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Thread: Hello from Sally in Lancashire

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Preston, Lancashire.
    Posts
    150

    Default Hello from Sally in Lancashire

    Hello all!

    I'm a long time forum lurker, but not participator - shame on me.

    I love metal and tools (and cameras and lenses) and started off sinking and raising a few bowls in pewter and copper. After getting a numb left thumb from all the hammering, I thought I'd try making smaller, less noisy things - like jewellery.

    Despite enjoying the process of fabricating, I struggle with motive - I don't wear jewellery myself, I don't want to make things that I might not like for other people and I don't want to sell something that's taken me so long to make - which would appear to make the process pointless and me a lost cause!

    My thinking is that if I joined in the monthly themed competitions I'd have a legitimate reason to play with my tools - I don't suppose anyone else out there has suffered from a similar quandary?

    Sally

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Central London
    Posts
    8,845

    Default

    Hi sally and welcome.

    Some of us are driven by the challenge of a new project and have more queuing up to happen.
    I don't wear any jewellery, but enjoy seeing others want to wear what I have made.

    If you lack motivation, perhaps you are looking in the wrong direction? Dennis.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Preston, Lancashire.
    Posts
    150

    Default

    Thank you for the welcome Dennis.
    Yes, it may well be true that I am looking in the wrong direction - but hopefully an aspect or technique will click - if I try enough!
    Sally

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Posts
    668

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by -Sally- View Post
    Thank you for the welcome Dennis.
    Yes, it may well be true that I am looking in the wrong direction - but hopefully an aspect or technique will click - if I try enough!
    Sally
    A warm welcome to signing in at Cookies from sunny Yorkshire.

    I understand entirely where you come from (not just Lancs) but not wearing jewellery. There are plenty of avenues to explore and likely enough more than one will click, then another and another. I also enjoy the making process enough to do just that.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Exeter, Devon
    Posts
    1,803

    Default

    Hi from Devon. My 98 year old mum was born in Lancashire (by accident I hasten to add, her mum and dad were visiting a relative for a couple of days and she arrived sooner than expected.), Glad someone else is addicted to tools, pliers seem to be what I collect, got about every shape you could imagine. I have been making jewellery for about six years or so now and I don't wear much either. Wedding ring, silver ear studs and a thumb ring which was the first thing I ever made in college evening class. My biggest problem is selling it. I have a website and go to a craft show once a month but sales are few and far between. I seem to be accumulating it as I don't wear it much myself and there is only so much you can give away. Any ideas welcome.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Cheshire
    Posts
    359

    Default

    Welcome sally, hope you enjoy the forum.

    Like you Pat, I don't wear most of what l make either. Although I may sell a little, and give some away, the rest piles up. So I have a few bits that I am attached to, and want to hold onto, a few that I'm not ready to let go of yet, and may add to or change in some way one day, some that I part canibalize, holding on to some components that I may use in future in a new piece, and most of the rest goes in the scrap pot, either to be extracated at some point and put to another use or to be melted for casting or maybe one day I will get around to sending back to cooksons as scrap. Sometimes I also extricate stones for using again, but you have been doing this a lot longer than me pat, and I need to practice a lot to get better and get different skills/techniques down, so it makes sense to keep recycling things for me as its satisfying when I get to reuse bits, it doesn't feel like a waste. So basically I have the scrap, the nearly scrap, the this will be scrap eventually and the I want this piles!
    Sue

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Preston, Lancashire.
    Posts
    150

    Default

    Thank you all for making me feel welcome. I'm not sure it should, but it makes me feel much better to know I'm not the only northen, none jewellery wearing, tool addicted jewellery maker with a large pile of unworn items!
    Sally

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Central London
    Posts
    8,845

    Default

    No doubt you all know this, but the best sales are in the few weeks before Christmas, so now is the time to venture a selling expedition to a local craft fair to boost your cash flow and your morale. Dennis.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Exeter, Devon
    Posts
    1,803

    Default

    It is quite exciting to sell something when the purchaser is over the moon with your design and has got to have it. I really only do one craft show a month, in Exmouth, Devon in the Pavilion which is on the sea front, but although it is fairly well advertised, doesnt make much in the way of sales. We have been going there for around five years, every month so know all the other stallholders and its a home from home to us, but I think we should venture into another one too. The draw for Exmouth is a: its indoors with heating, b: there are toilets which are clean and fresh c: they have a wonderful cafe with nice eats and coffee in the same building, whats not to love. No camping in a wet windy field, with cold tea and soggy sandwiches.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Preston, Lancashire.
    Posts
    150

    Default

    That sounds like a lovely day Pat! I'll have to have a look and see if there is a similar venue around Preston.
    Sally

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