Packaging Chat

Hi Everyone
Here we are another another week starting. It's a lovely day outside, Ive just been for a run with my beast friend. I feel temporarily great ! - I will tire soon and then be glad Ive been out, later. The weekend has gone with a bang ! We did lots of chucking out and reorganising. Loads more to go but we have started. The house is probably more disorganised than last week but it feels better. 'One day at a time' - needs to be my mantra !

Back to to work matters ...... loads of catching up to do and more stock to get ready. All my shops need stock and I'm thinking new repeat stuff too. All my things are originals because they are handmade but I am going to develop a core design range which can be adapted to lots of colours and textures. That's my focus for today.

I'm also thinking about packaging. I like my stuff to look good and think special packaging enhances how they look. I like a few ideas Ive had which combine little paper and wooden boxes lined with fabric. Ive seen examples of this style done really well in shops and am working on a similar approach. The little boxes add value to the jewellery items and can be used as a jewellery box. Ive also been working on a little paper sack/bag which fits with my brand name : thepapersac. Ive always made versions of this but have bought a Sizzix die which should help me with a new version.
This is a constructed version using some wrapping paper.


The bag is a good shape. I think it needs an inner piece to provide strength to the base of the bag, so will try this out. I like the wavy top feature.


This is the flat cut as it comes out of the die.


The finished bag measures 9 x 7.5 cms (when the top is turned over). It's small but fine for small items of jewellery. I will play around with some other embellishments to dress it up and a few paper samples. I like the idea of adding a string tie or some handles ?

If I manage all that - Genervieve may get some time today. Will share any development tomorrow.

Bye for today
Thanks for reading.

Genervieve and her trees.

Hi Everyone
My world is good again, today. I had a lovely day yesterday - I met up with my Dad for a shopping trip. Not much shopping but lots of coffee and chat. Great boost and a change from everyday things.
Everything is now back on track - sort of !! The 'wobble' has gone and Ive got a plan. It's going to be a big job. The plan is to organise our home at the weekend ! Wow ....... It's sounds as if it should be so easy ! I'll let you know how it goes. I think, I work well in an ordered space where my everyday activity can flow (literally and conceptually). This order thing is all in my head but it does help if my surroundings and my life can be described as being 'organised'. The 'order' needs to be a broad definition and I do have an ability to accept a wide spectrum !

In the meantime, I'm having a little time with Genervieve. She's had a bit of blue added to her world and a few trees.






I like the effect and will add more trees. I ended up just drawing the trees directly onto the canvas after this practice sketch. Earlier this week - I hade more elaborate plans for making the trees. Read back for details.





My initial idea was to have very small versions of the same tree but I quite like having the similar central shape and have made slightly different sizes to fit the space. The added branches can reach out to fill the white areas.
Here are the first few trees on the painting. Lots more layers to go but I feel it's taking shape.






I'm beginning to see tree roots reaching down towards Genervieve and layers of substrata in the pink/orange area. Will just go with my instinct. The patterned squares are suggesting little houses ? I will keep looking and will see what needs to be done.

Yet again, Friday has arrived as a bit of a shock ! Where has the week gone ? Have a great weekend.

Bye for now.

Thanks for reading

Even more metal talk

Hi Everyone
I'm at the point where I realise just how much I don't know about working with metal and a bit 'down'. I felt more confident a few days ago, now I'm coming across things I thought I could do (not brilliantly but I could do them). I assumed if I worked hard with a bit of practice, all would be well ! Im having a bit of a wobble. I need to keep my nerve. I'm learning and it's good but quite frustrating too.
I managed to break a blade on my saw today. I know why it happened so I guess, that's a plus !
I mentioned yesterday, I was going to try and make something from a very small piece of scrap. Well, I did cut up the bits (this is where the saw blade snapped) and have two bits of brass which could look like a small earring.
This is the scrap - front and back.





This is what has happened. I cut the 'posted' piece first and then the second earring (still awaiting a post).






The photo with the coin shows how small the pieces are and the scrap that's left. I was going to add some small pieces on top of the square-ish bit but I was reminded that soldering would be almost impossible without grading the soldering and probably a waste of time ! So - I will reconsider and perhaps stick with trying something else on the surface design front.


The experiment started well (other than the saw blade break). But ...... as previously mentioned I am feeling vulnerable.

Other news - I did complete a little work on stock - I have a list and need to keep working at it, so that's my work focus for the rest of the week. I'm good with clay - so I know I can achieve whatever. I will have to wait for more metal play.
But ... I'm not 'at one' with myself - everywhere I look in the studio, there is a 'mess'? My solution - spent most of my evening (last night) reorganising my workbench to accommodate all my new stuff. It's not there yet and still feels disorganised and cluttered. I will try and get that organised today - I am unable to work without 'order'. I think, this is part of my 'wobble'.

On a brighter note (I like to find a positive from everything !) While sorting, I came across a lovely image of a potential bead. You can find the image details on my Pinterest board - Beads.



I love the link between the shape and the surface texture. I've started a 'thinking job' to find a way to make one !

Bye for now.
Thanks for reading.

More Metal Chat

Hi Everyone
Today, I'm very excited about receiving our new metalwork tools. Yesterday, two lots of stuff arrived and I now have most of the bits I need to start more metal experiments. Amongst the stuff is some brass and copper plate. My only missing thing is 'silver'. I need to practice on the copper and brass first. Silver is so much more expensive ! - for when I make my mistakes. This is not a negative, I do believe I need to be bold and make mistakes in order to develop my skills.

Ive come up with a page of designs which I will try out on the brass and copper as well as making similar pieces from clay. The pieces are small items and are inspired by reading a interior design magazine. Many of the current fabric designs are using strong lines,geometrics and stripes. This is reflected in my designs. Not sure how they will work out - it will be interesting to compare the finished product with these initial sketches.






Co incidentally, I came across a great piece on etsy this morning about product development. Check it out here. Most of the steps I do seem to have as part of my 'working way' (especially reassuring) but it's good to see someone else suggesting the steps and there are little tips which are useful to think about.

I'm going to try and do something with a piece of scrap - this was developed during my recent metal class last week. It was created to try out soldering a post onto a potential earring. This is how it looks at the moment.


















Let's see what I can do with this. I will share tomorrow - good or bad !

I want to share another item, again found on Etsy (I also have it in my Pinterest boards). Here it is in the photo below. The artist is someone called 'Magdalena'.





Check out her shop here

I particularly like this piece. The colour of the beads and the contrast with the orange chord. The organic, pebble shape of the beads are lovely. I'm going to try and make something which is inspired by this piece - for myself.

Thanks for reading, bye for today.

Working with metal

Hi Everyone

It's February and a new month in the DWYL programme (check it out here ). Each month is a new planned push towards achieving my goals for this year and a systematic opportunity to review the month before. I did OK in January but I need to move on and improve in Feb. Each month I have a series of motivational ideas/ words to help me keep focused. My word for Jan. was 'integrity' - this helped me develop the quality measures for my work. My new word for Feb. is BELIEVE. My weakness in January has been to increase stock in my shops.

I had a great time learning about working with metals on Friday. The session lived up to my expectations and I came away fired up to experiment. I learned how to cut, polish, solder and 'heat colour' a range of metals. I worked with brass, copper, silver and titanium. I think my favourite was brass. Here are a few examples of my experiments on the day. I made a pair of stud earrings from plate brass and soldered silver posts. I also designed some curved brass plate into earring beads. I need to solder some posts onto the metal. The other bits are brass stamped little bead/charms. I'm not sure what I will do with them. I think, a necklace may eventually be formed.



The post earrings were finished with a rough polished pattern.


I deliberately left the backs with this metal pattern but I think I will clean it up - not completely but take away the extra solder. I was most proud of being able to attach the posts and achieve such a strong connection. I love the brass material and the thickness of the plate. I hand sawed the shapes - both earrings are slightly different and organic in shape.


Ive ordered a range of tools and materials to further experiments. I'm now obsessed with finding sheet metal, especially titanium. I'm not that familiar with this metal for jewellery making. It's very expensive (in a sheet form) and seems quite hard to get. The size of the sheet metal required is relatively small and I need to find scraps from somewhere rather than huge bits of metal which will last a lifetime ! I feel like Ive discovered a new 'world' !
The whole metalwork experience was very positive and I'm buzzing with ideas. I want to get more experience with metal but also want to combine my new material with clay.

Last week, I spent some time with the Genevieve painting Check out the details here and will continue with working on my trees. Ive sketched a few more trees



but I'm keen to use the ideas I have from Rebecca Vincent's work. Here are my latest sketches. I have some new purple ink that I'm planning on using for the trees. I think my chosen tree will be ? - still can't decide. I'm going to makes some paper blanks to check out several options.

This week my priorities need to be getting some new stock out there. Both the online shops and Gallery 45 in Felton, Northumberland need major restocking. I have lots of pieces that need some final quality checks.


Thanks for reading.