curiosity killed the cat

Hi all,
I would like to hear from all those who have done this for their entire careers, or at least for many of the years of their working lives - did you always know that this was what you wanted to do? What first piqued your interest or led you in this direction for your career? and for those who have been doing this for so many years but it has never been their career as such - would you have liked it to have been your career or have you always preferred to have it as another interest? It's not something that was even slightly on my radar or that of anyone I knew as a young school leaver. I'm interested to know how those who took this route when young ever got to know anything about it in the first place.

I had to design a price of jewellery for art in fourth year and that was when I decided jewellery was what I wanted to do! Up until then, I wanted to be a confectioner:-O
After sixth year, I did three years of 'jewellery: design, production and business management' in college to get an HND while also doing an evening class to get my diamond diploma(DGA) I've now been working at my current employment for 20 years since leaving college and am ready to start up on my own

I am cabinet maker by trade, in the early seventies I became unemployed for a brief period, during which I attended a course rather than sit around waiting for a job to find me, one of the topics on this course was a introduction to jewellery making, I was hooked and completed a course it has been my paid hobby ever since, I now make jewellery full time

I was brought up on a council estate and went to a secondary modern school. My best subjects at school were art, metalwork and maths. When reaching the age of 15, I had an interview with the council's careers officer who visited the school. He asked what sort of career I was interested in, at the time I lived near the film studios at Elstree, so a lot of us school leavers went on to work at the film studios, I asked about being a scenery painter but the only vacancy offered to me was a scenery constructor so I declined. Then the careers officer asked if I would be interested in becoming a silversmith. I was interested so an interview was arranged with a company based in Soho, London. At my interview I was shown around the workshops, I was impressed by the small goldsmiths workshop that made smallwork and regalia and asked to join them as an apprentice, after a trial period I was given the position as apprentice goldsmith, an apprenticeship which would run until I reached 21, almost 6 years, this was back in 1961 and the rest is history.
If anyone is interested in reading about my career in this trade check out this newsletter;http://knewconcepts.com/JamesMiller.php

James
James Miller FIPG.

I was all set to study English at university with a vague idea of going into journalism/publishing, but then we were offered jewellery as an elective in the sixth form. One lesson and I was hooked! Spent most of my second year of A-levels hiding in the woodwork department hammering and soldering bits of copper and silver, and ended up going to art college and doing a degree in jewellery and silversmithing.

I worked at Cooksons (when it was still Exchange Findings!) for a couple of years after graduating, and carried on making jewellery occasionally on my kitchen table, but then abandoned it to retrain as a legal secretary. Still working for a law firm part-time, whilst building up my jewellery business. I'd love to do it full time, but giant mortgage on a house that needs total renovation means I need to keep a steady job for now.

I was working in TV production in London and missed hands-on arts (I was set to do fine art after foundation but ended up doing a degree in film & video. ( tale for another day). The only course that I could get to was 3D design in silver jewellery. I had a fab tutor and the one term I completed before I had to commute back to Elstree got me hooked. Once we had the kids and moved home to Cardiff I found a workshop to rent and have learnt as I go along. It is what I do full-time. I have to work flexibly as hubbie is bipolar, my daughter (and I) have Asperger syndrome and my son has aspergers and some other issues which mean I need to be available outside school hours. I love it absolutely and couldn't stop if you paid me (actually getting paid would be good!) X

After trying to find out for about three years on the internet how to make replica key of the house I was born in for myself came across Silver Clay. Though I got hooked on that I've now moved on to using Sterling Silver with the help of many tutorials on You Tube and reading many posts on this forum. I've never made that key either. I make jewellery as a hobby but have to admit to being addicted.

I'm a teaching assistant in a private school, which was the last thing I ever imagined I'd do in my younger years. Workmates would tell you I'm very artistic and creative which I truly am not I'm just interested in art and design. There is a difference!

I worked for New Scotland Yard in my younger years which I loved but having got sick of living in London went home to mum and dad!

Got married then divorced quite quickly, been at the same school for 30 years now, turned into and old fart wanting to visit National Trust places and visiting museums and wishing I could retire!

I have a son who is 35 now and keeps asking me to send him some jewellery to sell down his local pub, he can jog on lol

My skills are limited but the excitement of someone asking me to do something for them out ways the frustration of not being able to achieve what I would wish. Today at work we were all admiring someone's peas in a pod pendant and a workmate asked me to make them four peas in a pod for her four daughters. I'm on the case and I will make it for her. She will love it I'm sure but I bet I find fault in it ! lol

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Originally Posted by LydiaNiz

I was working in TV production in London and missed hands-on arts (I was set to do fine art after foundation but ended up doing a degree in film & video. ( tale for another day). The only course that I could get to was 3D design in silver jewellery. I had a fab tutor and the one term I completed before I had to commute back to Elstree got me hooked. Once we had the kids and moved home to Cardiff I found a workshop to rent and have learnt as I go along. It is what I do full-time. I have to work flexibly as hubbie is bipolar, my daughter (and I) have Asperger syndrome and my son has aspergers and some other issues which mean I need to be available outside school hours. I love it absolutely and couldn't stop if you paid me (actually getting paid would be good!) X

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How you cope with all that and produce such lovely pieces is beyond me!

Made peas in pod, wasn't hard and enjoyed doing it until showed my sister who said hmmmm think you should have enclosed peas more!

Attachment 9003

It's a design inspired by nature. No harm in that especially as it is very successful.

That said, it could really be in a thread of its own under Show and Tell. Dennis.

I wanted to take metalwork at school but that wasn't for the girls.I left school at 16 and spent 2 years with a self-taught jewellery maker. I went on to run my own shop for 8 years until the early 90's. Had two sons and continued to dabble. I came back into making full time nearly 5 years ago and still love what I do. My selling is split between attending events and supplying shops. My youngest son has also started making too.