Christine Kaltoft

Filipa Oliveira

2011-12-28T20:03:00.001Z

It's always good to see a new take on an old tradition, and that's exactly what Filipa Oliveira does. I first came across her work in the New Designers exhibition in London last summer, when she'd just been awarded with the Goldsmiths' Company's award for jewellery: quite an honour.

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It was no wonder Filipa had such a crowd around her: this is unusual work, and a great updating of an age-old technique. During her studies Philipa explored the ancient technique of filigree, which is associated with different peoples and cultures at different times and in many countries. Having begun her career in her native Portugal, Filipa took her degree in Jewellery and Metal Design in Dundee.

Making repeated tiny forms and often incorporating gemstones, Philipa constructs beautifully intricate cell-like patterns: her jewellery almost seems to unfold.

You can see (and buy) more of Filipa's work at the Barbican, open again now until 6th January, or on her website or facebook page.

Kathryn Hinton

2011-12-21T18:57:00.001Z

Today I received the loveliest package: some jewellery by Kathryn Hinton. Unfortunately it's not for me - I'm taking it in to the Barbican in London tomorrow, to supplement Kathryn's fast dwindling collection there.

This jewellery is amazing not just in the end result, but also in it's method of production. You can see Kathryn in the picture above, and what she's doing is using a digital hammer to form the shapes of her jewellery: you can see the piece she's working on on the screen in front of her.

The result of this stage is a digital file, as you can see in the image of the ring above. I haven't discussed the next stages with Kathryn, but I'm imaging the digital file is printed out in wax, which is then cast in metal.

The end product is a silver version of the digital image, which Kathryn then finishes by hand. Pretty incredible really, and the end results are beautiful: facets which catch the light, glimmering gently. Subtle and understated, elegant and sophisticated. Deceptively simple: I love them!

See more of Kathryn's jewellery and silversmithing on her website or pop along to the DJG pop-up shop in the Barbican now until 6th January to buy some.

Kathryn developed her work at the Royal College of Art, and currently also has a piece in the Crafts Council's Power of Making exhibition at the V&A.

Mariko Sumioka

2011-12-20T20:34:00.001Z

No contemporary jewellery lover can have failed to see this striking image of Mariko wearing one of her brooches: it's been one of The images of the season. Born and educated in Japan, Mariko came to the UK in 2009 to study jewellery and silversmithing in Edinburgh. The photo was taken by Agnieszka Tarnowska, who also studied in Edinburgh, and is as stunning as Mariko's jewellery.

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Anyone who has been to Japan will immediately recognise the source of Mariko's inspiration for this collection. It instantly transports me back to Kyoto, with it's bamboo, temples, and tiles. It's definitely worth checking out Mariko's website for some of her photos, sketches and collages - they're just so evocative.

Mariko's palette includes bamboo, textiles, and metal which she often enamels or patinates, creating a 'wabi sabi' aesthetic which I love. This jewellery is adventurous in form: catwalk necklaces, asymetrical earrings, and big brooches. All one-off pieces make this very collectable jewellery, but also very wearable. This is real creativity, and I look forward to seeing how Mariko's work develops.

I took this image of Mariko and some of her jewellery at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair this autumn - beautifully displayed - this is the art of placement! Right now Mariko's work is available in the DJG pop-up shop in the Barbican, London. There's more information about her processes on her blog, and her news on her facebook page.

Ros Millar

2011-12-19T19:26:00.001Z

Unusually, I'd heard of and seen Ros Millar's jewellery before I saw it at New Designers last July. Exhibiting in the 'one year on' section, Ros has done such a brilliant job with getting her work out there that it's hard to believe she only graduated in 2009.

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Ros's trademark is stacks of organically inspired gold and oxidised silver rings, which she makes in her studio in London.

This jewellery has a very contemporary feel to it. A glimspe into Ros' sketch book shows a cluster of teeth cast in silver, giving a hint of the origins of this bold, assertive work. I'd love to see her graduation collection and see how her work has developed, because I hadn't spotted the toothy link in the jewellery I've seen. This work is already really mature and considered.

It's interesting that Ros uses the process cuttlefish casting in her jewellery. This really ancient technique gives more than just texture to her jewellery: there's definitely a hint of the sea in there. The knobblyness suggests barnacles clinging to and growing out of the rings. And is it just me that sees a shoal of swimming creatures in the image above, and waving fronds of some sort of seaweed or some sea creature in the image below?

Work of this quality does no go unrecognised, and Ros already has a string of shows and awards under her belt. The image of her in her workshop above (by Nick Hand) was taken when she was a finalist for the Balvenie Young Master of Craft Awards, and her blog, facebook page, and website bristle with well deserved achievements.

I'm delighted that Ros is exhibiting with us in the DJG pop-up shop in the Barbican this winter. Open till 8pm every evening till 6th January (except 24th, 25th & 26th December), this is a great opportunity to see her work and stock up on those late Christmas presents!

Janice Zethraeus

2011-12-18T18:09:00.001Z

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I first met Janice Zethraeus when she was in the first year of her degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing at the London Metropolitan University. I was an artist in residence there at the time, and Janice was one of those students who stood out: friendly, enthusiastic, and particularly eager to learn. Of course at that stage in a degree course it's all about experimentation, and so when I left at the end of the academic year I had no idea what work Janice would end up producing.

We met again at the New Designers show last summer, when I was part of the team selecting six of the best new jewellers to join the DJG in our winter show at the Barbican. The competition was tough as usual, but Janice's work stood out and she won a place: great news because I knew she'd also be a good person to work with.

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I'm always interested in where makers get their inspiration from, and Janice was kind enough to share a glimpse inside her sketch book. Photos of cracked mud, imprints of fossils, leaf veins, and sand dunes set the tone. Janice has previously worked as an illustrator, it's no surprise to find ethereal drawings almost floating off the page.

With these images in mind, it's easy to understand Janice's jewellery: it flows and sparkles. Sinuous and elegant silver and gold wires - often set with tiny diamonds - almost seem to dance. This is joyful work, and I'm sure would be a pleasure to wear.

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Having been selected as one of the Crafts Council's 'hothouse' makers for 2011, Janice is definitely one to watch. You can still see (and buy) her jewellery at the DJG show in the Barbican Centre, London, now until 6th January 2012.

Busy time...

2011-11-27T17:03:00.001Z

Looking forward to my last big show of the season now, Made By Hand, next weekend in Newport. Been so busy over the past few weeks I've had no time to post here, however this is what I've been up to...

I've now got a collection on show in the Victoria Sewart Gallery in Plymouth, in her Christmas exhibition. Nice blog post here. Some great exhibitors that I'm proud to have my work alongside: I particularly love Nobuko Okumura's threads collection, shown in the image above.

My work's selling really well in the Barbican in London too: my new tanzanite sprig necklace (above) was snapped up almost within a week of first being shown, and my pebble crunch brooch (below) has sold too, plus some smaller pieces. Good to have big sales but also a tinge of sadness when a significant one-off pieces go to new homes!

I'm so pleased to have a collection back in Bovey Tracey, for the Devon Guild of Craftsmen's Christmas show, and made this doodle panel necklace with wooden beads especially to go there.

Yesterday I posted a top-up package off to the Waterperry Gallery near Oxford, which always does really well for me. I guess that'll be out on sale by next weekend.

I'm still completing my orders from the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair and Lustre: nice to keep Tom in the post office busy! This week I'll also be putting the finishing touches to some new pieces that'll have their debut in Newport next weekend: a very busy time!

A lustrous weekend in Nottingham

2011-11-04T21:41:00.001Z

Near Nottingham this weekend? Lustre https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201389469930193 is the place to be. A great contemporary craft fair with some of the UK's best independent designer makers.

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

2011-11-01T08:33:00.001Z

So so busy here, that I'm only just now getting a chance to finish my blog post about the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair. It was my first time in Manchester, and this is the only the second time I've tried taking short videos on my phone and uploading them in a blog post, so I'm just hoping it'll work!

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The first video is of the stand of Gillian Harvie, a jeweller I've never met before but who's work I love. I also REALLY admired the way she'd decorated her stand! Anyone who dares draw or paint directly onto that scary white surface gets brownie points from me, but Gillian had gone a step further, with whole scenarios befitting her creations. Raindrops, clouds and birds: some drawings, some wearable, ladders that travelled on dreamlike journeys around little stage sets of beautiful wearable scissors, tables etc. Just great, and really imaginative. And I'm so pleased that searching out her website to give you a link now, I find that her work is actually based on dreams! :-)

While I'm still on the theme of imaginative jewellery, I loved the work of Lucy Elsie Harvey, who displayed several collections using re-appropriated objects which were so beautifully made that they were fascinating and appealing despite also being quite spooky.

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The other jeweller I just HAVE to mention is Yu-Ping Lin - also known as Rainey - who makes fantastic flowing and wonderfully tactile jewellery from fabric. Using origami techniques gives the work great volume although it's wonderfully light, and watching her play with and transform pieces is just mesmerising. Hence the second video!

Moving on from jewellery, I always love Cathy Miles' wire work, and this wall of shoes was no exception. Although I must admit I love her birds more, but the shoes were just so photogenic, and you can see plenty of her birds on her website!

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I suspect this post's getting a bit too long and I'll never get it finished, so I'm going to combine a few more images in a gallery here. Do click through them to get a bit more of a flavour of what was there: hats from Katie Mawson, textile accessories beautifully presented by Rosie's Armoire, lampshades by Hannah Nunn (I fancy some of her hanging pods but my photo of them wasn't so good), ceramics by Tone Von Krogh and Katie Almond, cute little cactus pincushions by &made, intricate scenarios by Kate Lulham and cutlery and dishes by Latimeria.

My final mention is for amazing wooden clocks by Bruce Aitken, which I tried to video but sadly I didn't really do justice to the meditative effect that seeing these clocks in action has. Or maybe mediation and videos just don't go together?

Anyway: great fair, well selected, well run and much enjoyed.

The season begins...

2011-10-17T14:24:00.001+01:00

Just SO busy right now... my first big fair of this winter season is later this week: the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.

Now this is a fair I've heard many good things about but have never been too. A bit off my normal stomping ground as it's up north (as you might guess from the name) in Manchester! If it's reputation - and the list of exhibitors - is anything to go by, it'll be fantastic. Lots of favourite familiar names, and new ones too.

I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the work of Malin Winberg: amazing raised silver bowls,

Ken Eardley: great ceramics

and Bekx Stephens - amazing folded and stitched paper forms.

But who knows what'll grab me when I'm there?!

Do come along.

The opening evening on Thursday 20th is from 6-9pm, and then it's open 10am - 7pm Friday 21st October, 10-6 on Saturday, and 10-5 on Sunday. Only £6 entrance (£10 on Thurs eve, £5 concessions, £10 for a weekend pass). Full info here.

Somerset Art Weeks: Holt Farm

2011-10-09T19:08:00.001+01:00

Now I'm feeling slightly guilty about this post because we went to see the Redlynch Artists who were exhibiting at the Organic Gardens at Holt Farm, but actually I'm afraid I preferred the organic gardens to the show. Sorry Redlynch artists, but I guess art isn't meant to appeal to everyone anyway, is it?

The wonderful gardens at Holt Farm certainly did appeal to me though. Holt Farm turns out to be the home farm of the Yeo Valley dairy business owners. They open their garden to the public on specific days throughout the summer and for special events including this show.

This is my sort of garden. Wild(ish) swathes of flowers bursting through gravel, vistas, sculpture, a vegetable garden, and a great tea room. Lovely cakes. Amazing loos!

I particularly liked the way that each little feature was thought through and attended to: the handles on gates were beautifully crafted for instance, in fact there was a lot of art in the garden in one way and another. I regret now not taking more pictures, but it was rather rainy when we were there, and you can see more pictures here, on the Veg Plotting blog.

Do take a look at the Holt Farm website: it's equally well crafted with - believe it or not - a snail walking around it waving it's antennae (I assume that's what they're called). I guess walking is the wrong word, but it is in all honesty a little too jerky to be called a slither.

Whimsy - no garden (or website) should be without it. Open once more this year only, on 30th October for Seedy Sunday.

This feels like a generous garden, and I shall enjoy my Yeo Valley dairy products all the more from now on!

Somerset Art Weeks: Wick Farm

2011-10-04T18:46:00.001+01:00

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I've long been a fan of open studios: in fact visiting 'Hidden Art' studios in London's east end was one of the things that made me passionate about craft in the first place long before I became a maker. I loved climbing wonky staircases and emerging into wonderful caverns of creativity: quite magical. Of course the romance disguised often appalling working conditions and extreme poverty, and I'm sure makers who were sometimes quite desperate for a sale. And we did buy some fantastic things, some of which still adorn our home now.

I had no idea what Somerset Art Weeks would be like though, as this is the first time we've had the opportunity to attend any of the exhibitions and events. To our great delight I have to say they've been fantastic. Very different to the London events in many ways, but still revealing sides of life that are new to us, and of course some amazing art and craft.

One place we've visited and thoroughly enjoyed was Wick Farm, near Langport. Ten artists had collaborated to create a whole trail of fun things.

I particularly loved the gigantic metal hare's head shown above, and the swimming costumes which had been planted up with flowers beside a swimming pool were fun. A turf seat with upcycled sacking cushions was refreshingly cool and surprisingly comfortable. The shepherds hut full of fast deteriorating food sculptures, was, I guess, interesting (as well as very saggy and rather mouldy).

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In the wood (yes it's a world away from Hoxton) there were a number of installations including a series of action men and women climbing a tree (amongst other antics), a giant rabbit sitting in a tree, a series of etherial dog paintings, and various suspended carvings.

Unlike the London studios, there wasn't much of an emphasis on things being sold, unless you count the soup, tea and cakes, which we happily bought and throughly enjoyed!

All in all: top marks for effort. Loved the map, the atmosphere, the venue, the food, and some of the art, and I'd definitely visit again. Many thanks Wick Farm Arts!

Gallery nine

2011-08-23T16:06:00.001+01:00

Had a lovely day last Friday taking a package of work into my newest gallery: Gallery nine in Bath.

Bath is the closest big city to my new home in Somerset, and so I was very pleased when Sarah Denholm, the proprietor, came around to my stand at the Contemporary Craft Fair in June and asked if I'd like to exhibit in her gallery. A few weeks later I ventured into Bath and I found that her gallery was definitely my sort of place, so I gladly accepted her offer to be my representative in this beautiful city!

The gallery itself is in a really nice area. Margarets Buildings is a small pedestrian street a few minutes walk from the centre. It's less touristy and more residential up here, and the gallery sits alongside some lovely little shops, cafes and restaurants: an ideal situation.

Inside everthing is beautifully presented. A number of highly reputable jewellers I know have work there: Catherine Hills, Lesley Strickland, Gail Klevan to name just a few.

There are two floors, and addition to jewellery, Gallery nine has a great collection of ceramics.

These elegant vessels are by David White. Sasha Wardell and Phillip Lydden also have work there which I also love.

And who can resist Sue Binns lovely stripey and really functional mugs and jugs (not me - I have several!)

There was a great selection of paintings and prints. I particularly liked the paintings in this picture, by Neil Canning. Made me wish I had more wall space. The textiles were good too: some lovely scarves. Sarah and I obviously have similar tastes.

All in all, I'd highly recommend a trip to Gallery nine. It's certainly a place I'd be frequenting even if I didn't have some of my jewellery in there.

9b Margarets Buildings, Bath, BA7 2LP

tel 01225 319197

www.gallerynine.co.uk

Pinterest: keeping my dreams in the ether

2011-08-12T19:02:00.001+01:00

Moving into a smaller home has upsides and downsides. One plus has been that I've found newer and better solutions to all those piles of paper I used to accumulate with notes about things I loved. The old paper piles hung around and haunted me, accusingly. I couldn't deal with them: what would dealing with them mean? I couldn't possibly buy all those lovely things, and yet neither could I throw away the little snippetty reminders I posessed.

Thankfully the internet often comes to my rescue now. Evernote and Dropbox are great virtual storage spaces for different things. Pinterest is - I think - lesser known and that's partly why I'm focusing on it here. Not only is it just such a nice, visual storage place, but it's also very public, and why not share lovely things? It's fun and inspirational, and definitely worth shouting about!

How it works is that you sign up for an account, and then clip online images and links to virtual pin-boards, covering whatever categories you like. The boards are public, which means you get to see other peoples great finds too.

So, here's a link to images of some jewellery that I love.

I often find textile designs and graphic design inspirational, so I have a board for 2d designs.

With moving into a new home, decor is never far from my mind right now. My decor board is a great place for keeping track of 'one day' things, plus things that'll never really fit but I love them anyway!

Of course food is never far from my thoughs, and in those days before we had a fully functional kitchen having a food board was a great way of keeping my aspirations alive.

One thing I really missed, when half our possessions were still in London and we were in Somerset, was my collection of ceramics. We've collected a number of beautiful pots and vases over the years, and having them back with us now really makes the cottage feel like home. So I couldn't be without a vessels board: it's been a way of keeping in touch with my missing pots!

That's just a hint of the delights of pinterest. It's a great way of appreciating, promoting, and sharing as well as remembering and finding new lovely / funny / interesting people and things. Try it!

Come a long way...

2011-08-04T18:31:00.001+01:00

Well we've finally gone and done it - moved full time to Somerset - bye bye London!

It's now nearly seven years ago that I quit my job as CEO of a charity and went back to university to retrain as a jewellery designer. Having made that career change - and subsequently established myself as a designer/maker - moving to the country was the logical next step in the process of simplifying my life and downshifting. It certainly feels like a new and very different phase: I've spent all my adult life living in the inner city, and have never lived in the country before.

I'm really going to miss our old house in London, which really was a very special house, but at least I know that the new occupants are really nice people who already love their new home and will take good care of her.

I'm going to miss the old London garden in particular, as it really was my favourite place, and I spent many happy hours there.

When we took on this little country cottage the garden was a complete wilderness: you had to slash your way through to the end, and peep through bushes to get a glimpse of the view beyond. It was sad, because the cottage had been a weekend retreat for my in-laws and in it's prime had been very well tended.

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Anyway, with a major renovation on our hands, the garden had to be razed. Luckily a friend of mine fostered the few plants we could salvage.

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The garden became a building site. At least this gave us an idea of how much space we had, which was much more than we'd expected.

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We planned a terrace next to the house, then a cottage garden, then fruit and vegetable beds (that was before we got the allotment!), and then a gravel garden with another terrace at the end overlooking the valley. In case you hadn't gathered - it's a long thin garden!

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The bare earth stage was very difficult for me: I missed the lushness of my mature London garden! We've spent a lot of time this spring visiting plant sales and open gardens, and with the addition of kind donations and lots of hard work, the garden is now looking quite green and floriferous. Amazing when you consider that the first plant only went in one year ago! Of course the hedges help a lot. Wish I could think of a good way to use all those redundant plastic plant pots...

Gardening's always a bit of trial and error with the hens. I love the way free-ranging hens bring the garden to life, so in general my policy is that plants have to stand up for themselves against the hens: they don't get mollycoddled. We've made an exception with the vegetable beds which as you can see are netted, and the new roses are getting protected until they're a bit bigger. But apart from them, every plant gets taste tested! Bizarrely, the hens seem to go for different things at different times: the alchemilla mollis which was very hen-pecked in London is completely ignored here!

A real bonus is the view from the end of the garden, which emerged once the 'hedge' was hacked down. It's terrific (though often also terrifically windy). I'm looking forward to having the terrace that overlooks it a bit more sorted: at the moment it's just a pile of gravel with a bench in the middle!

Anyway - big move done! I'm now settling into life in the country... and hopefully a few more regular blog posts!

New Designers 2011

2011-06-27T18:59:00.001+01:00

Really looking forward to visiting New Designers 2011 this week. I had such a fantastic time there myself four years ago that I get a buzz just from the anticipation!

This year I'll be visiting on behalf of the Designer Jewellers Group, as every year we select six of the best new jewellery designer makers to join us in our winter show at the Barbican, London. There'll be seven of us on the selection panel this time. We all separately select our favourites and then whittle down the choices: usually a very hard job!

Revisiting the chosen few afterwards to reveal our identities and make offers can be surprisingly emotional as we're all quite excited!

It'll be great to see three of our last year's group exhibiting again this year in the 'One Year On' section: Tom McDowell, Elizabeth Humble, and Nicola Mather.

Two bits of advice to people exhibiting for the first time: please keep a good stock of postcards to hand (we use them to vote for you), and also do use the experience to get used to talking to people about your work! I know it's hard, but be there, next to it, make eye contact, and smile! You really can't tell who's got a great offer up their sleeve, and competition is strong. If we haven't been able to talk to you it's much harder to make a good case for selecting you even if we love your work.

Good luck to everyone!

SEED @ Black Swan Arts

2011-06-17T19:32:00.001+01:00

Just wanted to show you a few quick snaps of my latest outlet: SEED which is now in the Black Swan Arts building in Frome.

Having recently moved to Somerset I've been checking out potential nearby outlets for my jewellery, and had shortlisted both SEED (which used to be in Catherine Hill) and Black Swan Arts. Imagine my distress when I heard that the Black Swan craft shop was closing due to Somerset County Council's arts funding cuts, and SEED was moving! Luckily it was only short lived as it emerged that SEED was moving into Black Swan's shop: a really great solution, to have a home grown business taking over this key Frome facility.

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I was delighted when Sinead approached me about supplying some jewellery for the new enlarged SEED. The shop only opened the day before these photos were taken, and it had all been set up in record time. Not surprisingly there's a freshness to the display, alongside the feel of this being an aladdin's cave, ripe with opportunities to discover and be delighted.

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Regulars will recognise the familiar SEED style: every corner looks fantastic, full of gorgeous products, treats for the self and the home.

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The shop is a haven for gift hunters, with everything from cards and candles through to table wear and probably even tables, because most of the display furniture is actually for sale!

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Sinead really does have a knack for both selecting and displaying things, so SEED is well worth a visit. The Black Swan Arts gallery is still open on the first floor with a good programme of exhibitions, and the craft studios and Divas cafe are still open too, so there's plenty to see and do within the same building.

2 Bridge Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1BB.

The Bovey that was...

2011-06-14T17:19:00.001+01:00

Just thought I'd share a few bits and pieces from the weekend, in case you missed it...

The Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey is really much more than just a craft fair: it's a major event. The landlord in my B&B complained about the £7 entrance fee, but to be honest there was enough there to keep you occupied for a whole day, and considering the cost of entrance to stately homes or other attractions I think this was a complete bargain. Poor little Bovey Tracey must wonder what's hit it!

There's lots going on: music, food, demonstrations and workshops in addition to 165 designer makers. Couldn't resist snapping this little group of knitters underneath a knitting adorned tree...

Wonderful willow huts - I'd have loved one of these as a child (and they still look tempting now)

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In fact I nearly opted for another somewhat more adult woven creation: a wonderful hat by Sally-Ann Provan (is that Sally-Ann knitting under the tree? Think so!)

I was also tempted by pots by Katrin Moye, bags and pictures by Dr Bean's Bags, and jewellery by Sarah Lindsay, to name just a few. Wish I'd had time to snap equally fantastic jewellery by Dot Sim, Tanja Ufer, and Suzanne Potter.

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One day I'm definitely going to indulge in a bird sculpture by Celia Smith.

This is my stand:

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It was all great fun with amazing creations during the day and parties in the evenings. This toy by Robert Race was on an outing to the designers tent...

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I wish I'd made it to the toy tent to see more, but the heavens opened on the Sunday and I didn't manage a full exploration.

Never mind - hopefully I'll manage next year!

Contemporary Craft in the South West

2011-06-09T01:20:00.001+01:00

I'm getting really excited now because it's time for the Contemporary Craft Fair in Bovey Tracey again! Last year I had great fun exhibiting: it's one of the friendliest shows, very well run, and is really just a fantastic event with something for everyone! 165 UK designer makers, demonstrations, workshops, entertainment, food: what more could you want?

Good weather? Well amazingly it looks as if the weather this year is going to be sort of sunshine and showery, which I guess is pretty good. A bit of a surprise as it always seems to be either a heatwave or a torrential downpour every time I've been to Bovey so far - this time I might even risk leaving my fan at home!

Anyway - I hope to see you there: I'm on stand B31.

The fair opens on Friday 10th June at 10am, and runs from 10am - 5pm on Saturday and Sunday too. Full details here.

Barbican buzz

2011-06-06T16:53:00.001+01:00

Life in the country is good, but I did enjoy being in London again to set up my jewellery display in the Barbican on Friday. The Barbican was one of the first places I exhibited as a jeweller and every time I visit I still get a buzz of excitement!

The show this summer is looking really good. We're in a slightly different place - just opposite our normal spot and even closer to the food hall on the ground floor.

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One of the six New Designers we selected to exhibit with us last winter was Tom McDowell. Having won the Stephen Maer award Tom's going to be exhibiting with us for the next two years, and the Barbican have also selected one of his humorous brooches to adorn our brochure for the show.

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Sometimes we're lucky enough to be able to invite special guest exhibitors for a show, and this time we've selected four fantastic jewellers to join us. Sarah Parker-Eaton is always one of my favourite exhibitors at Goldsmiths' Fair. Her intricate and quirky jewellery is based on plankton and I find it fascinating! Nan Nan Liu exhibited with the DJG as a New Designer when I did, and makes fantastic pieces in silver and paper. All the exhibitors were stunned by her work at set up! John Moore has beautifully sleek and colourful jewellery in anodised aluminium, and Ulli Kaiser makes stunningly vibrant work with tiny coloured beads.

You can see all the work - literally hundreds of pieces by 27 designer jewellers - every day now until 22nd June. The sales desk is open from 12 midday till 8pm. Enjoy!

Coming soon...

2011-05-18T17:51:00.001+01:00

May is a month of preparation in my studio, because June is show month! Firstly I'll be setting up in the Barbican for the Designer Jewellers Group summer show, which opens on Thursday 2nd June and runs through till 22nd.

London Jewellery Week is from 6th - 12th June, and at that time my work will be on show in the Barbican, Studio Fusion, and Platform Gallery in Hatton Garden.

The bad news is that I won't be in London myself then: however the good news is I'll be heading down to Devon for The Contemporary Craft Fair in Bovey Tracey! If it's anything like last year, this'll be great fun, with 165 top UK designer makers from all disciplines, and loads of activities going on. Well worth a visit.

Black and Gold

2011-05-05T17:21:00.001+01:00

The Roger Billcliffe Gallery in Glasgow is holding a 'black and gold' jewellery exhibition and invited me to participate, an offer which I've gladly accepted. The exhibition opens on 7th May and continues to 28th.

I've just noticed that Craft Scotland have used an image of my oxidised silver and 18ct gold flock necklace to advertise the event, which is very nice!

Wish I could visit, as I particularly like the combination of oxidised silver and gold together in jewellery: it's what I usually choose to wear myself. I'd love to see what other jewellers have made. Although of course that might be just too tempting!

Matt's Kitchen

2011-04-28T21:31:00.001+01:00

We're beginning to sample the gastronomic delights of Somerset, and couldn't resist visiting Matt's Kitchen, in Bruton High Street. Actually what we really visited was Matt's sitting room, which he's turned into possibly the smallest restaurant I've ever been to. Small in size but certainly not on style: this is a bold venture in many ways.

Bold because, firstly, Matt's Kitchen is only open for lunch on weekdays and a couple of evenings a week. Usually: it's all very much a question of what suits Matt. He likes to keep his weekends free, but he sometimes hosts private dinner parties on other evenings too. Well if you can run a viable restaurant business without working too many unsocial hours, then why not?

The menu is bold too in it's simplicity: it's different each day, and published once a week (he sticks it in his window). What Matt shows on the menu is the main course of the day only - and even with that there's a caveat that this is the plan, but it might change if he finds something else better. The day we went he'd advertised Provencal fish stew, and that was indeed what we were served as a main course. It was served On a bed of leeks with aioli and chunks of bread, and was perfectly good (although the potatoes could have been cooked a little longer).

The rest of the menu was recited to us by Matt. There was a small choice of starters: J had Matt's homemade merguez sausages. They were very good. The family on the next table decided they were the best sausages they'd ever had (it's that sort of place: a dream for eavesdroppers).

I had a mackerel mousse (light but large), and we also had a plate of three fresh salads (fennel and orange, marinated courgette ribbons, and fresh leaves). Matt gave us some green olive and almond tapenade too, which was delicious.

The puddings were great. Rhubarb ice cream with poached rhubarb was yummy (if you like ice cream with a crystalline texture, which I do). Lemon syllabub - again with poached rhubarb - was rich, creamy, and unctuous.

I have to say it took a bit of a leap of faith to eat in Matt's kitchen, but it was worth it. There isn't really any choice to speak of in any of the menu: when we had some choice it was because there was one dish left presumably from the previous day. And we had no idea what the prices of the starters or puds were going to be until the bill arrived. But with starters at £4, the mains at £10, and puds at £4 we came away with a very reasonable bill of £43 for 2 (we had 3 starters and there's a small charge for corkage).

The decor is quirky and fun: a mixture of ancient blue Lias flagstones, timbers, a big inglenook, and white walls complemented by a very eclectic and characterful mix of 50s/70s furniture. The shelves display an amazing collection of bizarre artefacts (mostly vintage plastic toys and household implements) painted turquoise in true art-school chic. Sounds odd maybe, but it gives a very contemporary vibe and it works. Matt himself was charming, and quite how he manages to cater for 16 people and play host with only one helper as far as I could see is an incredible feat. Obviously lots of advance preparation, but the meal was none the worse for it.

Matt's Kitchen is certainly one of the more unusual restaurants I've eaten in in this country, and definitely one of the more interesting. There's something about the scale of the operation and the way you have to surrender to Matt's menu that gives the meal a little drama and the sense of it all being a bit of An Experience. I'll definitely be back for more. Booking essential: 01749 812 027

New gallery in Edinburgh

2011-04-11T18:07:00.002+01:00

Silversmith and jeweller Sarah Hutchison is all set to open her own contemporary jewellery gallery in Edinburgh. Called 'SH Jewellery', the gallery's logo will be based on Sarah's own hallmarking punch.

I've exhibited alongside Sarah many times, and she's been great at selling my work in Platform Gallery in Hatton Garden, so I'm really pleased to have been invited to submit work for her opening show on 7th May.
Publicity is already building with an article on Sarah and her gallery in Professional Jeweller. Exciting!

Plotting

2011-04-09T21:47:00.001+01:00

We're over the moon with our new allotment: it's in the parabola - an old walled garden in the grounds of Hadspen House. It's a completely magical spot.

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Our real first job is to prepare the ground for planting, but as there are a number of wild and naturalised flowers out at the moment, I took the opportunity to capture them with my camera this morning, in case they get lost in the planting process.

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OK I know some of them are only dandelions, but they're beautiful nonetheless! Snowdrops, celandines, forget me nots, bluebells, primroses, comfrey and more I'll have to get my wild flower book out for...

Outside the allotment site itself were some amazing fritillaries - one of my favourites.

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Problem with having an allotment in such an amazing spot is that it's hard to do anything other than gaze in wonder!

What I've been up to

2011-04-07T19:24:00.001+01:00

Been a bit quiet with the blog recently because I've been busy with other things ... like moving to Somerset! We're still partly in London as we haven't sold the house there yet, but in the meantime are spending an increasing amount of time in the country.

It's really good to make friends with the neighbours

have great views from the end of your garden

and fantastic walks just a minute from the house.

I'm also loving the farmers markets, fresh country air, and completely different noises.

I have to say that I'm looking forward to the familiarity of Hatton Garden next week too though! ;-)

My new collection: prototypes

2011-03-02T18:51:00.001Z

Tying in with the wooden bird brooch series I posted about last week, here's a sneak preview of some more new pieces.

Although I've made lots of brooches using walnut before, I've never yet carried that through into making necklaces and earrings with wood too. I've decided it's about time I did so, and these are some of the prototypes.

Sprig pendant in 18ct gold, sterling silver, and walnut.

Sprig pendant in sterling silver and walnut.

There's a simple pendant without the sprig too, and stud and dangly earrings to match. Other pendants, cufflinks, and more to follow.

I'll hoping to get some feedback at Desire, the Jewellery and Silversmithing Fair I'm exhibiting at from tomorrow. Please feel free to leave some here too!

'Make Jewellery'...

2011-02-25T19:24:00.002Z

'Make Jewellery': well making jewellery is certainly something I do, and I'm very happy to be featured in the 'Make Jewellery' magazine (out today) as their 'blog of the month'! Can't help feeling a bit of a fraud though, as I've been so busy recently I've let my normal weekly blogging schedule slip!
I guess the thing is that life as a jewellery designer / maker is a very seasonal thing: much more so than I realised before I became one. Of course you'd expect Christmas to be the main sales time, and it is, but that's just a part of the picture. Once the Christmas rush is over I find I need to turn my attention to a bit of admin, especially in order to meet the tax return deadline at the end of January. After this I have to get straight back into designing new jewellery because most of the application deadlines for the big autumn / winter shows are in March, and that means I need fresh images.
My collection this season is based largely on the imprints in my mind of the end of our garden: the bantam hens that visit from next door and line up on the bench, the view of the valley and hills, the silhouette of the holly tree and the often amazing skies. I knew I wanted to add to my series of 'bird brooches', using primarily silver and wood. Limiting my pallet is key for me: otherwise I easily end up with a horrible miss-mash.

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I often think things through in the shower and sketch ideas on the steamy glass. Luckily no trace of most them remains, but a few make it on to the next design stage. I start playing with pieces of cardboard, and sketching on my iPad. I find this a terrific new tool as I can play around with the images, moving elements around in a way I can't do with a sketchbook.

Next I start cutting up pieces of wood and soldering together bits of silver, playing with all the separate elements and swapping them around in different formations.

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Deciding which formation to go with is the hard part, and I always put off the final riveting / soldering / gluing bit for as long as possible. Many seedling ideas get discarded along the way, and I accumulate a pile of unused 'elements', most of which will eventually get used somewhere, but maybe in something quite different!

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These are some of the brand new finished brooches!
I'll be exhibiting them along with the rest of my jewellery in 'Desire' Jewellery and Silversmithing Fair next week, so do come along if you can. Email me for a free private view invitation for Thursday evening (3rd March, 4.30 - 8pm). The show continues from 10am - 5pm on 4th - 6th March, in London SW15. Full details on the Craft in Focus website.

The New Encyclopedia of Jewellery Making Techniques

2011-01-25T19:57:00.001Z

Now emerging from my tax return fug to see that Jinks McGrath's 'New Encyclopedia of Jewellery Making Techniques' features my jewellery numerous times! This is really great, and feels like a fantastic honour because I remember reading the original version of this book avidly when I was studying.

My 18 carat gold doodle panel necklace is the sole piece shown on the 'Introduction' page, and heads the chapter on 'Working With Wire', as well as a snippet of it creeping into the contents page. Unless they've already sold it, this piece is currently in the Lesley Craze gallery.

The 'Design' chapter features pages from my sketch book, showing some of the drawings I made when working on my bird brooch series, and there are also some of my scribbly earrings and a pendant alongside.

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One of my bird brooches, the 'Que?' brooch, is then shown in the section on wood in 'Using Other Materials'.

It really is a lovely book, and a quick flick through makes me feel quite wistful about for all the techniques I tried at uni but haven't used since. I really would like to find time to be a bit more experimental again: jewellery making is an amazingly wide subject area!

Anyway, in case you're interested, the book also features images of jewellery made by: Felicity Peters, Susan May, Anastasia Young, Catherine Hills, Lesley Strickland, Shelby Fitzpatrick, Mette Jensen, Alison Macleod, Daniela Dobesova and many others, so my jewellery's in very good company.

I was going to list the techniques covered, but honestly there are too many to mention. It's a classic book, and I really feel so honoured to be in it!

Nicola Mather

2011-01-05T19:09:00.001Z

As the end of our DJG winter 2010 show approaches, it's time for me to feature Nicola Mather, the sixth new designer who exhibited with us at the Barbican this year.

Nicola makes beautiful and ethereal jewellery in stainless steel and silver.

Using mushrooms and seeds she collects as tools to make prints, Nicola develops unique and interesting patterns: these patterns inspire and inform her jewellery.

You can see the wonderfully detailed textures in this poppy seed brooch created by etching.

Nicola's laser welded earrings have been a best seller in the show this year.

Delicately sculptural and with a dream-like quality, it's no wonder Nicola's already doing so well.

Alice O'Neill stitches it up

2010-12-26T18:47:00.001Z

When the DJG selection team visits New Designers to choose our six new jewellers for the year it's a very democratic affair. Just like the buying public we all have our own personal preferences, which is great because then we end up with a more varied and interesting show. It does mean though that as much as I admire all our new makers, I wouldn't want to wear all their jewellery myself. I was however immediately drawn to Alice O'Neill's jewellery on a personal level, and would love to be able to wear it!

Alice is inspired by 'functional paraphernalia' and particularly things that relate to clothes and their making. In practice this means that she constructs necklaces and cufflinks from washing symbols, bases hair pins on scissors, and creates rings that reference needles.

One thing I really admire about Alice is the way she's prepared to push boundaries and be a bit more adventurous in her jewellery. This image shows one of her trademark 'button brooches'. These sleek silver brooches slide onto vintage buttons that the wearer sews onto their clothes... if you can bear to detach them from slither of beautiful antique fabric they're sold with, that is.

This adjustable 'hook and eye' necklace combines beautifully finished gold-plated silver with a 'chain' of lace: very on-trend with it's nod to burlesque.

Quirky, tactile, original, and contemporary: Alice's jewellery is simply gorgeous!

You can still see and buy Alice's lovely work at the DJG pop-up shop in the Barbican from 27th December - 5th January.

Last minute Christmas shopping!

2010-12-18T18:25:00.001Z

Just thought it was worth saying that it's not too late to order jewellery direct from me for delivery in time for Christmas: the snow looks great but it's not the best weather to go shopping in!

These two price lists show my 'Sketches' and 'Nest' collections, and all the prices include delivery by the Royal Mail Special Delivery service. This normally gives guaranteed next day, but given the weather I'd rather take your order by midday on Monday 20th, so I can get your package in the post on that same day.

Sketches_collection_price_list.pdf (6119 KB)
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Nest_collection_price_list.pdf (13455 KB)
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I can take card payments over the phone, so please either phone me (on 07530 292872) or email me (on christine@christinekaltoft.co.uk) and I'll ring you back.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Something to look forward to...

2010-12-13T18:48:00.001Z

So glad to hear I've been selected for the one day designers sale at Craft Central on Tuesday 15th February!

INVITATION_OneDayDesignersSaleFashion_15Feb2011.pdf (155 KB)
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Should be fun, with 40 UK designers of jewellery, fashion and accessories all selling direct to the public. Previews of new collections, discounted bargains from previous collections: only problem is that it's likely to be too busy for me to get much of a look around!

Press_Release_OneDaySaleFashion_15Feb2011.pdf (346 KB)
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Victoria Walker: inspired by movement and nature

2010-12-09T18:24:00.001Z

We actually spotted (and loved) Victoria Walker's work at New Designers 2009, and so we were delighted to find her again in the 'One Year On' section in this year's show. There was no doubt in our minds that she'd make a great exhibitor at the Barbican this year.

This photo of Victoria exhibiting at Hidden Art in Cornwall this summer show how exceptionally mature her work is for someone who graduated so recently: just like her fantastic stand, her work is amazing, with incredible attention to detail.

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Fascinated by movement and natural forms, Victoria's jewellery often has moving parts, as you can see in this beautiful sterling silver and 18ct gold Daisy Locket.

This 'Fly Away' pendant illustrates her idea that 'sometimes the most beautiful or precious elements are hidden beneath the surface': a diamond is nestled between the wings.

Having already exhibited at the Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey and won a bursary from The Goldsmiths' Company for her mechanical locket designs, Victoria is already clearly having great success in her career. But to really appreciate the quality of her work you do need to see it and handle it, which you can do now at the DJG pop-up shop Barbican, London every day until 23rd December, and then again from 27th December - 5th January.

It's a beautiful day...

2010-12-05T11:18:00.001Z

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The sun is shining, the bacon is sizzling and the craft is here and waiting for you!

www.madebyhand-wales.co.uk

Have a wonderful day!

Made by Hand in Newport

2010-12-04T19:28:00.001Z

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Had another great day at Made by Hand! Today was really busy and, unlike other new fairs I've heard of, the good people of Wales did seem to know what contemporary craft was about and were ready to buy!

There are some fantastic makers here displaying glass, ceramics, textiles and all sorts of mixed media: Lowri Davies, Opi, Becky Adams, Potter Morgan Glass, Ellul Ceramics, and Sarah Malone to name just a few, plus of course great jewellers including Emily Nixon, Suzanne Potter, and Cindy Ashbridge.

Makers including Louise Hibbert and Wendy Lawrence are demonstrating their crafts and there are also some rather good food stands to keep us all going.

So - a good show? Yes, definitely one I'll want to keep in my calendar.

If you haven't already visited we're open again tomorrow from 10am - 5pm, at Tredegar House, Newport. Highly recommend!

www.madebyhand-wales.co.uk

Elizabeth Humble: precious landscapes

2010-11-29T17:45:00.001Z

Profiling another of the new designers we've selected to exhibit at the Designer Jewellers Group show at the Barbican this winter: Elizabeth Humble.

Elizabeth impressed me right away as I walked round at the New Designers show last July because she actually approached me and was immediately friendly and ready to talk about her work. That may not seem much, but when some graduates have to be hunted down and winkled out of their bored and self conscious clumps, Elizabeth's approach definitely stood out.

On seeing her jewellery I wasn't surprised to hear that Elizabeth had won the prestigious Goldsmiths' Company Jewellery Award, and as a result would be designing an exclusive commercial collection for luxury jewellery brand Astley Clarke.

Elizabeth's main source of inspiration is the rugged and beautiful landscape of the west coast of Scotland. She begins by drawing weather-beaten hillsides and areas of coastal erosion in her sketchbook on field trips.

Back in the workshop she works on selecting details and structures from her drawings that she can translate into metal. Layering silver wires and using hand-forming techniques, Elizabeth has developed a collection that includes brooches, necklaces, earrings, and rings.

The work that Elizabeth has on display in the Barbican is stunning and unique. On display from 8am to 11pm but only on sale from 12 midday till 8pm, in the DJG pop-up shop by the Food Hall. Not to be missed!

Sound cufflinks

2010-11-23T09:04:00.001Z

A special note to the lady who bought my 'sound' cufflinks at the Barbican last night: here's where you can read about the inspiration for that collection!

Tom McDowell: making the world a less sombre place

2010-11-22T12:36:00.001Z

Meeting Tom McDowell at New Designers last July was a hoot. His new jewellery collection - based on children's drawings - is so refreshingly different that we knew his colourful pieces would be a great addition to our exhibition at the Barbican this winter.

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Tom believes that the act of wearing jewellery is too often a formal activity, and that it's important for us to sometimes let go of the seriousness of being a grown-up. He works with children and through his jewellery seeks to share their fresh, fun outlook on life with adults.

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In his jewellery Tom uses anodised aluminium, silver, and a variety of other media. This knobbly kneed giraffe, for instance, has patches of flocking, making it very tactile. The birds often incorporate real feathers. Each piece conveys a real sense of personality, and I'm sure each will become particularly treasured once in the hands of the right owner.

Beautifully designed and made, the silver rivets are often functional as well as decorative. Aluminium is an unforgiving material: not easy to work with, but Tom uses it in a way that maximises it's strengths: it's colourful, light in weight, and can be very graphic.This is jewellery that I think really will help to meet his aim of making the world a more smiley and enjoyable place. This little chicken brooch certainly works for me!

You can see and buy Tom's jewellery at the Designer Jewellers Group pop-up shop in the Barbican, London, from now until 23rd December 2010, and then again from 27th December - 5th January 2011.

Jewellery trends?

2010-11-16T13:19:00.001Z

What do you think of this from Professional Jeweller?

http://www.professionaljeweller.com/article-8653-video-top-designers-talk-abo...

I'd like to think the bit about light and airy jewellery was right! The growth of the unique hand crafted rather than the mass produced = good.

Interesting about the democratisation of jewellery. I certainly think people are interested in gold plated silver rather than solid gold right now. But I think that's just about a fear of spending. This year I've had several people ask to buy pendants without the chains and vice versa!

Spotlight on Kayleigh Biggs

2010-11-14T21:21:00.001Z

I promised to write more about the six up-and-coming new designer makers we selected to join us in our Designer Jewellers Group Winter exhibition at the Barbican this year.

First up is Kayleigh Biggs.

Kayleigh says her jewellery is influenced by 'nostalgic narratives' and I can certainly read this in her gorgeous 'luxuriant necklace' (shown above). Referencing patterns past - which are of course very current - the pieces in this collection have a rich liveliness and flamboyance which is quite lavish.

In some of her pieces Kayleigh uses textiles alongside precious metals, and as well as traditional metalwork techniques she also uses the laser welder. The great thing about laser welding is that it allows you to use the high temperatures needed to weld precious metals together without burning more combustible materials because the intense beam is so very focused.

Kayleigh also gives her work a delicate gradated patina, 'antiquing' the surfaces in a particularly subtle way, and highlights the silver she uses with punctuation marks of gold.

Seeing a whole collection of Kayleigh's work together on her shelf in the Barbican is great: it makes a fantastic display and I'm sure it's going to sell really well!

You can see (and buy) Kayleigh's work at the Barbican until 5th January 2011.

For more information on Kayleigh and her work do see her website: www.kayleighbiggs.com, and you can follow her on twitter: http://twitter.com/KayleighBiggs or facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kayleigh-Biggs-Jewellery/444260910246?ref=ts

Designer Jewellers Group at the Barbican

2010-11-12T10:58:00.002Z

Our winter show at the Barbican is now up and running! I love doing this show because one of the things that I really miss about my previous career is the team work: pulling together with a great group of people towards a shared goal is something I really enjoy.

There are just over 30 of us in the Designer Jewellers Group and we work as a co-operative, each taking on different roles and tasks. Our aim is to make sure that we put on great shows and bring a variety of high quality designer jewellery to the buying public - and of course make some good sales!

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One of the strengths of the group is its diversity. Different jewellers design, make and sell in so many different ways that there's always something to learn from each other. It also means that our show has a wide appeal: there's jewellery there for people with very different tastes and budgets. And as we're 'doing it for ourselves' the people on duty are always practicing jewellers who actually have work on display and know the other makers.

The other thing I really like is that my job with the group at the moment is co-ordinating the New Designers. Each year we select six of the best to join us in our winter show. We liaise and offer support to them over the summer and it's always a highlight of the exhibition to see the fantastic new work they bring. But that's a subject that deserves a post of it's own!

Do pop along to see the show: it's on every day from now until 5th January (except 24th, 25th, 26th December) from 12 midday till 8pm. On the ground floor of the Barbican Centre next to the new food hall (where you'll find great coffee, cakes and more!)

MadeByHandOnline

2010-10-30T13:11:00.001+01:00

Great write up of madebyhandonline.com on ukhandmade blog, and good to see they've used one of my images too!

Can't wait to take a peek inside this new shop, which should be opening very soon now!

Just got a few more images to upload...

Anodized!

2010-10-26T19:15:00.003+01:00

Received a very nice surprise in the post the other day: a copy of Clare Stiles new book 'Anodized!'
As I hadn't ordered it I kept my fingers crossed and scanned the 'artist index': yes! Page 48 has an image of one of my aluminium necklaces!
Thanks Claire and Lark Books: the book looks lovely, and I can see work by a number of jewellers I know. Going to settle down for a good read now.

It's all go in Farnham!

2010-10-16T21:28:00.001+01:00

It's been a good day at the Festival of Crafts: it's much bigger than I'd expected with 7 rooms and over 70 exhibitors. Looking forward to having a look around tomorrow when I have a bit of help on the stand.

Took a quick snap of a few of my rings as I was appreciating their textures and colours en masse especially now that I've had some gold plated. Unfortunately this quick iPhone photo doesn't really do them justice!

Farnham Festival of Crafts

2010-10-07T17:24:00.000+01:00

Chris Owen ceramics

It's only a week now till set up for the Farnham Festival of Crafts, and I'm working hard to make sure I've got a good range of pieces.

I'm sure it's going to be a great event with 75 designer makers including established craft practitioners and new graduates. Ceramics, textiles, glass, wood, metal, and jewellery of course!

I do still have a couple of FREE tickets to give away, so if you want to save the £3 entrance fee then email me now and I'll pop them in the post to you!

Goldsmiths' Fair 2010

2010-10-05T18:45:00.000+01:00

Brooch by Kayo Saito

Great to visit Goldsmiths' Fair last week - some fantastic work there as usual. I particularly love the work of Kayo Saito and Vladimir Bohm: I find something very calming and meditative about their work.

Bowl by Vladimir Bohn

It was great to see Maria Militsi at Goldsmiths' for the first time with her wonderfully quirky collection.

Rings by Maria Militsi

Looking forward to visiting again in week 2 (5th - 10th October).

Origin 2010

2010-09-27T19:37:00.000+01:00

Been to visit Origin, the London Craft Fair in it's new venue. Spitalfields is a great area, but the tent itself was a bit of a let down after the great structure they had in Somerset House last year. Terrific makers as usual though.

I particularly loved the work of Wycliffe Stutchbury who makes amazing wall pieces from old timber.

What was also wonderfully different and imaginative was the work of Joanne Tinker, who creates art works from materials that are normally thrown away. I loved the collections of tiny sculptures made from colourful sweet wrappers, all origamied and lined up!

Recycling, reclaiming, and re-appropriation were definitely still the flavour of the day, which isn't surprising given the zeitgeist I suppose. Suits me, as I love reinterpreted materials and things with layers of meaning, or that are just plain fun.

Doodle necklace

2010-09-11T17:40:00.001+01:00

A silver doodle necklace. A commission I've just delivered to the gallery.

Platform showcase

2010-09-10T12:46:00.001+01:00

www.platformjewellery.com

Platform contemporary jewellery gallery, 31 Greville Street, Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8AF

I was in Hatton Garden yesterday, so I popped in to Platform gallery. I have a collection of work in their current showcase, which is looking great! Lovely to have my work alongside some fantastic jewellers there! The current show runs for a couple of months (till late October).

Sorry about what I've done with the image of your name Platform: just got playing with my iPhone on the journey home!

More thoughts from the ACJ conference ...

2010-09-01T19:07:00.000+01:00

A further thought after my last post: someone - I think Sofia Bjorkman (of the Platina Gallery in Stockholm) - suggested that working with materials you don't like is a really good exercise. Your resistance to re-imagining and transforming them is reduced, which can only be a good thing. After my experience in the Robert Ebendorf workshop I can believe that, and it's something I will return to.

This reminds me of a talk by Maria Militsi, a jeweller who works with found objects and who often bases her work on pieces that are broken or damaged. She makes replacement pieces for the missing elements and these pieces are wearable. It's a really imaginative approach to jewellery design.You can see an image of Maria's work here.

Another thought from Sofia was that jewellery in the spectrum of visual art, is the equivalent of poetry in writing. Very apt. The remit for jewellery is very specific, and I can see the parallels between different forms of poetry and different pieces of jewellery.

I guess the aim of a good conference should be to get you thinking about things in different ways, and as you can tell this one did! Thanks ACJ!

Time to play

2010-08-13T19:49:00.002+01:00

Cellophane and ribbon necklace8
Originally uploaded by Christine Kaltoft
Finally got round to photographing some of the samples and test pieces I made at the Association for Contemporary Jewellery's conference 'Crossings'.

I made this piece from cellophane and ribbon during a workshop with Robert Ebendorf. I found getting started really hard: there was this vast collection of remnants and found things: a lot of them were tempting but I was stuck for ideas. Then I realised I wanted to transform something rather than reframing it, so choosing things I actually liked wasn't necessarily a good idea.

Finally I found a roll of cellophane, and got completely engrossed in knotting it, knitting it, making rope with it, and generally just enjoying it's texture and sparkle. Once I remembered how to play it was great!

I'm hoping that seeing as I'm posting this directly from my new flickr account, you might see the rest of the images if you click on the image here. If not I'll have to revert to Blogger to put a link in.

New jewellery talent

2010-07-22T19:23:00.002+01:00

Spent the first three days of this week at the Association for Contemporary Jewellery's conference 'Crossings'. It was very stimulating, but whilst I digest that I just wanted to post about a great new jeweller Hollie Paxton who's work was exhibited at the conference.

I saw Hollie's beautiful jewellery at New Designers a couple of weeks ago, and it was a real pleasure to come across it again. Hollie replicates fragments of discarded packaging in precious metals. It's so skilfully done that her chewing gum wrappers, coffee stirrers, and bottle tops really look like the real thing. Actually they're carefully crafted in precious metals and enamels. Quite stunning, wonderfully quirky: definitely another one to watch.

New Designers

2010-07-04T18:18:00.000+01:00

Been pretty busy recently. On Friday we visited New Designers to select 6 graduates for our Designer Jewellers Group Barbican winter exhibition, and today we closed down our DJG Barbican summer exhibition.

On the way home I popped back into New Designers but purely for pleasure this time! Only a quick visit to see the textiles, and it was great to spot the quirky, graphic work of textile and surface pattern designer Nicky Booth there.

I was instantly drawn to the mixture of simple, bold shapes and delightful sketchy drawings combined in the front hanging. Then Nicky told me about the inspiration behind her current collection: all three pieces were based on the domestic aspects of military life, and the front one was about shaving! I would never have guessed it, but once explained it was clear and quite fascinating. You can actually see an ear to the left of my photo, and that's part of a razor below. The quality of my image unfortunately doesn't do justice to the beauty of the work.

I particularly liked the hanging at the back too, which was based on polishing boots. The edge of the eyelets and boot lace just show above Nicky's shoulder. Boot polish tin labels and sketchy brushes were also featured on this hanging.

Hugely imaginative and completely unique, I'd have loved to know more about how Nicky came to be interested in this area, but unfortunately there wasn't time. With the combination of both printing and stitching techniques I just loved these. Nicky's definitely one to watch.

More about the jewellery another day! ;-)

Twenty five jewellers

2010-06-18T13:00:00.000+01:00

Got London Jewellery week withdrawal symptoms? Need more jewellery (who doesn't)?! Well luckily twenty five members of the Designer Jewellers Group are currently exhibiting in the Barbican until 3rd July.

Open every day from 12 midday till 8pm, on the ground floor near the Waterside Cafe.

I was on duty yesterday and it was great fun, with live jazz in the evening.

We also have a whole double shelf full of cufflinks, in time for Father's Day on Sunday!

A Bovey highlight

2010-06-15T20:34:00.001+01:00

How good is this - not only did the wonderful man from Lemon Jelli respond to my requests for iced coffee, but he put it on the menu for everyone else too!

In case the image comes up too small, his sign says: 'Iced Coffee £2.00 (specialy for the lady with the cool specs!)' :)

Charmed? I was! And the coffee was good too: just need to visit his mobile van in Newton Abbot for another!

Now that it's all over I'm really appreciating my souvenir purchase of this lovely silk scarf by Jessica Knott. Just the thing for a rather cool summers day.

Busy at Bovey!

2010-06-12T09:17:00.000+01:00

Getting ready for another day at Bovey. Yesterday was really busy and I expect today will be too. The weather is so much better than predicted. Who could have imagined that with a forecast of rain and a max of 17 we'd have such a lovely summers day. It was really quite hot in the marquee and I noticed the ice cream stand was doing exceptionally well.

Fun to discover that I've been blogged about again, so you can see my stand here on the 'Grazing Kate' blog.

If you get a chance do come along today or tomorrow - I'd love to see you - stand 15 in marquee A.

Preparing for Bovey Tracey

2010-06-02T19:40:00.001+01:00

I'm busy preparing for the Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey in Devon at the moment. I've put my last hallmarking package into the assay office and I'm moving on to the smaller pieces that are below the hallmarking threshold plus some new prints.

I've been working on some new sterling silver pendants as part of my nest range. They're double domed pieces: shaped almost like flying saucers. What I particularly like about them is that they're very adaptable, and can either be worn either close to the neck or longer. I'll be selling them with both a silver cable and a longer cord for two quite different looks: either just threads through. What I'd really like is to find a way of making the same piece attachable as a brooch, but I'll have to work on that!

On a slightly different subject I was delighted to find one of my bird brooches blogged about the other day. The brooch is called 'Que?' and it was showcased in 'Grazing Kate', an insider's guide to food and life in Devon and Cornwall. Kate's a regular visitor to Bovey Tracey and I feel very flattered to have been picked out!

Open studios in Clerkenwell

2010-05-18T19:37:00.000+01:00

I'm busy preparing for the open studios at Craft Central at the moment. Today I've made a host of little silver earrings and some new rings as part of my 'nest' collection. Still need to polish them up ready for their first public appearance!

If you're in the area do please come along - this is what you'll find:

'A unique shopping event offering an intriguing ‘behind the scenes’ chance to explore the studios and mingle with the community of renowned designers. Take advantage of this magnificent opportunity to buy distinctive pieces of jewellery, fashion, interior products, ceramics, accessories and traditional crafts by over 75 designers at the forefront of their disciplines.'

Too good to miss - and all for £2.50!

Thursday 20th May 5-8pm, Friday 21st 12 noon - 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 12 noon - 6pm. Full details here.

Favorites from Collect

2010-05-18T18:44:00.000+01:00

Just thought I'd quickly share a couple of my favorite exhibits from Collect, the Crafts Council's international art fair for contemporary objects which I visited at the weekend.

Nathalie Lahdenmaki had a lovely collection of spoons on the Galleria Norsu stand. Beautiful delicate slithers of ceramic: etherial and beautiful.

I also loved Ingjerd Hanevold's wall mounted brooches, which you can see here on Lucy Harvey's blog.

Both, I guess, were collections where the maker had got into making many variations on a theme, which I realise is a way I like to work too. And actually I realise I liked the collections more than the individual pieces: for me the sum equalled more than the parts.

A useful reminder: it'd be good to set time aside for working on an exploratory series, a bit like the bird brooch series I did for my graduation. Sorry no pictures - for some reason the 'insert image' button is missing today!

Feeling indecisive: feedback please!

2010-05-04T19:42:00.000+01:00

I've been designing my advert for the Contemporary Craft Fair brochure.

The standard entry has text only, so I want to add a picture so people can remember my work and find my contact details quickly.

These two variations are the forerunners: but which is best??? I've reserved a quarter page slot, and the page is about A4 size. Any views?

In print again!

2010-04-27T18:04:00.000+01:00

In print again but this time it's me rather than my jewellery that's featured!

Ashley English is writing a series of books on 'homemade living' and I believe this is one of the first in the series. It's not yet published in the UK but I've been sent a copy by Lark Books and it's lovely! Lots of information about keeping hens. Obviously written in America, but some of the recipes (Sweet Potato Souffle, Berry Delicious Curd, and Pumkin Creme Brulee) definitely sound worth 'translating' and trying. Lots of information for people new to hen keeping, and little pen portraits of hen keepers (including me!)

The aftermath

2010-04-19T11:09:00.000+01:00

Finally I did get the chance to have a bit of a look around the glorious gardens of Wisley - not because the fair wasn't busy, but because my friend Kathy was helping me (thanks Kathy!)

We had a good last day, making this one of the best fairs I've done. I was particularly pleased that people liked (and bought) my new 'nest' jewellery collection and my new hen prints. I've several commissions to work on now.

A number of people were interested in buying online, so it's just as well that getting this going properly is one of my goals for the next few months. In the meantime I can always email photos and use the credit card machine over the telephone, so do email me if you're after something!

Sometimes I feel a bit sad on packing up after a show and this was one of those times. I was pleased to remember my purchases from the Heyland and Whittle stand this morning - I'm sure the happy sunny buzz will be conjured up each time I smell the wonderful olive and fig perfume.

Back in Bird Cottage it's chaos in the garden (as well as the studio). The wood pigeons have decided they want to nest in the rose on the front of the house. Problem is the blackbirds have already claimed that spot, having shunted the previously resident sparrows to a nearby wall. I wonder who will win?

A busy day

2010-04-17T20:24:00.000+01:00

I'd intended to post another Wisley photo later on but there wasn't the time to take one - I was just too busy! However I can say that the sun came out (some visitors actually wore shorts!) the ice cream kiosk opened, the car park over-flowed, and much craft was sold!

If you're planning to come tomorrow I'd recommend coming early. The weather forecast is looking great and I'm sure it'll be humming again!

Wisley this weekend

2010-04-17T10:16:00.000+01:00

It's beautiful here...

... but pretty cold when we arrived. Getting a bit warmer now the sun's cutting through the mist.

Only just gone 10am but pretty busy already.

Wisley craft and design fair

2010-04-13T19:44:00.000+01:00

Been busy getting ready for the craft and design fair at Wisley gardens in Surrey. The fair opens at 10am on Thursday and closes at 6pm on Sunday.

I've been working hard to get a good selection of pieces from my new 'nest' range ready, as well as some new drypoint prints of my hens. The image above is my favourite one!

Do come along - it'd be great to see you there!

Doodle dangly earrings

2010-04-05T19:53:00.000+01:00

Received a copy of 'The Encyclopedia of Wire Jewellery Techniques' in the post the other day, and was pleased to see an image of a pair of my doodle dangly earrings featured in the gallery section! They're 18ct gold and black onyx. Thank you Sara Withers and Quarto! Great book!

If anyone wants to buy this one-off pair of earrings, they're currently in the Lesley Craze gallery in Clerkenwell.

Early spring blossom

2010-03-30T15:40:00.000+01:00

It wasn't until the tree surgeon had gone that I realised how influencial the bare winter branches of my apple trees had been in the design of my current collection. I'm so glad that I gathered some of the prunings to keep in vases indoors. They're just beginning to blossom now. I'm sure the buds still on the trees will be several weeks later.

Another London highlight

2010-03-28T17:23:00.000+01:00

Two London markets in one weekend: this morning we went to Columbia Road flower market for breakfast. Used to be our regular Sunday morning haunt when we lived in Stoke Newington.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese beigels eaten outside with a continual procession of plant-carrying people to watch.

Less touristy than Borough Market: I guess its easier for tourists to consume food than flowers.

Several buskers, of which 'pluck' were definitely the best.

The street now has loads of interior design and fashion shops: some good, some a bit twee.

One of my favourite jewellers, Buddug has her shop there. Lovely sketchy graphic jewellery: great fun. Looks so spontaneous. It's her black and white enamel collection I really love, and this time some spoons I hadn't seen before.

Some London highlights

2010-03-28T16:59:00.008+01:00

Went to buy more printing materials at Intaglio Printmaker the other day. It's conveniently close to Borough Market, which I love, so I had a good excuse for a visit. The market is different every time I go - always new and interesting foody opportunities. More touristy and expensive now than in the early days, but still worth returning to.

Bought some great cheese for lunch, and coffee from the Monmouth Coffee Company, who are definitely one of the top London coffee venues.

Took the photos with 'Hipstamatic' app on my iPhone, which gives a vintage feel to the images. Good stuff: thanks for the recommendation Daniele!

Fantastic rainbow

2010-03-26T15:07:00.000Z

Here now...

New collection

2010-03-19T11:21:00.001Z

I had great feedback on prototypes for my new collection at Desire, and have already taken some orders! I'm now working on bringing the collection into production in time for Wisley Craft Fair.

The images above show a pair of oxidised silver dangly nest earrings with beautiful lemon quartz stones: I love the way they're cut on a twist. The close up is of a slightly domed sterling silver nest pendant on a tanzanite necklace. I don't usually use a lot of stones in my work, but I couldn't resist the gentle, delicate colour of these beads.

'Desire' starts now

2010-03-05T09:27:00.000Z

Quick reminder: Desire opens 10am this morning in Richmond. Running until 5pm Sunday.

Some of the best UK jewellery and silverware on sale direct from the makers.

I'm on stand 2 right by the front door, so please drop by!

Getting ready

2010-02-26T18:46:00.001Z

It's all go at the moment: I've just posted work off to the Galanthus Gallery, I'm getting ready for the Craft in Focus 'Desire' show which starts next week too, and I'm working hard on a new jewellery collection.

The image shows a stage in the development of the necklace that I've just been soldering: the elements are in the polisher now prior to assembly. Like the rest of my new collection it's based on the concept of the nest. Nests are the in-thing here at the moment. The sparrows that live outside the bedroom window are busy gathering small planty scraps, and the great tits are inspecting the bird boxes. The hens are into nest making too: they've both come back into lay after their moults, and are augmenting their eglu nest with bits of leaf.

My new collection will have some three dimensional nesty pieces in it as well as my usual two dimensional pieces: a development from the sparrow sound experiment I blogged about recently (that piece has now become a pendant!)

I'll be showcasing some of my prototypes at Desire Jewellery and Silversmithing show next week (as well as a full range of my jewellery) and would welcome your feedback! It's in Richmond from Friday 5th - Sunday 7th March.

The 'Animals and Birds' exhibition in the Galanthus gallery, in Wormbridge, Hereford, features art and craft, and runs from Thursday 4th March until 10th April.

Hiroshi Suzuki: silver waves

2010-02-16T22:03:00.001Z

I've never seen so many beautiful silver vessels in one place as in Goldsmiths' Hall this evening. I've always loved Hiroshi Suzuki's flowing, fluid style, and it was fascinating to learn a bit more about it.

Hearing Hiroshi talk was a real treat too. What I hadn't twigged was that the 'Aqua Posey' range which I have long admired is inspired by water, but there are also other pots based on fire, earth, and air.

Knowing their origins, these other vessels now make visual sense, and it helps to see 'Aqua Posey' in context as a snapshot in the development and range of a major artist talent.

Quite amazing. The exhibition is free, and continues till 6th March.

Good news!

2010-02-12T13:48:00.001Z

Three pieces of good news: firstly after 2 years as an associate member, I've now been elected as a full member of the Designer Jewellers Group. It's great because this gives me a continuing peer group to collaborate and network with, and also because the Barbican pop-up shops we run twice a year are one of my favourite outlets.

The second good thing is that I've been successful with my application to exhibit at the Wisley craft fair in April. The RHS gardens at Wisley are one of my favourites, especially the kitchen garden, where I took these photographs.

And the other good thing is that Lily's moult is over and she has started laying again. This means that the nest is now a rather busy spot, but more about that later!

Cacophony

2010-02-06T11:48:00.002Z

A flock of about 40 sparrows lives in the climbing rose outside my bedroom window, and they run their daily schedule in direct response to the sun rising and setting. This means that in the depths of winter we wake before them, and in the summer it's definitely the other way round.

At the moment we're pretty much in tune, and just after I wake they begin their 'song'. Which is not a good word for it actually, as it's not particularly tuneful. And because there are so many of them, and no orchestration, they sound pretty much like an orchestra tuning up.

As I'm in 'design mode' at the moment all sorts of things begin to translate themselves into jewellery in my head, and so yesterday morning I just had to sketch the sound of the sparrows as I lay in my bed.

After breakfast I began playing with some wax wire, and by lunchtime had assembled the wax doodles into a piece which I hope might become a brooch. It's with the casters now, so I'm looking forward to seeing what I get back next week!

Chocolate, chestnut and prune bars

2010-01-30T17:27:00.002Z

The Ottolenghi cookbook is always so tempting that deciding which cake to cook for our community association post-Christmas get-together was a mouth-watering job in it's own right.

I finally settled on Khalid's chocolate and chestnut bars, substituting prunes for the figs. It was delicious: rich and densely chocolatey. The only problem was that demand outstripped supply!

Definitely worth repeating, though next time I'd try to start far enough in advance to soak the prunes in brandy, and substitute extra prunes and chestnuts for the white chocolate chunks.

Another wonderful ap?

2010-01-22T14:59:00.000Z

Having just written, and then lost, the most eloquent post, I'm keeping this one brief.

Suffice it to say that I began the post on the train and am now finishing it (or version 2 of it) in my local cafe over a quick cappuccino.

If I can sucessfully complete and upload the post from the cafe with my iPhone then I'm one step further in understanding and maximising the possibilities of this wondrous tool.

New year re-organisation

2010-01-17T18:20:00.000Z

I realise I've had a bit of a gap in posting here recently, firstly because we've been away visiting friends in Germany, secondly because I've been rather busy with my tax return, but also because I'm taking the opportunity to re-organise with some of the wonderful aps on offer through my new Iphone!

The Apple 'ap store' is a fantastic sweety shop of goodies that I'm sure will make me more efficient - one day! For now I've just got to work out how to manage all the different log-ins and passwords ... along with finishing off my tax form of course!

The photo is of some snowy woods in Germany, taken on my Iphone.

Birds in Craft

2010-01-02T17:29:00.001Z

I've been invited to exhibit some of my jewellery and prints at the Galanthus Gallery next year. They're holding a whole exhibition of work inspired by birds: sounds terrific!

The Contemporary Craft Fair

2009-12-29T17:25:00.001Z

I'm so pleased to hear that I've been accepted and will be exhibiting at The Contemporary Craft Fair in Bovey Tracey, Devon, next June.

We visited a couple of years ago and it's a great event - I'm looking forward to seeing who else will be there too!

Christmas card prize

2009-12-26T15:49:00.000Z

I'm awarding joint first place for the most innovative Christmas card this year to my friend Caroline Iliffe and Abacus printers.

Caroline sent me a hand made card entitled: 'We Three Rings', with a photo of three of her lovely square rings on the front.

The Abacus card was bigger and glossier (well they are printers!) and had images by John Sutcliffe, 'crystallising the conflict between modern life and nature'. They were, in essence, tyre tracks in the snow and someone's writing on frosted car windows: very contemporary!

Internet shop

2009-12-23T17:18:00.000Z

I've finally got round to putting a few pieces onto an internet shopping site: Joolia. If you click on any of the pieces you'll go to a new screen with more images and info. A bit late for Christmas, but I guess this is just the beginning of a long term project. Good to have made a start anyway.

So far I've only put up 3 pairs of stud earrings and my best selling necklace of this season, but more will follow in the New Year!

Click here to see my work on Joolia

Pied Piper

2009-12-20T16:52:00.003Z

I can really recommend a visit to see the Pied Piper at the Barbican. It was no surprise to me when Diversity won Britain's Got Talent earlier this year: their street dance was terrific - really innovative, creative, exciting.

So on our trip to the Barbican we had high expectations, but were well pleased with what we saw. The performance was more focused on violence than I expected, but the dancers were terrific and the music good too.

Well worth a visit.

Drawing sounds

2009-12-15T17:43:00.001Z

I exhibited prints of my drawings of sounds at both Lustre and Richmond craft fairs, and it was interesting to see people's reactions. Some people loved them, were fascinated by the concept, and bought prints. Others seemed to think I was crazy! I promised one couple that I'd explain on my blog the background to the prints they'd bought, and so here it is!

Last winter I did a short course at the City Lit: Drawing Sounds. At first the teacher introduced the concept and led exercises to help us explore how we might make marks that represented and responded to sounds.

Then we drew pieces of music that she played. The first image is a close up of one piece of music I drew: it was classical music, and this is just a small portion of the picture.

In this image I've photographed the original drawing at an angle, so that it almost becomes a landscape. It reminds me of an image of one of my necklaces actually.

On the third evening we went up on to the roof of the building which is in London's Covent Garden. The noises of the city at night were amazing.

We each sketched the sounds we heard, and then when we could bear it no longer (it was freezing!) retreated to the classroom.

It was then time to use the sketches in our notebooks to compose our pictures. One of mine is shown above. I chose to represent the tiers of sound. The lower one shows the sounds of the streets below: traffic, voices, sirens. Above us were the sounds of the sky: planes, helicopters, wind. And then around us the air conditioning, people turning pages, footsteps on pebbles, and an increasing number of sniffs!

It was fascinating how each person focussed on different sounds and depicted them differently. We were all free to use the media we wanted. I used a mixture of pastels, marker pens and charcoal.

Several pieces of jewellery I've made have been based on these drawings of sounds, including my 'Pebble Crunch Brooch' in sterling silver with 5 diamonds, and a series of 'City Streets' pins, in oxidised silver and 18 carat gold.

Really, when you think about it, drawing sounds isn't such a strange concept: it's no different to writing words, except there's no agreement about which shape represents which sound!

Final preparations for Christmas

2009-12-10T16:58:00.001Z

With Richmond Craft Fair now over the pressure eases a little: I only have commissions, re-stocking galleries, and my turns on the rota in the Barbican left to do now before Christmas. Plus of course getting ready for Christmas itself, and the continual round of admin for next year's shows!

I'm sending my 'paper' ring collection to the Gallery at Waterperry Gardens, as well as sending them a top up of stock, and taking a collection of 18 carat gold pieces in to the Lesley Craze Gallery in Clerkenwell, including the necklace above.

I'm delighted to find that my new little rescue neckpiece is becoming a best seller, and I'm having to re-stock it on my shelf in the Barbican very regularly!

And I'm sending my first collection of work abroad, to Galerie Topkapi in Rennes, France, including some of the soldered and tatted wattle and comb pendants pictured above.

Richmond craft fair begins!

2009-12-03T09:21:00.000Z

It's the countdown now: the private view of Richmond Art and Contemporary Designer Craft Fair is tonight and the Fair runs from 10am - 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I've been making manically to make sure I've enough stock - both prints and jewellery. I'll put a panel on the right with a map until the show is over.

Tough chic?

2009-11-28T12:23:00.001Z

I discover I've been quoted in an article in the Financial Times: 'Black Gold: bling overtaken by tough chic and Gothic'!

They'd noticed that blackened precious metals are currently becoming more popular, and as a Goldsmiths' Fair jeweller who uses them I was asked to contribute my view.

Very nice to see that my answer has been used as a conclusion to sum up the article!

Pop up shop open now!

2009-11-27T09:22:00.000Z

The design pop up shop is opened last night and will be open today, Saturday and Sunday! I particularly love Catherine Hammerton's wallpapers and Susan Bradley's shelves!

Design in Clerkenwell

2009-11-25T17:48:00.000Z

Our design pop-up shop opens in Clerkenwell tomorrow night, and I'm up to my eyes in preparations. There will be work from 10 designers: some fantastic things including textiles, ceramics, and of course jewellery!

Maus

2009-11-23T18:32:00.001Z

I'm really into graphic novels at the moment, and am loving Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman.

The problem is in finding graphic novels that aren't aimed at teenagers. My local library has a whole section of graphic novels now, but if I want to find anything that's not testosterone based action-packed adventures - biography for instance - then its a question of internet research and ordering.

Pop-up shop at the Barbican

2009-11-19T20:27:00.006Z

I've just set up my work in the Barbican centre in London as part of the Designer Jewellers Group pop-up shop. It's all looking good: the work of 30 experienced jewellers and also 6 of the best new UK graduates (the ones we selected at New Designers in July).There's a terrific variety of jewellery there - starting at an unbelievable £5!

I love exhibiting in the Barbican: its so nice to be able to display my work how I want it and then go in and add to or change the display over the weeks as pieces sell!

We all work together as a group of designer jewellers and take it in turns to staff the shop. It makes a refreshing change both to work in a team rather than alone, and also to sell other people's jewellery as well as my own. I find it fascinating to see what people buy and how they make their choices.

'In their own words' exhibition

2009-11-11T19:02:00.000Z

Last year I was invited to take part in a special project whereby 36 artists working in different media were invited to describe one of their works and submit both the work and the description for exhibition. 36 poets were then invited to respond to the art works, and 36 jewellers responded to the artists' texts.

The text I had was about people on buses, and to inform my response I took a bus journey myself. I was so irritated by the space-invading leg of the man sitting next to me that I decided to make a leg bangle. It's called 'You're not the only one', and its being exhibited as part of the Galvanize festival in the Bank Street Arts gallery in Sheffield until the 5th December.

'Paper' rings

2009-11-09T18:18:00.007Z

Well Lustre was good but sadly it's over now! It was really good to have the opportunity to show some new rings. They are part of a paper-inspired special collection that Jennifer Millard and I made for an exhibition in Yorkshire Sculpture Park this summer.

The problem with exhibiting in a gallery is that - as a maker - you don't get direct feedback from the public, so it was lovely to fine that the Nottingham craft cognoscenti were very interested in my 'paper' rings, and indeed bought quite a few!

Half of the rings were cast in sterling silver from paper, and these really highlighted the lovely textures that paper can have. The second half were electroformed on top of the paper with a substantial layer of fine silver: this was a great way of showcasing the sculptural possibilities of paper.

This first image shows two rings both made from the same Japanese paper cord: the one on the left is electroformed and the one on the right is cast. The second image shows four electroformed rings, and the third two cast rings.

Lustre time

2009-11-06T12:43:00.000Z

We're on the way to Nottingham: Lustre starts tonight! I'm looking forward to meeting presumably quite a new and different set of people, as I've never done a show outside the London area before.

Some new jewellery and prints to show, so it'll be good to get some feedback (and hopefully some sales!)

If you're in the area do come along: 6 - 9 this evening, and then 10 - 5 on Saturday and Sunday.

Let yourself feel

2009-10-28T09:41:00.002Z

Just found this video: love it!

let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.

New stickers

2009-10-27T19:31:00.002Z

I've been designing some stickers to use with my packaging. I want to be able to include a little reminder of the inspiration behind my jewellery with each piece I sell. I've done some based on my bird sketches, some on my sound drawings, and some with my sketches of moving people.

Moo.com are printing them, and I just hope they're ready for Lustre next week!

Graffiti on Parkland Walk

2009-10-26T19:23:00.002Z

Went for a stroll along the Parkland Walk yesterday. The graffiti there is really inspiring: I love the sense of energy in it.

Origin again

2009-10-23T09:53:00.001+01:00

Thought I'd add a couple more images from my display at Origin.

The first is my chine colle bird etchings: two of my pet chickens, and the middle one of birds in London zoo.

The second is a new 'wattle' pendant that was much admired! I made it by using an adaptation of the technique of tatting, working silk thread on to a silver pendant. Tatting was never meant to look like this!

My stand at Origin

2009-10-22T09:45:00.000+01:00

A quick image showing me at my stand in Origin. Those are my bird etchings that I made at the London Print Studio on the wall. You can also see a row of my new silver star Christmas decorations hanging up below them!