Etsy Beginnings.

I have started a shop on Etsy, as I love the site so much. I have bought various items from Etsy and I think its a great place to buy first hand from artists, craft people and even confectioners, as I found out recently!

They have a great main page that I always find something interesting to look at with its great colour schemes and seasonal themes. Its amazing to see the high quality of work available from makers, as well as the diversity of artistic disciplines.

Its a great site because you can favourite items, which gives encouragement to the artists even if you can't afford it. You can also save the shops you love and are updated when the artists add new items to their shop.

So here's the link for my shop Rhiannon Higgins Jewellery! I hope you enjoy it, I will update with more jewellery pieces when I make them.

Here's a great video below (that my friend Silke showed me, thanks!) that explains the ethos of Etsy really well, and how buying from makers on Etsy improves our sense of community. I feel that I have definitely experienced this on the site and I believe it is a step in the right direction for all makers.

Cambridge Open Studios 2013

I have just finished my first Cambridge Open Studios event and the commission's that I received from it. I had a great time meeting people and getting instant feedback from them, to see first-hand what people thought about my work.

I also met some great makers and had some very happy customers which is always a great bonus from holding an Open Studios event.

So I have a few pictures of my display, it was such good weather over July that I held my event outside in my lovely back garden.

I did sell one of my favourite pieces (below).

I also sold the necklace I had featured in the brochure (pictured below) and had a commission to make another just like it, which I sold yesterday.

So all in all the Cambridge Open Studios was a very positive experience which I would recommend to any artists contemplating it. 

Next year I will definitely have more work to show, especially earrings, they sold so well!

In other news, I am still working at Primavera Gallery in Cambridge and if you like reading about artists, I also write Primavera's blog. You can find out about some of the fantastic makers we represent here.

My work is also sold through the gallery now and I will hopefully be adding more to the collection very soon.

Ceramic Art London 2013

I had a great time visiting Ceramic Art London, there were many of my favourite ceramicists including Peter Hayes, Tony Laverick and Chris Keenan. It was a pleasure to view some of their new pieces and chat.

As well as my established favourites I encountered a new artist Myung Nam An, her work really appealed to my interest, the pieces she was displaying were like intricate adaptations of Ernst Haeckel's Radiolaria illustrations.

Here are some examples of Heackel's drawings:

You can read more about radiolaria and Ernst Haekel's discoveries here.

Once you see Myung Nam An's ceramics you may begin to see the resemblance and I think its amazing how she applies her pieces with such an amount of immense details.

The sheer skill needed for anyone to translate Haeckel's drawings into three-dimensional form successfully must, in my view, indicate that they are a true master of their craft.

Myung Nam An at her stand at Ceramic Art London 2013.

My New Shed

I have just been given an amazing present by my family and have just had my shed renovated.

It was literally falling apart on the inside before and had asbestos in the roof, which made me reluctant to go in there.

Now it has been transformed into a beautiful workspace for me to develop more creative jewellery and finally test out the kiln I bought earlier this year.

So here is the new space:

Beautiful isn't it!!!

Now heres how I've clogged it up in 5 minute intervals.

5mins

10mins

15mins

Doesn't take me long to clutter but it is all incredibly useful stuff and I'm very excited to have this space.

I am just about to embark on a new exciting part of my jewellery career, I have just paid for my chance to participate in the Cambridge Open Studios, which I am really looking forward to.

I have substituted most of the usual materials I used in my explorations at university for Silver and precious stones.

Here a few of my new pieces:

I have been loving working with silver and have been developing forms that have an off-centre stone setting.

I will update with more pictures of pieces when I finish them.