
But, as we had a mantelpiece this year, I wanted to create a little Christmasy scene that I'd found on Pinterest one year, so I set to and created these papier mâché houses. I think I may paint one different colours after Christmas, we'll see.
Can you see the lovely vase on the mantelpiece? It's a bit lost on there at the moment, but you'll see a beautiful copper flower that Haneen made. I shared this on Insta the other day, but for those of you not on social media I had to share it again. Haneen made it in class and very kindly gave it to me at the end of term, it's gorgeous! Don't forget, we're thinking of putting a copper flower workshop in so you can make your own 🌹. |
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I think that's it from me this year, I've got a couple of things to finish up today and then I'm looking forward to a nice long break, but I just want to say a huge huge thank you to everyone for supporting me and my business this year. I don't think I can really put into words how grateful I really am. At the beginning of this pandemic I thought I wouldn't open again, but you've proved me wrong, time and time again, so thank you, it really means a lot.
I want to wish you a peaceful, safe Christmas full of love and joy and look forward to seeing you in the New Year 🎉 |
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| Just a little end note, if Christmas is not your time of year, and things aren't going to plan, if you need someone to talk to please then I'm always here. There may be an out of office on my email but I will get back to you! |
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