Introducing Vaux St, Muck & Brass and Frilly Industries

Searching for new makers is one of the highlights of my job. I'm always looking for more people to add to our shop who are doing something fresh, exciting and different. I'm also personally a complete magpie for anything jewellery, so finding new jewellery designers is always my favourite!

Over the last few weeks I have had deliveries from some very exciting new stockists, all of whom haven't sold their work in a shop before, which makes it all the more rewarding.

Vaux St

Vaux St Square Tiles Necklace and Geometric Beaded Necklace, both £20

Vaux St is a jewellery brand run by Ray from her studio in East London. Her designs are modern, fun and bring a smile to your face, with her signature gorgeous colour combinations and jazzy patterns. All pieces are handcrafted by Ray using polymer clay, meaning each piece is one-of-a-kind. The polymer clay is also very light, making these necklaces very comfortable to wear. Every time I look at these necklaces I'm reminded of pick n mix sweets, hence the props in the photo! 

Muck & Brass

Muck & Brass Drop, Spherical and Cone Pendant Necklace, all £28.50

When I received an email from local lady Mary telling me about her new jewellery business, I jumped at the chance to stock her work in our shop. Mary started Muck & Brass in January as a career change to allow her to be more creative and spend time with her family. She collects flowers and plants from the local Oxfordshire countryside and then encases them in resin to create her designs. She also uses sterling silver for all her chains and findings, meaning you have a quality piece which will stand the test of time. 

The jewellery comes beautifully packaged with info about the Victorian flower language symbolism of the flowers used- perfect as a present for a loved one.

Frilly Industries

Frilly Industries Tools of Mass Creation Scissor Necklace, £20 | Frilly Industries Baby Balls of Yarn Wooden Stud Earrings, £17.50 | Frilly Industries Big Ball of Yarn Engraved Wooden Brooch, £12

Frilly Industries are a design duo from Birmingham who have been working in the arts sector for 20 years. Their other business We Are Frilly is all about participatory arts practice and evaluation, but Adrienne and Kirsty fancied another outlet for their creativity, and so Frilly Industries was born. 

Their jewellery is etched and cut in house using their own laser-cutter, who they have affectionately nick-named Bertha after a childhood favourite TV show. Collections range from personalised medals, coffee cups with witty slogans, crafty tools, famous film stars... There's quite a lot of laser cut jewellery out there on the market but I love how Adrienne and Kirsty have used the technique to add lots of detail and texture to their designs. I also love how they use colour- each of the yarn ball designs is made from a randomly painted sheet of ply, before the design is engraved and cut, meaning each piece is unique.

So, that's a little intro to the latest additions to the Shop at the Old Fire Station team. If you'd like to find out more about these great brands, please check out their Instagrams (linked above) for more behind-the-scenes pics and general awesomeness, or come in to see us and have a look at the jewellery in person!

New In: Geometric Gems

Spring is beginning to make its presence felt here in Oxford and we've recently had deliveries of some gorgeous new geometric jewellery from old favourites Custom Made and Lucie Ellen. 

from left clockwise- Pirrip Press Present Greeting Card, £2.75 | Custom Made Curve Brass and Cord Necklace, £24 | Custom Made Mizar Brass and Cord Necklace, £17 | Pirrip Press Cocktail Greeting Card, £2.75 | Custom Made Alcor Brass and Cord Necklace, £16 | Custom Made Brass Symmetry Stud Earrings, £15 | Custom Made Brass Hexagon Stud Earrings, £14.50 

Custom Made is run by Anna Butler from her studio right here in Oxford. Working with a mix of metals, coloured cords and vintage charms, Anna makes striking modern jewellery to complement any outfit.

We particularly love the new curve design- a great choice of on trend colours (very Pantone 2016!) with a lovely tactile feel from the combination of painted brass tube and polyester cord. Plus they complement so many other shop items, including my current favourite cards, screen printed by hand in Bristol by Pirrip Press. (Doesn't the cocktail one just remind you of summer?!) There are also the Mizar and Alcor designs if you fancy something a little more subtle but still with that pop of colour.

necklaces, as before | Ding Ding Triangle Print Canvas Make-Up Bag, £13.50

I'm not sure which I love them with more, the Pirrip Press cards or these Ding Ding pouches...

from left, clockwise- Lucie Ellen Wooden Beaded Necklace, £27.50 | Rosie Moss Screen Printed Hares Linen Cosmetic Bag, £36 | Lucie Ellen Party Triangle Brooch, £9.25 | Catherine Watson Original Embossed College Square, £40 

Lucie Ellen is quite a name in the world of handmade with her signature playful wooden jewellery. Lucie applies paper to plywood to create her layered designs. All the patterns are handpainted onto the paper before being applied, or straight onto the beads as in the necklaces above. 

I love the way Lucie has started combining monochrome patterns with glitters, such as these party triangle brooches. It really makes the colours pop! 

There's a great interview with Lucie over on the I Want You To Know blog if you want to find out more about her journey into making and her design process. 

We've got some more jewellery scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks so I may be posting again soon with more goodies...

Introducing: Bunny Bosworth

One of the most exciting parts of working at Shop at the Old Fire Station is receiving a submission from a maker whose work you love. Now I'm rather a sucker for jewellery in general, but this work really stood out to me. Regular customers will know that our range of jewellery is quite extensive, with lots of acrylic pieces and quite a lot of wood based work. However, we don't have much that is made from fabric...

Reef Knot Necklace £26

Reef Knot Cuff Bracelet £16

Eight Knot Necklace £22

Reef Knot Necklace £26

Eight Knot Bracelet £14.50

Hoop Drop Earrings £9

Bunny Bosworth (real name Natalie) uses cotton cord which she then covers by hand in a range of Liberty's iconic Tana Lawn fabrics. The cord is then knotted into sailor's knots such as the Reef Knot and Eight Knot, and finished with metal clamp fasteners which contain the frayed ends and provide a fastening. 

I love the combination of feminine floral prints with something unexpected, such as a practical knot used by sailors and rock-climbers. They're incredibly comfortable to wear, with the cotton cord providing a softer feel than regular necklace chains. I'm also particularly fond of the multicoloured 'Milla' print, which I think looks reassuringly retro but also quite modern. And how could you resist those gorgeous colours?

These are the spring/summer range but I think they would work just as well to brighten up the somewhat autumnal dreary weather we've been having lately! I'm sure we will be getting a delivery in time for Christmas with some more cold weather colour options, so keep an eye out for those too.

Natalie has a blog where she documents her making (she also designs and makes theatre costumes) so head over there for some more info about her designs and inspiration. 

Meet the Maker: myBearHands

      myBearHands is a jewellery brand created by designer Sally Haysom, specialising in bright and bold designs, often featuring animal imagery or fun retro elements. We have stocked Sally's work in the past but have recently restocked with her new designs, which have proved very popular.

We asked Sally a few questions to get to know her and her brand a little better... read on for more!

Okay, let’s start with an introduction…tell us something interesting about yourself and give us the quick lowdown on what you make and do.

I am an illustrator and jewellery designer living and working in Easton, Bristol under the name myBearHands.  I originally trained in illustration, which has gradually developed into image and design led jewellery.

My work is fun, quirky and usually colourful!  Working with a variety of techniques and materials, all my current pieces are laser cut from wood and finished with either glossy resin or textured flock.  Featuring animals, characters and abstract pattern, I love the freedom I have to create without boundaries set by any kind of employer or client.

Something interesting about myself?  In my spare time I am a competitive rower, training and racing with the City of Bristol Rowing Club.  I love having something completely unrelated and physical to unwind and release energy with!

What objects, people, places or spaces influence and inspire you?

I feel very lucky to work in a field where I am surrounded by creative people, and events I take part in are full of talented makers and artists.  Shows and fairs are a wonderful mine of inspiration, as long as you can get someone to watch your stand while you look round!

When I’m not directly in work mode, I love to escape to the sea or a green space.  I find nature has a relaxing and calming effect which can recharge and inspire you to return to work with a fresh mind.

What do you do when you’re not making? Or is it a full-time job?

myBearhands has been my full time job for just over 3 years, and I feel privileged to be doing what I love for a living.   I cycle to work every morning to my studio, which I share with 6 other likeminded creative people.  Like every job it has it’s ups and downs, but I wouldn’t do anything else!

Do you listen to anything when you’re when you’re working?

I like to listen to Radio 4 quite a lot, especially when I’m doing more practical repetitive ‘making’ jobs that don’t use so much brain power!  But as a shared studio we also listen to a lot of Radio 6, which covers all tastes!

What’s the single best piece of advice you can give to someone starting out in jewellery design?

The ‘business’ side of things is a steep learning curve.  Don’t worry if you don’t know it all yet, but don’t give up! It takes time to accumulate the knowledge required to run a business.  When you first start out, you’ll make mistakes and stumble your way through meetings with stockists using industry lingo you don’t understand! But you’ll also meet some lovely people who will advise you and teach you how things work.  There are loads of good books out there for beginners on how to plan your year, and maybe look into courses run by the Craft Council or other similar bodies.

Fast forward a couple of years and you’ll be astonished by how far you’ve come and how much you’ve learned. 

What’s the most difficult part of your job?

Time management and PR!  I’m a designer and maker.  The business side of things doesn’t come that naturally to me.  I’m not a naturally organised person, and tend to flit from one thing to another rather than sticking to my ‘to-do’ list.  I also find the amount of social media we’re meant to keep up with a bit overwhelming sometimes.  Unfortunately this can sometimes mean a few late nights in the lead up to deadlines!

And the most enjoyable?

Designing new ranges, without a doubt!  This is the reason I do what I do, and unfortunately the thing I spend the least time doing.  But days when I get to sit drinking tea, drawing and playing around with colours make it all worth while.

Do you have a favourite handmade item that you own, or would love to own?

So many! It’s hard to choose one, but I’d probably have to go for my bangle.  It was a Christmas present from my parents a couple of years ago and I never take it off.  It’s from the Silver Shed, a lovely local maker of silver jewellery, and this piece has a quote from Peter Pan written around the outside.  It’s very subtle, and a simple shape, but I hadn’t had a great year, so it’s a little reminder of a fresh start.

This Week: Tables and Tea Cosies

So, after introducing you all to a few new designers last week, I thought I should refresh your memory of what our Shop actually looks like! We've had a bit of rejig this week- our fantastic  Exhibitions Coordinator Jack has built us some new tables to give us more flexibility for our display and boy, they are nice.

I think my favourite has to be the middle one with the slot in corkboard which is perfect for displaying necklaces; it looks great with longer chunkier pieces but it also shows off our new Wolf & Moon pieces pretty darn well too.

Speaking of Wolf & Moon, we received a great big delivery from them last week, with a restock of some old favourites as well as their latest collection Fjordland. Inspired by a trip through the fjords of Western Norway, the collection features clean graphic lines in a palette of soft pastels and neutrals combined with W&M signature wood and metal accents.

We've got necklaces, rings, earrings and an impressive ribbon-tie collar... something for everyone!

Wave Studs £18, Ripple Ring £26, Shift Studs £14

Plateau Pendant £17

River Studs £32, Fjord Collar Necklace £45

A huge box of lovely Megan Alice England goodies also arrived earlier this week, featuring a range of home accessories and textiles in some fabulous prints (the cat print in elephant grey is our favourite). 

Tea Cosy £20

Sunglasses Case £12.50, Handbag Mirror £5

Plastic Bag Tidy £15

We're also doing a bit of market research at the moment to try and get to know you, our lovely customers, a little better... If you could take just 5 minutes of your time to fill out our online survey we will reward you handsomely with 10% off your next purchase. The more responses we get the better we'll be able to fill the Shop with the things you love. Let us know your thoughts.

We're busy here planning Christmas ( I know I know, the tyranny of the retail calendar!) and we'll have something exciting in our Gallery this year so keep your eyes peeled for more details... coming soon!

Back in Blogging Business!

So, we've been rather quiet over the last few months here on this little corner of the internet... Apologies for that. The craziness of Christmas, coupled with staff changes, has meant that we have neglected this ol' blog for far too long.

But no more!

We've been busy here at the Shop with exhibitions to install, events to organise, and exciting new stockists to find. Since Christmas, we've taken on quite a few new designers, some discovered through our application process, others at craft fairs, some via social media. I think an introduction is long overdue...

Rolfe & Wills

Rolfe & Wills are a Bristol based screen-printing company run by Alice Rolfe and childhood friend Chloe Wills. Producing a range of textile accessories and homewares, they use organic ink to produce colourful, geometric pieces. All the items are printed in their purpose built Bristol studio, using responsibly sourced ethical materials. We particularly love their laptop sleeves (£30), which prove something can be both stylish and practical (and also come with a drawstring bag for your pesky charger), and their  enamel mugs (£12) which are perfect for camping or a festival.

We first heard about Rolfe & Wills through  Paper Plane Bristol, a fantastic shop and gallery which also happens to be a cooperative- run by 7 permanent artist members, they all take a turn working in the shop, whilst working on their own business the rest of the time. We stock work by several of the permanent members, including Alice Shields and Boodle Boutique, and also have work by guest member Pirrip Press. We’ve also taken on another permanent member Ruth Broadway in the last few weeks!

We then met the lovely Alice at the Renegade Craft Fair and had a look at her products in person before placing an order. We’re currently waiting for another Rolfe & Wills order any day soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more laptop cases, tote bags, mugs and tee-shirts!

Emma Caplin

Emma Caplin is an artist from Leamington Spa who produces colourful collages of everyday objects, such as fruit, flowers and vegetables. These are then digitally printed to produce a range of cards and A3 and A4 prints. We have a range of Emma’s cards (£2.10) and A4 prints (£35) in stock, with the cards proving particularly popular.

Emma is a graduate of Central St Martins, and had a successful career in theatre, film and television for 15 years before making the transition to artist. She worked designing costumes, sets and props, including working on Nanny McPhee! She now works as a gallery guide in Compton Verney alongside her own art practice.

Rosa Pietsch

Rosa is another artist who we discovered at the most recent Renegade Craft Fair back in April. We are always on the lookout for new jewellery designers and Rosa’s unusual resin designs caught our eye! Her designs incorporate laser-cut acrylic and her own hand-cast resin, which she dyes using Indian inks, as well as adding holographic flakes and gold and silver leaf. Her resin rock pendants (£15) were inspired by a trip to Nepal in late 2014, where she collected small stones and rocks whilst trekking in the Himalayas. Once back in the UK, she created silicone moulds from these rocks, which she then uses as the base for the pendants. Each rock is individually hand-cast and unique - no two can be the same. We are a little in love with these in the Shop- the team has 3 between the two of us! We’re also eyeing up these equally gorgeous paisley inspired teardrop designs (£25), which will be great for the summer.

We’ve also got plenty of other new artists and designers to tell you about, but to avoid overwhelming you with too much beauty those might be best left to another blog post!