New Zealand Book Council - Go West

If I had to choose to strive towards a new skill I think it would have to be 'papercutting'. Have a look at this video and you will understand why.

Making necklaces at the Autumn Centre

This is a regular group I work with at a local Day Centre. The challenge for me is to find things that we can create in an hour using recycled or reclaimed materials. The group wanted to have a go at making jewellery so using memory wire we did just that. Each time we meet up I challenge their small motor skills.

Travelling Exhibition

Following the success of the Stanza Poetry Festival I have been asked by the Programme Manager, Susan Davis to have some work displayed in a Craft Pod (scroll down to Craft Pod then click on launch gallery) that will tour around the area for a year.

This has been yet another super opportunity to develop some new work. I've created three sculptural pieces which I have entitled, 'Ruffle Beads'. The inspiration comes from the Elizabethan Ruff. Whilst working on these pieces I came across some 21st century versions of these ruffs made by a very talented lady on Etsy, it is well worth taking a look. She had kindly allowed me to use an image of her work within the Craft Pod.

The chance to have my work published in a book

This is such an exciting opportunity. I had an email with the information forwarded to me from a Uni friend and the Design Factory. It was a short deadline so I needed to move fast. I decided to send images from the Stanza Poetry Festival I was part of earlier this year. These pieces were made especially for the event using a poetry book. The edges are silver gilt and in the centre there is a swarovski crystal.

Sarah Kelly will be writing the book on paper jewellery for the Design and Make series published by AC & Black Publishers. Other impressive jewellers including Kathie Murphy, Joanne Haywood, Lindsey Mann and Sarah Keay have all written successful books within this series.