Christmas at Heart Gallery

All I Want ... Christmas at Heart Gallery

Well folks, it is nearly that time of year again so here is the invitation to the launch of Heart Gallery’s fourth Christmas selling exhibition which promises to be the best yet. After a challenging year for everyone it is encouraging to know that you have all supported Heart Gallery and I know you will continue to do so as we continue to offer such a diverse and exciting range of contemporary jewellery and craft all under one roof. We look forward to seeing you at the launch, Saturday 7th November. We will also be staying open until 8pm on Thursday evenings from Thursday 26th November up to, and including, Thursday 17th December.

The other great news is that from the beginning of November Heart Gallery will be open 7 days a week, Monday – Friday 10.30 – 5, Saturday 1.30 – 5.30 and Sunday 12 – 4pm. Now that is a bonus!

Heart Gallery is passionate about all things beautiful and sells the very best of inspirational work including fresh, innovative and exciting contemporary jewellery, ceramics, glass, textiles, wood, furniture, accessories and stationery.

Heart Gallery ensures that there is something for everyone’s tastes and budgets
and is constantly evolving and reinventing. Heart Gallery prides itself on showcasing classic pieces for today’s modern living alongside the more quirky and challenging accent pieces and brings unusual and unique sumptuous gifts and design-led
interior and lifestyle products together in one beautiful and inviting space offering a haven from the predictability of the High Street.

Heart Gallery is a gem nestled in the heart of Hebden Bridge beneath rolling hills and breathtaking landscapes.

Heart Gallery occupies a former Baptist Chapel and has been sympathetically restored by its owner, Alison Bartram, to offer its visitors a peaceful and serene
space in which to browse.

Heart Gallery is rapidly building an enviable reputation for top quality contemporary jewellery, distinctive and individual in design and form. With quirky displays in fabulous reproduction French cabinets, which are also for sale, customers marvel at
the choice and enjoy the decadent surroundings whilst they browse.

Heart Gallery also incorporates workshop and retail spaces for local designers offering a unique approach for visitors.

One piece of beautiful jewellery and two beautiful ladies tie the knot!

Friday 11th September and the sun was certainly shining on these two lovely ladies for their wedding day as Mel decided to make an honest woman of Sue!


Sue is a regular exhibitor at Heart Gallery with her delicate boxes hand-built from porcelain clay slabs. Sue’s pieces are fired twice in her old re-conditioned front-loading kiln. She has tried various clay body and glaze combinations, but has settled on a French porcelain called Limoges, and a transparent glaze which is silky to the touch, and enhances the cleanness of the lines and form. All Sue’s work is food-safe and waterproof.

Sue Candy

Mel contributes enormously to The Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade which is a community-generated parade led by local artists which celebrates the creativity, variety and the uniqueness of Hebden Bridge and its surrounding areas. As an area fiercely proud of its local character, and apparently internationally known for its funkiness, the Hebden Bridge parade is not your average small town parade so Mel should be proud of its achievements the last two years.

handmade parade 2009

Sue and Mel came down to see me a few days before their civil ceremony and reception at The Devonshire Arms, Bolton Abbey to find something suitable for Mel to wear around her neck that would remain a classic piece worn time and time again. They both knew the type of thing they wanted and as soon as they saw Hannah Souter’s range from my ACJ exhibition, Cambridge they knew that they had found ‘the one’.


Hannah’s work is strongly influenced by her love of organic forms, in particular seed pods and buds. Comprising of hand press formed and individually fabricated units, her jewellery combines subtle surface textures and contrasting finishes to create unique pieces of fine jewellery. Heart Gallery was proud that Hannah wanted to showcase her work in Hebden Bridge with the Cambridge branch of The Association of Contemporary Jewellery.

H Souter -Textured large dome ring

Hannah Souter - Textured dome pendants

Sue and Mel had just a fabulous day, everything was perfect, and this close up of them proves that … and also shows how perfect Hannah’s pendant was around Mel’s neck.

Sue and Mel

Heart Gallery sends heartfelt love and best wishes to Sue and Mel for a happy and joyous life together. xXx

Naive Textile Art

Becks on her stand at Covent Garden

On a recent trip down to London I couldn’t resist taking this shot of Becks on her stand at Covent Garden! Becks is one half of mother and daughter team, Naive, and as you can see here super talented! Becks and Susan have created a Textile Art collection of original jewellery boxes and jewellery pin cushions. Each Textile Art piece is individually made from wool, fabric and felt and is a joy to own.

ice-creams and cupcakes - jewellery pin cushions

chocolate jewellery box

Coming soon to Heart Gallery is a collection of their hat/scarf pins which will be perfect for Christmas presents, take a sneaky peak …

hat/scarf pins in lots of juicy colours

See you in Heart Gallery soon x

New silver coated pewter heart jewellery arrived at Heart Gallery

Bangle and earrings

Dorit’s range of silver coated pewter jewellery has just been topped up and there are some lovely affordable pieces such as the earrings above at £17 and the bangle at £25. Other pieces include the bracelet below at £48 and some new styles I’ve not had before so worth a visit soon.

Heart Bracelet t-bar fastening £48

Pearl heart bracelet £48, matching necklace available

Double necklace and studs

Chunky large charm bracelet, smaller version available

September in Heart Gallery

Hannah Souter Textured large dome ring

THE JEWELLERY ROADSHOW – ACJ CAMBRIDGE

The launch for this nearly 2 weeks ago went really well so thank you to everyone who came down to support it; I’m sure those of you that purchased will be really happy with your unique pieces from this travelling showcase of beautiful jewellery.

Just a reminder folks that these jewellery ranges from 10 members of the ACJ (Association of Contemporary Jewellers) Cambridge are only with me until the end of September so try to squeeze a visit in soon to your hectic social lives, this really is an opportunity not to be missed.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Alison x

Heather Stowell hallmarked bangle available in 3 widths

Recycled glass products now in Heart Gallery

coca cola glass made from a recycled coca cola bottle and sold in pairs

Who’s? Glass is a fresh, young, environmentally aware glass-making company that specialises in unique hand crafted recycled glassware. Their intentions are to transform, what in effect is simple domestic glass waste, into contemporary functional glassware products.

“ In a day where the easiest and cheapest option is mass produced, often by machines, products that have travelled half the world to arrive on the shop shelves, Who’s? Glass offers beautiful, simple designs that emphasise the essence, quality and tranquillity of Devon… ”

Lars Persson, co-owner of Who’s? Glass, is a Swedish Master Glassmaker with over 40 years skill and experience in the glass making industry. During that time Lars has produced glass for companies such as Tiffany & Co., Cartier & Wedgewood amongst many others. In May 2006 he decided to fulfil a life long dream of running his own glass making studio. Working alongside Lars is his eldest son Anders, who also has many years experience in the glass manufacturing industry and together they’ve established Who’s? Glass, Devon’s first, and at present only, glass studio specialising in recycled glassware.

Aware of rising fuel and raw material costs, the media’s constant coverage of global warming and consumer concerns of their carbon footprint Who’s? Glass intends to establish itself as the UK’s leading producer of recycled glassware products… “The recycling rates for glass in the UK is under 40%, yet many European countries recycle between 50% and 90%…” “Currently, about 3.6 million tonnes of glass is used in the UK every year and over 1 million tonnes goes to landfill…”

Every bottle they use is collected locally, heated and shaped by hand, then slowly cooled and packed. They take pride in themselves that their glass is about as environmentally friendly as it possibly can be! They use no glues, either with the glass or in their unique packaging and every piece is hand engraved instead of labelled.

” The energy saved from recycling one bottle will power: a 100W Light Bulb for almost an hour, or, a computer for 25 minutes, or, a television for 20 minutes or a washing machines for 10 minutes”

cornflakes milk jug made from a branded milk bottle

Hi-Ball green rim G & T made from a J2O bottle

THE JEWELLERY ROADSHOW – ACJ CAMBRIDGE

ACJ Cambridge are launching a new exhibition, The Jewellery Roadshow – ACJ Cambridge, in August this year. The idea is to create a travelling exhibition which will be continually travelling from gallery to gallery. Much of the work in this exhibition will be unique and different from work exhibited elsewhere. The Jewellery Roadshow – ACJ Cambridge will be launched on 29th August, with Alison Bartram owner of Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge, to coincide with the 3rd birthday of her gallery www.heartgallery.co.uk With Alison’s enthusiasm, dynamic drive and wide ranging marketing skills and our creativity, the exhibition is guaranteed to get off to a flying start. Everyone involved is really excited about this collaboration and we are anticipating a busy day on Saturday 29^th August when people will be invited to join us to view our exclusive collections and enjoy a glass of fizz whilst being able to talk to all ten artists exhibiting, and of course to Alison. The Jewellery Roadshow – ACJ Cambridge will run from 29^th August 2009 until 27^th September. Invitation attached.

invite front

invite back

Information from ACJ Cambridge member Karen Faulkner-Dunkley

In the current financial climate it is more important than ever that we are proactive in developing our creative talent, honing our practical skills, marketing our products and clinching that all important sale. Joining a group of like-minded people can be a vital part of developing and promoting talent in a given area. As a jeweller living a rural Cambridgeshire, I find conversing and sharing ideas with other creative people both inspiring and rejuvenating. When I heard about the ACJ I knew that it was an organisation that I would find enormously beneficial. This is the story so far…

The Association for Contemporary Jewellery (ACJ) was founded as a membership association in 1997 to promote, represent, understand and develop contemporary jewellery in the United Kingdom and abroad. The ACJ organizes conferences, lectures, seminars and workshops for its members, as well as publishing a quarterly newsletter featuring news, reviews and information. The ACJ is open to everyone who has an interest in contemporary jewellery. The organisation includes both professional and enthusiastic hobbyist jewellers, lecturers and students as well as gallery and shop owners. In fact anyone with a passion for jewellery can become a member.

ACJ-Cambridge is a regional branch of the ACJ, formed in 2008 to develop a network of jewellers in our local area. We meet once a month to discuss current issues, share knowledge, stimulate ideas and plan exhibitions to promote contemporary jewellery in the eastern region and beyond. A year from the group’s

initial formation, we have grown from a handful of members to our current sixteen strong team. We are a very eclectic mix of individuals with vast ranges in background, training, age and design styles. Some of our members are full time jewellers, who sell direct to the public at design shows and through galleries. A number of our full time jewellers are also lecturers in the subject and teach in a variety of schools and colleges around the county. Several of our members are part-time jewellers, juggling their creative talents with other unrelated jobs and/or young families. Our backgrounds are all very different, whilst some have had formal training up to degree and post graduate level, others are either self taught, or have only attended a few short courses. The materials we use to create our jewellery vary greatly within the group. Precious metals and stones, semi-precious stones, textiles, glass and recycled material are all used to create unique and fabulous work. We see our group as a real support network, working together to run exhibitions, functions, workshops and talks; supporting newer members who are maybe lacking in confidence and invigorating the more experienced jewellers to encourage fresh work. At Cambridge we are an increasingly active group. We have a varied skills base, a vast amount of experience, good contacts and more ideas than we have yet had time to put into action. As a fairly new group we have spent a great deal of time this year planning events and exhibitions.

Lua Lua has arrived at Heart Gallery

Launched in 2005 lua lua is a distinctive contemporary jewellery brand dedicated to the creation of luxury hand made earrings, necklaces, bracelets and accessories. The brand’s first two collections ‘Boogie Woogie’ and ‘Preludium’ received a critical acclaim around the world. Since then lua lua has become synonymous with vivid colours and sensuous shapes that embrace a beautiful minimal aesthetic.

With a design emphasis on exquisite materials that combine traditional virtues with a flamboyant contemporary twist, the lua lua signature style of colourful perspex and silver jewellery offers a timeless elegance for women with a sense of adventure and innovation. Influenced by both ancient and contemporary art, the sway of the Aztecs, Bauhaus as well as the abstract modernism of Piet Mondrian, these elements resonate throughout the work of Justyna Niewiara, the designer behind lua lua.

Grazia, July 2009

Lua Lua arriving soon at Heart Gallery

lua lua is a distinctive contemporary jewellery brand dedicated to the creation of luxury hand made earrings, necklaces, bracelets and accessories. The brand launched in 2005 with the ‘Boogie Woogie’ and ‘Preludilua lua is a distinctive contemporary jewellery brand dedicated to the creation of luxury hand made earrings, necklaces, bracelets and accessories. The brand launched in 2005 with the ‘Boogie Woogie’ and ‘Preludium’ collections to critical acclaim internationally. Since then lua lua has become synonymous for its vivid colours and sensuous shapes that embrace a beautiful minimal aesthetic. With a design emphasis on exquisite materials that combine traditional virtues with a flamboyant contemporary twist, the lua lua signature style of colourful perspex and silver jewellery offers a timeless elegance for women with a sense of adventure and innovation. Each season the collection evolves with new ranges, akin more to limited editions the lua lua brand is committed to providing you with a personal piece of jewellery that you will love to wear and which adds sparkle to your life. Founder and creative director Justyna Niewiara, studied History of Art at the illustrious Jagiellonian University in Krakow, (est. 1364) where she was exposed to centuries of rich, visual references. Her background in Fine Art enabled her to reach a deep understanding of form, colouration and material that have inspired her stunning designs for the lua lua jewellery collections.

Lua Lua multi necklace

Lua Lua 3 drop necklace

Lua Lua earrings and bangles in a rainbow of colours

Lua Lua - WOW!

Sanders and Wallace – new range arrives at Heart Gallery

Andrew and David in the hot shop!

David working on a new vase

The kiln - and boy was it hot in there in June!!

close up of Andrew and David working on the vase

Gorgeous glass perfume bottle

Perfect glass paperweight

I had a lovely day out recently in Pateley Bridge collecting a new range from Andrew and David and managed to capture them working on a vase. Their new range of beautiful glass is now on display in Heart Gallery and looks fantastic when the sun streams through my windows making the various colours on the bottles and bowls dance across the ceiling.

Andrew Sanders and David Wallace work together in their small workshop producing an interestingly diverse range of studio glass, including perfume bottles, vases, bowls, drinking glasses, candlesticks and paperweights using recycled glass.

Despite having worked together for such a long time, Andrew and David have managed to maintain their individual creative identities, finding personal inspiration in subjects as diverse as the landscape, architecture, the sea and even bubbles in the bath.