Monday, April 11, 2016
British Craft Trade Fair
The late nights, the preparation, the line sheets, the printing and the making. It's a lot for one pair of hands, but I managed and here I am!
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Pearls of Wisdom
I have been working on so many new designs and they are finally ready for photographing. These ones I have been working on for a while they are my 'Pearls of Wisdom' necklaces.
This one I've engraved with a phrase my Mum used to say to me:
'If a job's worth doing it's worth doing well.'
I find myself saying it my own children (and to myself).
Do you have a phrase or aphorisms that you find yourself saying to the next generation, your colleges or just in your own head?
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Museum of Sheffield
I'm really excited to be part of the Museum of Sheffield's 'Handmade for Christmas' event which is taking place towards the end of October. They have picked the below pieces of work for this selling exhibition - here's hoping that these find their way under a few Christmas trees in Yorkshire and beyond!
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| Cari-Jane Hakes, September 2015 |
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Early morning bling!
I managed to capture a few moments of sparkle before the temperature rose and evaporated these jewels. Nature always looks good, but this morning she was bedecked in a pavé setting of dew.
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| Nature's bling, September 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
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| Nature's bling, September 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
Friday, May 15, 2015
A Fabulous Friday Feeling
I have been busy with this special private commission this week, amongst other projects. It is a diffusion from a necklace made as part of my original 'Six Memos for the Next Millennium' series. In this ongoing series I create a piece of jewellery in response to each chapter in the book of the same title by Italio Calvino. This necklace has its foundation in chapter 3 which is titled 'Exactitude'.
Calvino, in this third chapter, writes about exactitude in literature. He encourages writers to avoid language that is verbose, approximate, careless and random. In the edit so the writing becomes 'exact', In response to his I created a piece that represents time, the most exacting quantity I know. Whilst time seems to have an elasticity to it, it expands and contracts depending on our perception, it waits for no man and it is the driving force behind Calvino's call for exactitude. Time is precious and writing (or design for that matter) needs to be carefully considered, honed and edited.
I have a little more polishing and finishing to do on this piece before it goes to London's Assay office for its last detail, a hallmark. It has been just so lovely to work on this series again - I have some more ideas for the remaining chapters. More on that soon - until then - Bon Weekend mes amis!
Calvino, in this third chapter, writes about exactitude in literature. He encourages writers to avoid language that is verbose, approximate, careless and random. In the edit so the writing becomes 'exact', In response to his I created a piece that represents time, the most exacting quantity I know. Whilst time seems to have an elasticity to it, it expands and contracts depending on our perception, it waits for no man and it is the driving force behind Calvino's call for exactitude. Time is precious and writing (or design for that matter) needs to be carefully considered, honed and edited.
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| Six Memos for the Next Millennium, Chapter 3 Exactitude, pendant, April/May 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Seascape Ring
I have written before of how often, upon witnessing a mesmerising piece of cinematography or becoming wrapped up in the all encompassing melody of a song, that I often contrast their mastery to the minuteness of my own art and it leaves me feeling a little bereft, sometimes.
Bereft in the sense that their canvases are so large, bereft in the sense that they can employ space and sound and colour and weave them all together into an art that can stand wide and tall.
But then I made this ring.
And I realised that although my canvas may be small I have an advantage over those other art forms in that I actually get to gather real physical ingredients, small hunks of the 'Earth' and create compositions that have a solid, real and permanent presence.
This thing that I do, this goldsmithing and stone setting and cutting and soldering, suddenly didn't seem so small anymore.
This ring was a private commission that was a reinterpretation of my 'Eat Your Greens' ring (which can be found on Etsy here). The client loved the matt pebble in the Yellow Submarine ring and the leafy texture applied to the stone housing. The ring needed to be part of the seaside.
I got busy sourcing this most tranquil piece of turquoise. The organic faceted surface is just beautiful. The lack of transparency and sparkle make it pebble like whilst the colour is just the perfect evocation of those liquid depths, shifting with time and tide.
The band is textured with the silhouette of intersecting crests and troughs whilst the back of the stone housing remains firmly planted on dry land with a trademark leaf texture applied deeply into the silver.
I will still compare my art to other disciplines but there is no point in considering the limitations because, to be honest, it just depends what lens you look through. Perhaps those limitations are actually the foundations of all that is good in this discipline of combining rock and metal. Perhaps those limitations of scale are actually the root of this discipline's greatest power and advantage. Perhaps wrapped up in this confinement there is a freedom of sorts.
Bereft in the sense that their canvases are so large, bereft in the sense that they can employ space and sound and colour and weave them all together into an art that can stand wide and tall.
But then I made this ring.
And I realised that although my canvas may be small I have an advantage over those other art forms in that I actually get to gather real physical ingredients, small hunks of the 'Earth' and create compositions that have a solid, real and permanent presence.
This thing that I do, this goldsmithing and stone setting and cutting and soldering, suddenly didn't seem so small anymore.
This ring was a private commission that was a reinterpretation of my 'Eat Your Greens' ring (which can be found on Etsy here). The client loved the matt pebble in the Yellow Submarine ring and the leafy texture applied to the stone housing. The ring needed to be part of the seaside.
I got busy sourcing this most tranquil piece of turquoise. The organic faceted surface is just beautiful. The lack of transparency and sparkle make it pebble like whilst the colour is just the perfect evocation of those liquid depths, shifting with time and tide.
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| Seascape Ring, April 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
I will still compare my art to other disciplines but there is no point in considering the limitations because, to be honest, it just depends what lens you look through. Perhaps those limitations are actually the foundations of all that is good in this discipline of combining rock and metal. Perhaps those limitations of scale are actually the root of this discipline's greatest power and advantage. Perhaps wrapped up in this confinement there is a freedom of sorts.
Monday, May 11, 2015
British Craft Trade Fair 2015
Around this time last year, in a small lull within my workshop, when my hammer and piercing saw were resting temporarily, I took stock. I answered that persistent nagging business issue that comes when you know, as a business, that you are beginning to rely on one income stream too heavily. I had the good advice from a well respected architect I used to work with still ringing in my ears : "when you are at your busiest, that is when you need to look for new projects", the logic being of course that if you wait till you are not busy, well, by then it's too late!
And so, in order to diversity I decided I needed to apply for my first trade show. The British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate ticked all the boxes, I took and deep breath and submitted my application. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Fast forward 11 months and I find myself working round the clock preparing samples, lookbooks, exhibition stand pieces and logistically planning how and when everything will get delivered and how I will, single-handedly, get everything in a small car and arrive in Harrogate on set up day with enough energy to construct my stand.
Turns out, helping the hybrid handmade husband at London Fashion Week over 3 seasons was a good preparation for the rigours of presenting your work, non stop, for 8 hours a day. Preparing the exhibition stand was not that dissimilar to gearing up for a final year architectural crit with just the small issue of taking orders thrown into the mix.
Turns out, nobody is really that interested in taking away copies of your lookbook, however, I found the process of putting it all together rather useful. I used a relatively new app called Steller to pull all my thoughts and images together. It really helped to see all the pieces laid out, side by side, each with their linage of inspiration and eventual construction. You can see the whole book here.
Creating those paper cut landscapes (and seascape) was my 'reward' for finishing all my samples. Even though by that stage all I wanted to do was sleep, I'm so glad I did them. They turned out to be the perfect way to display all the pieces and created much needed focal points.
I've signed up for next year. BCTF 2016, here I come!
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| Lookbook cover, April 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
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| sample opening page from lookbook, April 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
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| Lookbook introduction pages, April 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
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| Lookbook introduction, April 2015, Cari-Jane Hakes |
Turns out, nobody is really that interested in taking away copies of your lookbook, however, I found the process of putting it all together rather useful. I used a relatively new app called Steller to pull all my thoughts and images together. It really helped to see all the pieces laid out, side by side, each with their linage of inspiration and eventual construction. You can see the whole book here.
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| views of BCTF stand, Cari-Jane Hakes, 2015 |
Creating those paper cut landscapes (and seascape) was my 'reward' for finishing all my samples. Even though by that stage all I wanted to do was sleep, I'm so glad I did them. They turned out to be the perfect way to display all the pieces and created much needed focal points.
I've signed up for next year. BCTF 2016, here I come!
Saturday, February 21, 2015
In the beginning....designing a collection
There is that stage in the design process when you have all your ideas, perfectly formed in your mind, all is beautiful, all is complete and all you have to do is start making. This is the part I love and dread in equal measure. By delaying, the ideas remain pure, you can refine and alter each detail in a scribbled sketch without compromising the knowledge that the concept is good, noble, worthwhile.
Then comes that moment when you have to start building, making, committing in real materials. I have been in this game long enough to know that the shining perfection of your concept can come to a shattering halt as soon as this second process begins. I have enough experience to not ask too many questions during this time. Just. Keep. Going.
At the core of this collection are some ingredients that perhaps you would not find in mainstream jewellery. I like the idea of taking something that the 'world' considers to be common place, to be expendable, to be considered unworthy of attention and elevate it right up to hero status. Let the last become first and so on.
Isn't that just the way of the world? The things we chase and pursue, the ladders we climb often end up being a heap of empty promises when actually it was all the other stuff we ignored that was shining with dim sparkle, waiting for us to get our priorities in order.
The building has begun. You can't delay too long, the sketching has to stop at some point. Expect some beautiful things soon.
Then comes that moment when you have to start building, making, committing in real materials. I have been in this game long enough to know that the shining perfection of your concept can come to a shattering halt as soon as this second process begins. I have enough experience to not ask too many questions during this time. Just. Keep. Going.
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| raw materials, January 2015 |
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| jewel like lichen, Cari-Jane Hakes, February 2015 |
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| pine needles and cones, Cari-Jane Hakes, February 2015 |
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| A/W 2015 Collection, From Land and Sea and all that Rest In-between, Cari-Jane Hakes, February 2015 |
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Let it snow...
I was given a little thermos mug for my birthday to keep my tea and coffee warm when get distracted in my studio. It also came in very handy for doing a 'take out' morning coffee when the first snow of the year fell on Yorkshire Wolds. There is really nothing more transforming that a clean, fresh, dusting of snow and ice. These snowflakes managed to build up an impressive volume on all the twigs, branches and wind weathered stalks. It was a beautiful start to the day. I shall have to remember to take my morning coffee 'out' more often.
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| Snow, January 2015 |
Monday, January 26, 2015
A Mosaic for Monday
Can there be a more beautiful time of the year? Every morning has a crisp, clean edge and the evenings are edging each day with more seconds of light that gives everything a palpable tinge of something hidden and waiting, unfurling from a quiet hibernation.
Can there be anything more beautiful than waking up to the altered reflections of light levels in your upper rooms that can mean only one thing - that snow has fallen silently in the night with a muffled hushness.
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| 1. red grouse-2, 2. Early Morning Light, Lochan Hakel, 3. fly past, 4. Clouds gather below Volovec, 5. cancellation hole, 6. sparkle wonderland, 7. Cyan and red, 8. finally, 9. Untitled |
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
First new design off the bench for 2015
Towards the end of 2014 a new client got in touch with me. They had seen my 'Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve' cuff-links (which can be found here) and wondered if I could do the same but use a jigsaw motif for the cut out piece.
I have got to the stage now in my practice as a goldsmith when I can say with certainty and confidence 'yes, I can do that' even though I may never have executed the design before. I've done my 10,000 plus hours or however many hours it is that you 'need' to do in order to call yourself an expert (more on this theory can be found on the BBC's website here). I don't mean to say this with arrogance or pomposity, I say it with a hard won confidence. I say it with a quiet certainty.
And so, after a quick practice cutting into copper, testing the tight curves that make once piece tessellate with another I made this:
The leaf pattern comes in handy here, linking each piece to the next, showing that they were indeed cut from the same piece of silver.
So there you have it, a puzzling little piece to kick the year off with. Oh so many more things to come! My schedule is busy, the workshop is humming with many little machines, I am wearing my studio apron with pride and I'm ready for everything that 2015 has to throw at me. Onward mes amis.
I have got to the stage now in my practice as a goldsmith when I can say with certainty and confidence 'yes, I can do that' even though I may never have executed the design before. I've done my 10,000 plus hours or however many hours it is that you 'need' to do in order to call yourself an expert (more on this theory can be found on the BBC's website here). I don't mean to say this with arrogance or pomposity, I say it with a hard won confidence. I say it with a quiet certainty.
And so, after a quick practice cutting into copper, testing the tight curves that make once piece tessellate with another I made this:
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| A Piece of You and a Piece of Me, cuff-link and necklace, Cari-Jane Hakes 2015 |
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| Details, cuff-link and necklace, Cari-Jane Hakes, January 2015 |
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Christmas Traditions and the Manifesto Ring
One of my clients was kind enough to email to let me know that Pearl Manifesto Ring that I had made specially for her played a supporting role in a PBS Food video that came out last Christmas. You have to keep your eyes out for it, but at around about 2.10 you'll see a quick flash of it as my client cuts into the tourtiere!
The music and atmosphere in this little film is really rather lovely, and rather appropriate for this time of year.
I actually made another one of these rings recently using a leaf sent to me by the client - a leaf from an important place. I rather enjoy this process of rooting a piece of jewellery to a particular place by imprinting it with specific botanical specimens. It seems to be an ancient, vital thing with a lineage that stretches way back.
I'll leave you with this image that I found on Pinterest, a timely reminder to all of us who feel a little stretched at this time of year.
The music and atmosphere in this little film is really rather lovely, and rather appropriate for this time of year.
I actually made another one of these rings recently using a leaf sent to me by the client - a leaf from an important place. I rather enjoy this process of rooting a piece of jewellery to a particular place by imprinting it with specific botanical specimens. It seems to be an ancient, vital thing with a lineage that stretches way back.
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| Silver and Vintage Pearl Manifesto Ring on Etsy by Cari-Jane Hakes |
Friday, November 7, 2014
Really Rather Wonderful Things
I have been wanting to share the work of Ford Hallam for some time now. This beautifully languid film goes some way to capturing the work of this master Metal Artist.
You may find it hard to believe but I do not own a jewellery box. If I do ever purchase one then these boxes by Sobre Tronks and Co would be top of my list.
You may find it hard to believe but I do not own a jewellery box. If I do ever purchase one then these boxes by Sobre Tronks and Co would be top of my list.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Ready For The Holidays?
I'm taking part in the Etsy Metal blog carnival this month which has asked Etsy Metal members to share their tips on how they get through the busy run up to Christmas.
Well, one of the reasons it has been rather quiet in and around the Hybrid Handmade blog is that I have been getting ready for Christmas since July because that is when I found out that my work was going to be published in the Notonthehighstreet Christmas gift guide.
This rather fine 162 page catalogue began falling on doormats all over the UK on Friday 25th October.
In July I began researching and purchasing new tools and machines and since the beginning of September I have been making as many components as I can in advance. I've been told there is no such thing as being over prepared when it comes to being part of a notonthehighstreet Christmas so I'm taking no chances, belt, braces and any other holding up accessories will be employed at all times.
I'm trying to keep my tools tidy....well, at least I try to tidy them away at the end of the day so at least I can reach for them and find them the next day. I may even change by bench peg (bottom right image). Elsewhere in the studio I'm trying to streamline each process by keeping all my supplies, ribbons, mailing labels, washi tape etc boxed and compartmentalised to within an inch of its life!
I know I'm going to be spending a lot of time in my studio so recently I made a little extra effort to decorate it with a few coloured lights, pictures and I even painted a few of the walls a bright chalky white to reflect in as much of the fading autumn light as I can.
The little hanging birds in the window remind me to get outside in between intense periods of engraving and cutting, spread my wings a little and recharge for the next set of orders.
Being totally over prepared and stocked up to the max with components is going to be no good at all if I end up wasting precious minutes lining up in my local village post office. I'm very thankful to Chris, the most excellent postmaster, who got me all signed up with the Post Office 'Drop & Go' service. Not only does it save me time but I get this rather fantastic orange Santa sack to put all my completed parcels in. And yes, before you ask, I did co-ordinate my scarf to match the sack.
I have no idea how I will feel when the final posting date for Christmas comes round but I hope I can keep working with a happy heart and that the stresses and strains of being a solo entrepreneur are resolved and rationalised before I step out and celebrate this beautiful time of the year with my family and friends.
To all my fellow Etsy Metalers I wish you Bon Courage, Use the Force and just make sure all your washi tapes are lined up and you'll be fine!
If you want to see how other Etsy Metal members get ready click on the links below:
LjB Jewelry
Node Form
Beth Cyr
Well, one of the reasons it has been rather quiet in and around the Hybrid Handmade blog is that I have been getting ready for Christmas since July because that is when I found out that my work was going to be published in the Notonthehighstreet Christmas gift guide.
This rather fine 162 page catalogue began falling on doormats all over the UK on Friday 25th October.
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| I'm on page 140, in case you were wondering |
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| tools, packaging materials and bench pegs |
I know I'm going to be spending a lot of time in my studio so recently I made a little extra effort to decorate it with a few coloured lights, pictures and I even painted a few of the walls a bright chalky white to reflect in as much of the fading autumn light as I can.
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| decorations |
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| 'Drop & Go' |
I have no idea how I will feel when the final posting date for Christmas comes round but I hope I can keep working with a happy heart and that the stresses and strains of being a solo entrepreneur are resolved and rationalised before I step out and celebrate this beautiful time of the year with my family and friends.
To all my fellow Etsy Metalers I wish you Bon Courage, Use the Force and just make sure all your washi tapes are lined up and you'll be fine!
If you want to see how other Etsy Metal members get ready click on the links below:
LjB Jewelry
Node Form
Beth Cyr
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Wedding Lists and why I never look at them.
Oh, I love a good wedding. I love all weddings. What's not to love? Sometimes it's the chance to save up and go somewhere you've never been before, a mini adventure with a big party thrown in.
There is something so poignant about two people, making a stand, in public and declaring 'I choose you, out of everyone there has ever been, you are my special person and we are going to walk into the unknown together'.
I arrive on the day, empty handed, as many of us do since the advent of the Wedding List, so there is nothing unusual, I don't arouse any suspicion, no one guesses that in fact, I am waiting for a moment, when the bride has left her bouquet unattended and the groom has got a bit hot from all his dance floor routines that he HAS to take his jacket off. Then I pounce...stealthily, carefully, like a ninja, disguised as wedding guest.
Sometimes I take a wingman with me, a co-accomplice who I have to carefully brief before the extraction can occur.
To obtain the leaves for this set of cufflinks I tested out a very young, but willing wingman, only 10 years old. I must say, he excelled in his task of pretending to take pictures of the wedding cake whilst I deftly 'organised' the positioning of the bouquet. At the same time, unbeknown to the packed room of wedding revellers, I lightly caught thin stems between thumb and forefinger, plucking and then concealing a few choice specimens.
With button hole blooms and thistle fronds carefully stashed, our job was done. The rest of the evening spread out before us and we relaxed knowing that another successful 'operation secret wedding present' mission was now complete.
Once the leaves were pressed and the petals had dried out, retaining a beautiful blush of colour from the special 'Big Day', the hard work began.
Even though no one knows I'm creating these presents, I still feel the pressure of expectation. I have a finite resource. If the leaves don't transfer properly into the silver they are crushed beyond redemption and can't be used again. With these cuff links, the first attempt failed and I held my breath as the second and final leaf made its way through the rolling mill.
The same happened with a rose leaf from the bridal bouquet leaving me with just a small section left. Thankfully it was enough to create this monogrammed necklace for the bride. Just a little something from that special day when two people said 'I do, I do'. A little piece from a beautiful day to wear in the present and walk with into the future.
There is something so poignant about two people, making a stand, in public and declaring 'I choose you, out of everyone there has ever been, you are my special person and we are going to walk into the unknown together'.
I arrive on the day, empty handed, as many of us do since the advent of the Wedding List, so there is nothing unusual, I don't arouse any suspicion, no one guesses that in fact, I am waiting for a moment, when the bride has left her bouquet unattended and the groom has got a bit hot from all his dance floor routines that he HAS to take his jacket off. Then I pounce...stealthily, carefully, like a ninja, disguised as wedding guest.
Sometimes I take a wingman with me, a co-accomplice who I have to carefully brief before the extraction can occur.
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| Cuff links for the Father of the Bride, Cari-Jane Hakes, October 2014 |
With button hole blooms and thistle fronds carefully stashed, our job was done. The rest of the evening spread out before us and we relaxed knowing that another successful 'operation secret wedding present' mission was now complete.
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| Button hole blooms from the Mother of the Groom, Cari-Jane Hakes, October 2014 |
Even though no one knows I'm creating these presents, I still feel the pressure of expectation. I have a finite resource. If the leaves don't transfer properly into the silver they are crushed beyond redemption and can't be used again. With these cuff links, the first attempt failed and I held my breath as the second and final leaf made its way through the rolling mill.
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| A perfect rose leaf from the wedding bouquet for the bride, Cari-Jane Hakes, October 2014 |
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Layers of Light (and Jimmy Choo)
Have you noticed how each place has its own particular type of light? It's a transient quality that transforms and shifts through the seasons as the zenith waxes and wanes.
Here, the light is settling into a series of gentle layers; a gradual fading of intensity, getting quieter and more hushed as the land rolls outwards and away. In the summer months, the distance registers more smoothly, the light is more even, but now, there is a staccato quality and so the layers present themselves, each distinct and increasing in opacity.
Then there is a time in the late afternoon, when if the light manages to struggle through the clouds it lights up the green of these undulating wolds with an intense emerald hue.
On the bench I've been catching a few autumn leaves, before they fall and disappear for a few months, and mixing in a few monogram elements to see how they lie together.
Working for notonthehighstreet.com this year really has me on my toes. I'm working 6 months ahead and have just finalised prototypes for Valentine's Day 2015 (!). Whilst I was doing that, the Hybrid Handmade Husband found himself chatting with Jimmy Choo at London Fashion Week (as you do). Mr Choo was kind enough to spend time imparting wise words - what a gentleman and a scholar!
And so, back to the bench I go - some preparation for that time of the year that starts with 'C' that no one should really be talking about or thinking about until at least mid November....
Here, the light is settling into a series of gentle layers; a gradual fading of intensity, getting quieter and more hushed as the land rolls outwards and away. In the summer months, the distance registers more smoothly, the light is more even, but now, there is a staccato quality and so the layers present themselves, each distinct and increasing in opacity.
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| layers of light, September 2014, Cari-Jane Hakes |
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| Late Emerald Light, September 2014, Cari-Jane Hakes |
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| on the bench, September 2014 |
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| Jimmy Choo with Julian Hakes, London Fashion Week, September 2014 |
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Holiday Necklaces
Let's face it, you don't want to be sporting your grandmother's hand me down rope of pearls whilst on the beach getting sand in your sandwiches! On occasions like these I wear a paired down assemblage of accessories. Less is More, in life and whilst on holiday. These are so simple, perfectly fuss free and totally beautiful in an unassuming casual way. Come to think of it, these are ALL the qualities I strive for when I'm designing a piece!
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| Holiday Necklaces, August 2014, Cari-Jane Hakes |
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Learning to write
A childhood of moving around between seven different schools left me with a few gaps in my knowledge; number bonds, multiplication tables and an almost complete inability to spell were among the most noticeable voids. I mostly worked out my own systems and strategies to deal with the shortfalls and I can't say the chopping and changing has held me back in anyway.
Oh, and I also managed to miss all the classes on 'joined up writing'. This summer I therefore purchased myself a little calligraphy kit from Linea Carta (here) and decided it was high time I learned to do some proper joined up writting!
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| Tessellated Pebble and Thyme Branch, Cari-Jane Hakes |
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| Learning to Write |
Are you taking the time to learn something new? Leave a link if you like to your newest pursuit in the comments below, if you feel so inclined.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to practicing my penmanship!
Saturday, August 16, 2014
These are a few of my favourite things...
I did a bit of window shopping on Etsy! Come and join me - it's all so beautiful!
Handmadeology
'A Few Of My Favourite Things' by hybridhandmade
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