Lots of PMC and Beautiful Giraffes

My week has been filled full of PMC! Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I spent with Deidre and Honey who were visiting from Ireland to learn some beading and PMC techniques. We didn't actually get to the beading as the very ambitious PMC projects took over. The pieces that were made were very beautiful.

This was Honey's syringe heart pendant. The pendant is approximately 10cm tall. I had never fired a syringe project this big before so was a little unsure as to how it would fire. During firing some areas of the pendant collapsed so Honey needed to build up the areas and then we fired again. When working with syringe its very important to build a good structure with the lines of PMC and also to make sure the lines are a full thickness.

Dierdre's necklace and earrings set was made using some poppy heads that I picked from my garden a year ago. Its important that the poppy heads are dry. She used PMC paste to cover the poppy...let it dry...coated again and kept repeating this until a thick enough layer was achieved. Pearls were then attached using some beads & wire and stringing techniques.

Saturday I ran a PMC Rings workshop. I had a really lovely group. Most of the group made two rings using lump PMC, stones, textures, cutters and syringe. We did have some problems with a couple of the rings breaking during filing, before firing. When this happens it can be very difficult to stop the piece from cracking at the same point even if it has been filled with paste. I find it best to fire the ring then finish the piece, maybe add more paste and fire again.

This ring is a good example of how liver of sulphur can react. This piece was submerged in LoS after it had cooled for 10 minutes. As you can see the silver has been oxidised an almost gold colour. I think this looks beautiful with the green stone. Liver of Sulphur is fairly unpredictable and many factors, such as heat of water, strength of liquid, type of water, will effect the colour you get. You can see more images of the workshops on our Facebook page.

After my busy week I had an unusual day off on Sunday so we went to Cotswold Wildlife Park. We probably go once or twice a year, its always a great day out and Harry can come too. The park has had lots of improvements made....and they've now got three male Giraffes!!

After lots of walking, lots of food and the sun we were all looking forward to relaxing on the sofa. Harry got cosy in the car!!

The Summer is here...

As much as I love my adult learning classes I am pleased to say that I have finished teaching for the summer and will now have ALL my evenings to do with as I please. I do have a few Friday night workshops planned but the rest of the time I am planning to continue organising the shop, making lampwork beads, and getting the new workshop project under way. Kay and I have been really busy sorting out the shop by moving it around and creating more space, throwing out lots of old catalogues, magazines and unneeded paperwork....its amazing how much is collected. I even have an office - only I can fit it in but its an office all the same!!

New Shop Layout

This weekend we visited Art in Action. We had a really lovely day (we being Mum, Kay, Lucy, Harry, Gladys and Me). This year they had invited some new artist to join the show so we were able to see some fresh ideas. Sarah Hornik a lampwork artist was there this year. It was great to see her make a bead. The combination of colour she uses in her work is beautiful. Take a look at her website. When ever we visit Art in Action we always come away feeling very inspired so Kay and I decided to come back to the shop and have a play on our torches. We both made a few beads each but said we need to be doing more. This is my plan....at least once a week if I can (in an ideal world!!).
I have been doing lots of workshops too...beads & wire, button necklaces, PMC. You can see all the images on our Facebook page.

I'm back!!! I have finished the PGCE, am now a fully qualified post 16 teacher and can start to concentrate on all the things I had to put on hold to get through it. I have also treated myself for my achievement and bought myself an iPad....more on that later!! It's been a long hard slog but I have now completed and passed all assignments for my Post Graduate Certificate in Education. I knew that it was taking a lot of time but didn't realise quite how much until I finished. Unfortunately while doing this The Oxford Bead Shop's ambitions have been put on hold....but....now it's full steam ahead!!!! We're starting things off with our popular workshop taster evening this Friday 2nd July 7-9pm. We've got lots of new stock, new kits, new jewellery and the British Silver week exhibition by Current UK PMC artists being displayed.

Since my last entry....a long time ago...I've meet and taught some lovely people. You can see images of the jewellery that's been made on our Facebook Page but here's some of the highlights...

Introduction to Beads & Knotting
This beautiful lariat was made using griffin silk, glass beads, semi precious beads, ceramic buttons and bundles of fabric flowers.

Making a Tiara
Our Tiara making workshop is always a very 'girly' experience. Lots of sparkle!!

Making a Silver Ring
A lovely use of 2mm sterling silver wire and 0.7mm flat sheet.

I've also been lucky enough to spend the day with Pauline Holt (aka Jazzy Lilly) lampwork bead making for the day. I really love working with glass, the colour, movement and effects are so different to any of the traditional materials I'm used to. I was able to work on areas of beading making I had been having problems with such as stringer work....creating lines and patterns with thinner rods of glass. It was really good for me to be on the other side of teaching, it reminded me of how my learners feel and how in a first session of learning something new it's very difficult to take in the technique when your faced with new tools, new materials, new terms, positions and environments. I love my iPad!! It's Apple's newest invention. It's basically like a big iPhone but is capable of so much more. I can read books, write emails, surf the Internet, draw, play games and lots more. Not sure what my favourites app is at the moment....I'll get back to you.

New workshops

I've had another busy week teaching for Oxfordshire Adult Learning and at The Oxford Bead Shop. Last Saturday I delivered my first More Beads and Wire workshop at Cheney School. I have taught this before but at my shop. We started the session by using oddments of memory wire to create chandelier type earrings then we moved onto making our own chunky jumprings, charms, coils, beads and more using mandrels, hammers and a 'Spiralling Gizmo'. I introduced the class to some new weights of wire and some coloured wires that are available. Within this bracelet design Helen made every part of it. She coiled the coloured sections using 0.5mm enamel coated copper, made the beads, clasp and base using 1mm silver plated wire then chose some beads to complement the design and create a focal point.

Sunday I taught More Beads & Stringing at the shop. This workshop, like More Beads & Wire, builds on techniques and designs previously covered in the intro workshop. We looked at using some of the coloured beadalon wires but rather then completely covering the wire with beads using this as part of the design and having sections showing. For lots more pictures and ideas visit The Oxford Bead Shop's Facebook page...

While I was teaching at Cheney School Lucy and Fiona were running a children's birthday workshop...I leave them the best jobs!!! This is one of the pieces that was made...obviously an experience wire worker!! We have an ever increasing number of young girls who are getting into making jewellery. They've all been attending a jewellery club set up at school by a teacher who had previously been on a workshop with me. Its great to see how keen they are to explore their new hobby. One girl who has been making memory wire bracelets has been selling them to friends and family and has almost saved up enough money to buy a Nintendo DS!!!

This week we also had a special birthday in the family....Harry turned 3 or in doggy years 21!!! We celebrated by having sausages...what more could a dog want!! He's getting a bit over grown so we're going to book him in at the groomers to get his hair cut soon - maybe after this week as snow is due again. We get him cut about every 10-14 weeks depending on the time of year. In the summer its nice to keep him short so he doesn't over heat but in the winter the extra coat is much needed. I've also started brushing his teeth, something I wish I'd have started when we first got him at 13 weeks. He doesn't seem to mind it and I think quite likes the poultry flavoured toothpaste!!

Precious Metal Clay Certification

This weekend I taught my first Precious Metal Clay Certification Module!! Since the beginning of the year Amy Surman - The Oxford Beadshop has been an Accredited Training Centre for the PMC Certification Programme. The programme is split into three modules...

• Module 1 - Naturals The 7 projects in this module are designed to teach you how to make a textured pendant, simple stone setting, combine PMC with glass, make a ring, use organic materials, make a clasp, dry construction and the use of wood clay.

• Module 2 - High Finish This module focuses on achieving a professional finish. The 6 projects also teach you how to use Japanese enamels, achieve a high shine, set a natural stone, use PMC 22K gold and combine PMC with fired ceramics and bisque.

• Module 3 - Innovative design Create your own designs whilst learning techniques such as Keum Boo (24K gold foil), syringe design, chain making, ring with natural stone setting, combining PMC and Sterling Silver and liver of sulphur.

The modules can be taken in any order and this weekend we completed Module 2. We had a great three days - everybody worked really hard to complete their projects. You can see how hard from the table mess!!!!

This module really did concentrate on achieving a high professional finish - this takes time so the three days were jam packed with technique and focus.

A Collection of all 6 Projects

One of the things I like about this module is the way it combines PMC and traditional jewellery making techniques. For example...enameling, rubover setting and high shine. These techniques are more commonly seen combined with traditional jewellery making but they work so well with PMC. Enameling is perfect for PMC work as it is fine silver so there is no need for depletion guilding and no risk of oxidisation to the surface.

Rubover Set Ring with Blue Goldstone

Out of the six projects we covered I think this is the most difficult - The Bezel Set Ring. Firstly rings are not the easiest project to make with PMC due to the shrinkage, sizing and the join can sometimes be problematic. Within this project you also have to make a bezel (the bit that sits around the stone) out of fine silver and set this into the PMC - again you have to be careful with the shrinkage so the setting doesn't go out of shape or splits the ring completely!! I was very pleased that this project went well for all of us!!

Enamel of Precious Metal Clay

There's lots more images on our Facebook page...Later on in the year I will be delivering the Module 1 & 3 alongside all our other workshops...busy..busy!!
Last week we also had our first Beading Group meeting - last Tuesday of the month. It went really well although I was doing some private tuition that I said to myself I wouldn't!! The next one is at the end of February - I going to take part this time. Everybody bought along their own projects, tools, we provided the cake and tea and we all made a £2.00 contribution to Breast Cancer Research. It was great to see lots of different projects and ideas around the table.

Sparkle, Sparkle!!

I've been meaning to post this for ages...remember last year I was
making some jewellery for a friends wedding but vowed to myself to
keep things secret until the big day?? Well this is the tiara I
made...I was very pleased with it and more important - Lucy the bride
was. The focal point is a brooch that Lucy found in an antique shop. I
then used silver plated wire, swarovski crystals, glass pearls and
silver-lined delicas to create the panels. Lucy & Duncan's wedding is
currently being featured in Cotswold Life Magazine....so Lucy!!!

Gladys my Little Niece

Those of you that have been in the shop over the past few months will
have probably met Gladys. She is the newest edition to the family and
is my sister Kay's little Pug. Had to share this fabulous picture with
you...Gladys on Kay's crocheted blanket! I can't actually crochet but
would love to learn...when I've got time I'm going to get Kay to teach
me so I can make a beautiful cozy blanket too.