bangles

I was having a sort through some photographs of jewellery I have made over the years and thought I would share some images of bangles. All are irregular shaped and hammered with a slightly beaten texture.

The shapes are inspired by the repeated forms seen in moss, lichen and bubbles. I love using simple forms and adding complexity using repeats. The elements are all moveable, I enjoy the way they jingle a little and rotate around the bangle.

I like the contrast between copper and silver, especially the way the colour of the copper changes over time. It varies from soft peach to deep rusty red, and sometimes goes speckled which is my favourite.

This 'Blip Bangle' was one of only a few that I made, with irregular arches on both the inside and outside edges. Wearing a few at a time worked really well, I'm thinking I may make more. 
At the moment I am working on some new pieces for the British Craft Trade Fair, I try and launch a new range there every year. Perhaps I'll release a sneak preview on here when the pieces are all finished!

Moss pods

I have been thinking about making these for such a long time, I love the idea of creating hollow forms, with spaces inside to contain things. Hidden things, secret things, precious things. I love lockets, but find traditional designs really limited and predictable, so I decided to make my own variation.

 

These pod forms contain very small crochet and felt elements, which are based on moss, funghi and lichen growth. I like the way lichen grows in cracks and crevices, it asserts itself and thrives in the smallest spaces. It has resilience and vigour whilst being delicate and beautiful. Rich in colour, pattern and texture, I am always drawn to it. 

I have been exploring ways to recreate it with knit, crochet, felt and hand stitch for a long time, gradually reducing the thickness of the threads and the scale of my work, until I have arrived at these very teeny pieces. 

The contrast in texture between the metal and threads appeals to me, and the making techniques make me happy. The process of quietly constructing crochet forms is gentle, calming, soft and intuitive. It is in stark contrast to working in metal. Sitting at my workbench sawing, filing, hammering and soldering is labour intensive and methodical; planning the step by step stages of construction to factor in melting temperatures, and the need to constantly clean, sand and refine. There is a discipline to it, and working on such a small scale means every detail counts. As whole pieces, making and combining the very different elements satisfies my love of these different ways of working. I make because I enjoy making. 

This new work will be launched at The British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate this weekend. I am curious to see what people think of it.

sketchbooks

Sketchbooks are a huge passion of mine, especially handmade books. I always have at least 5 on the go, following themes which I always come back to as sources for inspiration. This summer I decided to make some very teeny concertina books, measuring only 7cm x 5cm and I took them almost everywhere I went.

This one sprung to life on the beach in Nice; so many pebbles, warmed by the sun, hot to the touch, I just couldn't resist.

Back in the UK, a train journey had me drawing lichen. 24 pages of it, simple repeated shapes, patterns and textures. Shapes I already use in my jewellery.

So many gorgeous pebbles, I wanted to record the soft colours. My collected favourites were all marked with a white ring, a seam of white quartz within them. 

I love to draw, and these are some of my bigger sketchbooks, I never consider them finished, more of an ongoing accompaniment to my 3D pieces. Each one has a theme, sources of shape, pattern and texture that I use as reference in the pieces I create in metal and textiles.

My photos are from innumerable visits to the coast, as well as the basement of Manchester Museum. Gorgeous fossilised corals.

I learnt how to make sketchbooks at an inspiring workshop with Lucy May Schofield, a professional bookbinder with mesmerising passion for her craft. The course was based at Hotbed Press in Manchester, a fantastic workspace for printmakers, where registered members can use a selection of resources in open access studios. They run regular courses in all kinds of paper based techniques, its a great place, full of enticing printing presses and drawers full of moveable type and their expert guidance makes it really accessible.