Well my plan to Blog every couple of weeks has fallen at the first hurdle and it has been a long while since I get pen to paper (or is that finger to keyboard?) regardless I gave myself a stern talking to and so here I am.
I noticed that Missy has been hacking into my website and posting her 10p worth of musings, I am sure it won’t be the last and as I type she is sat at the back door itching to get in. I have found a scoop of grain usually keeps her quiet but not for too long.
Anyway onwards and upwards as they say. Truth be told I had it in my mind that after the crazy Christmas season I would have lots of time to blog and update things but, if anything, it has been more busy that before. Christmas (I can mention the C-word now it is over for another 10 months) was a great success for me, busy dashing about to various corners of the South East, except when the dreaded lurgy got hold of the Powell-Forsyth household and both Adrian and myself were laid up for a week and got my first commission in gold which was really exciting (see below).
The design of these earrings was inspired by my very dear friend Debs, back in November I blogged these as a new design but there is a story with these: we were invited to a wonderful weekend in Derbyshire to celebrate Debs birthday, as a gift she requested a stone carving done by Adrian, the carving was of an angel in a church local to her that she goes to find comforting and inspirational. As I felt that a large lump of beautifully carved stone is a wee bit cumbersome to drag about I thought I would design a piece of jewellery that captured the idea of the carving. I created a stylised ‘wing’ motif where the front and back part move independently of each other, not only giving movement but a change in pattern as they move like a pair of beating wings (yeah I know I can getting very arty farty at times) The idea was that the Angel wings would remind Debs of the carving and its meaning to her but also to remind her of the deep love and support her friends have for her (don’t tell her but she is a pretty special person). With her permission, I made a whole range of earrings and pendants and they became my most popular design of the Christmas season and thus the gold earrings came about.
As I have said it has been a bit hectic since Christmas with new teaching sessions coming up at Wooburn Craft School, two days a week at Bucks New Uni and my usual Norden Farm commitments, at times teaching four days a week and next to no time making for my next big show. Added to all of this I had a wonderful call from the Museum of Rural life in Reading asking if I would be interested in putting some work in their gift shop which was duly done, as well as preparing for a small exhibition at Berkhamsteds’ Upstairs Gallery. Somewhere in all of this I am still finalising designs for the National Trust at Cliveden. Do NOT get me wrong I am not complaining, I have been incredibly lucky and very humbled by everyone’s support. It has been an amazing journey so far and am excited about the year ahead.
In the meantime I have been working away on new designs for the Chelsea Jewellery and Silversmithing fair (see events) and getting mildly panicky about what to take, make and the ever present thought ‘AM I good enough?’. If anyone can go please do its a fantastic event with up to 100 exhibitors of the finest jewellers and silversmiths, I mean some of these people are my icons in the jewellery world and lil’ ole me will be amongst them so please wish me luck as I am slightly terrified.
A big big thanks to my friend and fellow chicken keeper Lou and her commission for a russian wedding ring, I have always wanted to know how to make one and so made a chunky one and then Lou’s much more delicate one.
This is the chunky ring, much to big for Lou which I knew from the start but a good practice and will be up for sale at Chelsea unless I pinch it for myself.
I have managed two visits to ‘The Chateau’ one just after new year with a friend which basically involved cleaning and not much enjoying the wonderful area, and a second in February to celebrate Adrians’ birthday, the weather was fantastic and we managed some sightseeing this time, bought the most delicious birthday cake and returned with a car full of wine and cheese…the car still smells a week after. Also met the neighbours, actually we had met one of them, the lovely Merlin but on this trip we met his parents Maureen and Nicolas all of whom are incredibly warm and welcoming. They have also read my blog so that makes them pretty darned perfect in my eyes, top this with a gift of homemade Jams and preserves from Maureen and I am totally in love with the house, the village, the neighbours and France in general. We still have minor leaks in the house and we can not work the oven (I fear it is going to be ditched and a new less computerised one installed) but still these are just small fry issues to what is going to be an amazing adventure. Just to top off the whole experience of our last trip we were escorted out of French waters by a pod of dolphins leaping out of the water, you could see their markings quite clearly. A very special trip and one I am not going to forget in a hurry, so thank you Debs (she of the Angel wings) for coming out with us and encouraging us to sing Erasure songs at full volume whilst waiting to get on the ferry back, Merlin, Nicolas and Maureen for the jams and the welcome.
I am hoping my next blog will be full of Chelsea and a trip with the in-laws back out to France, unless Missy gets hold of the computer so who knows what might happen.