After a wonderful holiday I am safely back in Cape Town…I will be back in the workshop tomorrow to start work on some exciting new projects and designs…

The September issue of House and Leisure magazine (South Africa) went on sale last week. It contains a feature called “Rising Stars” and I was lucky enough to be included in this article. According to the official House and Leisure press release, “Rising Stars rounds up the young creatives to watch this year, recognising brilliant designers across a wide range of industries from furniture and jewellery design to music and winemaking”.

I feel honoured to be included in this group and I look forward to reading the entire feature when I return to Cape Town this weekend. If you have not yet bought a copy of the magazine then here are some pictures in the meantime…

Today I am a very, very lucky jewellery-making being! At 17:45 I will be boarding a plane and heading off on holiday (my first proper holiday in six years!). I arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow and will stay in Scotland for a couple of days before heading off to Sweden for a week and then I will spend the rest of August in Scotland…I told you I was lucky! I cannot wait to see my family and friends as well as the beauty of their hometowns.

Some of the views I look forward to enjoying…

Edinburgh

Stockholm

While I am away I will be available (at times) on email so any new orders can be placed in the meantime and I will get to them early in September. If I have the chance I will share photos and such on my blog and on my facebook page (Resonatebyamy).

I cannot wait to fill my visual diary with new thoughts and inspiration that I can translate into new jewellery designs and projects when I return!

I recently became a member of the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI). The CCDI was launched in 2001 with the intention of providing support to craftspeople and designer-makers within the Western Cape. As a not-for-profit company, the CCDI , “helps to network all players in the product-to-market chain. This includes craft producers and designer-makers, retailers, marketing agents, exporters and service providers such as designers, product developers, skills trainers, business development practitioners and mentors” (www.ccdi.org.za/about-ccdi). The CCDI offers product, business and market support to its members through meetings, training sessions, learnerships and workshops.

Last week I attended my first CCDI workshop; it was a business workshop that focused on time management. This particular workshop was a half-day event that addressed the problems faced by designers, in terms of, trying to create structured working time for a career that seldom follows traditional office hours. The workshop was really informative but also enjoyable as it was interactive. The discussions during the workshop were very useful and provided me with a great opportunity to talk to other creative individuals who have similar concerns as well as different approaches to my own. It was re-affirming to realise that in many ways I am on the right track in terms of running  my new business and just to remind myself that everyday is a learning experience. And what a great experience it has been so far!!!

…my notes from the workshop…

After launching my range of dog pendants I started receiving requests for more breed specific dogs. My favourite dog commission was this one…

…I loved working on the Scottie design as it brought back wonderful memories. When I was five I was allowed to get my very first puppy and I chose to get a Scottie Terrier who I named Thistle. She was a feisty little creature but I thought she was perfect!

Here is my version of a Jack Russel Terrier…

I am currently working on a few more dog commissions…perhaps I’ll try my hand at some cat designs soon

When selling hand-made work,  it is always interesting to see how people react not only to the work itself but also to the price of the work.For the most part, people can see and appreciate the value of a hand-made piece of art or jewellery over one that has been commercially produced to make profit. However, there are always a few people who will ask “Why is hand-made work so expensive?”. For those who don’t really understand what time, emotion and effort goes into making a piece by hand…and for all of the people who do and who appreciate a one of a kind design…here is a beautifully worded quote that illustrates the value of time and investment that is inherent in work made by hand…

(words quoted from http://bit.ly/13WC44R)

Last week I finished this pair of earrings…a commission for a talented print maker and artist. She wanted me to make bird earrings that did not match each other (my favourite kind of earrings) and she wanted stones that match the bright blue sea. I decided to keep the earrings quite simple so that they could be worn as a pair or one at a time. Here they are in sterling silver with faceted sky blue topaz stones…

Live a big life…be everything that you were meant to be…