Tag: workshop

Glass Workshops Explained

The Glass Workshops are now in full swing, so I wanted to use this blog to dive into the process of the workshop so you know what to expect or for those who live too far away to attend to live vicariously!

STEP ONE: CHOICES

The hardest part in any workshop I teach is helping people make decisions! Haha! From the decisive to the decision paralysed, it’s a hard line to stick to in order to guide but not influence students.

The workshops have been designed with set patterns to ensure they are all achievable not only in the time frame but also in the ability of a beginner starting. Choosing the colours and patterns of your glass can really change the overall look of these simple designs and change the overall effect.

STEP TWO: BREAK SOME GLASS!

A lot of the time you hear about cutting glass, but we are actually scoring the glass with the lines of the pattern pieces then breaking. Glass is going to break how it wants to, not always how you want it to, it’s important to have a little practice to get the hang of it.

STEP THREE: GRINDING!

Once all the pieces are ready, it’s Grinding time! This is a bit like filing metal but with more noise, water and sharp edges! This step ensures your pattern fits together well and that all edges are smoothed ready for the next step. Once done, wash to remove all glass dust.

STEP FOUR: COPPER FOILING

We bring down the intensity for the next step as we are copper foiling. This step wraps a thin piece of copper around the glass and sticks to the sides, top and bottom of the glass. This will form to basis of our joins that will hold the piece together.

STEP FIVE: SOLDERING

The longest and most intense step is the soldering. Using a soldering iron, we melt the lead solder over all the copper foil to join all our pieces together. This can be tricky to get consistent lines but is so satisfying to see the metal melt!

STEP SIX: TO CAME OR NOT TO CAME

Once all our lines are done, we can choose to came wrap the piece or leave the edge. The came can hide some inconsistencies but at the same time can be a bit tricky to attach.

STEP SEVEN: FITTINGS

The last little soldering task can be a tricky one is to attach jump rings so that you can hang the piece.

STEP EIGHT: A GOOD SCRUB AND PATINA

Into a hot soapy bath to clean off the piece then it’s time to patina. Choosing to keep it silver like the solder or blacken it. Both have their benefits and can really enhance your design.

STEP NINE: WAX AND FINISH!

Once that is done and dry, a little wax polish to seal peice and enhance the patina. Then the last decision of the day is to choose a coloured ribbon to hang the piece and complete it!

I hope you have enjoying this detailed dive into the process of Glass Making Workshop. I hope to see you in the workshop soon to make one! If you have any questions regarding the workshops please feel free to reach out via email asilvercircledesign@gmail.com

FURTHER VIEWING: To see the available designs for the workshop, head to the Glass Pattern Page linked HERE.

A Full Circle Moment with Bangles

silver bangles sustainable handmade stacking

Bangles have been one of those Jewellery pieces that I used to be a go and and would wear in abundance! Jingling and jangling all over the place. As I became a full time jeweller, I started to find they were a bit of a pain to wear when working and eventually just stopped wearing them. Therefore I was not as inspired to make them for a while.

With the launch of the Bangle Making Workshop, I knew it was time to get back into making and wearing Silver Bangles!

handmade silver bangle astrology archie daisy

DESIGN

The journey of designing this collection started with the feature Bangles and was so fun experiment with so many ideas and get into the design process. An Astrology themed one was a must and loved featuring all star signs, stars and moons flowing around the band.

bangle sample textures and drawings

The Patterns were a little harder to crack as my designs on paper came out ver busy and intense in person, so I went with the Archie design as it had movement and flow without being intense!

Lastly the Daisy Bangle came out a love of nature and a love of the 70’s vibe. After having the Daisy Jones and the Six soundtrack in my head the whole time I was designing, it needed to be in the full Flower power theme!

spiral bangle sustainable handmade

The thinner bangles were an exploration of texture. So i pulled out the very heavy rolling mill and got to experimenting! From this the Lace Bangle was a quick decision and the the Spiral had a few false starts before it came into its own with both a rolled texture and then twisted to get the unique spiral formation.

The Pentagon Bangle was the last of all to evolve even though i sampled this exact design for the workshops, i was wanting to find a new way, but sometimes you just have to go with your first instincts and commit!

Pentagon Bangle Silver Sustainable Handmade

SIZING

Getting the right size bangle can be tricky to work out online, so I have put together a sizing guide! Check it out here: BANGLE SIZING

STYLING

I love playing around with different ways to style these new Silver Bangles. Reminiscing of my past favourites and coming up with some new combos including the Bracelets and Cuffs in my collection.

bangle styling bracelets sterling silver handmade sustainable

Featured Pieces: Top Left: Astro Bangle, Daisy Bangle, Archie Bangle. Top Right: Spiral Bangle, Daisy Bangle, Intuition Bracelet, Lace Bangle, Pentagon Bangle. Bottom Left: Pentagon Bangle, Lace Bangle, Daisy Bangle, Spiral Bangle. Bottom Right: Astro Bangle, Focus Bracelet.

bangle styling bracelets sterling silver handmade sustainable

Featured Pieces: Top Left: Spiral Bangle, Daisy Bangle, Intuition Bracelet, Lace Bangle, Pentagon Bangle. Top Right: Pentagon Bangle, Lace Bangle, Spiral Bangle. Bottom Left: Astro Bangle, Daisy Bangle, Archie Bangle. Bottom Right: Pentagon Bangle, Lace Bangle, Intuition Bracelet, Ziggy Cuff

CUSTOM

Finding something exactly what you want can be difficult and so you have the option of joining one of our Bangle Making Workshops to create it! Choose from either a Thicker band like our Daisy, Astro or Archie Bangle and make it your own. Or choose the stacking bangles and create your own textures using different hammers.

bangle workshop silver sustainable handmade

Thanks so much for joining me on this full circle journey of getting back into wearing and making Silver Bangles. I hope you loved coming along with me and I would love to see how you style your bangles, so please let me know via email or Instagram (asilvercircledesign@gmail.com or @asilvercircle)

x Corinne

How to get out of a Creative Slump

It happens to all of us at one time or another, where we just can’t seem to be motivated or inspired to be creative.

I have experienced this more times than i can count and as someone who relies on their creativity for their job, it can be a real struggle.

So I wanted to share with you some of my go to techniques to help get out of a creative slump. Some focus more inward/mental and others are external/physical influenced. So have a try and see what works for you!

Nature

I am sure you have heard this one before, but there is nothing that helps me get out of my head and just relax than going for a walk in nature. So whether its a bush walk or a seaside walk, make use of the fresh air in your lungs and even better if you leave your phone at home so you are not distracted by what’s going on in the world.

Journaling

You don’t have to be a regular journalling person to use this tool to get out of a creative slump. My favourite form is using the free writing technique of Morning Pages. Writing at least 3 full pages will get out all the crap in your head on to the page so it’s not swimming around monopolising your thoughts.

Mediation

Mediation is a tool that is great to tap into your creativity. There are a couple of ways i like to use it to get out of a slump. The first is using a guided meditation. I love one by Gabby Bernstien called Inspiration Meditation which guides you to feel more confident with affirmations and by the end, you feel as though you can do anything! The other way is using Mala Beads. This is also a great tool for focusing attention and can even be used to envision the end goal over and over if you are mid project. (Check out our Mala Beads Blog for more info)

Inspiration

My favourite way to reinvigorate my creative energy is through creative inspiration. My favourite being Books. Whether you have some at home or head to your local library and see what they have. I find the removal from your screen will help keep you in a creative mindset and to not get distracted. Pinterest is a great digital option too.

Workshops/Learn something new

There is nothing like just jumping in and getting your hands dirty with a fun new project. It doesn’t have to be your usual medium, if anything, it’s great if it’s not as it will help you see things from a new perspective and how you can enhance your creative energy in a new way! Check out our Jewellery and Glass Workshops and have a go!

Phone free time

I think we all aim for less screen time each week but very rarely get it down. But when I make a conscious decision to have even an hour of phone free time, you can give your mind space to ponder things are you may discover a new inspiration.

Watch something

Thanks to Netflix and numerous other networks spotlighting craftspeople in different shows these days, you can be inspired by seeing others create to get you off your butt to get going. From Blown Away (Glass Blowing), to Bake Off to the Pottery Throw Down or Big Flower Fight, there is so much creative entertainment out there and you may just learn something too!

So there you have it, my 7 go to ways to get out of a Creative Slump! I would love to hear your go to methods to add to my repertoire so please comment or send me an email to asilvercircledesign@gmail.com!

xx Corinne

Inside the Ring Making Workshop

At A Silver Circle, our workshops highlight the fun creative process behind handmade jewellery. With positive, relaxed vibes and the support of experienced jeweller Corinne you’ll feel inspired to create more. Surprise someone special with a rewarding and unique experience or bring a friend for a few hours of laughter to get in touch with your inner artist and learn a new skill.

Our engaging and hands-on workshops will teach you the vital techniques involved in making silver jewellery, from hammering to soldering. Over the three-hour class you will make creative decisions about the details of your handmade jewellery resulting in a personalised and unique product you can wear yourself or gift to a loved one.

All materials, refreshments and snacks are provided allowing you to enjoy the experience and relax. You will leave feeling proud of what you have accomplished with your handmade treasure as well as some new friends. As classes are small Corinne is available for any questions and assistance needed to guide you, making the workshop a personal experience. It’s a great way to channel your creativity, ignite a passion for jewellery making or just enjoy meeting new people. Make sure to check out our new workshop dates for 2019 here, where you can also read more about the specifics of each different workshop.

Video shot and compiled by Rachel Abbott, Music by Trong Nguyen.