First blog post of 2012 so Happy New Year to one and all – I sincerely hope that it brings us all much joy and happiness. Looking back on last year for this post I realised that I had done far more than I had remembered and I bet that goes without saying for all of us – some things get forgotten as more important events seem to take over. And as Dermot O’Leary would say “in no particular order” this is what I managed to achieve in 2011 whilst keeping on top of Heart Gallery in a challenging climate:

Becky and The Pox, Jan 2011

I watched Becky suffer badly for three weeks with Chicken Pox for the first time in her life at 13 and then gradually morph throughout the year into a beautiful young lady that seems to be taking her own path as a leader and not a follower:

Becky started 2011 off almost black!

Becky changed to brown hair mid 2011

Becky with light brown hair by the autumn

Becky nearly blond by Christmas - much nearer to her natural colour finally!

Becky

I proudly saw Adam buy his first place in Newcastle after years of paying far too much rent on pokey little rooms in shared houses whilst at University:

Adam

Adam's new flat, July 2011

Adam's bedroom

Corner of Adam's living room

Adam's 'Christmas Tree' and view out of his living room window

Adam in the city he loves - Newcastle

I went to two weddings:

Nic and Joe in Heart Gallery's garden

Nic on her wedding day with sister india

Emma and Richard cutting the cake

Emma and Richard's stunning cake

Celebrated my 15th Wedding Anniversary to my gorgeous hubby Bart – there aren’t many men made like him in this world:

My Barty Boy

My 15th Wedding Anniversary (Crystal) ring from one of my super talented makers Adele Taylor

Went to a 40th:

Julia's eighties themed 40th Brithday Party

Julia

Enjoyed three big 50th Birthday parties:

Louise's era themed 50th party

Louise's amazing cake

Ang's 50th dinner party

Ang's very apt cake

Debi's 50th and her Dad's 80th

Travelled to a 60th:

Drinking games at mum-in-law's 60th

Mum-in-law's 60th in Leicester

Celebrated Heart Gallery being five years old:

Heart Gallery's 5th Brithday bash

Scattered my Aunty’s ashes and enjoyed our bi-annual visits to my mum’s resting place and sister’s resting place:

Aunty Ruth's resting place 2011 Wharf Wood overlooking Pen-Y-Ghent

Mum's resting place Skiddaw overlooking Derwentwater Jan 1997

Rachel's resting place at Friar's Crag Keswick Jan 2005

Derwentwater

Had a relaxing holiday in Egypt with a friend:

Extremely quiet and unbelievably cheap holiday in Egypt

Saw Dad and my Step-Mum take their first ever All-Inclusive holiday:

Dad and Sandra in Tenerife

Visited some amazing exhibitions, this one being by far my favourite at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park:

Jaume Plensa at YSP

Jaume Plensa at YSP

Jaume Plensa at YSP

Enjoyed lots of incredible walks, locally and nationally, alone and with family or friends:

Luddendendene Valley

Canal walk from home into work

Hadrian's Wall Northumberland

Walk to Castle Carr fountain

Fountain switch on

Blackpool beach

Bamburgh Castle

Brighton Beach

 Ate well and socialised lots with those who mean the world to me:

Chateaubriand

Dinner parties

Fish platters

Cupcakes

Gatherings

Thai

Dad's another year older but no wiser - he loves those silly hats!

Italian

Fancy dress parties

Healthy breakfast

Birthday bashes in new places

Greek

Had my best friends over from America and miss them dearly:

Carol and Neil

Joined the Hebden Bridge WI and learned to knit as well as enjoying many great Mondays organised by our fabulous President Amy Leader:

Hebden Bridge WI Ladies

How much knitting did we all do to decorate Hebden Bridge with?

Suffered a painful and horrendous stay in hospital in the summer and quite a bit of time off work after removal of my appendix but enjoyed the lovely flowers bought for me:

flowers

flowers

flowers

flowers

Was inspired by my beautiful friend Hilly who has spent 2011 fighting cancer and although she is continuing to do so she looks and feels amazing and has already miraculously said goodbye to 4 tumours.

I treated Hilly to a haircut to 'soften' the blow before she started her treatment

Hilly after the chemo took her hair - she will not be beaten x

Heart Gallery won two awards at a Totally Locally event:

Magic Tenner Award and Top 5 Shops in Calderdale

Bart and I opened our second Milk Bar in Halifax:

Milk Bar Halifax

 I have experienced peace:

Peace

love:

Love

and joy:

Joy

And I hope that 2012 is a continuation of everything 2011 has left behind for me and wishing you all the same; one thing is for sure you really do have to seize the day as time flies and none of us know what is around that corner. Happy New Year.

Seize The Day

Time flies

Colin Chetwood lamp

This is one of my Colin Chetwood lamps that I adore; one of many lamps I have bought from Hannah at Radiance just down the road from me in Hebden Bridge. It was a real treat at the time but simply perfect in my snug. You can see now why I was drawn to the Tulip Garden in Huddersfield last night!! I wish it hadn’t been so cold and wet as I would have tip toed through the tulips for longer!

Tulip Garden

The rest of the evening was also a success and I got to see lots of my makers at The Arts Market too which is always a highlight. Here are a few pictures of what else I saw out and about and you can still visit today and tomorrow as they have a great programme of events lined up. Sadly I didn’t win the raffle for an Emily Stubbs bowl which I am gutted about as it would have sat perfectly with my iron!

Poppy Iron - Emily Stubbs (THE ONLY IRON I LOVE!)

To find out more about The Festival Of Light and keep on top of what is happening in Yorkshire please visit this great and informative website.  I am looking forward to next year already!

Karen Dell'Armi - Jeweller

Karen’s new Hope Collection was inspired by her recent charity climb to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro – the mosses and lichens on the ancient trees near the Machame Gate – and the giant lobelia and senecio at altitude in an otherwise very baron volcanic landscape.

Hope collection - necklace

Hope Collection - silver bangles

The Hope Collection features electrolytically etched hand-formed silver links and unusual roughcut, unpolished precious and semi-precious stones in vibrant colours – such as agate slices, carnelian, lapis lazuli & chryophase.

Hope collection - close up of agate

Hope collection - necklace

Heart Gallery loves Karen’s bold collections and the Hope one, we feel, is one of her best. We hope you enjoy your little piece of Hope.

OWN ART DAY AT HEART GALLERY SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER 11AM - 5PM

Hello friends

Just a quick blog post to tell you about our Own Art Day Sunday 11 December from 11am-5pm. We will have lots of goodies to give away but we really want to talk to you about how great this scheme is. OWN ART is an Arts Council England initiative designed to make it easy and affordable for everyone to own high quality contemporary art and craft.

Own Art To Take Home

The scheme seeks to support the creative economy by encouraging increased sales of work by living artists from a wide range of visual arts venues across the country and Heart Gallery wholeheartedly supports and promotes this scheme.

Heart Gallery Hebden Bridge

Why? Because it allows our customers to apply for an interest free loan of between £100 and £2000 for the purchase of original works of art or craft in any media. No deposit is required and loans are repayable in 10 monthly interest free instalments.

Own Art With an Interest Free* Loan Representative 0% APR

The Social Housing Shortage ltd edition screenprint £6.20 a month for 10 months

This means that, particularly at this time of the year, there is no need to max up the credit card and incur high interest charges because you can choose more or less anything you want from Heart Gallery and buy it on the Own Art scheme interest free …. it doesn’t cost you a penny more than the price of the piece(s) and you then have 10 months to pay for your purchase but you can take it away with you the same day your loan is approved! The minimum you can borrow is £100 (monthly repayment of £10) but this can be used to cover a group of lower value items whose combined total adds up to £100 or more.

Think about it …. a necklace for Mum …

Silver lily necklace with white fresh water pearl £57

… a bracelet for your best friend …

Silver flower charm bracelet £54

… a limited edition print for your Aunty and Uncle …

Boutique Shopping in County Arcade Leeds £80

… a mounted textile for gran …

Gran textile picture £60

… and a treat for you perhaps!!

Silver Primrose studs £40

All these pieces above qualify for the Own Art scheme and total £291 but you will pay just £29.10 per month for 10 months and everyone gets to own a piece by a UK based artist/maker that’s really special and not mass produced.

So, if you want to find out more about Own Art, or wish to purchase pieces from Heart Gallery on the Own Art Scheme, bob along on Sunday 11 December for some festive cheer. Joining us in the afternoon to sing Christmas Carols for your entertainment will be Gledholt Male Voice choir. They are kindly giving up their Sunday afternoon free of charge to sing a selection of popular carols and collect for various local charities so do come along and show your support. Their musical team includes Susan Wilkinson, an award winning musical director, and accompanist John S Bailey who has worked with Opera North, Freddie Starr and various award winning choral societies so this promises to be an entertaining afternoon.

Gledholt Male Voice Choir

Sarah Ibrahim - Ibrahim

Born in Brunei, but living in England now Sarah’s work combines elements from both East and West. More specifically Sarah is concerned with the pattern, decoration, shape, form and texture of an object, and how these things are interpreted differently by the two cultures.

Small and tiny studs - Sarah Ibrahim

Sarah initially studied graphics at degree level in Bristol but later went to study jewellery in the Sir John Cass department of Art Media and Design in London. Her techniques involve intricate piercing, press forming, etching and overlay to create individual, imaginative pieces.

Large locket (nearly closed view) - Sarah Ibrahim

Sarah’s work is inspired by her heritage and travels. Her first collection is inspired by her love of intriguing containers and boxes.

Locket ring (open view) - Sarah Ibrahim

The ‘keep it’ collection consists of lockets with bright gold interiors for your keepsakes.

Sarah's statement necklace now in Heart Gallery. The locket closes when worn.

The ‘and then…’ collection is a continuation and more simplistic. They both form her first collection called ‘The Beginning’. Heart Gallery is proud to have been carefully selected by Sarah to showcase her amazing jewellery – this ‘KEEP IT’ collection of silver and gold lockets really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Lauren Crawford - Textile Artist

Using luxury silks and woollen fibres, sourced from traditional Scottish mills, Lauren designs and produce 100% hand made fabrics for those who love something unique and special. 

Reflection Corsages

Her fashion accessories are suitable for all occasions and include scarves, skinny scarves, corsages, brooches and wedding garters. 

Skinny Scarves

Available in rich colours and styles, fabrics are woven on a 16 shaft dobby hand loom, before being machine felted, air dried and hand finished.

Lambswool Corsages

Accessories feature innovative double sided woven structures and textures, inspired by Venetian opulence and architecture.

Skinny Scarf-Burgundy

All fabrics are woven in her workshop in Staffordshire and Lauren is also available for collaborative projects and is happy to receive commissions for custom pieces.

Brooch

Heart Gallery is proud to have been selected by Lauren to showcase her gorgeous scarves and corsages.

Skinny Scarf-Teal

Louise Wilson - Contemporary Wire Artsit

Louise is a contemporary wire artist based in Staffordshire. She uses wire and found materials to create 2D and 3D drawings and sculptures of everyday objects and day to day life.

Wire Spectacles

Her inspirations include found objects and vintage items, and also anything she finds particularly interesting in the environment around her.

Wire Gloves

The wire is simple and elegant allowing the focus to be on the line of the object, something so simple and yet so often missed. Louise aims to bring a feminine and personal touch to the wire using thread wrapping and also including real objects within her work.

Wire Sewing Kit In Vintage Tin

Each piece is handmade and individual which is important to her as she feels every object has its own history and a story to tell and she allows this to happen through the use of wire and found materials.

I Want To Ride My Bicycle Wire Work In Vintage Tin

Heart Gallery is so proud to showcase Louise’s amazing work for the first time and hope that she will continue to produce new collections for us.

Genna Delaney - Jeweller

Genna is a  Scottish jewellery designer who graduated in 2006 with BDes (Hons) Jewellery & Metal Design from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. She has been designing and making bespoke jewellery since 1999.

Aqua perspex and silver cuffs

Genna is passionate about designing and making jewellery and thrives to produce bespoke, superbly produced handcrafted pieces. As jewellery has a personal and sentimental value she loves taking on commissions or she can give new life to an old piece of jewellery using your own ideas.

Silver rollered frame with gold leaf pendant and earrings

One of Genna’s designs The Labyrinth Neckpiece attracted a Precious Metal Bursary Award from the Goldsmith’s Company in 2006. More recently it came 3rd in the Jolomo Craft and Design Awards and won the Dundee Craft Makers Award 2011.

Labyrinth Neckpiece

Architecture is a major influence in her work which inspires both geometric forms and organic sculptures. Movement is also a prominent force where rare coloured stones can be moved along the labyrinths of her work. Genna’s pieces are tactile, playful and sculptural. Natural rock formations influence the texture and layering of many of her designs. The Scottish landscape has influenced some of the curves and shapes of pendants.

Silver and aqua component neckpiece and ring

Genna enjoys working with precious metals such as silver and gold and loves using unusually shaped stones and setting them in innovative ways into many of her one-off pieces. However, she also experiments in incorporating non-precious materials such as plastics; glass and resins too.

Perspex silver rectangle pendant and earrings

Genna creates innovative designs by adjusting them to suit the needs of her clients, every piece is unique. She is constantly challenging the boundaries of jewellery design, producing both one-off and commercial pieces.

Silver and gold leaf frame bracelet ring and earrings

Gemma Scully - jeweller

Gemma creates jewellery inspired by the Chaos Theory, something that has fascinated her for years. The idea that small differences in initial conditions yield widely diverging outcomes fascinates her. Through a process of hand casting she is able to conduct her own research into this idea. Dropping varying amounts of molten silver and gold into different volumes of snow, ice and water she creates wildly different all one off castings that Gemma then designs around.

Silver Brooch from Gemma's Chaos Collection

Gemma is interested in adding order and structure to her designs to create an almost ironic balance or juxtapose. Drawing inspiration from Edward N. Lorenz’s images of chaotic flow she creates repetitive line drawings in precious metals including silver and 18ct gold, that add structure, form and wearability to the cast pieces.

Chaos rings in silver and oxidised silver

Having completed her degree in jewellery and silversmithing at UCA Farnham Campus, Gemma developed a new body of work based round chaos whilst on a residence at Bishopsland Educational Trust. A year long apprenticeship that helps develop business sense and skills as a maker. The Trust prides itself on the high standard of work or “The Bishopsland Standard” which all fellows are taught to work to.

Chaos necklace

Gemma prides herself on being Eco-friendly within her work, through casting herself by hand she ensures that there is no waste, all scrap is melted down and cast again. Also instead of using cast grains, Gemma buys old scrap and re-uses old silver pieces.

Chaos brooch with fresh water peacock pearl

Along with casting Gemma also uses other techniques within her work including, Gold inlay, fusing and fabrication. Lastly Gemma simply loves to design, create and then sell her pieces.

Chaos ring with fresh water pearl

Heart Gallery hopes you love your little piece of Gemma chaos!

Tania Sneesby - Textile Artist

Tania uses a variety of new and vintage fabrics, combining them with unexpected materials, to create beautiful tactile craft pieces. 

Sister - mounted original textile piece in Heart Gallery

She doesn’t like to over plan the work, preferring to start with just a simple sketch, and “feel the work”, enjoying the flow of extemporizing, letting the fabric determine the outcome. Tania loves the imperfection of working this way, leaving edges raw, and threads loose, emphasizing the hand made care and fragility of the work.

Grandad - mounted original textile piece in Heart Gallery

As her work grows and develops, She is planning to continue with further experimentation, incorporating photographic elements, and creating new combinations and discoveries.

Tea for 3 - mounted original textile piece in Heart Gallery

Tania graduated from the University of Central Lancashire, where she studied illustration. She is fascinated by the relationship between text and pictures, and is particularly interested in children’s book illustration. 

Gran - mounted original textile piece in Heart Gallery

Tania loves traditional stories and fairy tales, and is looking forward to further development of different characters. This means that a new body of work inspired by folklore will be in our ‘May Your Dreams Come True’ Exhibition in May 2012. However, if you can’t wait that long Heart Gallery is proud to showcase a small range from Tania for our Christmas Exhibition.