recycled copper bracelet

played around a bit yesterday and made this bracelet from the recycled copper cable given to me a few days ago

still needs some tweaking but I will wear it for a few days and see how the weight feels and what happens with skin contact and possible water contact.  I usually do this with new designs or materials to make sure they are up to the job!

this might be the start of a whole new collection for me :-)

meeting a fellow maker

I had a great time yesterday when I was invited into the studio of Clare Maryan Green - http://www.claresbeautifulwindows.co.uk/  - she has been working with glass for 25 years now and has her work in many public buildings, churches, NT properties and also does restoration to damaged windows.
Amongst a hundred other things we talked about, she encouraged me to try working with reclaimed metals and showed me a whole cupboard of cable which she had saved from landfill and recycles into her work.  Excited by this I took some home and stripped it.

Then I started playing around with the strands and made a 'random' ball from one strand of the beautifully shiny and soft copper wire.  Then another!  Seen here with one made in lilac enamelled wire.

I HAVE to stop playing now and get on with some work - but am interested to see how the copper will change over the next few weeks now it is exposed to air/sun etc.

Clare and I will be showing our work, here in Lynton, during Devon Open Studios in September.

what a wonderful weekend

had a fabulous weekend - a double birthday celebration and lots of family visiting.  Of course there was chocolate and other goodies - enough consumed to put me STRAIGHT BACK on the diet!

We hiked to Sillery Cove - very steep access and not for the fainthearted - but it felt like an island when we got there. 

One end of the mostly pebbly beach comprised very large, beautifully rounded stones - sort of like super-big ostrich eggs.

which made me think of trying to make woven wire pebbles - little ones for necklaces, larger ones for brooches.  I've cracked the solid woven spheres - this may be a little trickier...

two days and two orders!

Just made it to the Post Office last night with two boxed orders - memo to self 'must not chat on phone in daytime'!!  Dreadful habit - but there have to be SOME perks of being self-employed!
The new wire colour Charcoal is proving very popular - very elegant with the silver.

So, two days to the long weekend - which I AM taking off - and two orders, hmmmm...

happy birthday to me

As luck would have it, my birthday (and that of my partner) falls on Easter weekend this year.  So, instead of us going away for the few days to celebrate, we are having family to stay.  I hope the weather stays sunny and warm and that I have enough time to get the house in order.
I have three orders left to make up from the show at the beginning of April and am trying to get as much done as I can before the weekend - dust balls will mount up!
Trying to make a Teddy Bear brooch and all i can come up with is a oddly-shaped starfish!!!!

an Easter Story

my lovely friends Helen and Willy have sent me a beautifull Booja Booja egg made of papier mache and filled with vegan champagne truffles - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
so very excited and am now wondering if I can made a sweetie or chocolate themed necklace...

my first ever attempt at Blogging!

The weekend before Easter and my birthday and I really should be working and not setting up a Blog!!!  I have six more orders to make up and get out before the end of April - I guess I'm pretty confident I'm going to make the deadlines!
I have lots of design ideas in my head and I KNOW I should write/sketch them before they get lost, but...
I think this will fill the gap between my facebook page and the website - it's about ME not just the wire :-)