Treat Yourself

On the Move

You may or may not know that we are

about to embark upon a new adventure...

...by moving to Warwickshire, England.

 

It's only a few hundred miles from where

we currently live in Kent

(not exactly like moving to the other side of the world).

However, there are going to be a lot of changes

and new friends to meet.

 

I am currently on the brink of packing up my tools,

which makes me twitch more than a little.

 

But, what you may need to know is that

until the 1st of October 2012 my shop

at www.hannahwalkerjewellery.com

will be temporarily closed.

Do feel free to email me with any enquiries

as I may have some stock which can be shipped...

 

...as long as I can find it!

 

I'll let you know when the shop is open again.

 

Thanks and warmest wishes

Hannah

Bridesmaids

It's that time of year again when wedding season is in full swing.   I love it.

One of the best selling gifts I do are the Pretty Maid Pendants.   People can choose what hair colour or dress colour they would like and I can make them individually to order here.

 

There is little more satisfying than piling the boxes high, tying the ribbons and getting them ready to post.

In this instance, the bride had a colour theme of cobalt blue.   I was more than happy to embrace the colour theme (any excuse to go ribbon shopping).   Inside each box is an individual PrettyMaid pendant, as individual as the person receiving the gift.

Email:  info@hannahwalkerjewellery.com with any questions.

Friendship Bracelets

So far I have dabbled in the world of friendship bracelets with this design...

It's perfect as a special gift from a group of people.   This one is from eight people.   Each link has a name stamped onto it.   If, like me, you are re-locating, what better way to feel close to your far away friends.   Click here to find out more.

 

Then, more recently, I discovered coloured silk cord which is an excellent alternative to chain for pendants.   I developed a sliding component to allow the wearer to alter the length (remember this?)   Adding colour and a new material, in this case silk, really refreshes the jewellery.  

So, as a follow on from the necklace cords, I developed bracelets - friendship bracelets (see below).   At just £35, they are a great gift.  We all lead busy lives, but treasure our friends, perhaps we should tell them that a little more.

Available to buy here

Open Studio

For the very first time this year I participated in the South East Studio event.   Along with my pottery friend Mary, we presented our work to a lovely variety of people.

I loved it.   It was like having a shop, but without the stresses and strains.  

We even had our own Private View party.   With the loveliest mix of people.   Thank you to all of you who came along.

Can you see Mary's lovely ceramic props in action?  I adore them.   Sorry Mary, I may be asking for more.   Speaking of Mary, see some of her huggable mugs below.

It was a very useful and inspiring experience and I am very glad to have taken part.

Silver Leaves in Progress

There are several stages in making every piece of jewellery which may not be immediately obvious.

I thought you might enjoy finding out how  the Silver Leaf earrings are made.

First, the 0.5mm silver sheet is pressed through a machine called a rolling mill (it's like a mangle for metal) to give the silver a subtle texture on the surface.   Once this stage has been completed, the silver is annealed (heated & quenched to soften the silver).

Then the silver is pressed through the rolling mill with a steel tool which has been previously made.

This is the most unpredictable stage of the process.   If the rolling mill is not set correctly, the pattern will either not emboss enough, or too much, ending in distorting the silver which will then only be fit for scrap.

It's also important to remember to turn the tool around so that the earrings have a right and left pattern.

Once this is done, tape is put over the back to protect it while the shape is hand cut and finished.

If you look carefully, you'll see that the outline is slightly different on each earring.   This tiny detail is important in capturing the delicacy of nature and the leaves which inspired them in the first place.   It's also a reminder that each pair is made individually, by hand.

The pendant is made using the same process.

Both are available to buy at www.hannahwalkerjewellery.com

It's been a long wait

These Iris' haven't flowered for 3 years, but blimey it was worth the wait.  I just love them.

They are a mix of strange fuschia/mauve with vivid orange beards.  

Of course as soon as they flowered the rain began, so they ended up a bit of a soggy mess. 

I wonder if it will be another three years before they flower again?

Do you like the companionable chairs in the background?    They nestle in the flower bed, the idea being that you can examine the plants, watch the bees & hoverflies and smell the fragrance  in comfort.

Tiny Boxes

To present the tiny charms for the charm bangles, I have had these equally tiny boxes made.

They are quite delightful, even if I do say so myself.   Above you can see the Frost, Starflower, House and Kingfisher charms.   Click here for more information.

We all like lovely packaging, these little boxes make presenting a single charm very special.

I love Venice in the summer time

A quick visit to Venice when the rest of England were celebrating the Jubilee was complete bliss.

Look closely at the window on the second floor on the  right hand side...can you see a little face peeping out?   That is my Big Girl who was an utter delight during the trip and embraced the responsibility of opening and  closing the shutters.

The sun shone, and on the breeze was the gentle scent of Trachelospermum Jasminoides, which was everywhere.   This is what the walls of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum garden were lined with.   They say that every city has it's own smell.   For me, Edinburgh is hops, Florence is sewers, London is wee, happily for Venice, it's smell is beautiful flowers!

No matter how much I tried to tempt my Big Girl inside St Mark's Basilica, she just wasn't keen.   I think whe you are 8, buying tat from the market traders is far more exciting than visiting a church.

Shame, it's so exquisite in there, I think another visit is needed.

 

This was a very special trip of three generations...Big Girl, Mummy and Grandma.   Lovely.

 

Teal & Gold

As an update from the pale jade/ celadon green coloured felt used in my felt jewellery, I have begun to use this rich teal colour.   Combined with gold detailing, it's interesting how a similar colour, just a shade darker can have a very different mood.   This cuff is much wider than any made before, but it looks fabulous when worn.   It's a nice safe statement accessory.

 

Back view of the Sun Ray cuff

 

Keeping in that colour theme is this one-off necklace.   Made from recycled galss beads with vermeil starflower details and a rich emerald green silk cord.   Total length is approximately 24".

For more information, visit www.hannahwalkerjewellery.com

May 2012

For the first time this year I attended Chelsea Flower Show.   A little anxious about crowds, I was pleasantly surprised, it really wasn't too bad.  The sun shone (hard to believe now we are in wet July), the plants and flowers looked incredible.  If I were to go again, I'd make sure I arrived early.   It was quite tricky to see the show gardens through the crowds.  To be honest, the pictures say more than I can... enjoy.

 

Andy Sturgeon's garden was filled with my absoluted favorite plant Thalicturm aqueligifolium.   It's not a plant I've seen used a lot, so it was wonderful to see it here in such prestigious surroundings.

Arne Maynard's Garden was soft and cottage gardeney in it's style.   It reminded me of the rose garden at Sissinghurst due to the use of hazel structures for the roses.  Soft, sumptuous and accessible for us amateurs.  Really very beautiful.

Nigel Dunnett's garden.   Not normally a fan of purple and orange as a colour combination, I really liked this... I wonder if it was the turquoise of the paintwork, sky and water which made it really sing.  Whatever the reason, I could happily live with this space.

 

 Thomas Hoblyn's garden.   This one really reminds me of the exquisite garden at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice.   The tall cypress trees were perfection, I wonder if they had been trimmed to look like that?.

 

Manumit Spring Summer 2012

In summer, my jewellery changes noticeably...

...it becomes bright, colourful, fun and light hearted.

 

Super size hoops like this are an essential maxi dress accessory.

Rich jewel bright necklaces like these hand cut faceted glass beads on cord are an easy way to brighten up an outfit.

Finally, even if it's just to do the school run, put on some lighthearted wow earrings with a pop of colour.

The sun may not be shining, but with summer jewellery like this, it almost doesn't matter.

All available to buy at www.manumituk.com