It’s been a year ago, 2nd Pentecost 2017 and, as in 2016, Renske Dussel from "Renske-Art" and myself again participate in the Silver Day in Schoonhoven.
 
We are looking forward to it. It has been a while since we could work together for a day. Busy at work, private and creative, meant that we had to suspend our Metal Clay agreements for a short period of time.

​We leave early, so we have enough time to quietly set up the stand. The weather is fair, sunny with quite a good wind.

The lady who will use the other half of our joint pavilion, is not yet present. She travels by public transport and arrives later in the morning. Once arrived, she also focuses on her table. They knit bags of silver wire with a value of minimum amount of € 1400, - per piece. She has 5 with her and the whole is being listened by a good looking young man who carries out the PR.
 
It will be a cozy, busy day. There is sufficient interest for Art Clay Silver, old and new customers visit the stand, as well as some Art Clay Silver colleague instructors.
 
We provide ourselves with the necessary coffee and treat ourselves around noon on fries. Delicious! Fat, wrong and oh so tasty!
 
Unfortunately, the sale is somewhat minimal, which is a pity. But the atmosphere is no less.

At 17.00, I quickly get Renske's jewelry at the Noviteit show. She has again presented a beautiful design for this exhibition. When I get back to the stand, everything has been cleared and packed. Soon home, there are still designs waiting to be finished before the match in Japan.
​You see? Always busy, positive pressure 😉

Dear Renske, thanks for this great day.
It was nice to have worked together.
Sharing chats and ideas is always nice.
​Next year again, okay ?!

Just like every year, an Art Clay Silver Instructor's Day is scheduled for 2017.

​Today is the day, which is why I got up at 06.30 am.
Together with Renske Dussel from Renske-Art, I drive to Oisterwijk.

​We agreed in De Bilt and from her studio we leave at 8:00 am towards the Krekul same location as last year.

5 instructors provide five different workshops for colleagues:
 
Renske Dussel                                                    -           Dahlia Earrings
Inge Verbruggen                                               -           Making bezels
Edith van Leeuwen                                          -           Ring with great effect
Annemarie Klappe                                           -           Filigree pendant
And myself, Henriëtte van Battum         -           Ring with Metal Inlay
 
I myself teach in the mornings. After lunch I participate in the workshop of Inge, making bezels. At 10:00 am everyone is present and Shirley de Jong holds her welcome speech. With Elles Drost they represented Craft Lines B.V., the distributor of Art Clay Silver for the Benelux and they also have organized this day. This includes planning, newsletters, reservation of the location, catering and the closing with a coffee sensation. And of course not to forget the goodie bags!

Immediately after the welcome, everyone starts with the morning workshop. I have a cozy full class, 15 ladies take part and design beautiful jewelry. Pendants, earrings and rings are colored with various types of metal mesh - red brass, copper, phosphate bronze and stainless steel after finishing, baking and polishing. These details are hammered in the silver and give a playful effect to the jewelry. The results can be found in the attached photo gallery.
 
We are ready before lunchtime. Delicious sandwiches, milk, buttermilk, fresh orange juice and a regional specialty "Brabantse Broeder". Delicious!
 
After lunch, I attend the workshop of Inge. I decide to design a pair of beautiful earrings and give them a more luxurious look with 8mm. marques facet cut zirconia amethyst. Also in this workshop the different colleagues made beautiful jewelry.
 
To end the day we are treated outside in the warm afternoon sun to have a coffee and / or tea sensation of Tante Sus. All beverages are freshly prepared at the mobile coffee bar. Something delicious as well? A choice of small sweets is presented invitingly.
 
At 18:00 we say goodbye and drive Renske and I again to De Bilt. The last stretch home I travel alone, like this morning. What a great day! Beautiful weather, nice colleagues, beautiful jewelry, good food, new techniques.

Thanks to all of you for the input, in any way whatsoever.
​
I'm looking forward to next year and the date has already been announced: September 23, 2018 the next instructors day is scheduled.

In life and health, I'm there. You too?

A warm sunny day is being cheerfully colored today with Reineke Muller's arrival.

More than 1,5 years ago, we already had a wonderful day filled with Metal Clay.
 
From Russia she again has returned to the Netherlands for a short period and she’s asked for the opportunity to plan a creative day at Studio "Nevada's Dream". 

At 9.35 am I’m at the station in Harderwijk to get her off the train. Our station has been completely renovated, which means she might think she’s got off at the wrong station. Nice to see Reineke again!
 
We drive to the studio and chat first while enjoying a cup of coffee. What are we going to do today? A lot! Copper clay, silver clay and polymer clay, fun, fun, fun. Choosing seems difficult, so we take all the ideas out of this roulette round.
 
Together we work with Metal Clay and each creating our own designs. Meanwhile, the kiln burns. Reineke made some jewellery at home, in which she processed the New Mokume-Gane technique. Today I fire the pieces for her.
 
At noon, Michael brings lunch. A baguette with meatballs and mustard. How delicious is that! Hurray for Holland, in Russia they do not know this. And chocomel, such a party, delicious!
 
At 5.30 pm I bring her back to the station. With a nice number of new creations, she returns to Amersfoort.

Dear Reineke, thank you for coming, the nice day, the delicious Russian chocolate.
I really enjoyed it. ​Possibly You Can Make It In 2018 ?!

During these days we talked a lot about her plans. Together with her friend and future life partner Frank, she forms an artistic duo. For now only in their spare time. Their fixed incomes derived from activities as a teacher and lawyer. Margriet is very creative and wants to transform her ideas into beautiful jewellery. And for someone who has never worked with metal clay, she certainly appears to have affinity with the product.
 
In August 2017 she again comes to Harderwijk to participate in the follow-up Level 2. Those days our colleague Sylvia van der Giessen will also be present. Cozy prospect!

Dear Margriet, thanks for these nice days. I look forward to the sequel.
Lots of fun exercising with Art Clay Silver and success in setting up your own jewellery line.
​Happy summer, see you in August!

Today a new Art Clay Silver workshop is scheduled.

This time I meet Annemiek de Graaf of Xitin Beads. 
​Like me, she lives in Harderwijk and so she can sleep out on this sunny sunday.

Traveling is really not an issue, up to 10 minutes by car.

We start at 10:00 and meet while enjoying a cup of tea and a delicious muffin. Last year, Annemiek received 2 gift vouchers, both of which can be spent at Studio "Nevada's Dream". Always curious about the unique silverclay and her possibilities, she exchanges the gift vouchers today.
 
Annemiek is a busy lady, creative and enterprising, the perfect combi for her ever growing business. Respect! And as she makes Xitin a success, she also appears to have affinity with silverclay. With patience and control she designs a beautiful ring. And she is happy with it! Me too, again a happy and enthusiastic "follower".
 
By 17:00 we close. Annemiek leaves with her silver booty; A ring and 2 small roses, behind which she’ll solders post earrings at home.

​I stay behind and erase the tracks of a super fun day, full of Art Clay Silver and enthusiastic conversations. Thank you Annemiek, you are always welcome!

And thanks to the registration of Maartje Boele from Deventer, today we start with the "white gold".
 
At 10:00 she arrives at the studio. First we meet, while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea and freshly baked muffin. Maartje turns out to be familiar with ceramics and never worked with silver clay. This will be a challenge. She decides to design a ring, so that we can combine different techniques. The calculation of the appropriate ring size, the fastening of porcelain in the silver clay composition, the final firing, sanding and polishing. Many notes are made, remembering this amount of new information is almost impossible to do.
 
At noon we will have lunch with tasty rich sandwiches and fresh orange juice. Maartje works briskly, despite the required firing schedule for porcelain, we can finish on time. And look, it has become a beautiful ring.

Dear Maartje, I really enjoyed this day.
Choices, choices, it is hard 😉. Pendant or ring, round or square, narrow or wide.
And finally going home with this beautiful ring, you worked top!
Thanks for the cozy input and nice conversations.
See you again soon for a next workshop, or perhaps as a colleague.

Embelese is a company that is specialized in jewelry. The driving force behind this name is the Brazilian Edilene van Gool (Correia) from Wormerveer. She has an online shop, which is being upgraded. Edline would like to put more personality into her jewelry and is going to use metal clay for this.
 
To master the basic techniques she has opted for the training of Art Clay Silver Instructor Level 1. And today she closes her 2nd and also last long course.
 
She appears a natural talent, look what a beautiful designs she has created. And that for someone who has never worked with silver clay.

Dear Edilene, it was fun. Thank you for your tremendous efforts.
I wish you good luck with designing your own style and jewelry line.
You are in the rich possession of a huge drive, so I have every confidence.
​Welcome to our network!

Smart move from Shirley Wouters to host the Japanese in the Netherlands, after all they are now in the neighborhood. Shirley is our contact at Craftlines, the distributor for Art Clay Silver in the Benelux.

​And because we like to learn techniques as much as possible, Inge and I have decided to subscribe these classes as well. Unfortunately Annemarie can’t come, her "children" want to see her back in front of the class. An Meel and Joyce van Roosmalen will join us, but go on their own, like some other colleagues.
 
Inge and I have decided to travel directly from England to the next location, Hotel Marickenland Mijdrecht. This saves a lot of traveling time. Karin De Pauw has offered to collect us from Schiphol, she too stays at the hotel. Renske Dussel also is on her way already, I like to share my room with my friend. 
 
After arriving in Mijdrecht we enjoy a drink and some snacks with Dice Minagawa and Kuniaki Iwahasi. I feel light tiredness arise, those were exciting and surely busy days. A nice sleep and in the morning a good breakfast to have a fit start for the next two days. Okay, one more Baileys than, in our room, in a plastic cup, for old times sake!
 
During the first masterclass we make a Shine Stone Ring. With this technique, all of the bezels wil be designed in the silver clay, before the eventual piece of jewelry will be fired. The stones are put afterwards. So every stone retains its maximum shine, making the jewel can sparkle best. The technology is great, but certainly not easy. Everything must be calculated correctly. The final result shows the advantages of this technique.

Afterwards quite a number of colleagues stay to attend the dinner together. Great food, drinks and socializing. After dinner some participants go home, but there are also women who have booked an overnight stay. Who wants an afterparty in the hotel room of Renske and me? Margit Borst-Topper and Karin De Pauw seem to like a Baileys. How lucky, because Renske but brought 3 bottles. Worst case scenario we start tomorrow’s masterclass with a hangover, hahaha. I love it so much, just a bunch of teenagers on school camp 😉 !

The next morning we start at 09.30. Beforehand a proper breakfast provides enough energy to keep going until lunch. Today the "Hollow Ring" is on the program. This project consists a base ring of silver clay, an intermediate layer of wax and an openwork top layer of silver clay. Optionally there can be used CZ. This project shows still a tough job, but the end result is great. Look at the pictures.

It has come to an end, we'll closing and going home. I ride with Renske and from Bilthoven I want to take the last stretch by train. But she doesn’t want to hear about that, she brings me all the way to Harderwijk. So incredibly sweet, thank you friend!
 
Finally back home, unpack and reminisce on a full week Metal Clay.
Feeling Blessed & O So Happy!

​Thursday, March 23, I'm up early. Showering, dressing and final check: Do I have everything?

5:15 am Annemarie Klappe and her husband Reinco stop for our house. I can ride with them to the airport for our flight to England. I'm on my way to the You Can Make It in 2017 in Wareham, Dorset, hurray!

It's been a few years ago that a Metal Clay conference was held in the UK. The You Can Make It now seems to be an annual event, so I see our current group as "scouts" 😉 Will it be great, we will communicate this, as we possibly come with a larger delegation in 2018.
 
The flight goes smoothly, although we were almost late for our gate. Little tip for KLM; once it is a busgate, such details really aren’t too much. We land at Southampton and grab the train to Wareham. The last stretch to the hotel we share a taxi with Meropi Toumbas and her husband. They come from Cyprus.

Arriving at the Springfield Country Club Hotel we have lunch together. Somewhat later Inge and An arrive, the booked rooms are available and we’re going to look for them. Suitcases, where is the elevator? Wwaaaattt NO elevator ??? Are you kidding? But no, it turns out serious. My suitcase weighs 23 kg. and really must be dragged up the stairs. Weird huh, worn stair steps!
 
I share a triple bedroom with An and Annemarie. This appears to be located at quite an extreme upper corner of one of the hotel wings. Could this mean something, hahaha ?! The first day after dinner, we sit in the cozy bar for coffee and/or a drink. Then to bed, we have busy days ahead.
 
The beds of Annemarie and me are made with a plastic mattress cover. This creaks with every change of sleeping position, it drowns out even our snoring 😉 The room door opens and closes inconvenient, sometimes even difficult. There are times when we consider preparing an emergency plan to leave the room by the roof or fire escape. Otherwise, please note there is a chance that we miss breakfast. And the highlight is surely our shower. A private space capsule in which a start button causes the water supply. The sound associated with this is similar to a real rocket launch. Viewers and we have a chance to an encounter with Pluto or Jupiter, hahaha. Utterly hilarious. 

And so, three intensive days full of lively master classes, hands-on sessions, demonstrations and talks. I myself have reserved for the following classes:
 

• Friday all day                : Masterclass “Spinning Mandala Earrings” with Wanaree Tanner
• Saturday Morning     : Hands-on session “Fuchsia Earrings” with Tracey Spurgin
• Saturday Afternoon : Demo “’Photopolymer Plates” with Tracey Spurgin
• Sunday Morning         : Hands-on session “950 Ring Making” with Kuniaki Iwahashi
• Sunday Afternoon     : Yet again walked in at Wanaree’s class

 
And in the "free" hours we visit the Make It Market, deadly for the wallet. Everything is fun, convenient, and useful for sale. Fortunately, I can reasonably manage myself, I also have colleagues walking around with trolleys, so I mean.
 
And let’s not forget the Charm Swap. My cupcake charms I was able to exchange for 35 different gorgeous, self-designed charms of fellow instructors and metal clay colleagues. Oh and the Raffles and Meet The Makers Round Table Sessions. Busy full days and everything was top organized.

Sunday at the end of the day we say goodbye, a good number of participants go home already. We stay an extra night and fly back to the Netherlands Monday. There Joyce, An, Inge and I will attend two masterclasses in Mijdrecht. Unfortunately, Annemarie can’t join this.
 
I look back on a amazing conference, it was great! Dear all, thanks for the organization, the sharing of knowledge, the atmosphere, delicious food, everything! And a special note for the colleagues of our Benelux network, girls what have I laughed !!!
 
With a warm feeling, I think back to these days. Next year I hope to be back and party with all of you. To me YCMI 2017 is associated with:
 

• Friendship
• Embroidered roses Annemarie (always handy if you tear out your pants)
• Showering in space shuttle
• Room escape attempts
• Incontinence bed mattresses
• Food & Drinks
• Summertime
• Metal Clay
• Charm Swap
• Baileys
• YCMI 2018!

Last weekend Sharon Vorst from Almelo followed the first level in the training leading up to an Art Clay Silver Instructor. Sharon is very creative and an all-rounder. Now she adds the basic techniques of working with silver clay. Subsequently she signed up for the Supplement Training UV Resin, which she completed today.
 
3 long days she was present at Studio "Nevada's Dream". At exactly 9:00 am we started the training days and despite the distance and the associated travel time, she was neat on time every day.

Dear Sharon, I’d like to thank you for your positive, creative input and wish you every success as colleague instructor within the Benelux network!