Meet The Maker – Diana Porter

Diana Porter – Jeweller

Diana contemporary jewellery is chunky and androgynous; it has an intrinsic integrity in both design and finish. 

Pendants silver etched with 22ct gold – choose your word

Her creative inspiration comes from personal and political beliefs, expressed through words which form a major feature of her work.  These are used as decoration in combinations of gold on matt silver, acid etched for contrast of finishes and tactile qualities.

‘And on’ – silver ring etched with 22ct gold and includes a diamond in the ‘o’

‘And on’ silver bangle etched with 22ct gold

Bangles

Often, words are split between two, three or four pieces so that what initially appears as indecipherable marks, make sense only when joined with complementary pieces, giving her work an intriguing additional dimension. 

Pairs and Partners

His and Hers, His and His, Hers and Hers ‘And on’ rings

Diana wanted to be an actor. She trained as a teacher, had two children, was a single parent , did lots of amateur acting, found feminism, worked for twenty odd years as an arts administrator during which time she did fascinating jobs such as running theatre companies both in London & in Bristol, setting up a small scale theatre and community arts centre in Bristol, running Birmingham Women’s Festival. She campaigned for more money for the arts, for equality of opportunities for women, disabled people and ethnic minorities; she demonstrated against nuclear armaments. She got grants for people from the Arts Council of Great Britain, Local Authorities and Regional Arts Boards. She did budgets, wrote reports, filled out a thousand forms.

‘Heaven and Earth’

And then in 1990 she went to the University of Central England to do a 3 year full time degree course in Jewellery and Silversmithing. Diana loved the way that working with metal centred and concentrated her mind; she learned about design and form and her teachers pushed her to develop her design ideas which she now thanks them for; She loved the History of Art part of the course and became passionate about investigating the history of the involvement by women in the arts and crafts. This was 3 years to take stock and to create – it was a gift and the jewellery is an outcome of that.

‘And on’ wide band

On leaving college in 1993, She immediately started her own business making jewellery in her front room. In 1999 she was awarded UK Jewellery Designer of the Year!

‘And on’ partnership pair of silver rings with diamond

She still cannot believe how lucky she has been.  Diana’s collections are in about 40 galleries and shops all over the country and she has the shop of her dreams with workshops behind it – one for the 5 jewellers who hand finish her work and another for her – a room of her own to create and play in! She gets to choose beautiful work to display in the shop from other designers and she meets lovely people who come from miles around to consult about commissions. Employees have come and gone, some have stayed – she’s had work experience people who’ve then joined her, stayed for years and then gone on to set up their own jewellery businesses.

Partnership rings

Heart Gallery feels lucky and blessed to now be stocking Diana’s amazing pieces as we have admired both her and her work for so long. Get yourself down to see it soon – you will not be disappointed!

Diana Porter at her workbench

We obviously cannot showcase all of Diana’s extensive and stunning collections but we have got a great representation of her designs and can also work to commission so if you want to see Diana’s other delights then visit her website and drool at the goodies on display.You can order direct with her or if you want to come in to be measured and discuss your options then call in for that personal touch soon.

Meet The Maker – Jodie Hook

Jodie Hook - jeweller

Jodie has more than 14 years experience designing and making individual handmade jewellery.

Silver Ribbon Knot Tied Pendant

The talented designer studied Jewellery and Silversmithing at UCE in Birmingham until 2000 before going on to work for designer Scott Wilson in London for seven years. Here she created collections for trade shows including London Fashion Week and one off commission pieces for major fashion houses and celebrities including Julien MacDonald, Pringle, Frost French, Swarovski, Robbie Williams, Sugababes and Kylie.

Ribbon Knot Ring

Jodie then returned to Cardiff and in 2008 set up her own business.  2009 saw her establishing herself within galleries and shops throughout the UK. In September 2009 Jodie was thrilled to be awarded the Lonmin Design Innovation Award in the established designer category. Titled ‘Rollercoaster Earrings’ they speak for themselves, forming a continuous loop the twist and turn and loop the loop, made in platinum they are now added to the collection in silver including complimentary styles.

Ribbon Loop Earrings

The Wedding Collection – Ribbons – comprises a mix of silver, beautiful Swarovski crystal beads and pearls. Graphic clean lines feature strongly in Jodie’s work, whilst at the same time being fashionable and comfortable to wear. This range aims to give a bride a striking modern piece that will set her apart from the crowd.

Florence silver hair piece

The Ribbon Collection is inspired from the moment you unravel a roll of satin ribbon, it twists and loops, as you lift it a knot forms. Jodie manipulates the metal creating a light wearable adornment that looks beautiful from every angle.

Dahlia silver bracelet

Seraphina silver tiara

Heart Gallery adores Jodie’s current ranges and we are proud to have been carefully selected by Jodie to showcase her bridal pieces. Jodie creates wearable jewellery that makes a statement on and off the body.

Meet The Maker – Kimberley Selwood

Kimberley Selwood - jeweller

Inspired by floral organic forms, Kimberley’s beautiful designs are enhanced with intricate hand-pierced patterns with delicate textures; creating unique contemporary jewellery.

Butterfly Effect Tornado Cuff

Butterfly Effect Stud Earrings

Bold and beautiful necklaces, dynamic cuffs and vibrant rings will add impact to any outfit.

Butterfly Effect Cloud Necklace

All Kimberley’s collections are hand made and crafted with exact care and attention to detail to create beautiful pieces. 

Silver bird studs

Kimberley also won the New Designers Goldsmiths Award for Jewellery and exhibited at many major exhibitions including International Jewellery London, Dazzle and London Fashion Week. 

Plume Swoop Pendant

Kimberley’s designs have been featured in a number of magazines including the prestigious Grazia hot list, Easy Living and Marie Claire so Heart Gallery is proud to have been carefully chosen by Kimberley to showcase her latest stunning pieces.

Butterfly Effect Flutter Ring

Butterfly Effect Twisted Charm Bangle

I really hope to see you in Heart Gallery soon; swooning over the craftsmanship of this beautiful butterfly range.

Meet The Maker – Helen Brice

Helen Brice - jeweller

Helen has been designing award winning jewellery since she created ‘Helen Brice Designs’ in 2000.

Helen Brice - Trio rings

Her newest collection ‘Precious’ co-ordinates the beautiful natural colouring of precious and semi-precious gemstones, with the warmth of White, Yellow & Rose Gold. Her outstanding ring designs are partnered with beautiful pendants, brooches and earrings in a stunning collection which effortlessly bridges the gap between contemporary and classical jewellery design.

Helen Brice - Meteor trio of golds

Meteor ring set with peridot and diamonds

With inspiration drawn from architectural details and celestial patterns, Helen has created a uniquely versatile collection which lends itself to be tailored to create bespoke jewellery incorporating sentimental gems for her customers.

Helen Brice - Element rings

The growing collection, which also includes wedding and engagement rings, can be produced to commission in Yellow/White/Rose Gold, 9ct & 18ct, as well as Sterling Silver or Platinum. Helen particularly enjoys designing bespoke pieces for individual clients and welcomes the opportunity to create new and innovative jewellery.

Precious gem set jewellery by Helen Brice

Heart Gallery is proud to showcase Helen’s stunning jewellery again in our Wedding Showcase five years after first meeting her. Helen’s unique design flair and creative use of gemstones has led to many delightful and inspiring jewellery commissions, which embrace both classical style and contemporary design. If you have a special occasion to celebrate, or just want to breathe new life into your inherited gemstones, through the creation of bespoke designed jewellery, we are more than happy to discuss any ideas so bob in to see Helen’s stunning range soon.

Round Meteor ring set with tsavorite garnet

 

Meet The Maker – Tanya Igic

Tanya Igic - jeweller

Tanya is a contemporary jeweller based in Swansea, South Wales.  Having moved from Serbia after completing a degree in Business studies, Tanya had the opportunity to develop what was a part-time business into a full-time career in jewellery, with emphasis on innovative and creative design.

Tanya Igic - leather tiara

Working with finest quality delicate leather in many beautiful shades, and influenced by floral, natural and abstract motifs, Tanya produces a wide range of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, corsages, chokers as well as bridal accessories. Her technique is unusual and innovative and involves a complex process.

Tanya Igic - leather jewellery

Tanya Igic - leather tiara

After selecting the best leather skin and colour, Tanya cuts and bonds together up to eleven layers into the required shape.

 

Tanya Igic - leather head piece

Tanya Igic - leather head piece

When dry, the layered shape is cut into thin slices. The softness of the leather allows Tanya to stretch the slices into shapes which are then glued together. Silver wires and beads are then added as embellishments.

Tanya Igic - leather jewellery

Each piece is extremely labour intensive. This exiting and innovative work is produced in bright, natural and pastel colours.

Tanya Igic - leather jewellery

Tanya has exhibited her amazing work in many galleries in Wales, England, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Holland and recently USA and Austria so Heart Gallery is really proud to be added to Tanya’s list of carefully selected stockists. 

Tanya Igic - leather wedding tiara

 

‘I DO’, we did, you came!

Jodie Hook - Florence silver tiara

I DO invite

Sunday was the launch of our third Wedding Exhibition, ‘I DO’, which runs until 8th April and we all had a super day…the weather was pretty kind in the end as the weekend before had been seen a flurry of snow showers!

Heart Gallery the weekend before the 'I DO' launch!

Celebrating with us on sunday 12th February was Truly Scrumptious who organise vintage tea parties for your romantic wedding day.

A selection of sumptuous gourmet sandwiches, scones and desserts we sampled on the day

Truly Scrumptious Vintage Tea Parties

Sarah Mason Photography was back with us for another successful year and launched her new luxurious leather wedding albums.

Sarah's display of her previous weddings and her new leather album

Sarah Mason Photography leather Wedding Albums

Sarah Mason

Nia Fiori brought samples of her wedding stationery along to give you a taste of her many creative skills which she can tailor to suit your own colour schemes; creating your very own personalised Save The Date cards, Invites, Table Plans, Thank You cards and much, much more.

Nia Fiori - Wedding stationery

Choose from fairly traditional and vintage looking or opt for something really unusual such as Nia’s Circus range. Of course you can meet with Nia to get her to design something completely bespoke for you as she is a qualified artist/designer with a BA (Hons) in interactive arts.

Nia's Vintage english Rose designs

Nia's Circus range

Psst … Nia doesn’t just do wedding invites, we also sell her cards and you can contact her for any of your stationery needs here.

Nia Fiori (right) with Jacqui Sharples, letterpress printer

We were treated to seeing one of Jacqui’s vintage printing presses in action so customers could see how she creates her letterpress prints we sell.

Jacqui Sharples with her small Victorian press at Heart Gallery

A selection of Jacqui's current letterpress pieces available at Heart including your bespoke Mr & Mrs suggestions

Call in to Heart Gallery to see Jacqui’s work soon and also check out her latest news here.

Heather Wilson - maker of mad and beautiful things

Our resident maker, Heather Wilson, was busy making a mad wedding hat commission but she is better know for her personalised watercolours which you can see on her website and also for her celebration pieces which she creates using items gathered from your Wedding Day – such as table place cards, invitation, order of service, confetti and petals, photographs, menus…the list is endless!

Gibson Mill photo shoot with Sarah Mason

The National Trust were with us to tell you about hiring out Gibson Mill for your ceremony, it was lovely to meet Kerys who came along from The Wedding Guide (we still have a few of her great guides left with special offers if you call in soon) and we all drank pink fizz and ate some scrummy cakes! 

All having a jolly good time drinking pink fizz and eating mini cakes!

We had some lovely couples in enquiring about us making their wedding bands, personalising a wedding album and guest list book and creating a Hearts Desire list for their guests so they can choose perfect gifts from a selection of the finest ceramics and craft we sell all year round.

Timea Sido

Bev Millward - ceramic cake toppers

And one really chuffed bride-to-be finally found the jewellery she has hunted for to wear on her special day soon which will be made for her by one of our current jewellery makers Charlotte Verity.

Charlotte Verity in her workshop

Lots of hard work went in to organising this day but it was a great success and we can’t wait for our fourth one in 2013!

I DO invite

Meet Sarah Mason

Sarah Mason - Photographer

Meet Sarah Mason, a local photographer who delivers high quality wedding and portrait photography in Hebden Bridge, Halifax, Yorkshire, the North West and throughout the UK. Photography is her passion and creating beautiful images is what she is about!

Matt and Sarah at Todmorden Town Hall - courtesty Sarah Mason

You will quickly recognise that photographer Sarah has a unique talent for seeing life through a lens differently. Thanks to her background in film and television, Sarah brings a cinematographer’s approach to her work and her reportage style of photography and filmic view of life always leaves the viewer wanting more.

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Whether it’s a stylish wedding

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

an intimate family portrait

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

or a precise packaging shot for a commercial campaign

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Sarah never fails to capture the very essence of her subjects.

image courtesty of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Living as she does in the Pennine town of Hebden Bridge, Sarah capitalises on the dramatic landscape as the ultimate backdrop for her distinctive brand of photography that celebrates the great outdoors.

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Despite the advance of the digital age, Sarah explains our enduring love affair with the printed photo: “When I look back at family photos from my own childhood, they still have a powerful emotional impact, a kind of visual time travel that transports me back to the day it was taken. These images endure when everything else changes.”

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Her delighted clients will happily testify that Sarah creates bespoke images that will stand the test of our time and surely become heirlooms of the future to hang in pride of place on the walls of the generations to come.

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Sarah will be at Heart Gallery Sunday 12 February 2012 for our third Wedding Exhibition to show you her previous work and chat to you about your special day and what story-telling moments she can capture to help you keep the memories of the happiest day of your life alive, for you and your children, and even the generations to follow.

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Sarah’s approach is to quietly allow your special day to unfold before her cameras, minimising her impact on the event, and so resulting in photos that buzz with energy and emotion. 

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Her connection with the couple often outlasts the wedding and she is always proud to be able to build on that bond when she is asked to photograph new bundles of joy or capture other key moments in a family’s intimate life.

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

As no wedding is ever the same, Sarah has created her wedding packages carefully to ensure there will be something to suit everyone.

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

You can choose from pre-wedding shoots, personalised save the date and thank you cards, a photo disc, a slideshow DVD and a number of different options for showcasing your photographs. It’s important to Sarah that she supports local suppliers and her wedding albums are handmade to order by Calderdale based, Butterwick Wells. The albums are of the highest quality, available in a variety of fabrics and finishes and tell the story of your wedding beautifully.

image courtesy of Sarah Mason, Zebra Photography

Catch up with Sarah’s news on her blog and do come along on Sunday to meet her – she is a star.

Sarah Mason - Photographer and all round good egg x

Will You Marry Me

Will You Marry Me silver and 9ct gold rings

Well, what can I say? These rings say it all really! On Sunday 12th February we are launching our ‘MARRY ME’ silver and 9ct gold proposal ring.

Will You Marry Me 'pop the question' ring

Designed by Heart Gallery and one of our jewellers, Bronwen Tyler-Jones, this ‘Marry Me’ silver and 9ct gold ring is a perfect choice … it says it all to help you create a romantic and memorable wedding or civil partnership proposal, you just need your partner to say ‘yes’!

You then have all the time in the world to browse for that replacement ring you both like; the ring of your dreams chosen from the heart.

Once found the ‘Marry Me’ ring can either be worn on another finger, as a necklace or even on a keyring but of course the ‘Marry Me’ ring doesn’t have to be replaced if you don’t want to … it is stylish enough to treasure forever.

Will You Marry Me silver and 9ct gold rings