Blog 14: Cheltenham Craft Festival and Other News
This is a more ‘traditional’ blog, in which I’ll share some of my recent activities and news.
Next week, from 10-12th March 2023, I will be taking part in the Craft Festival at Cheltenham Town Hall. It will be my first time there and I am really looking forward to it. I have been busy making some new pieces and have worked a lot on my display, which I have been wanting to change for some time. Difficult to summarise, but probably best if I share photos of my stand when I am in Cheltenham.
On Thursday, 2nd March at 2pm I will also be chatting to Sarah James, Director of the Craft Festival, live on Instagram. To watch, log onto the Craft Festival page on Instagram at 2pm tomorrow.
In case you are near Cheltenham and would like to visit the next week, here are a few details and links:
Dates:
10-12th March 2023
Venue:
Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham, GL50 1QA
Stand: 21
Opening times:
10-5pm Friday & Saturday
10-4pm Sunday
Tickets:
You can purchase tickets in advance by clicking this link. I also still have one free ticket to give away. To find out how to have a chance to win, please see my Instagram post of 28th February – it is super easy to enter.
Activities:
There will be lots on offer this weekend, including workshops, craft demonstrations, talks and activities for the whole family and children in particular. There will be a café on site and of course around 100 fantastic makers and their work. Click here for further details.
Exhibitors:
For a preview of all the 100 exhibitors, click here.
Below are some of the new pieces I shall be taking to the Craft Festival. There are not yet on the website but hopefully soon.
Other making news:
Teaching: In January a new teaching term started and the focus of my demonstrations this term is tool making – mainly how to make your own steel stamps or chasing tools and how to prepare a graver for engraving. I love teaching and enjoy the feedback from my students and the opportunity to learn myself.
For more information on the course I teach at Rachel Jeffrey Jewellery School, please click here. Rachel recently appeared as one of the mentors on the BBC1 programme Make it at Market (episodes 8 & 14). To watch please click this link here.
New Ideas: In the last few weeks my daughter and I have been watching many episodes on ancient Egypt and we are both fascinated by it. We went to the British Museum and saw the wonderful Hieroglyphs Exhibition as well as the Egyptian galleries. Needless to say, we bought various books and I am working on ideas for a new collection based on this. Below some of my favourites. The image on the far left stands out. It is a work-in-progress, still showing the lines drawn for the artist who was carving the symbols. An amazing communication across time!
Goldsmiths’ Fair: Influenced by the above, I made a new brooch as part of my application for Goldsmiths’ Fair in the autumn and we shall see if I am lucky this year.
Commissions: I have also been working on a number of commissions over the last few months and was very pleased with the results. It was lovely working through the ideas with the respective clients, to arrive at pieces which will hopefully give them joy for years to come.
Left to right: The first was an engagement ring in 18ct white and yellow SMO gold with two Canada Mark diamonds and a Fair Trade emerald. The second is a pair of 18ct yellow SMO gold earrings and the third a cuff in textured and recycled silver: Here are some images:
Environmental: My daughter’s school organised a litter pick last Saturday. It was amazing to see that so many families turned up and in just 1 ½ hours we collected 62 plastic bags of rubbish and recycling just from the local area! Though it was sad to see just how much and what people feel free to discard – it was also uplifting to hear all the positive and encouraging comments of passers-by.
For now, there is still plenty to organise for next week’s show. If you do come by, do say hello – I will be at Stand 21.
Take care,
Hendrike