Wow! Life is definitely pretty strange, you just never know where things will lead… this time last year I didn’t have an inkling that I’d be teaching jewellery making masterclasses at the British Library in London as part of their iconic Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms exhibition.
“I still can’t believe it, its like something that happens in dreams, not in real life!”
Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms exhibition
Here is my story of how it began
Back in 2010, I had no idea where it would lead me when out of the blue I was contacted and asked if I was interested in teaching some jewellery making workshops as part of the Forest of Bowland AONB Landscapes Project. The brief I was given was to link the workshops to the local landscape and its history.
I think it had been expected that I’d probably choose the Romans, as we’ve got a lot of Roman history in Lancashire, including a Roman museum on the site of the Roman fort of Bremetenacum Veteranorum in Ribchester in the Ribble Valley. But whilst doing some research on the Forest of Bowland’s history, I came across the Anglo-Saxons. To be honest I didn’t really know much about them and delving further, they really intrigued me. Anyway, something seemed to be pushing me to choose them instead of the Romans?!
What an great opportunity for me learn about the Anglo-Saxons. Although they are part of our history, I wasn’t taught anything about them at school and since then, I hadn’t heard a lot about them.
This kindled the fire of my knowledge and creativity!
Once I began, I really enjoyed discovering the Anglo-Saxons and spent hours online researching and reading about them; where they came from, why they came, how they lived and most importantly for me was seeing examples of their artwork.
Alongside coming across their wonderfully strange interlaced designs with animals and birds (zoomorphic design), I noticed that they also used lots of spirals in their decoration of manuscripts, stone work, weaponry and especially in their early jewellery design. At the time, the most exciting of all were the stone crosses I found at a churchyard in the Forest of Bowland and no less they were decorated with spirals. This was great, it was the direct link I needed for the spiral jewellery designs I would teach on the workshop.
Anglo-Saxon stone cross in the Ribble Valley
“I have been fascinated by spirals for many years, especially how they have found their way into the artwork of many ancient civilizations across the world.”
In my own jewellery making I love working with wire, especially copper wire with all its magical healing properties and by 2010 I was already teaching a range of different wirework skills including spirals on some of my further wire skills jewellery making classes in adult education at Lancashire College and on my own bebeady classes that I ran at Cedar Farm and other venues across Lancashire.
I adapted my spiral designs for these Anglo-Saxon jewellery making workshops, so that they would be suitable for both beginners and for families, adults and children. All of this took up quite a lot of time and if you were looking at it from a purely business point of view it wasn’t something worth doing, but it became more about my own development and doing something I really enjoyed.
After teaching these jewellery making workshops for the Forest of Bowland AONB Landscapes Project, I was busy and didn’t think any more about them, I had no idea where it would take me in the future… to be continued in my next blog posts, come with me on my creative journey and read my story about teaching Anglo-Saxon jewellery making workshops…
I didn’t expected to be teaching much this year, I really thought that might be it, when I stopped organising and teaching my bebeady jewellery making classes last Spring.
So I’m pretty amazed by it all!
Firstly I was quite surprised to be teaching quite a few bespoke 1-1 and small group workshops at my studio this Spring / Autumn.
a personalised day workshop for a mother and daughter
Secondly and the icing on the cake, was being contacted early this Summer and asked to teach a jewellery making masterclass for the British Library in London, linked to their Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms exhibition. What an honour, although I did feel quite daunted by it, having mainly taught smaller groups the past few years, plus all the extra organisation involved with it. Will share some more about it in my next blog post….
“I have really enjoyed my teaching this year, I love to share my creativity with others and help nurture their jewellery making.”
It has meant though, that I’ve not been able to devote quite as much time to developing my ‘ash fused glass’ and other new glass and wirework designs as I’d have liked. I’ve just had to be satisfied with making slower progress. More news about them coming up in some of my next blog posts….
Bespoke jewellery making 1-1 and small group workshops
There’s more info about them on my bebeady website. I teach them from mid-February to mid-April and mid-September to mid-November at my rural studio-workshop in Lancashire. You can see some photos of what was made in my 2018 workshops on my Jewellery artist Instagram.
Come with me on my creative journey…
wishing you sparkles of light, Sam Rowena x
There was a great creative vibe at the weekend on my Autumn jewellery making classes and students enjoyed their day spent making bead-strung necklaces and bracelets using leather and cord. Most students brought along some of their own beads to use in their designs, alongside beads and cord available at the class.
Gillian’s cord and leather necklaces from Autumn 2015 classes
The jewellery making bead stringing with leather and cord has been a popular topic and was chosen by my students as the topic for my Autumn classes (some of the students had been interested in it when I taught it earlier in the year, but couldn’t make it to the April class date).
All my classes include a number of variation design options, which helps my students to personalise the jewellery they make.
“Had great day today Samantha… My sister loved, loved, loved the red and silver necklace I made in class for her. She thinks it really looks professional. Well it’s all in the tuition . Thanks and best wishes,” Norma
Norma’s red and silver cord necklace
“Thanks, Samantha, for another fantastic day at the leather/cord jewellery class yesterday. I agree with Norma, the tuition and relaxed way in which the classes are run make them enjoyable and easy to follow. Thanks again and I look forward to attending more classes in the Spring.” Andrea
Kathleen’s moss agate pendant and beads leather necklace
Delia’s porcelain hand made pendant and suede necklace (from the April class)
Lara’s beads and cord bracelet with button fastener (from the April class)
Barbara’s paua shell pendant and beads cord necklace
Beadstringing is quite therapeutic and its a bit easier than my other wirework classes, so ideal for both beginners or students wanting to add to their existing skills and learn how to work with a variety of cords, leather and suede. My first foray into knotting and beadstringing began when I taught myself how to make friendship bracelets in the early 1980s and my skills and range of designs have developed further over the past 10 years (or so) of teaching classes.
In order to be able to teach at my studio-workshop I first have to spend a few hours tidying up my studio and putting all my work away, then turn it into a class room; setting up the tables, chairs, work-lights, mats. Check what refreshments I need to buy and bring on the day. There’s also all the class topic items to bring, such as materials, examples and handouts. After the class is over I have to tidy all my teaching stuff away and turn it from a classroom back to a studio-workshop… by which time I’m shattered! Anyone that teaches knows the amount of preparation that goes into teaching. Last year, was my first year in my studio and I was doing monthly classes, but I’ve cut it back now to just one weekend in the Spring, Summer and Autumn.
See more student photos on my BebeadyClasses facebook page.
There was a great creative vibe at my embellished hair accessories and beaded flower wirework class at the weekend.
After teaching basic bead embellished designs, we progressed onto using buttons, flower beads, diamonte and then beaded flower designs in the afternoon. Everyone made something different – lovely and unique – experimenting more with their beads and buttons as their skills progressed during the day.
buttons and beads, beaded flower beads demos at the class
barbara’s abstract beaded haircomb
emma’s fimo button and bead haircomb
emma’s lovely experimental button and beads haircomb
barbara’s lovely experimented using a button centrepiece
beaded flower brooch class demo
jennifer’s lovely beaded flower aliceband
jennifer’s super button and bead aliceband
A super creative wirework class!
April-October 2015 group and bespoke classes at my Lancashire studio, and a new classes website from summer 2015… more classes info
jewelart sculptural wirework and fused glass jewellery
