Affiliate Program Launch

It's been another busy couple of weeks getting new pieces ready for my Woodland Range, creating delicate flower and leaf pieces in silver.  My favourite by far is the forget-me-not flower necklace and all the pieces are available on line and at studio 6 at Manchester Design Centre in the Northern Quarter:

This week I've been working on an exciting new venture for my business which is the launch of my Affiliate Program which will hopefully leave me more time to design and make collections.  The affiliate program is perfect for anyone interested in jewellery, fashion and life style.  More information about the program can be found on my website and via:

http://enchantednymph.com/affiliates/

I'll say more on this in my next blog.  If in the mean time this is something you may be interested in getting involved with please get in touch via affiliates@enchantednymph.com

Manchester Art Gallery gets its “Senses”

It's been a busy couple of weeks getting my pieces ready for Manchester Art Gallery's “Northern Makers” exhibition. I'm very happy to confirm that they have now been submitted and are available to view and purchase from the gallery. The range that has been submitted is the “Senses” range which formed my final project at college last year. This range had been designed with the principles of Mindfulness and Neuro Linguistic Programming in mind. After some design development and tweaks the pieces are now complete.

I have kept the “Smell” pieces to the same principles design wise. The soothing lavender oil which remains on hand to the wearer. At college I had designed this 'sense' in the form of a ring, and this has now been expanded to include a necklace and cuff bracelet.

 

The “touch” pieces have had a complete redesign. The idea behind the touch element of this range was to provide something tactile to play with which will bring the wearer to the present. I realised that when items are curved, it make it very easy to tune out of the world and touch them absent-mindedly. With this in mind, I changed the design to be made principally of straight edges and angles. I also included additional pieces to the surface to create another level and more obvious texture to the wearer. This unexpected change in direction and level helps to bring the wearer back to the moment.

The “sound” piece has remained the same. The earring is ideal for the acoustic element of the range; bringing a chiming sound to the wearer which is not audible to those around them. I am in the process of completing the design of some more earrings to add to this range and these will be available for purchase soon.

My aim with this range was for the beauty of the jewellery to be at the forefront; bringing attention to the pieces for their visual appeal rather than the function which they serve. I have to say, I love them. And I hope that you will too!

An inspired start to 2017

This week has been all about developing my Woodland range and I've been busy designing new pieces.  I can't wait to get started on them!!

 

 

 

I've also managed to squeeze in a bit of making and am almost finished with this sea inspired cuff.  I love my job - the only problem with it is falling in love with my pieces knowing that they will soon be heading to a new home!

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I can't quite believe that it's 2017 and that Enchanted Nymph is into its second year in business. What a ride!! This time two years ago I was off sick from work with depression with no idea what to do with myself and my life. Getting out of bed and having a shower was a massive achievement most days and if you'd have asked me then to guess where I would be at this point, I wouldn't have even been close.

Throw voluntary redundancy into the mix and stumbling across a flyer about a jewellery course which was WAY cooler than I expected and here I am, addicted to playing with metal and creating beautiful pieces. In two short months after finishing the college course I was in two studios at Manchester's Craft & Design Centre as well as in the Kula Gallery in the Northern Quarter.

This month I'm very excited to be getting my pieces into Manchester's Art Gallery as part of their “Northern Makers” exhibition which will be available to the public from early February. Now that I have found my passion for jewellery, this year will be all about developing my ranges and growing my business. There will also be some exciting announcements coming soon.

I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported my business so far and for allowing me to continue pursuing my passion for designing and making. And special thanks to my wonderful friends Sarah and Vicky who have been so supportive as my cheering squad, spreading the word about Enchanted Nymph, in buying my stuff and commissioning pieces for loved ones, and visiting me at various locations to show your support and help out. You ladies have been awesome and I'm very lucky to have you in my corner!

 

 

The Next Stage for Enchanted Nymph...

With college finished, I've taken a step back to think about the future of Enchanted Nymph Ltd.   Now that I'm a certified jeweller (with a distinction!!! Over the moon that my hard work paid off) I've decided to give the contemporary and precious jewellery an identity of its own. It doesn't really make sense to be selling jewellery made from silver and freshwater pearls alongside 3D art and coasters. Sticking with the ‘enchanted/fairytale’ theme, this side of the business will now come under the ‘Bijoux Enchantee’ (Enchanted Jewellery in French) brand.

 

Once I’d made this decision, I looked at my other products and it made sense to do the same with the baby gift offerings, as again,  they don't quite sit in the homeware and art side of things. And so, ‘Petite Pixie Picks’ was born!

Which leaves the wedding line that I am currently designing and working on. In keeping with the overall theme, this side of the business will be branded as‘Wedding Fae Finery’.  There's a little more work needed on the logo which will be based on this theme:

My creations will still be available at www.enchantednymph.com - the only difference will be in the branding.  My different creations will be categorised under the specific product lines which will hopefully make things much easier to find for customers with specific needs who want to get to the right section quickly.

So with the new branding done, and I'm spending the next couple of weeks getting the website updated to reflect these changes!  And creating my Christmas range - which seems a little strange with all the good weather we've been having lately :-)

End of An Era and the beginning of great things

I've let the blog slip a little the last few weeks.  I've been working hard to complete my final project for the University of Art London, Level 3 Diploma in Art & Design (specialist pathway jewellery).  And I'm delighted to say that the hard work has paid off!  This morning I received my final grade: DISTINCTION!!  To say that I am over the moon is an understatement.  Not only at the grade itself but also because it validates to me that I am on the right track with my life. This isn't just a 'hobby' - I can make a living doing something that I love.


My approach is very much to challenge myself and push the boundaries of what I can achieve. I believe that nothing is impossible and tackle difficult tasks as though they are a puzzle to be solved. Overall I am happy with all of my design principles and having made the pieces for the project, I learned a lot about what did and didn't work. There are changes I would make in some areas to make them both easier to create, more appealing visually, and more commercially viable, but these are minor tweaks.  My favourite piece by far is my 'scent' ring - I love the shape, the overall effect and of course, how it smells!  It achieves everything that I had in mind when I designed it. 

 

  

 

We had our exhibition a couple of weeks ago which was a great event, and the best part is that following the exhibition, I was approached by my tutor asking if I would be willing to sell the earrings as someone wanted them.  I had to check behind me that she was in fact talking to me, and when it sunk in, I was so happy that someone liked them enough to buy them. 

Our last day in the studio was on Thursday.  I can't believe just how quickly the year went by, and I loved every minute of it.  The end of this phase of my life means that I am now free to dedicate my energies to the business which has been on a back burner the last couple of months.  So for this week I will be planning for the future and redirecting my energy toward Enchanted Nymph.

The final project continues....

In my last blog, talked about how depression has been a factor in my life, and I'm finding myself becoming more and more interested in art therapy since experiencing the positive impact of making stuff first hand. The physical act of making, and tapping into the creativity helped me come out of the other side stronger than I have ever been, and for the first time, excited and hopeful for the future.

For the next weeks I'll be finishing my final project at college. The theme I've chosen is a suite of jewellery inspired by architecture. I've always liked architecture and have come to realise since doing the course, how much this influences the work I produce. The jewellery will be made up of well being pieces aimed at those who struggle with anxiety, depression or nervous tension and other related issues.

Coping mechanisms which have been shown to help alleviate symptoms include grounding techniques and mindfulness and my jewellery is being designed to give the wearer a means to always have something on hand to aid in these methods. Each piece will simulate one of the five senses.

Sight – using colour, light and concepts of optical illusions to create moving pieces that have a primarily visual impact

Sound – through the use of tubing and weighted elements, the movement of the piece will create sound when activated. Or contain the operational elements of a music box

Touch – this piece will focus primarily on providing different textures, shape and movements

Smell – this piece will create the diffusion of a calming scent such as lavender or the wearer's preference when its elements are moved

Taste – this piece will provide a flavour element in addition to movement. Current ideas include vapour / electronic cigarette type mechanism without the nicotine or some form of cavity for sweets/snacks

I'll be posting behind the scenes photos on instagram if you'd like to check these out: www.instagram.com/enchantednymphltd

UAL L3 Diploma - Final Project!!

This time last year, I was ill with depression, a condition which has intermittently effected me throughout my life, and for the first time ever I found myself in the position of being unable to work and had to be signed off. I was off work for 6 months, during which time my employer was undertaking a restructure, and I was successful in having my application for voluntary redundancy approved after three attempts at applying for it. 

 

What was a dark time in my life, actually turned into a blessing and has pointed me in the direction with my life that I'm in now, and one which I love. When I was first signed off work, the idea of watching day time TV was really unappealing, and I discovered the Hobby Craft shop. I began experimenting with different mediums, making birthday and Christmas gifts for family and friends, and I am convinced that without this creative outlet, I would have continued to struggle.

 

If you'd have asked me a year ago what I'd be doing right now, I wouldn't have had a clue. I hadn't yet seen the advert for the UAL Level 3 Jewellery Diploma course at Manchester College while browsing in the art shop for something new to occupy my hands and my mind. It's crazy to think that I'm now working on my final project and in a matter of weeks, my time at college will be over.

 

So, in tribute to all those out there who have found themselves experiencing anxiety, depression or any other condition which left them struggling, my final project is going to be designed with you in mind. I will be creating a suite of kinetic jewellery, or simply put, jewellery that moves and does more than just look pretty, which is designed to give your hands and other senses something to do and bring you back/keep you in the moment.

 

 

Over the next few weeks I'll be finishing off my research, finalising designs and making these pieces so stay tuned for regular updates. If you want to see the behind the scenes progress shots, check out my instagram account at: https://www.instagram.com/enchantednymphltd

Jewellery Making Hacks

I am not ashamed to admit that I love a good spreadsheet. I'll hold my hands up; I am a geek and a bit of a loser, but anything that involves efficiency and clever (and sometimes really simple) ways of doing things in a better and more productive way, just really does it for me. And don't get me started on gadgets..... Love, love, love them!

So, with this in mind, I'd like to share some awesome jewellery making hacks that I've found on one of my all time favourite sites: Pintrest. There are two boards with lots of clever solutions for making jewellery: Jewellery Making Hacks for help in the making of jewellery; and DIY Jewellers Bench for clever storage solutions for your tools.
https://uk.pinterest.com/sam_smith12/jewellery-making-hacks/

https://uk.pinterest.com/sam_smith12/diy-jewellers-bench/

Please feel free to tag me on any clever solutions you've come across  :-)

40 by 40 (aka the mid-life crisis list)

I will be turning 38 in a couple of months and with the big 4 0 just around the corner, I've been thinking about the things I want to have done and achieved before reaching this milestone. So, with this in mind, I've created my 40 by 40 list (or the mid-life crisis list!)

1. Get the website for my business up and running (this one is currently underway! Check out www.enchantednymph.com for a sneak preview!)
2. Write a book & publish said book
3. Move into a house and set up an amazing home studio space
4. Get a laser cutter
5. Get a dog
6. Buy a campervan and go on a solo (with dog), weekend trip at least once a month
7. Have one of my photos featured in the National Geographic
8. Visit all the coastal towns in the north east and north west of England
9. Be debt free
10. Break even in business and earn enough to live comfortably
11. Get into sailing
12. Complete the RYA skipper qualification and sail in the Caribbean
13. Learn how to surf
14. Get my motorcycle licence
15. Use my camera more
16. Get a tattoo
17. Try paragliding
18. Ride in a hot air balloon
19. Learn how to horse ride
20. Swim 100 lengths without dying! 
    

    
21. Visit Iceland and see the northern lights
22. Enter one of my makes into an exhibit
23. Make a range of natural ingredient toiletries
24. Pottery lesson
25. Become vegan
26. Go to a silent retreat
27. Go to a yoga retreat
28. Get back into kick boxing
29. Take a helicopter ride
30. Flying lesson
31. Volunteer for a conservation project
32. Houseboat holiday
33. Write a children's book
34. Climb Snowdonia
35. Complete the three peaks challenge
36. Design a children's furniture range
37. Design contemporary cat furniture range
38. More quality time with the people I care about
39. Start the process for becoming a foster parent
40. Plan an amazing trip to mark the big 4 0!

Craft Fair Insight

One of the things I love about this business is just how warm and friendly the other designers and makers can be. I'll be honest, I came into this business a little naive. I had this romantic notion that I would spend my days making beautiful things hopeful that people would like them and want to buy them. Six months into this and I've found that there is so much more involved if I'm going to make a living doing the thing I love. At the moment I feel like I need three of me – the designer/maker, the social media guru and the sales strategist/manager. Each feels like a full time job in itself, and I am working to find a balance between the three that will lead to a successful business.

Yesterday I was at the Maker's Market in Spinningfields. A great event that is really well organised, hugely successful in various locations and generally has a lovely, chilled out and friendly feel to it. I was quietly optimistic that armed with my new designs and the excellent location that this would be the event where I would see the financial benefit to all my hard work.

I'm a little sad to say this wasn't the case for me. The money is not the thing that made me change career and do this, and yesterday I was reminded that there is so much more than selling that makes this job worth while. Don't get me wrong – getting the mortgage and bills paid needs to take priority – but becoming massively wealthy isn't my driver.

I was really lucky to have two fabulous stalls next to me: Catlyn Italian Gifts, and Rhubarb. When a gust of wind sent my jewellery display flying off the table followed by the dramatic sound of glass smashing and my stock strewn across the floor, these wonderful ladies came running to my rescue armed with carrier bags for the glass shards. They didn't hesitate to get in there and start picking the jewellery out from amongst the glass with me. In a way this was a great ice breaker (haha) as it lead to a conversation about my stall layout and within minutes, they had come to my rescue again providing a table cloth and words of wisdom for how to optimise my selling space. Within 5 minutes, they helped me to completely strip down my table, revamp it and get the stock in place.

I've done a few craft fairs now, and while there's no guarantee on how the day goes for anyone, I was starting to get a little disheartened about my humble sales levels. At first I wondered whether it was my creations, but feedback around these has been really positive, so I'm finally confident that my makes are beautiful. But something was definitely missing, and as it turns out; how beautiful my creations are isn't the full story. The way they're packaged and presented has a huge impact on whether people actually commit to buying them. So today I will be scouring pintrest for inspiration and with the great tips from yesterday, redesigning my stall.

I want to say thank you to Jo at Rhubarb for coming to my rescue so quickly and the words of wisdom and laughs. And a massive thanks to Catrina from Catlyn for your honesty and the much needed constructive feedback that I was desperate for [as well as the loan of the beautiful table cloth and the scarf when my lips turned blue from the cold :-) ]. This is why I love my job! Not many industries have the supportive and generous souls who want to see others succeed alongside them and yesterday was a great reminder that despite the occasional money worries, this is most definitely the right career for me.

More information about these three great business can be found via the following links:

http://www.rhubarb-online.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/CIGifts/

http://www.themakersmarket.co.uk/

Another storage solution saves the day!

I mentioned in my last post that my business venture has taken up a lot of the living space in my apartment.  Moving isn't an option at the moment so once again, I found myself improvising to create the equivalent of a spare room.  

With a little research for inspiration, a tape measure and a visit to the local Ikea store, I bought the furniture I would use if I did have a spare bedroom with a view to reconfiguring them using my Lego skills.  The furniture pieces needed were:

• Two bookcases creating 16 cubby spaces
• Two chest of draws providing 9 draws in total
• My existing bed - dismantled with the slats and structural beams kept for reuse 

It took me a full day to put together the flat packs and I spent the second day dismantling my bed and moving furniture around.     

As well as the storage gained via the draws and cubby spaces, the middle space is perfect for storing bulky items like my camping equipment, so I ended up with more space than just that provided by the furniture alone.  

The next stage was to secure the structural elements of the bed base to the top of the bookcases and smaller cabinet before securing the slats to the base. The final chest of draws was then placed at the base of my bed.  This piece isn't secured to the bookcases, leaving it mobile enough for me to drag out and get to the middle section as and when required.

The final step: putting the mattress in place and making the bed!  The result is a great storage space which takes no more space than my original bed.  And best of all - it's comfy too :-)

Jewellery Work Station for under £50

My business is pretty new so while I'm building it, I'm work from home. This would be great for saving money if I had a spare room, but the reality is that I'm fitting it in around my living space. It's gone from a corner, to taking over the place.

My newest venture is metal jewellery. I've gone back to college to learn how to both design and make metal jewellery - everything from casting metal to stone setting. What I didn't fully appreciate was just how much equipment I would need. A fact that I love as my favourite things are tools and gadgets, and one which has meant that I've lost most of my kitchen counter space.

As I'm now officially a student as well as self-employed, forking out thousands of pounds on fancy storage units and workspaces is not an option. So instead, I did what I do best: I improvised. I bought:

• Kitchen island from Ikea for £35,
• Kitchen rail and a shelf for around £5,
• Screws and hooks from pound land for £2
• 2 x 10cm bolts for £4 to secure my rolling mill

A flat pack, a drill and £11 on extras, and I've got myself a fantastic new place to work. And I love it! It's sturdy, there's plenty of storage underneath and most importantly it's mobile so is easily tucked into a corner when not in use. And I finally have my kitchen space back (well most of it anyway!) :-)

Colours galore!

I was in one of the most dangerous shops for me recently: Abakhan on Oldham Street in Manchester. A shop which should carry the warning label: "Enter at your own risk! There is no such thing as 'just browsing' - you will leave weighed down by beautiful fabric and an empty purse".

I went in determined to buy the two things I needed: blue fabric and white fabric for a pantomime dame's costume I'd been commissioned to make. Needless to say, this went out of the window the moment I walked past the basket labelled “African Wax Fabric”. The magpie instinct kicked in and my brain was hijacked by the 'Ooh pretty' reaction that then found me sitting on the floor for the next half an hour making piles of fabric around me: the 'definite', the 'maybe' and the 'no' categories.

It's been a while since I used my sewing machine, and these fabrics are the perfect excuse to cover my floors with scraps of thread and fabric (it's a messy business!) So, I'm thinking of the best way to show off these gorgeous fabrics is by making some boxy cosmetics bags, ipad cases and baby changing mats.   

I've spent this week making patterns, cutting fabrics and pinning them together.  My first attempt at the boxy cosmetic bag was not quite what I expected.  All seemed to be going well until I wrestled with the corner sections and it came out a tad lopsided!!  As I said, it's been a while since I used the sewing machine, but the general principle of the bag is good.  I just need to unpick it and tidy it up and keep trying until I get my skills back! :-)

Blog!

So, this is my first blog and I've got to admit, it feels a little strange writing this!  So a bit about me....

Well, my name is Sam.  I used to work in local government as a project manager which was exciting for the first couple of years, but I never really felt completely satisfied in the working world.  I always felt like there was something missing.  And I now realise that that was a creative outlet. 

I wouldn't label myself as an artist; more a 'maker'.  I can turn my hand to pretty much anything: DIY, furniture making, sewing, painting, paper craft, making jewellery.  I guess that once you've mastered one technique, it's easier than you'd think to use those skills on a new medium.

Last summer I took voluntary redundancy and realised that I had an opportunity to try making a living doing the thing I love - playing with power tools, creating and 'making stuff'.  I love it, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being slightly terrified!  The days of a regular and steady income are behind me.  The thing I love about self employment is also the scariest - it's all in my hands.  Making money, paying the mortgage and bills - all of it is down to me.  There's a satisfying sense of freedom about it, but there are days when the reality hits that not enough money is coming in to cover my costs.

So how to handle that reality?  Keep learning and evolving.  I've always been a bit of a geek in terms of falling back on piles of books for information and that's where I'm at right now.  I'm throwing myself into the world of social media, marketing and all things 'small business'.  I'm determined to make this work and I now know that my initial impression of spending my days making beautiful things was missing a huge and vital part of the picture - it's still a business.  I'm hitting the steep bit of the learning curve and swotting up on information and learning as much as I can about the world of social media and getting my stuff 'out there'.

And so, this blog is my first step to getting into the business mind-set, embracing the world of social media and creating a bit of structure around the fun bits.