Jewellery Making Taster Session at Allanbank Arts

In the run up to the Summer courses at Allanbank Arts there was a weekend of taster sessions allowing people to have a go at a wide variety of workshops to see what was for them.

I ran a jewellery making taster session where participants learned the key skill of turning a loop in wire and a few of the many ways this technique can be used.

 Each participant made a pair of earrings and a necklace or bracelet, including their very own handmade clasp. It's very handy being able to turn a loop in a piece of wire, yes?!

A much cited reason for attending my workshops is people wanting to be able to fix their own jewellery and I love this approach!

See more student work over on facebook  and find out about learning on my workshop page.

Crossing Borders Exhibition at Coldstream Gallery

The lovely Coldstream Gallery is hosting its annual Crossing Borders Exhibition featuring work by artists working all over the Borders.  It is a great chance to see a variety of work from members of the artist collective all in one venue and Rich and I are happy to be exhibiting there.

Calendulas by Rich Johnson

detail of work by Niall Campbell

Laura Johnson Sea Glass, Pottery and Recycled Silver Jewellery

 To see more from the exhibition pop on over to Coldstream Gallery's facebook page and give them a like!

Stacked Sea Glass Earrings

Aqua Stacker Sea Glass Earrings

Good news: I have found a good selection of small aqua sea glass ready for drilling so I will be able to make more stacker earrings!

Each pair feature three sets of aqua toned sea glass found here along the Berwickshire and Northumberland coastline. The glass is thoroughly cleaned and a tiny hole drilled through the centre creating little sea glass beads.  The beads are then stacked on a hand forged, long line, recycled sterling silver wire before being polished and hardened in a tumbler.

Aqua Stacker Sea Glass Earrings

Each pair is different with variations in shapes, sizes and order of sea glass depending on what washes up on the beach at the time! I make these to order over in my shop and they can be made to your preferred length, usually between 4 and 6cm from the top to base of the ear wire.

Thank you to all who have ordered these already and I hope you are enjoying wearing them! I know I do ;)

 

Hester the 'Award' Winning Cat

 Some of you may remember Hester, the little tabby who came to live with us not long after we got married. 

Hester is the 'kitten' of the house, according to my mother in law she is the naughty one, the curtain climbing, pouncing, skidding little rebel. I think she's ace!

One of her more endearing habits is that she sits on my knee and I have no shame in admitting I like it! 

Last week Cookson Gold, one of my recycled silver suppliers, held an entertaining competition over on facebook dedicated to photos of workshop pets. I entered the lower photo of Hester who is lying on my knee and having a good go at my bench peg and she was chosen as runner up! 

Hooray! On Friday a big jiffy bag of cat and jewellery-making-human treats arrived for us! Cheers Cookson Gold!

Allanbank Arts Taster Sessions

Allanbank Arts are running a weekend of taster sessions offering you the opportunity to try out one of the skills in advance of more detailed courses. I'll be teaching an introduction to jewellery making on Saturday 8th March from 1.30 to 4pm when we'll be learning to turn a loop in wire and how to use this technique to create chain, earrings, necklaces or bracelets.

The address for directions is Allanbank Arts, Allanbank Courtyard, Allanton, Duns, TD11 3PY.

 

Crossing Borders Exhibition at Coldstream Gallery

Next week sees the opening of the Crossing Borders Spring Exhibition at Coldstream Gallery.

Crossing Borders Spring Exhibition 2014 at Coldstream Gallery

Both Rich and I have been working on pieces for this exhibition including these daffodils which I would like to keep hanging on our wall, March at last, come on the spring!

Daffodils, oil on board, Rich Johnson

 This morning a man delivered a box of bulbs for the garden and, despite having to answer the door in a dressing gown, walking socks and a towel on my head, it left me excited for the coming change in the seasons.

Mr Delivery Man, I apologise that every time you come to our door laden with good things I answer in various states of hurried dishevelment. I will try better in the future but I'm not usually at my best before 8am!



 

Simply Silver Jewellery

New simply silver jewellery coming to my shop soon. I've been enjoying  twisting wire to create mini silver ropes and thinking of seasons other than chilly winter by working with silver leaves and acorns.

Skinny silver twist heart stacker ring

Silver stacker rings

Medium silver twist ring

Medium silver twist ring

Leaf and acorn ring

Leaf and acorn ring

My love for stacking rings shows no sign of abating!

Chunky Aqua Sea Glass Ring

New in my new web shop; an eco friendly and lovely chunky silver and aqua sea glass ring.

Web Shop

Good afternoon!

I am pleased to share that my online shop right here on my website is live again! The tab on the top menu bar will take you there whenever you fancy.

It is still a bit echoing at the moment but will be filling up over the next few weeks starting with the half finished ring in the picture which is indeed being pickled clean ready for glass setting. When daylight returns it will be finished and ready for photographing and listing.

For those of you who sell online you might be interested in Blomming; I signed up with them to make my web shop running quicker and easier than fighting with coding!

The Year That Was 2013

Christmas 2012 saw me join the smart phone revolution thanks to my kind family and 2013 was very much the year of Instagram for me.  I love it!

Links to my social media pages are over on the right hand side of this page if you would like to keep in touch on any of them.

I've collaged a few sets showing our work in our house, new jewellery, the beautiful Scottish Borders and, of course, Molly and Hester cats!
Happy New Year! 

Christmas Stockists 2013

Hello!

I've just updated my stockists page so you can see where my jewellery can be purchased out there in the real world.

In the next fortnight all will have received new work for Christmas shows so, if you are in the Scottish Borders area and would like to see my work other than on a computer screen you can do so here:

Chirnside Gallery and Post Office

Main Street, Chirnside, TD11 3YA

Moy Mackay Gallery

17 Northgate Peebles EH45 8RX Scotland
01721 722116

Number Four Gallery 

Northfield Farm, St Abbs, TD14 5QF

 01890771111 

 info@numberfourgallery.co.uk 

The Smokehouse Gallery

St Ellas Place, Eyemouth, TD14 5HP

 01890 752 116  

The Stone Wall Gallery

Cruiksfield, Preston, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QB 

 01361 884864 

 info@stonewallgallery.co.uk

Tweedside Gallery

Tweedside Road, Newtown St Boswells, TD6 0PG
  01835 823473 
 tweedsidegallery@btconnect.com


The Vennel Gallery
161B Roxburgh Street,Kelso, Roxburghshire,TD5 7DU 
(01573) 22 40 03
VennelGallery@Live.co.uk


 

The Stone Wall Gallery: Olivia Lomenech Gill

Last week saw the opening of a beautiful new gallery, The Stone Wall Gallery near Preston, Duns.  The opening exhibition features work by Charles Poulsen and Olivia Lomenech Gill.

I first saw Olivia Lomenech Gill's work at Charlie and Pauline's open studio in August. I don't think I've ever blogged about it yet. Rich and I have gone to Allanbank Mill Steading every year since we moved and find inspiration each time in the work exhibited and from the artists themselves.

The first encounter was War Horse. Beautiful, large scale etching in response to and for Michael Morpurgo's writing? One glance and I was entranced, even more so having had a chance to look again. Layered, textured, emotive.

  

Image courtesy of the artist and The Stone Wall Gallery website

One of my fondest memories of teaching was sitting on the windowsill at the back of my class room reading with my classes. On one occasion I was perched aloft and finishing Morpurgo's Private Peaceful  with my year 9s. In those days year 9 was all about national curriculum testing and levels. I hated that fact, they hated that fact and it was a joy to be able to share a novel with them, to explore, respond and enjoy. They were marvelous. So, reaching the final few pages of a book that has reduced me to weeping my voice wavered a little. A certain student, who was fully capable of being a challenge, raised his hand and quietly asked, 'Miss, would like me to finish reading for you?'

And now, I've had the chance to see this beautiful work and even have a selection of my rings in the same exhibition.  This makes me happy.

Number Four Gallery, St Abbs, Christmas Show

This week I've been working on new pieces for Number Four Gallery's Christmas Show. I will also be working at the gallery on the preview weekend on the 16th and 17th November so come and see all the beautiful work, have a glass and a nibble and say hello!

Rings

Good evening and happy weekend to you all!

I've been hard at work making rings and helping R sand our floor boards back. A hefty job but we are nearly, nearly orange varnish free.

And I have more rings than I did at the start of the week.

Last Friday we took a jaunt to Peebles where you can see a display of my jewellery and Rich's fine, witty and wonderful drawings at the Eastgate Theatre.  We also made it over to Moy Mackay's gallery which now has a new selection of my jewellery in its lovely cabinets of splendour!

It is Friday evening and I'm done for the day and heading for the sofa for a glass of wine and some Monty Don, good night!

Printmakers at Coldstream Gallery

Currently showing at Coldstream Gallery is a delightful Printmakers Exhibition. So much beautiful work and I have been thoroughly enchanted by Freya Cumming's screenprints

 and Kevin Peden's St Abbs prints. You can see Kevin and St Abbs in this lovely video below!

Kevin Peden - Artist from Samuels-Art on Vimeo.

The Printmakers exhibition is on now and runs until the 26th October 2013.

Learn How to Make Jewellery in the Scottish Borders

Good afternoon!

After a summer of fun jewellery making workshops my last series of 2013 are about to start.

I can hardly believe it's October already!

If you are based in the Scottish Borders or Northumberland and would be interested in learning how to make jewellery I will be teaching a seven week evening course at Allanbank Arts commencing on Wednesday 23rd October and finishing on Wednesday 4th December.

Each session starts at 7pm and finishes at 9.30pm.

You will learn about the main components and techniques in bead and wire jewellery making allowing you to resolve your own designs from initial inspirations to finished pieces. The later sessions will also include working with sheet metal.

You can sign up for the whole course for £125 (£115 if you book and pay before Wednesday 16th October) or you can pay £20 per session if you can't make them all.

I will be posting the schedule next week with an outline of what will be happening each week.

To book your place you can email info@allanbankarts.co.uk
or phone Gill on 07702811374 or Liz on 01890 818459 / 07899903429