Getting There......

It's been a busy few weeks with preparations for Grafton Artsfest, which is just a week away. Hard to believe it's been a year since the last one. It's always a pleasure to come up with new projects, the problem for me is that once I start, my mind starts off on its own little track and I end up with notes and scribbles that I then have to decipher later on. My bench is a mess, but that's nothing new, and my partner says it's like living in Santa's workshop, with the tap tap tap of tiny hammers going on all day. 

A lovely Artsfest student, and now friend, Sally, was recently married and I made a lovely ring for her which we designed together. Not your traditional engagement and wedding ring, Sally chose a single ring, which is becoming more popular. It's a lovely design with sapphires and diamonds and with Sally's gorgeous slim hands, it looked just stunning.

And here's another ring I have made recently, an 18ct diamond engagement ring.

The studio is really coming along now. Still doesn't look much, but lots of structural work has been done. I'm so excited and just can't wait for our first class. Right now though, Grafton is my main focus and I'm just finishing up the project instruction folders and making plenty of lists so I don't forget anything! Problem is, I need a list to keep track of my lists....

Well, back to the bench for me. Still plenty to keep me busy. As busy as I am, I'm enojoying it. I was chatting with a jeweller friend the other day, who had just sent me a photo of a ring she had remodelled. She had used a particular technique she hadn't used in some time and we were discussing how great it is that after years of 'doing what we do' it's still so much fun. There's always something to remember, learn or create - always another direction you can take it to keep it interesting. 

I'll leave you with a "before" photo of the studio. Like I said, it doesn't look much now but just wait..... 

Book Review - The King & Dr. Nick

I'm an avid reader and always have a book on the go. I'm particularly into crime fiction but I do stray to other genres from time to time. Anyway, my love for reading led me to BookSneeze. They have a range of books to choose from, which they will send you FREE (that's right, free.....don't get much for free anymore huh!) so long as you agree to review it on your blog and a commercial site that sells the book. Now that sounds like a bargain to me. So, here's my review of The King and Dr. Nick.....written by Dr. George Nichopoulas, Elvis Presley's personal physician.

Welcome to 2010.....

The last couple of months have been hectic to say the least. With Christmas approaching faster than ever and a mad rush to keep up with Snake Jewellery orders, November and December went by in a heartbeat!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. We had a lovely time in our new home with both our families visiting. Christmas day, although a little on the humid side, was thankfully nowhere near the temperatures of the previous week.

So now for some catching up........

As promised in my last post, I have some photos of Grafton Artsfest to share.
Here is returning student, Leslea, deep in concentration at the soldering station.

As always, we had a wonderful time with the class consisting of many familiar faces as well as some lovely new people whom we now consider friends. The students made a wonderful array of creative jewellery and I was once again amazed and inspired by the quality of work produced.

Unfortunately, my camera decided to get lazy (yes, I'm blaming the camera!) and the photos of the actual jewellery turned out pretty dismal. Being the high-tech gal that I am (not), I couldn't even photoshop them to a suitable degree to post here, so you will have to take my word for how well the students did.... My photography skills, on the other hand, could use some help.

I also had my photograph appear in the local Grafton newspaper with Richard, the only boy in the class!! He is holding a lovely brooch that he made.

Grafton Artsfest 2010 is running from September 25th to 30th. A discount is offered for early payment, so if you are interested in attending, please visit their website Grafton Artsfest 2010 for more information or email me for details on what you can expect in our 2010 class.

On the home-front things are progressing. Work on the studio should begin this month, although a few other things have cropped up which need to be taken care of first, such as the hole we discovered in the concrete water tank.

I have been very busy with my Snake Jewellery website and have also been making some interesting pieces for my friend, Bronwyn's new gallery in San Remo, Victoria. Bronwyn is president of the Gold & Silvermiths Guild of Australia and the Goldsmiths Gallery is her new venture, showcasing guild members from around the country. Here are a couple of pieces I made specifically for the gallery.

I'm looking forward to a very busy and creative New Year. I have a pile of new designs ready for the making, with nothing stopping me but time!! Class programs are being prepared for when the studio is up and running and I have a couple of exhibitions coming up throughout the year as well. So, for me, 2010 is looking like a very full but enjoyable year and I hope you will share it with me. Don't forget to keep checking in. Better still, click the link to follow my blog.

Thanks for visiting. I wish you all the very best for an exciting and prosperous 2010 and hope to see you at my place sometime........