Inspirations, and Notes from the Bench
How long does it take to make a piece of jewellery: A Studio Tour
At shows I often get the question “How long does it take you to make one of these?” The answer is not so straightforward. Mainly, as there are various stages to each piece I create, I am rarely working on…
Above and Beyond ‘Recycled’ Silver and Gold
Recycling was cool. Remember when recycling was the coolest thing? We were feeling ok about using plastic copiously, because we could recycle it. Remember when buying something made from ‘recycled plastics’ made you feel kinda good? And then we found…
Relax and Open
This morning is such an interesting one. So varied for so many people. Some will be exhausted from preparations late into the night, from creating magic in their children’s lives, who will wake excitedly and too early. Others will feel…
Gold with a Conscience: Why I’m using ethical Fairmined ECO Gold
Why Fairmined Gold? For months now, I have been experimenting with a new technique, making sample after sample, fiddling with results, and continuously improving the design and new technique. And I have been doing a lot of thinking, because ……
Jewellery Design Training – In Conversation my Former Professor, Pamela Ritchie
I was honoured to be joined in conversation by my former professor, Pamela Ritchie, governor-general-award winning jewellery artist. Pamela is an artist‐jeweller based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She received her MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and…
Re-birth Rings: making your old jewellery into a new custom piece
UPDATE: See our page on renewing your old rings:! You may have seen that I spoke on a panel discussion about gold last week. Not your usual conversation about this precious metal! The Shadow of Gold is a beautiful piece…
Maritime Made
I had the great fortune to hear singer songwriter Lesley Feist in concert this weekend here in Halifax. What an incredible show! I have been a listening to her music for a couple of decades. I am just so deeply…
I am a Goldsmith
Sometimes people are surprised that I call myself a goldsmith, since I also work with silver. I thought I’d demystify that discussion for you. There are two main reasons for the decision to use this term. The first is actually…
Balance
After coming back from Harmony Arts Festival, there was much to do – catching up on gallery requests that had come in while I was away, and starting on the custom rings ordered at the festival in Vancouver. It is…
The Privilege of creating Custom Rings
I feel so very privileged to, as a goldsmith, play a part in people’s journeys. Several times, I have had the honour to create a special ring celebrating a journey with cancer. When another woman first contacted me, she wrote “ I have…
New Stones have arrived!
I would say when the stone merchant comes to town, it’s a lot like shopping in Paris: the options are endless and the sky is the limit, except for a small hindrance called reason. Hence, it is always delightful and…
Precious gems, precious people, precious moments
As designers, we draw inspiration from many places. Nature is a big one. You keep your eyes open, you start seeing beautiful forms everywhere. I am reminded of one of my very first blog posts from 2010 (wow, I guess…
SELFIE NOW, a workshop by Ruudt Peters
Thanks to a grant received by Arts Nova Scotia, I was able to attend an intensive workshop with internationally renowned artist and teacher Ruudt Peters in the Dutch countryside last week. The workshop aimed to explore self image of the…