What's on...

Another year is whipping by! 

I was off in America at the end of January for The New York Gift Fair, a trade show which went really well and i have x10 new out lets in the States which including...
LoriMcleans store in Manhatten, which i new fromhaving spent some time wondering & admiring her wears  years ago when we were on our honeymoon in America.
Teilo was busy in a record shop, surprise, surprise so i entertained myself in Lori's shop around the corner.  It's great to be selling with her & we hope to do some work together in the near future so what this space!

The super cool & most stylish of chaps at PatchNY are stocking some of my pins & prints.

Over in Austin, Texas at Mercury Design Studio they are keen on my horse bow brooches & embroidered Matches & Bourbon biscuits.

I'll be off to New York again in August to add to the list!

Busy in my counting house, i've just finished this commission for The Rusty Pig  in Ottery St. Mary, Devon. An establishment that work to celebrates the the humble pig for all its tasty qualities. They specializes in Charcuterie & it's the place to have a pork filled breakfast,  the best i ever have. You can now get your 10 'oinks' token from them, to treat anyone to one of these delicious meals or to purchase some of their wears to take home. The home made cooking Chorizo is a winner! (Can you tell, i am a fan.)


Here's another commission i have  just finished, turning a pair of gold cufflinks into a bracelet that a customer's father had passed on to her...

I added a sliver link that echoed the gold, stamping her initials on. i think she was pleased with it...
"Thank you so much for the amazing bracelet, it is just gorgeous and I love the way you have made that beautiful silver lozenge to match the others, so beautiful! I have it on now and I suspect I won’t be taking it off much." 


I am just waiting to get back lots of new photos of my coin jewellery so will get some in a post soon. As you can see from my pics above it's always best to use a professional!

I'll be off to Sussex later this month for a brand new show at West Dean, a specialist College for Arts & Crafts. The lovely folk who put Made London & Brighton on have helped put it together so it will have lots of talented makers. I am sharing a stand with my brother Ken Eardley so double Eardley action. There will be no need to go any further than our stand really!!! 
Although -  your ticket will include entrance to West Deans awards winning gardens which will be well worth a look, especially at this time of year.
2for1 & early bird tickets are available to buy until the 12th of June. 
(promotion code MADE241)

 I hope to see you at West Dean!

Christmas Show Time

So it is that time of year and although i am not keen myself to get the house decorated until  the actual week of Christmas, possibly even the eve - when work is involved we have to getting going in NOVEMBER!!!! (all be it the 29th). Shopping for it needs to be done so......

*this Friday, the 29th of November i'll be in Primrose Hill on one of my x3 trips to London. All very different events so hopefully something to suit everyone.

*Then on the 7th of December i'll be in East Dulwich for another day sale.

*And finally over the weekend of 13th-15th December you'll find me in Shoreditch.

*12th-14th December, visit my big brother and his marvellous ceramics in Brighton and i'll have a corner in his studio to show off my wares. Not only our wonders but many other studios open at New England House to get some real bargains.

Below are flyers for the the above shows, click on them to view larger or click links above to go to their sites.

*If you're out and about at the shops these are the lovely establishments which sell my jewellery...

The Biscuit Factory - Newcastle

Frank - Whitstable

Gallery Nine - Bath

Stag & Bow - London

*Of course you can always visit my website to find a great gift or two racheleardley.com

THE ONE DAY SOUTH EAST LONDON DESIGNER/MAKER SALE

swap joy

Made London was a great success. Such a brilliant show to be a part of and great to meet up with some old customers and make some new ones. Held in the beautiful Sir John Soane church right opposite Great Portland st. tube, it reminded me of the days we did shows in The Midland Grand Hotel in St. Pancras before it was all spruced up.
Part of the joy of doing shows is seeing all the other fantastic work and meeting the talented makers AND being able to do swaps at times.
I would love to be able to live in a world of bartering and at a craft fair we have our own trade of currency.
Here are some of the beauties i picked up at Made London, as you'll notice mainly ceramics which i have a bit of a habit for. Obviously there were many other goodies i would have love to have taken home with me but there's always next time!

This lovely bird is made by the just as lovely Micky Wolters. She's from Holland and i was so pleased to see her at the show as i've been coveting my brothers bird for a few years now and now i have my own. Micky has gone home with one of my simple wren rings. Good birdie swap.

Well not just swaps but lucky me was given this super belt from the Lohr family as a Birthday present. Yes i spent my 37th birthday setting up a show and working, oh the glamor. You should check out more of wolframs fantastic work, he makes the most beautiful bags too.

I had the pleasure of being neighbors to the most lovely Justine Allison whilst i was at the show. We feasted on fine foods, both being housed normally in the countryside - taking full advantage of London abundance of culinaryness. I am just waiting to find a moment to give these incredibly fine group of lovelies a home. (I've envisaged them on my chest of drawers but our bedroom is like a furniture shop due to having just inherited lots of pieces from my uncle, some sorting needs to be done - when i have a moment?).

 

Sue Binns, what a fantastic woman and her work is just brilliant. I've always admired Sue's work for years and was wondering why i didn't own any so made sure i took home something of hers finally. I think it's the start of a little collection. So as you can see  i did rather well, in fact i also have a rather beautiful enamel plate inscribed with a quote from Dolly Parton coming my way when the extremely talented and busy, Buddug Humphreys has a mo.

New York, New York...

Here is my case at LOOT, usual minimal look!

I am back form New York just over a week ago now and here are some photos form my trip.
We will start with business first, swiftly followed on by a few of my snap.
The lack of images from the show is just due to the fact this is always what happens, I just forget to take them when i am at any work event. 
I have had a brilliant time. 
The Museum of Art and Design was an amazing place to exhibit in and they had a great team running it, all such lovely people. 
The standard of work was fantastic and all 50 jewelers had traveled form all over the globe to be there. 
One of the many interesting public visitors i met was Molly Clark who blogs under Ring Liaison all about jewellery and she wrote a really lovely and playful piece about the show, well worth checking out on the link above. 

 This is the museum which looks tiny amongst all the sky scrapers but it wasn't. We were given lunch each day on the 10th floor and i 'd always feel a bit wobbly under foot after getting out of the lift, i am not use to this city living.

This was our view at lunch. It's right on the corner of central park so a really brilliant location and a tasty ice cream parlor just out side the museum to keep me going, salted caramel.

So now we are on to my snaps and this is what you get from having a stroll in Central Park, meet Bobby.

Always good to see carrots any where in my book.

Check out the perfect little cloud over Washington Park.

This was a real treat, The Bemelmans Bar at The Carley Hotel. Amazingly decorated with Ludwig Bemelmans beautiful illustrations of whimsical scenes from Central Park. He is best know for the Madelin books he created. It is said having painted these walls he and his family spent one and a half years living at the Carley as payment.
I enjoyed a very pleasant drink with the sound of Earl Rose tapping away on the piano in the back ground. i would defiantly recommend a visit.   

They have very good bar snacks.

From paintings to paper, a visit to The Museum of American Folk Art where i found a contemporary exhibition of work inspired by patch working. Beautiful pieces created with old envelopes and letters by Stephen Sollins.
I LoVE such things my self so am really in to these works. Just check out those colours.

I LoVE food and when i knew i was coming over to the states was oh so excited about the fine food i could indulge in. Somerset is very beautiful but a culinary desert so i feasted.
I was accompanied by the fine lady Kaz Robertson to this 'lumber jack' breakfast and a few other meals too. Kaz is another jeweler at LOOt, she's basied in Edinburgh where she creates her lovely resin jewels. 

O.K last food shot but this is really for a big up to this most joyous of dinning experiences and to the amazing men who whip up these brilliant meals in a space of about 2 meters. Gods at work, simple & delicious. Cafe Gitane is well worth a visit. Yummmmmmmmmm.

This is how i felt getting to the airport.

Some of the great mosaics i found in the subway.

I do love a bit of public art.

And then suddenly it's time to come home again.

I would love to know what real use this is to the common air traveler coming out of the lift at JFK but it dose looks great though what ever it's about.

Big & Bold

A sneak preview of one of my new pieces go off to New York for Loot at The Museum of Art and Design in October. I know sounds like ages away but all the work must be sent in a few weeks and we are off for our holidays on Thursday. Many saw blades broken lately and i've gone big for those N.Y ladies as well as some gold plating too. It's been brilliant to have some time to make new work. I'll also be at MadeLondon at the end of October so getting lots of city action. Not my usual company of radio 4 and the odd visit form the children.

births, floods and New York

I

 I think i can still say happy new year to you. It is the 30th of january so just in time i reckon.
The baby was born and the printing did get done.(see last blog)
I think the printing might have helped bring the birth on and thankfuly it did as i was days away from making my way to Taunton hospital to be induced.
So Lenny Wren French (French is my married name) was born at home on the 26th October 2012.
All went well and i've been busy ever since.
No pics of work this posting but the debris from the flood we had at Bridge Farm in November.
As you can see the lovely red silt left behind didn't make it to the top shelf in our kitchen but the water did run right through our house up to our knees!
All very surreal.
Thankfully my studio is up stairs so all ok there and we were pretty lucky with not losing to much down stairs.
An eventful time for the finale of 2012 and as for 2013..... i have already had my most exciting email of the year.
I SHALL BE GOING TO NEW YORK to EXHIBIT at LOOT!!!

 

spinning of many plates

Well how the year rolls on and into autumn already. I've been using all my plate spinning skills to get work made in all the different mediums i find myself working in as well as getting child number 2 baked.
Most of the work is made now although new things are still popping up...
an exciting new online japanes shop, Home Economics want  jewellery and i have an order for my hankies to be shipped off to Japan too.
What will come first the baby or the work?
Above are some plates i did for the window display at The Art Shop in Abergavenny  for the food festival they have every August.

This is a Medal Brooch i made for an exhibition during the summer at the Twenty twenty Gallery in Much Wenlock, Shropshire birth place of the modern Olympics, (hence the exhibition on medals).

Alas i did not find myself in new York last month for LOOT at the Museum of Modern Art.
With this baby on the way it was all getting a little close for jet setting so the lovely ladies who organise the event and i decided 2013 might be a better time for me to exhibit.
I did ask for a contract in blood to say i would be going next year so am already looking forwards to the event. 
Watch this space for some new fancy pieces of jewellery to be created in the new year.
The bangle above did made it to New York this year though and was commissioned by Bryna Pomp, how cool is here name, all made from French coins which was a very good chose as they are particularly beautiful.

 And so to a bit of pen and ink. 
This is a commission i was asked to do for a Wedding present recently. 
I was pleased with the out come and drew it from photographs which i don't usually do.
It's normally me perched in some London street leaning on a car drawing in situe.
Using photographs and there for sitting at home instead also means that a commission like this can be done at a very reasonable rate so if any one out there is interested do get in contact.

And finally a little note i received from one of my lovely and happy customers...

"i have just signed for the 20 centime stick pin which i love a lot. it
is now on the vintage tweed jacket i wore to walk the dog this morning
which looked bare and was really looking forward to the arrival of my
new treasure."

Many thanks for the kind words Claire in Hastings.