Home Sweet Home!

I finally got home from the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate last night at nearly midnight after a very long four days!

The trade show has been going for 43 years now and differs from other trade events as it only showcases work from the UK and Irish makers.  They have a strict no mass-manufactured products or products made overseas are allowed.

It gives designer/makers a chance to meet buyers from all over the country and introduce them to our existing and new product ranges and collections which is always very exciting.

Keep a look out in the next few months in your local galleries and independent shops for some fabulous new items from very talented artists and, if you're VERY lucky, SWD jewellery may be heading there too!

Busy Busy Busy!

Phew! It's been a busy couple of months and I've been very bad at keeping the blog up-to-date so I'm very sorry for that.

The British Craft Trade Fair is only a month away now so I'm frantically getting everything ready.  Last year was my first foray into the world of trade fairs so I have a much better idea as to where I can improve...the problem is that I have to many improvements that I want to implement!

I have a new collection debuting at BCTF this year and I'm very excited about it!  It is once again inspired by the beautiful forest I walk in every day with my dogs and I never fail to get new ideas.  It's forever changing yet always the same, do you know what I mean?

This new collection will be on the website after the trade fair is over although I still need to think of a name for it!  

(If you are reading this and you are a gallery or shop owner and would like an invite to the British Craft Trade Fair, please get in touch and I will be delighted to send you one!)

On The Bench!

It's only a little over a couple of weeks until the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate and there still seems to be a lot to do!  My lighting arrived yesterday so I'll be testing those out today.  The final pieces will be going to be hallmarked at the end of this week and I'm finishing what seems to be a mountain of paperwork - press releases, catalogues, order forms, artist statement etc.

I'm so excited to be meeting people who have a passion for all things handmade.  So many things are created by machines, it seems that we're losing skills that have been passed on over thousands of years.  

So the next time you're looking to buy a piece of jewellery , or something a little bit special, whether for yourself or as a gift, consider buying a handmade piece. Handmade means a little piece of the artist in each piece, you don't get that with a machine. Buy a little piece of the artist...a little bit of their passion...a little bit of the skill that produces such wonderful pieces.

If you're a gallery or shop owner who is looking to stock handmade items, visit BCTF this year....I'm on stand N65 by the way!

On The Bench!

The workbench has been a bit neglected of late.  Apart from commission pieces, not much has been happening.  All of my time has been taken up with preparation for the British Craft Trade Fair next month.  I've had to learn to do things I have never done before and this wouldn't have been possible without friends and other people within the trade giving their time for free.

A journalist friend has helped me write a press release (much harder than it seems!), my wonderful photographer Alex Sharp (www.alexsharp.co.uk) has helped with digital images queries and people I've met who exhibited at this trade fair before have given me some very useful hints and tips.

I'm always pleasantly surprised by how happy people are to share their time and expertise for nothing.  I only hope I can return the favour in the near future!

Right, back to it! Have a great weekend everyone :-) 

On The Bench!

It's been  bit of a manic week!  My poor bench has been a little neglected while I've been been preparing for BCTF but with more commissions coming in, it gives me a good reason to be sat there rather than in front of the laptop!

I love creating and will very often procrastinate about the paperwork/PR side of it because the bench is my comfort zone!  I know what I'm doing when I'm sat there and, I don't know if this is true for all creatives (if it is, please let me know!) but I feel I HAVE to sit at the bench pretty much every day, I need to create or work on something every day.  It doesn't have to be a huge amount but I have to get my "fix"!

On top of the commissions and BCTF and social media etc etc, I'm trying to buy a new house!  At the moment my workshop is in the attic (with the spiders, ugh!) but my new house has a ready built workshop....with a log burner....ON THE GROUND FLOOR!!!  The house buying process never seems to be a swift one but I am looking forward to sharing photos of my new space in the coming months!

Right, I'm off to get my "fix"!

On The Bench!

This week I'm working with red gold as well as silver on a new design.  I really like the contrast between the metals and this will work perfectly when conveying the story of the design.

I also have a new commission that I'm working on today.  It is a large statement neckline piece that will suit it's new owner down to a "T"!  All pieces tend to reflect the wearer's personality but this one more so than others.  I've been given the brief that it needs to include a beautiful spiral and the rest is down to me - being given free rein is exciting but can be nerve-wracking too!

I'm still frantically preparing for BCTF in April in Harrogate.  This will be my first trade show so the learning curve is steep and the to-do list is getting longer!  Better get back to it :-)

On The Bench!

Only 29 days left until Christmas.....Are you ready?!

I'm still busy preparing for the MAC Christmas Craft Market on the 12th of December (if you're near Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham, pop in...say Hi. It's always nice to put a face to a name!).  New ides keep popping into my head, I experiment, I love the result and want to make more so expect some new pieces at this event!

I know we're only in November now buy I'm already looking ahead to April next year.  I will be exhibiting for the first time at the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate.  This is a trade-only event where gallery and shop owners can meet people like myself who handcraft their pieces, not just jewellery but ceramicists, leather workers etc.  Even though I'm terrified (!), I can't wait to get in front of these buyers!  I can't decide which collections to take with me, I may have new designs by then but I know one thing, it'll be here before I know it.

I will be off to visit the jolly man in his red suit in Lapland on the 5th December so although you will still be able to buy through the online shop, I won't be able to ship it until the 9th.