Tag: handcrafted

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Hearts aren’t just for Valentines!

I have had a lovely time over the Christmas lock down period making fused glass hearts in a cast iron pan. Thanks to an excellent tutorial from glasshoppa.com me and my daughter whiled away the time, when we couldn’t see the rest of the family, coming up with various combinations of glass to pile up in the mold ready for a hot fuse.

Once out and cooled down they needed a bit of grinding and cleaning before going back in the kiln for a nice fire polish.

Now I’m waiting for some little box frames to be delivered so I can mount them and then put on sale in my shop. Should make a lovely little letter box gift to send to those we love.

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Meet the Maker – Beverley from Bevart designs

Meet the maker blog

Beverley Chapelhow – Bevart designs.

I am Beverley, of ‘Bevart designs’ I live in the beautiful Ribble Valley in Lancashire. I will always be that artist that fell into making jewellery making and designing, many people have said that my artwork would make lovely jewellery pieces, this got me thinking and I started to create and work on this possibility. I made a few pieces and put them on display in my studio… to my delight I sold a few, 12 months on I was accepted for a great art and craft show called ‘Art in the Pen’. I took with me my framed artwork and my jewellery, I made more sales than I thought possible. Being encouraged by this I applied to sell on ‘The British Craft House’ and was thrilled to be accepted.

I have always taught art classes to adults sometimes with a crossover into craft making like flower arranging, printmaking, card making etc.

I am inspired to create any art work including my jewellery by nature, the Japanese way of Wabisabi, travel, and other artists, I love the work of Greyson Perry, Yayoi Kusama, there are lots more!

my art studio

I graduated from university in 2008 with a degree in fine art, with a friend and colleague we wanted to still try and work together in a studio environment, we wanted to find a place where we could provide affordable studio space for other artists. I am currently the proud owner of ‘Atelier Arts’ an art studio collective with gallery and teaching space in Clitheroe from here I sell my paintings, I teach art classes to adults including general art and life drawing , I also teach art in Spain with partners ‘Caves of Dreams’  we provide a full all-inclusive art holiday experience in Baza, the region of Andalucia.  

Teaching in Spain

What is the dream? The dream was always to own an art studio, the other is to be selling my work more regularly, whether that’s jewellery or my paintings to build a following and to become successful.

I am currently working from home and we have a workshop in the garage, so I can keep on creating and making.

My proudest moment business wise is owning my current business and that being a success. Forever proud of our two daughters growing into confident, successful, independent women.

My creative future looks like this, over the past year I have been experimenting with ice dyeing and eco printing on fabric. I love textiles and pattern, this is something I want to add to my shop in the future in the form of scarves as I believe this would enhance my jewellery range. I am also planning some Yoga and Art retreats, I want to provide creative relaxing workshops based around self care, using our mental and physical self in a creative way using clay and paint.

To relax and have fun I love to tap dance, I regularly take part in yoga, pilates and meditation. I also love photography and to travel sketch and paint.

I also enjoy a good night out with friends in the city of Manchester drinking cocktails!

I also adore cake, what is my favourite cake ….any cake!!! But very partial to a lemon drizzle

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Buzzy Busy Bees

You will probably have gathered by now that my inspiration comes from nature
bee it (see what I did there!) flowers, butterflies, birds or bees, you will
find lots of nature themed influences in my work.

I like to challenge myself to create new designs using different methods and
learn new skills, so today I moved from sheet metal onto Fine Silver Clay for
my bees.  Silver clay is an eco-friendly product it’s made from particles
of pure silver suspended in a binder that burns off under heat to leave fine
silver.  The product feels and behaves much like clay, you can shape it,
mold it and once it’s been fired you can solder it and pretty much treat as any
other silver.

These little fellas are entirely handcrafted from silver clay, you can see
from the pictures how I shaped and molded by hand then used a brush and liquid
clay to refine.  Once they were ready I left them to dry and then kiln
fired them to create fine silver.  I made 3 different designs in two
different sizes and once they were kiln fired and had become solid silver I
created little molds from them to allow me to ‘cast’ more with silver
clay. 

I have just used the tiniest ones to create some earrings and a bangle
giving them an oxidized finish to bring out the details and the slightly larger
one has been made into a pendant which I just polished. I’m looking forward to
using these in other items and using my new molds to create my own swarm, I
have just orders some copper clay so hopefully soon some little copper bees
will be making their way into my shop.

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog, I hope you enjoyed reading about how
I made my little bees.

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2 year old smile ….

Today, Easter Monday I received a message via the other side beginning with E and ending in Y … from a lovely customer who, 2 years ago ordered some bespoke planters, they took some time to make, I never heard back so wasn’t sure she was happy or not, however I wasn’t fazed as in my experience most people forget to leave good feedback, rarely do they forget to leave feedback for a negative experience, many tell the world so I assumed all was good. 

Fast forward 2 years, to a chilled Easter Monday, and this lovely lady, Sarah, messaged me simply to say, she tried to leave feedback but couldn’t see how to do it, the remainder of her message is below (I did ask permission to post) 

“They look really fantastic, we look like we have a wildly expensive landscaped garden at a fraction of the cost!” “2 years in and these still look new. Thank you so much we are really pleased” 

So there you have it, Sarah G 2 years on and still her planters look like new. 

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This here is a Daffodil….

Inspired by my Welsh heritage and the national flower emblem I have
wanted to create a daffodil in metal for a while, but never found the
time. Taking advantage of the lockdown and a few days off from my busy
day job in the NHS I found myself drawn to creating a daffodil so I
rolled up my sleeves, put on my apron, got my sharpie, some metal and tools out and got to
work.

When I started out on this project I had a picture in my head of what I wanted my daffodil to look like, this included working out how to turn a flat piece of metal into a 3D flower.  I began with some 0.5mm brass sheet and drew the outline of the flower using a felt pen, (well I drew several actually just in case I melted the first one or three!).

I cut these shapes out and gave them some texture with a hammer and then shaped the petals.  For the flower trumpet I cut simple circles from the brass sheet then used my doming block and tools to shape the disc into a small cup and then ruffled the edges.  The flower centre was created from tiny sterling silver balls formed from molten silver (this is my favorite pass time when I’m not making, melting tiny bits of silver into balls, it’s very therapeutic!), which I soldered in place to create the stamen.  The final piece for the flower was the stem and a leaf.  I formed these by hand from sterling silver, hammering, filing and shaping, then soldered all of the brass and silver pieces together, adding a silver pin to the back.

The last bit is the most time consuming of all, requiring a lot of elbow grease and polish to make the brass and silver gleam.

I loved making this and have plans now to make more flowers, I definitely want to make a bluebell and a freesia my favourite flowers of all time, then maybe a snowdrop, a crocus oh and a pansy, I could go on and on as there are so many beautiful flowers lol! I hope you enjoyed my little blog about making a daffodil and I would love to hear what your favourite flower is.

Best wishes and thanks for stopping by to read

Max

ps you can find the daffodil pin in my shop, link is below.

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Featured Artist!

It is well known that many artists and crafts people often struggle with self- esteem and find it difficult to acknowledge their own talent. It can be daunting to put your work out in the public domain. When there is so much time and passion invested in carefully crafted pieces, it can feel as if you are baring your soul for scrutiny.

 

If, like me, you have no formal artistic training and are completely self taught, feeling your way, experimenting and exploring techniques as you go, it is easy to feel a bit like a fraud amongst other talented makers and artists.  

 

It takes time to build confidence and just one positive comment can make you feel ten feet tall.  

 

So it was in a bit of a mad moment that I applied to be a featured artist with World of Wool. I didn’t really give myself time to talk myself out of it, I just filled out my details and sent off the form!

 

The site regularly features a variety of makers and their gallery is full of seriously talented textile artists, including the fabulous Moy Mackay.

 

Imagine my surprise when I received an email two days later telling me they would like to feature me in their latest monthly blog and newsletter! 

 

I was beyond excited and thrilled to think that an organization was interested in my work and prepared to feature it and share it with thousands of their subscribers.

 

This morning when I opened my email, there it was!  A copy of the article and my  face staring back at me from the World of Wool newsletter.  It feels amazing to have my work acknowledged and it has given me such a confidence boost, just when I needed it.

 

I started to get feedback on my social media pages almost instantly, lots of congratulations and support from followers and fellow artisans.  There was one comment, however, that really made my day, from a lady I hadn’t heard from before and this is what she wrote:

 

‘And that’s how I came across you. You’re work is beautiful and inspiring. I had lost my mojo a bit with felting even though had just recieved a big order from world of wool. You’ve made me want to get felting again ❤️’

 

 

What a wonderful, uplifting comment, how fantastic that someone would take time out of their day to say that in response to my post.  She had read the article from her inbox first thing and by the time I had shared the article on social media, she had already looked me up and was engaging with my thread. It was incredible to think that my work had helped to reignite another artist’s passion. 

 

So thank you World of Wool for accepting my application, thank you Andrew Novotny for such a great write up and thank you to each and every one of you who read the article and left some feedback on my social media pages, it really means a great deal.  

 

Please continue to support small business where you can, it’s hard work to find recognition but I am delighted to tell you that I did a little happy dance all the way to my studio this morning! 

 

If you woud like to read the article , please visit: 

https://www.worldofwool.co.uk/apps/base/blog/featured-artist-louise-hancox

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Winter is slowing creeping away as Spring gathers pace

I have to confess the weather of  late has been confusing, from a cloud burst of snow one afternoon, clear blue skies followed less than 24 hours later, chasing its tail the howling gales and flash floods across the country, it’s cold enough to be winter, but the bright blue skies suggest a different story. 
So what plants, bulbs, or seedlings can you realistically look at panting whilst the weather is so up and down? 

To answer this question it does also depend on a many other factors, including but not limited too the PH levels of your soil, whether you live in a sheltered area or are fully exposed on a cliff top , availability of a greenhouse or somewhere light warm and airy, essentially draught free to give a few answers. 
February gardening is all about getting the seeds planted, so get out your old planters and scrape off the top layer of compost and replace with fresh. Seed wise you can sow lettuces in readiness for fresh leaves in May June time, but do ensure they are protected, varieties such as Winter Gem, and Valdor are good winter hardy types but do make sure you plant under cloches

As a general rule, bulbs can be planted out as well, but do remember they tend to prefer light well draining soil, if they are left in wet, heavy soil they are unlikely to thrive. So you can consider broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, cabbages. 
If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse herb seeds, tomatoes, cucumber can get a good start. 

I have started to list a few deeper, larger metal garden planters, these were specifically designed to enable the rooftop or patio gardener to have access to deeper soil thus enabling root vegetables to be sown. grown and eaten from the single metal garden planter. So if you fancy one do let me know! 
Fi

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Traditional V Digital Sculpture techniques?

I’ve been a traditional sculptor for more than 30 years. I enjoy the relationship I have with the medium I use, and also the close interaction with the reference materials I choose, both of which combine to help me create the sculptures I produce.

Close up of a Hare sculpture created using traditional sculpting techniques
Close up of my Harriet Hare sculpture created using traditional sculpting techniques

I am rather resistant to change, and have tended to view ‘digital’ sculpting as… cheating! Well, to some degree any way! However, a figurine designing company recently contacted me after they began following me on Instagram and they commented that they were impressed by my ‘sensational fur sculpting skills’! (?) They went on to ask me to sculpt a type of Tiger for them, even though they employ several digital sculptors. It seems that perhaps fur can’t easily be replicated using a computer and that the hand and eye of a traditional sculptor might still be useful in this digital age! 

I was thinking about how I was going to approach this project and I had an idea about how to incorporate working ‘with’ digital sculptors which would save the company time and money and still produce the finish on the sculpture which they came to me for.

I admit to feeling slightly apprehensive when I emailed them my idea… I know nothing about digital sculpting or 3D printing and was expecting my idea to be shot down in flames, but… the reply came back almost immediately hailing me as ‘innovative’ and a ‘genius’! (?) They also believe that they might have quite a bit of ‘traditional’ sculpting work for me in the future! 

So, traditional V Digital Sculpture techniques? You’ll have noticed that I haven’t spilled the beans on exactly ‘what’ my brilliant idea is (it isn’t always a good idea to give your best ideas away!), but I’m so pleased that after my resistance to digital sculpting I have found a way to combine it with the way I work to the mutual benefit of both me and the customer in a faster and ultimately a more satisfactory way. 

Hare sculpture created using traditional sculpting techniques
My Harriet Hare sculpture created in wax using traditional sculpting techniques
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How It Started – Meet JoSara

Me, Jo from JoSara

Hi, I’m Jo, thanks for popping in. Where did it start? Well, I was looking for a decorative and practical bird bath for my own garden and I couldn’t find any that fitted the bill. I had seen a few mosaic style designs on my search and I thought, I could have a go at that. So, I researched garden suitable materials, taught myself how to mosaic, and made my own unique pattern Moroccan pool style bird bath (a design that is still one I have in my shop today, and the bird bath is still going strong in my garden). That started me on a train of thought where lots of different mosaic designs I could create were popping into my head.

handmade mosaic birdbath with unique hedgehog design
  Rainbow Hedgehog bird bath

Those train of thought designs included something to help our hedgehogs, because it was around that time that I became aware of the plight they were in with their numbers plummeting. As I read more on the subject I realised water is key to attracting wildlife to your garden and can be a lifesaver for them, too. So I thought what better? You could have something decorative to look at, while the water it provides is helping keep your garden wildlife healthy and you could also enjoy watching the wildlife that appeared. Seemed a win, win to me.

Mosaic bird bath with a unique handmade design created by josara
     Moroccan Pool bird bath

I have always been quite arty, but never pursued it, I certainly never thought it would become my career. I also have always had a keen interest in the natural world, but never thought of combining the two things until I made that first bird bath and the penny dropped. There must be other people out there that want something a bit more unique for their home and garden too? Fate had it that I was in a position to leave my long term, very dull, admin job and try starting my own business to find out. The timing was perfect with the handmade boom just getting going and lots of information about how to start a handmade business online was appearing on the internet. So my brand, JoSara, was born with my first online shop opening in 2011.

JoSara in Birds and Blooms magazine
JoSara in Birds and Blooms magazine

Since then it’s been going from strength to strength, including more online shops, a website, and being featured online and in print, with my Three Bees bird bath being in the 5th best selling mag in the home and garden category in the US, Birds and Blooms. And in the US that means a LOT of readers, so that was amazing. My ranges have been expanding, with new designs still popping into my head. And it’s all thanks to the nature and wildlife lovers, and lovers of things a little bit different that were definitely out there.

To follow new designs in progress follow me on Facebook – JoSaraDesign

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Meet a Good Right Hooker

I’m a 50 something mother of 4 and granny to 6. I have been surrounded by craft of some sort or another all my life, my grandmother was a prolific knitter, my mother is a wonderful embroiderer and seamstress and my father was always fashioning something out of wood.

I was taught to knit and sew at a young age and have always had a project on the go, sometimes useful  ( I made all my children’s clothes when they were small) and sometimes purely decorative. 

 After trying to teach myself to crochet for more years than I’m going to admit here, a very good and patient friend eventually managed to teach me to make the humble granny square and I haven’t looked back since! 

As well as my little crochet business, I have a day job where I’m a housekeeper in a large busy house. No two days are ever the same and I love it. 

When I’m not at work or crocheting you’ll often find me out on my bike in the beautiful Norfolk countryside, last year Mr Good Right Hook bought me a proper road bike so I’m fairly nipping along those lanes now. 

I’m so excited to be a part of The British Craft House and I cant wait to see where it will take me in the coming months and years. 

Jo x