I am now winding the workshop down for the end of the year. I'll be shutting-up fully on Thursday for two weeks, back again in 2013 with new projects to tackle.

Although I've not been quiet in this holiday season, I have been dealing with people who have been startlingly organised and this has meant that for the last week and the week to come, I don't have any rush-jobs to complete, no last-minute dashes to the post-office. The last Commission for the season was sent out on…

Well, I've not been blogging so much of late because I've been working on a project which I have been forbidden from documenting until the client has received it!

It has been the Christmas Sale at work this week. All my students make their work and sell it in the college, a percentage comes to the department for buying equipment and the balance goes to the students themselves. We keep the prices low and go for volume and this usually pays off, especially as most of the customers are…

Today, I found this essay by Joan Didion on keeping a notebook, an essay of which the editor of the hosting site says, "Though the essay was originally written nearly half a century ago, the insights at its heart apply to much of our modern record-keeping, from blogging to Twitter to Instagram."

I constantly make notes on paper - always ideas…

Two of my ex-students had a little Christmas preview of their new work tonight. For some very odd reason, it was held in a hi-fi shop... quite a strange location but the specialist hushed acoustics made for a really lovely feel to the show.

Ishbel Watson has been working on some new work based on Fritz Lang's "Metropolis":

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I wouldn't normally post a commercial link on my blog but I have to confess to having been practically salivating at this wonderful collection of Fabergé - and related - objects for sale. The reticulated gold picture frame is just incredible!

Not much else to report. I've had to make another two of those "Black Christmas" stars for Goldsmiths' Hall in…

I've just been sent this link to an essay by Valerie Steele on "Gothic" Jewellery:

http://www.sofaexpo.com/chicago/essays/gothic_jewelry_sinister_pleasures

Interesting read.

Finished my decoration for the tree in Goldsmiths' Hall in London, "Black Christmas - A Punk Star for Poly Styrene":

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My first inkling of the impending festive season... I've been invited to make a precious decoration for the ACJ show at Goldsmiths' Hall! The Goldsmiths' Hall already have their own line of decorations. Mine will be somewhat different, using some of my beloved sewing-machine needles: 

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Time to allow myself the luxury of a weekend in Edinburgh with nothing to do but see some friends and go to the opening of Stephen Bottomley's first retrospective.

I always sleep very well in Edinburgh: I stay with friends and the room in which I sleep overlooks a graveyard! Much needed as the changing clocks, seasons and the travel to and from the US has made my sleeping patterns somewhat messy.

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(I'm just back from a weekend in Edinburgh, which is why there was a hiatus.)

The last day in Chicago was one of pure tourism. I woke up very early and as the show opened at 11 am and my airport  shuttle was at 11.30 am, I thought that a walk around the area to see some more of the city would be in order.

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By Saturday, I had the programme sorted: I wanted to hear the talk about "Mr Imagination" at 4pm, had to meet a friend for lunch at 1pm and knew that I wanted to see a bit more of the city and the amazing architecture of the place. 

One of the things I love about American city architecture is the way that…

Day 2 - Friday 2nd November

An early start for me today as I wanted to have a look around the area around the hotel, Chicago's "Magnificent Mile" of very expensive brand-name shops. The first people I encountered were these unlikely fellows: 

Chicago has a LOT of homelessness and I was particularly…

As I normally say 'no' to Doris Day stereotypes, I apologise for the obvious title to this post!

It is, however, true. I have just arrived home from the thrilling three-day excursion to Chicago for SOFA 2012. It was brilliant, and not at all windy. I am still trying to process it all and the to get round to emailing all the people I need to talk to.…

Time for spooky things, so I finished my second Spoon Skull Pendant with Antlers today:

The chain is made from silver and chunks of the EPNS cutlery which I've butchered to make other spoon skull things. I really like the fake hallmarks on these and two of them feature on the sides of the chain.…

It is only three days until I fly to Chicago to help out at the SNAG Stand at SOFA. Obviously, I am hoping that lots of Crafthaus people who are there will stop by to say "hello" and introduce themselves to me, SNAG member or otherwise.

I've been at a bit of a loose end for the past few weeks. After finishing some items to wear at SOFA, I was waiting on getting the go-ahead for a collaborative project with my friend and colleague, photographer…

Some readers might remember that in February of this year, I spent an evening in Dundee for the launch of Kate Pickering's fantastic project, Vanilla Ink, a shop, a community, a support network, a workshop. Today was the first day of the workshop project going live, the first intake of real graduates into the year-long mentor-supported world of…

I have no idea where the weeks go. It is now two weeks since I last posted a blog entry and the end of September is upon us; the wind and rains, the chilling air, herald autumn without even the good grace of the last few warm days that September usually brings, Keats' "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness".

Spent last weekend in Brighton, recovering from the 'flu which always accompanies the start of term... all those viri travelling distances with students from far away,…

Things have been incredibly busy at work, setting up the new students, returning all the Diamond Jubilee work to the makers, making some new pieces, preparing for the "ENOUGH: Violence" show at SCC next August as well as helping a friend of mine - Wing Mun Devenney - write her new book, a technical manual on soldering. 

One of the aspects of my practice which I've not really thought about properly and which I don't document…

SO busy! All my first, second and third years have started for two weeks now and the degree final year students started today... In between, I've been packing up the Diamond Jubilee exhibition and finishing my "Macbeth Brooch".

The hackle is raven feathers. It is traditional in Scotland (I read, but have never…

I've been incredibly busy since my last post, what with all my new students starting their various courses this week in addition to a raft of other things going on.

I spent the weekend in my favourite British city, Birmingham. The reason for going there was to hear the premier of Karlheinz Stockhausen's…