admin, Author at The Oxfordshire Craft Guild

Sophie Court

I have always had an attraction for jewellery, even from a young age. I remember being fascinated by my mother and grandmothers jewellery and was constantly spending all my pocket money on new rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

I graduated from the prestigious School of Jewellery in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter in 2012 where I completed a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing.

I attended my first Trade Show in 2014 at the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate. I am very excited to say I won ‘Best Fashion Accessory Award 2014’ awarded from Attire Accessories Magazine. I have also been awarded Crafts Maker of the year 2014-2015 from Southern Voice Magazine.

What makes a piece of jewellery for me is knowing that it is unique. This is my objective to my jewellery. Every piece I make is a one off. I choose unusual, handmade papers to layer together. I laser cut the paper along with acrylic. I like mixing traditional materials with contemporary ones. I finish all my pieces with a Sterling Silver chain or earring backs.

Every necklace and bracelet charm is reversible which makes it suitable for many different occasions and outfits. My designs are simple and versatile and can enhance any outfit.

Selma Stagg

I am based in Chipping Norton, a small Cotswold town in Oxfordshire, England where I work from my studio at home. I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 1961 where I graduated in Civil Engineering. I moved to England and studied Art, Design and Ceramics at Windsor College. I have been a member of the Oxfordshire Craft Guild since 2002.

I chose porcelain as the major material for my jewellery because of its unique qualities of strength and light weight. I use vibrant colours as an integral part of my designs. Each "stone" is individually shaped and moulded by hand, dried slowly and fired in an electric kiln to a dense, hard, non-porous finish. Five (or more) layers of glaze are applied by brush to both sides of the "stones" and they are fired to the glaze temperature on ceramic wires. Large, silver components are made from PMC (Precious metal clay) which is 99% pure silver.

I assemble the porcelain "stones" into the finished article by combining them with semi-precious beads and sterling silver.

Sara Withers

I have been designing and making jewellery for many years. My work concentrates on the use of unusual materials – either self made from Polymer or Resin, recycled items or interesting beads and buttons.

I have sold my work at events such as Art in Action and the Craft in Focus shows. My work is sold in a selection of shops, galleries and museums throughout Britain.

In 2019 I am part of the museum shop at Two Temple Place for the John Ruskin – The Power of Seeing exhibition.

I am the author or coauthor of about ten books of bead jewellery projects. The most recent are ‘The Encyclopedia of Wire Jewellery Techniques’ and ‘A Compendium of Jewellery Making Techniques’.

I teach bead making and jewellery making in several arts centres, amongst them West Dean College and the Oxford Summer School. Another of my bead related interests is the Arkell bead collection in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, which I lectured about at the last International Bead Convention in Istanbul.

Kumiko Kihara

When I was a child, I remember vividly that my auntie always wore beautiful hairpins. She always wore a kimono for work as she was a Japanese traditional guitar player. So her hair had to be beautifully set every day and decorated with beautiful kanzashi hair pins. They were usually silver or turtle shell inlayed with some mother of pearl or with pearls or coral. I remember the shimmer that the pearls made when she moved and the noise that the silver tassels made. I can say that my fascination with jewellery had begun there.

I was brought up in Kyoto where there are many ancient temples and shrines and a whole of history of arts and culture. Old workshops and factories where the craftsmen made traditional Japanese crafts were in every corner and you could hear them working from the streets. I am always very curious about the simplicity of Japanese culture. We say there are gods in every place, every room and every object, so I always thank them everywhere I go! That is a commitment in itself. I would like to think that the Japanese philosophy helps me to notice things that we may not have seen before, or that were once insignificant. My jewellery is like an apology and also an expression of gratitude towards nature.

Kate Wilkinson

Having trained at Bradford Art College, Loughborough College of Art and Design and then finally completing an MA at The Royal College of Art in 1996, I set up a studio in London with the help of the 1000th Crafts Council Setting Up Grant. I have been making mixed media jewellery for twenty years and now work from my garden studio in Buckinghamshire .I joined the OCG in 2016 and was delighted to be awarded runner up in the Guild Prize at the Christmas Woodstock Exhibition.

My jewellery is very much material and process led, I experiment at the bench and gather ideas whilst making endless sample units. These generally silver units then form the basis of a collection and vary in size, colour, texture and the order in which they are combined together with other materials such as semi precious beads, coloured acrylics and cork.

Texture plays a key role in my work and I emboss the silver with a variety of materials, the humblest of which often gives the most surprisingly delicate surface. In my FRAGMENT series I use fabrics that hold precious memories, I make up a patchwork of small textured silver pieces in to a larger panel which is then hung from a torque style necklace made of beautiful climbing cord, trying to make something strong and more permanent out of a fleeting moment.

ADELPHA rose from the simple notion that they are all” born of the same womb”, a simple leaf shape with a twist made using an adapted tool and a simple repetitive movement which can then be soldered together in patterns both geometric and random, varying scales and surfaces this is an ongoing collection that I return to again and again. Recently I have been adding very small detailed settings of coloured cork which add a gem like feature.

LUNA is my new work which I am eager to explore further. Here I am using the flattering combination of silver and cork to form pure half moon shapes with coloured cork inserts. I have always liked the juxtaposition of unexpected materials in jewellery and the use of the soft but strong cork and hard silver is a satisfying combination to work with.

Kate Coker

May 20, 2024
by admin

I am a designer jeweller based in Wallingford, South Oxfordshire. I studied jewellery design at the Berkshire College of Art and spent some time at Central St Martins in London in the early nineties. All my Jewellery is handmade is sterling silver sometimes with the addition of 9ct and 18ct gold. My jewellery celebrates my love of nature and the textures found within it. I love to explore the different textures and finishes which can be achieved on the surface of the metal to make it tactile and organic. I use techniques such as reticulation and granulation to achieve this. My aim is to design and make sustainable jewellery which is beautifully crafted but affordable. I re-use and re-cycle as much of my metal as possible and also re-work customers’ own pieces of jewellery into something new and exciting. If you are interested in any of my pieces, please contact me by email or head to my website or social media pages.

Charlotte Berry

May 20, 2024
by admin

I studied Contemporary Applied Art at Staffordshire University where I specialised in Jewellery & Silversmithing. In 2006 I returned to Oxfordshire, and found workshop space on the Cowley Road in Oxford City, where I have been working ever since. As a designer-maker I feel that the narrative behind an idea or object is just as important as the overall appearance of a piece: "Jewellery can remind us of people, places and stories, and can evoke memories and stir emotions. Jewellery is a powerful tool – It ties us to our past, present and future, and gives the wearer a sense of ‘self’." I take inspiration from idea of keepsakes, sentiment and treasures.

From a collection of pocket watches at the Ashmolean Museum, to a box of old buttons; I use these sources as a starting point of my design process. I also make special items to commission such as wedding and engagement rings – working to a specific design from the customer, or working alongside them to create that special piece. Using traditional jewellery and silversmithing techniques I produce pieces which incorporate; raising, forging, soldering, press-forming, riveting and stone setting. Each piece bears the Birmingham Assay Office Hallmark.

Becky Morgans

I first became interested in the world of jewellery making when I visited Nepal. Here I completed a course in some of the basic techniques which have been used for thousands of years. Returning back to the UK I worked with a local jewellery maker where I continued learning & creating my skills. Having finished a one year apprenticeship, I took the step to open my own shop in Thailand where I worked for over three years on customers’ own designs while producing hand made stock. Now back in Oxford I have a workshop in my own home, making jewellery to sell on Art markets across the country.

My work has an organic look but is extremely elegant to wear. I like to create pieces that can be worn on an everyday bases giving the buyer good value for money! I often design pieces with the use of precious stones & sea glass. When not creating my own designs I take on commissions & repairs.

Annia Marcus

My constant search is for elegance, and the lines of my collections of individually handcrafted jewellery reflect both the influence of my training in design and my passion for contemporary art.

Each one of my pieces is carefully crafted from sterling silver. I love texturing the surface by hammering and satinising, but I am especially fond of my trademark moiré and my recent moonscape finishes, that can be either very subtle or very pronounced.

All of my pieces are designed with the aim of being versatile and practical, yet eye-catching. That is why I love to make pieces with a sense of contemporary design that are as appropriate for every day wear as for special occasions. And guaranteed to enhance the simplest attire.”

Wendy Newhofer

Originally trained as a primary school teacher, I found that working part time allowed me to pursue my interests in art. A relocation to Oxford twelve years ago gave me the opportunity to return to college and do a Foundation in Art and Design where I first encountered kiln formed glass and was immediately captivated by the process.

I spent three years studying 3D glass in London before setting up my purpose built garden studio. Using sheets of float glass I make expressive pieces that have a painterly quality to them. Inclusions of metal leaf and wire enable me to ‘draw’ within the glass and there is a magical alchemy, sometimes unpredictable, which produces a palette of subtle colours when the glass is fired.My work has always capitalised on my love of drawing which involve translating images from my sketchbook into the glass and I frequently work with repeated images creating patterns I make wall panels in various sizes and beautiful glass which will enhance any garden. Most recently I have been using photography to design mini landscapes based on journeys I’ve taken. My studio is open during Oxfordshire Artweeks every year and I sell my work through exhibitions and galleries.