Free Tickets to Open Studios!

It's Cockpit Open Studios time (next weekend to be precise)! I'll be selling my wares in both Holborn and Deptford sites this year, and as always it looks set to be a great event. No need to schlep along the High Street in search of Christmas presents - come and see behind the scenes at Cockpit and buy beautiful accessories, jewellery, homewares and more direct from the makers.

Come along and have a glass of mulled wine with us - I'll be in Studio E2R in Holborn, and 206 at Deptford.

If you need any further persuasion, I have
6 free tickets to give away (usually £5 joint ticket or £3 Deptford only). Just email me with your name and address to be entered into the draw!

Holborn: 25-27 November

Deptford: 2-4 December

'Electric'

'Electric' opens at the RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists) today.  I was happy to see they've used my Green Amethyst Encrusted Bracelet in the publicity. 

In the RBSA's words, 'On show are a selection of the nation’s most celebrated designer makers who are exhibiting their latest collections of contemporary silver and gold jewellery, alongside ceramics and silverware.'  Pictured above are Kathryn Hinton's fabulous faceted silver bowls and Nobuko Okumura's intriguing jewellery.

'Electric' runs from 7 November 2011- 13 January 2012.

A little peek at my stand at Origin....it was nearly a month ago but life has been a bit of a blur since then - making making making for the lovely new stockists I met there!

You may notice as well that it doesn't say Glint on my sign.  I've decided to start working under my own name, reflecting that I'm not a big company, I make everything myself.  Many of my galleries refer to me as Kate Wood anyway, so this makes life a bit simpler (a good thing in my book).  You can still get to my website from the old address, but I'm moving it over to www.katewoodjewellery.com

You can see more photos on my Facebook page (which is updated more frequently than this blog!).

Win a free ticket for Origin

After a lot of anticipation and preparation Origin is just around the corner. I'm really excited to be exhibiting there next week!  It's an epic show, with  over 200 makers in one convenient location - Old Spitalfields Market in London. Spitalfields has a special place in my heart as it's where my jewellery business was born - I started out selling my wares at the market. 

The show is on from 22-28 September and you can find me on stand D24, where I'll be showing under my own name, Kate Wood.  There will be some brand new pieces as well as lots of baubles from my Cluster, Terrain and Pompom collections.

So...I'd love you to come.  I have two free tickets to Origin (usually £10 or £8 in advance) to give away!

If you'd like one, all you need to do is sign up for my mailing list and email me with your name and postal address. I'll pick the winners at random on Thursday night (15th September).

Sale ends tomorrow!

I nearly forgot to tell you, I'm having a summer sale on my website and it ends tomorrow!  20% off everything, hurry hurry!

Diamond Planet

Apparently a 'diamond planet' has been discovered in the Milky Way.  Disappointingly, according to Ben Stappers of the University of Manchester, “I don't imagine that a picture of a very shiny object is what we're looking at here."

Not that diamonds have to be glitzy to be beautiful.  Rough diamonds are a real trend in jewellery at the moment and something that I really love.  Something like the Ruth Wood ring above can have a lot more personality than a big flawless sparkler, as well as being more affordable.  I've been eyeing some tiny grey, cognac and black rough diamond beads and have plans for some subtle sparklers of my own...

Origin

Hello there.  I don't think I've officially mentioned it here (although you may have noticed the icon in the sidebar), but I'm very excited to have been selected to exhibit for the first time at the prestigious Origin contemporary craft fair in September.  So I'm madly making jewellery and preparing my display.  More on that later!

Just wanted to a share a couple of nice mentions from Boticca while I'm here.  It's well worth having a look at the site if you're after hand-crafted jewellery and accessories.

http://boticca.com/blog/stay-cool-in-the-summer-sun-with-nicole-olivia-rihanna-and-jen/ 

http://boticca.com/blog/the-magic-of-monochrome/

Cockpit Arts Open Studios Next Weekend!

It's that time of year again - Open Studios! 

Come down and visit me in my natural habitat!  It's Cockpit's 25th birthday this year so join us to celebrate - there'll be lots of amazing craft to see and buy from the makers at Cockpit, including a wide range of jewellery from me!  This year I'll be in my own studio, E2R in  Holborn, and then Cockpit's Deptford outpost the week after.

Atelier

Just sent some summery silver and vermeil pieces off to the Isle of White for Atelier's summer exhibiton.

Hoopla

Cheesy title, I know!  I've been working on some hoop earrings...yes, still obsessed with the green amethyst

Revolting

There's a Revolution going on at theThe Harley Gallery Craft Shop and I'm taking part!
The shop is being hijacked by Hannah Obee, curator at Chatsworth, who is taking over with a revolutionary display from 9 May - 20 June. She will draw inspiration from Welbeck’s Portland Collection and Chatsworth’s Devonshire Collection to show how craft fits into the rich history of these stately homes, focusing on the Royalist and Baroque styles of the 17th Century.

This translates into lots of wonderful opulent jewellery with a focus on pearls and beading - my favourite, as well as some great ceramics and silverware.  I will be showing my jewellery alongside some wonderful makers, including fellow Cockpit designers Teri Howes and Katherine Wardopper.

Bluecoat Display Centre

I've just sent a collection of work from my Terrain and Cluster ranges to the brilliant Bluecoat Display Centre in Liverpoool. 

Royal shenanigans

I'm not what you'd call a Royalist, being more of the Steve Bell persuasion.
Still the Sarah Burton frock was quite nice.
If you're after wedding jewellery, you know where to look  ;-)

New Collection...and new website online now!

My new collection, Terrain is now online, along with some new additions to the Cluster range...on my brand new revamped website!
I'm so pleased to get it online and it's been a bit of a labour of love.  I was quite fond of my old, pretty pink site but it was time for a change - we wanted to strip away the frou frou elements and make a clean, spacious, functional site with the focus on the jewellery first and foremost - and I think we did it!
Go on over and have a look around....

Terrain: New Collection Preview

I'm excited to show you a selection of images from my new collection, Terrain, which is inspired by aerial landscape photographs, rocks and barnacle colonies. This translates into dense clusters of earthy-coloured stones and pearls pinned onto multiple fine oxidised silver chains.
I've used pyrite for the first time here (aka Fool's Gold) which I've been dying to use for ages - it has an amazing futuristic/bronze age look. The beautful silvery green stones are green amethyst (also know as prasiolite).
Until my brand new website is online next month (exciting!), the new pieces can be ordered directly from me, by email or telephone. You can download a catalogue of new items here. The catalogue includes some new additions to the Cluster collection too - rich red rubies and gorgeous pearl pieces which would be perfect for a summer wedding or party. If you'd like to see anything in person, make an appointment to visit me in the studio.
I hope you like these new pieces as much as I do!

Making progress on the new collection...

Green amethyst (prasiolite) with oxidised silver.

The name prasiolite  is derived from the Greek prason meaning "leek" and  lithos meaning "stone," so "prasiolite" literally means "leek-green coloured stone."  I wouldn't say it's particularly leek-like, but it does have a lovely ethereal silvery-green colour, which looks rather mysterious with oxidised silver (someone commented that it looks like it has survived a fire, which I love).

I've been combining clusters of stones with lots of fine chains which is time-consuming (a lapse of concentration leads to tangles and prolonged bouts of swearing) but looks very glamorous.  These new pieces remind me of barnacles clinging to rocks and small sea creatures, but the general consensus is that the shapes, especially the necklaces are reminiscent of twenties' jewellery.

Better photos coming soon...