SLC Designs Journal
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5th August 2007
An expansion to the site with the Gallery - I am in the process of trying to learn how to run the the website-- I despair of ever getting to grips with the technical stuff - have had a number of hours tonight with Mark showing me how to add a page and then how that all has to link in with all the other pages....and then all the things that can (and did) go wrong....aaaarghhh, I am beginning to think I will never, never ask for a new section to be added to the site again; however, being given that insight made me appreciate all the hard work that goes into the technical side....I might just stick to making jewellery rather than pursue a career in website development!
You were placed on this earth to create, not to compete. Robert Anthony
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1st August 2007
I have been bursting with ideas for new work and annoyed I've been unable to achieve much due to my arthritis - I felt I might be heading for a rough patch after my recent trip away and indeed, despite a steroid injection, I am having another flare up. I have had a number of commissions including various tiaras and wedding jewellery, and managed to make some pieces using copper and warm, soft, colourful combinations of glass, gems and pearls - I did a whole slew of new items in this lovely, metal and then started to play with crochet and some fluffy fibres.
During this period I have been feeling like an old lady and quite frustrated, though at times like this it is important to keep doing something, so I have spent time with Merlin, am in the slow process cleaning my studio (which really needs it), making plans to send out an e-mail to everyone on the mailing list - I have also been visiting various local art galleries. I particularly enjoyed a visit last week to the Manchester Art and Design Centre in Manchester city centre which is in a lovely, light-filled old building which was once part of the old markets area . About 30 designers create and work from there, and I had a lovely day wandering around, chatting with them and looking at the beautiful things that human creativity can produce - painters, textile artists, ceramicists, jewellery makers, and currently an exhibition of multi media work made from paper; it had been a long time since I had visited this area of Manchester, and although I was aware this community of artists were there, I was pleased to see it flourishing.
Spending time with Merlin
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‘Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud.’ — Alex Osborn
16th July 2007
More work completed in refurbishing the site, and a variety of new necklaces, bracelets, earrings and sets are on the site today.
12th July 2007
Today launched the made-over site up to the internet - I hope you will like the new look. New jewellery items to follow shortly.
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9th July 2007
Today returned from a week away with my best friend -- we went to London (yes, right smack in the middle of the heightened security alerts!), we stayed close to the London Museum and had a chance to do pretty much a complete exploration of all the different exhibitions there --- I was of course very interested in the jewellery that was on display, some wonderful exhibits and I bought a museum book that discusses the history of jewellery over the course of 7000 years - I think I might have taken root for the next 7000 years in front of the jewellery cases had I been allowed to. We had hoped to find time to go over to Greenwich but that will have to wait for another visit perhaps, but we did get time to spend in Covent Garden, where my friend bought a lovely hand-painted jacket and t-shirt for her daughter; we did lots of window shopping, I visited just about every bead and fabric shop I could find in London found the odd interesting thing or two that I got straight to work with - of course, my beads and wire travelled with me and any moment I had spare was spent in industriously crocheting with sterling and doing some bead and wirework....which meant that I was able to come home with a fair amount of work ready to be completed with clasps and other findings. The weather as always throughout this summer so far has been very bad indeed with the occasional burst of sunshine which gave a welcome respite - we were forced to carry umbrellas like weapons against the weather at all times, apart from one beautiful day where we managed to enjoy the wall to wall sunshine. We did so much walking that I perhaps overdid it a little and was tired and quite sore due to my rheumatoid arthritis before heading back up to Birmingham on the train to pick up my car.
Birmingham Sunset...one of those lucky moments when the light made the sky magical.
We had been somewhat concerned about the security alerts after the major incident in Scotland a few days before and there was some concern raised by the press that it was coming up to the second anniversary of the London bombings on the 7th July, but the whole city felt very safe and peaceful and the police making themselves highly visible, we reasoned that it was perhaps one of the safest periods of time to be in London; after an initial reservation about travelling on the tube, we thought no more of it once we felt so safe and reassured in light of all the additional visible security that was in place.
We then headed back up to Birmingham where my friend has an apartment and stayed there for a while, during which time we visited Stratford upon Avon (Mark says if nothing else, we are totally predictable) and we spent our time there drinking innumerable cups of tea and stuffing ourselves with food we knew we would regret at a later date, and window-shopping the shops again - I bought some liquorice for Merlin as he loves it; we were in Birmingham over a Friday and Saturday night and at that time the entire city seems to turn into a roving party up and down Broad Street, most of it far too wild for us old people (being in our late thirties!) but much of it fun and harmless - we went dancing at a club in the old Jewellery Quarter which I know well by daylight as I visit there often to do business with a variety of people -- though it was so packed and hot that we soon lost our enthusiasm for that, we went over to another place we know well, spent some time there, and then went back to the apartment. I returned to lots of orders and work which I worked through immediately, having told customers I was away and am now working on putting the new items on over the next couple of weeks and continuing to work on the relaunch of the site.
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27th June 2007
I just got back from a very brief holiday in the south of France during which time I did lots of new work (a holiday never being a holiday unless I take my beads with me) --- mostly working on sterling silver crocheted bracelets, cuffs, earrings and necklaces which once finished with appropriate clasps and findings etc will be coming onto the site in due course - I also did some work on the website, updating its look and giving it a small makeover - I plan a larger makeover in due course which may (or may not) include a change of business name to be more specific to handmade jewellery and some more new sections, but my next target will be extending the stock range to include new areas and also working with some jewellery retailers and galleries who will be stocking my jewellery in their shops, whilst still keeping the website on line and up to date. The south of France was lovely and it is understandable that artists have flocked there over the years to paint and create as the light is so special - having said that, we saw highs of up to 35 degrees which was just a bit too much for me, resulting in my staying inside and working - thank goodness for the box of beads again!
Lots of time spent walking and looking around pretty, flower-filled villages, causing irreparable damage to my credit card, and eating far too much ice cream - isn't this exactly what a holiday should be about? A few photos are shown below. And the welcome back? England at 9 degrees, in the grips of floods and cold weather - this sent me racing straight back for my thermal underwear!
Above: Bormes Les Mimosas, one of the pretty villages of the area...my favourite place in the South of France.
Above and Below: Village-style in Provence
Below; Shopping at the local markets
Above: Local Colour
Above: Ideal for the Handyman....
Above: a very rare sight - (me in shorts...note the fantastic tan - not!!) - Port Grimaud.
Above: Morning Glory with St. Tropez in the distance
17th June 2007
Today added fresh vintage, sets, bracelets, and earrings.
'Love is like a fragile flower....if you want it to thrive and live, you must be gentle and kind to it, nurture it, love it and protect it.' (My Mum)
All Content, Design, Text and Photographs Copyright Stephanie Lewis-Cooper, SLC Designs™, 2002-2008
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