So this was Great Northern Contemporary Craft fair 2014

So where do i start!

After visiting the fair myself as a maker for the last three years, i have come to expect the quality of the exhibitors to be high and it did not fail! 

It was great to be amongst such incredible and innovate makers. 

I certainly think this year for contemporary craft has set the bar. 

So to be excepted to exhibit at this major event came as a shock!

At first i panicked, as any other young maker would! then i got to work organising myself. Although i had my body of work from university, i carried on exploring new pieces that still fitted in with my style. This included my new electroformed ring, stick pins and new smaller brooches...

When it comes to displaying my work, i alway imagine each piece to be a specimen in a draw at the natural history museum. As this creates a environment that evokes preciousness and preservation. By having my background clean and white this contrasts the raw textures of my pieces. 

On press night i was awarded the "best new maker" of 2014!

.........

I was speechless and emotional!

I can't thank Ann-Marie and Angela the co-ordinators of the event enough. 

I think because my work is so personal to me and my journey, i felt an overwhelming sense of appreciation for all of my struggles and passion that i put into my making concepts and processes. 

The show was a great success for me and i couldn't believe how accepting and interested everyone was in my story and work. 

I also met some fantastic makers who i hope to exhibit with again.

Intrigue Emporium and Preparation for GNCCF

One of the opportunities that arose from New designers 14, was the chance to apply for a fair in shoreditch, the intrigue emporium. 

This was a great chance for me to speak to other makers and also interact with my customers. Although i didn't make many sales, it was still a great chance to get my name about. 

 I also received lovely feedback about my new brooches that are being launched at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft fair 2014!

Make sure you come and visit me on the 9th-12th october at the old granada studios in manchester. I'll be in the emerging makers area on stand EM03.

 So, not only have i being making like crazy! but I've also had to find furniture for my stand! After many hours searching on the web, I finally came to the conclusion that i need a custom stand builT....lucky for me i know a great furniture maker, Who i set the  task of making a stand that could be flat pack, assemble with no tools, have removable feet, storage space, oh and also fit in my mini!!!

Conclusion- Dave you are genius! 

Anyways, Ill leave you with this beauty until i see you at the great northern contemporary craft fair 14.

The beginning!

Well i must admit it.. leaving uni and fending for myself has been stressful, but i wouldn't have it any other way! Just lately I've been trying to carry on making my contemporary work but I've found it quite difficult, i don't no wether it has been the change in surrounds of my making place or my mental state of mind.... or possibly the lack of space in my work shop!

Soon my space problems will be no more! In the next few weeks i shall me moving into the Rosyln works behind gladstone pottery. All thanks to the wonderful people of stoke-on-trent council who have managed to get us three months free rent then 50% rent after that, which is amazing! 

Ok so what have i been making? well, my thoughts have turned to smaller pieces of jewellery that still link to my contemporary practice. 

Above are a few brooches from the redox collection, these brooches derive from my experimentation of patination which i looked at in the yersin collection. They make the viewer think about how they define preciousness of materials. 

Further work was lead by my interest in textured surfaces, i have always loved the results of electroforming and in my final year of uni i researched this topic a lot, so now that i had the time and a bit of spare cash, i brought one. I'm still in the experimentation stage but i have managed to produce a great body of rings already.

My fascination in patination still thrives and i intent to carry on exploring this until the day i die! I have also developed a surprise range of necklaces for the great northern contemporary craft fair 2014.

I have also developed a range of midi rings which explore witchcraft symbols and general pretty shapes, I'm hoping these going to be a hit for christmas. These rings will be available to buy from my esty page in the next few days... don't worry ill add the link!

New Designers 2014

So this was it, this was the event that ended my 3 years at Staffs university... but as they say, time flies when your having fun! 

I turned up on the 23rd of june at the business design centre, islington to set up my final body of work "The Yersin collection"

At my degree show i was lucky enough to have my work on a light box, which work beautifully with my brooches, but at new designers we decided to have my work pinned up on the wall. Which i was so pleased with as i thought it really made my pieces

This was a wonderful experience for me, it gave me the opportunity to see what the public thought about my work, which was all positive thankfully! but it also gave me the chance to speak to other makers who were in the same position as me. 

My work got all different types of attention from collaborative groups to placement opportunities, one of which was from Staffordshire's own Jennifer Collier, who spoke to me about her 'cultivated' program for new makers. 

But i think my highlight of New Designers was that i got to speak the to Norman Cherry! former Head of the Birmingham university.

The Scarr-Hall Memorial Trust Award

Staffordshire university show and tell degree show.

So i officially opened my work up for public viewing on the 13th of june at staffordshire university show and tell degree show.

But before the show was to be opened by Emma Bridgewater, a few awards were given out, luckily enough i was one of the students to win an award. 

The scarr-hall memorial trust supports students that have not only had the stress of university but who have also had pressures and distractions of illness.

 When i was 17 i was diagnosed with multiple scleroses, for the first few years i really struggled to come to terms with my illness and couldn't really except the fact that i now had an illness that would effect my day to day life. 

When i turned 20 i applied for the 3D Desgin: Crafts course at staffordshire university, we were not sure how i would cope on the course as it was long hours and a lot of work, but in away this help my progression as i didn't have time to think about my illness. 

There were only 13 of us on the course so we all got on like a little family and it was that relationship between us all that made me get myself out of bed in the morning and try my best to get on with my work. 

I also had the support of my mum and boyfriend, to who i owe everything to.

They were the ones who were with me through the dark and rough times, which i didn't like people seeing. 

The Scarr-Hall Memorial trust presented me with a cheque for £1000, 

which will help me get equipment and materials to get started.

My Work on Benchpeg

http://benchpeg.com/news/events/degree-show-staffordshire-university-stoke-on-trent/

The Yersin Collection

The Yersin Collecion