Jewellery Making Workshop

Jewellery Making Workshop

I’ve always loved fashion jewellery.

I have a whole drawer at home dedicated to necklaces, bangles, pendants and cocktail rings in various colours and styles.

It is my opinion that accessories are as important to an outfit as support undies – they hold it all together.

Over the years, I have often wondered about signing up for an evening class in beading to learn to design and make my own jewellery, but it is something that has been bumped down the list every time a major life event took place – like having a baby, returning to full-time employment and starting a blog.

So, I just keep Stella & Dot in business instead.

However, last week I was lucky enough to experience a little taster at the April East Dulwich WI event, which was a jewellery making workshop with Vanessa from Mini Print Jewellery.

The plan was that Vanessa would briefly talk through some of the different types of jewellery that we could make at home and then teach us how to make one or two pieces of our own.

Each table already had a selection of beads and tools set out when we arrived.

Vanessa showed us how to cut and roll wire that would then secure the beads on to a charm bracelet.

It looked easy enough.

I laid out my intended design on the mat in front of me and waited for my turn with the wire cutter.

Now, meeting in a pub has many obvious advantages.

But, inexperienced hands working with sharp tools in candle light is not one of them.

It was not long before someone (we’ll just call her Tina) on our table elbowed a glass of water while trying to manoeuvre one of those slippery little beads onto a wire.

All over my foot!

I quickly jumped up and in doing so, knocked over all of my neatly lined up beads onto the floor.

Then as I bent down to pick them up, crash went the professional display of  jewellery that was set up behind me.

Someone else on my table (we’ll just call her Katie) stood up to help, and in doing so dropped another of the necklaces and watched in horror as the beads started to unravel onto the floor.

Vanessa’s lovely mum was there and was very understanding about the situation when she came to see what all the commotion in the corner was about.

Much more than she should have been, considering our apologies were muffled by sounds of hysterical laughter.

We sat quietly back down after that with tears streaming down our cheeks and started to take our jewellery making more seriously.

I took a pin, I took a bead, I took the wire cutters and I turned the pin to a 90-degree angle.  It snapped.

I took another pin, I took another bead, I took a hold of the wire cutters again and I gently turned the pin to a 90-degree angle.  It snapped.

It was not easy as it looked, and my dream of one day having my own Stella & Dot empire was crushed.

So, I decided to just watch others in action instead.

Then, I got a bit bored.

childish

Then Vanessa came over and helped me to make a gorgeous pair of earrings.

Sadly, my ears are not pierced so I have decided to give this beautiful pair of handmade earrings away to one of my dear Grenglish readers.

If you are interested in attending one of Vanessa’s workshops then please visit her website for more information: http://www.miniprintjewellery.com

Some of her pieces are absolutely stunning and the one-on-one mini tutorial I had with her was brilliant.

There may even be hope for my own jewellery empire yet!

Do you want the earrings I lovingly made with my own fair hands?

The EDWI meet on the first Wednesday of each month at The Lodge, above East Dulwich Tavern, 1 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, SE22 8EW.  Meetings start at 7.30pm.  Guests are welcome.  http://www.eastdulwichwi.co.uk/

You can also find me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @Smudgerella.

I am thrilled to have been shortlisted for a BritMums Brilliance in Blogging award in the Fresh Voices category.
If you would like to vote for me to win, then please click here 


If you would also like to nominate me for a MAD Award, then please click here.
  I would be honoured to be nominated in any category but quite like the look of Best MAD Family Life Blog.

 

5 Comments

  1. katie
    April 12, 2012 / 1:31 PM

    I am still giggling about it.,.,…plus had completely forgotten about the earrings!!

  2. April 12, 2012 / 9:20 PM

    aha ha ha ha ha this properly made me laugh out loud – sounds like a fun evening, lovely earrings too 🙂
    oooh and thanks for the S&D mention – you’ll have to check out the summer collection, launched yesterday… lovely! xx

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 15, 2012 / 9:13 AM

      yes will defo check it out RM xx

  3. theprgeek
    April 18, 2012 / 2:37 PM

    I have never noticed that you don’t have pierced ears!

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 19, 2012 / 2:29 PM

      they closed up yonks ago x

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