Fired Rose Jewellery!
I recently attended a silver clay jewellery making workshop run by new friend of mine, Sarah, from Fired Rose Jewellery. I had no idea what to expect and in a typical for me, fly by the seat of my pants affair, I turned up knowing only that it was jewellery making, using silver, and I was getting lunch! Now, I know nothing about jewellery making or what it entails, but thankfully you don’t have to. Sarah is the jeweller with all the know how, the jewellers loupe and other tools and she brings everything you need to make jewellery with her on the day. Sounded good to me and as I arrived (late, as per) and perused the jewellery Sarah of Fired Rose creates, I couldn’t believe the confidence she immediately displayed that I too could mastermind such beauties. Within the day. Possessing no experience. Seemed a tall order!
There were 6 of us sat around a table in the aesthetically pleasing setting of Norwich’s Erpingham House and Sarah passed around some of her pieces, the ones she makes to sell and some pieces for inspiration for our own designs. Silver clay, she told us, is quite unlike working with other silver yet it is indeed as silver as silver can be and though mouldable, will fire into hard pieces which look exactly as we have set them to hang beautifully as necklaces or earrings. It seemed incredible and impossible but Sarah’s belief that we could do it rubbed off and as we became ingratiated with the kit, the moulds and the tools for a practice with Blue Tac, I started to see that perhaps I could make something special.
We’d been asked to bring small items that might inspire our designs but Sarah had brought lots with her too (which was good as OBVIOUSLY I had not brought a bean – I’d thought about it and wanted shells but of course wasn’t on the ball enough to collect any) and my eye was drawn to the moulds she had pre-made with a tiny crab claw and two different sea shells. If I had brought my own she would have helped me make a mould but I was rather pleased she had chosen such nice ones for me and though we were taught how to imprint, I chose this technique for my charms.
I was given a sachet of clay to go with my kit and after a play with the Blue Tac it was onto the real thing. It felt rather scary but Sarah, unwavering, helped everyone through the entire process as we all created special, unique pieces. I managed to make the three sea charms I wanted and a small disc with my initial on before it was time to place some in the kiln whilst we had lunch and save a few to hand fire too.
Lunch, included in the studio workshop day, was upstairs in the restaurant and full of vegan offerings with much flavour. We amiably chatted and enjoyed each other’s company, none of us knowing each other beforehand really, and after lunch we were more of a gang heading in to finish the jewellery together.
Hand firing was lots of fun if a bit daunting but yet again Sarah slowly took us through the process, encouraging us and championing all the way. We were taught techniques and given tips all day which I would have assumed Sarah would keep to herself as a jewellery maker so it felt very inviting and generous to be gifted her knowledge.
At the end of the workshop, after a terrific day spent sharing, chatting, eating, drinking (we were watered all day too) and creating, we all came away with solid silver jewellery we’d hand crafted ourselves and you know what? They were all so lovely!
Sarah, the pro, makes lots of gorgeous things and her collections are beautiful, they would make absolutely stunning gifts with great meaning behind each piece. Having chatted with Sarah about her creations and collections it’s easy to see why they are so popular, she puts as much into them as she does her workshops. The workshops themselves would make excellent gifts, or, an excellent chance to create hand made presents yourself. I was rather taken with the idea of a Christmas workshop, going as group and enjoying the experience with them an end result to gift to someone I love on Christmas Day.
Such an enjoyable thing to do with a real sense of achievement at the end. My pieces are rustic but this is definitely a technique I feel I could improve upon, and would like to now that I’ve given it a go. I am very keen on trying more, I think the whole group became a bit addicted straight away. That’s not to say I don’t admire this rustic charm my pieces offer, I have something quite unlike anyone else will have simply by it being me who made it in a non uniform way.
For more information on Sarah’s upcoming workshops follow her ion Instagram @FiredRoseJewellery and keep an eye on her website (coming soon) to buy some of her own designs – they’re gorgeous.
The price for workshops like the one I attended is £145 per person, which includes lunch, teas/coffees and soft drinks throughout the day and all the materials to create, then take home your jewellery. Sarah will provide each guest with a chain or earring fastenings for the designs, as well as the attachments which again, you are taught how to administer. She does have early bird prices too so keep an eye out for new dates to be announced. Currently there are planned workshops for the 30th of September, 12th of November and the 13th of December.
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