Last year - April 2018 - in Den Ham, a young lad of just 19 years old lost his life after a stabbing. A birthday party got completely out of hand that evening, when a family had to say good-bye to their son and brother Michiel. His group of friends was deeply touched by this.
 
One of those friends is Dylan, the son of my brother, the cousin of our children. We do not see Dylan so often anymore, as with young people who are separately busy with school, work, in short, building their own lives. But last month my mobile suddenly lighted up and I received an instant message via messenger. Dylan asked me about the possibilities of making a silver pendant for him. This will he wear on his videoclips, music is his hobby. When I asked him about his idea about a design, he immediately remarked that Michiel was always called "7" by his friends. A memento of his best friend seemed really cool to him!

How special, a request which I gladly respond to. His message clearly showed that Dylan is missing his friend and that the loss has had a profound impact. What is it nowadays? I wonder more and more often why humanity becomes less and less tolerant. In a moment a small insignificant quarrel turns into an aggressive fight, where not only fists are used, but also weapons. And how sad can fate strike. Michiel is missed and the perpetrator(s) must live with the fact that he/they killed a fellow human being. The youth does not see cause and effect at a young age, so 1 miss can mark you for the rest of your life.

Dylan, I thought it was an honor to design this pendant for you.
I hope it symbolizes your friend.
Have fun waering, with and in your heart!
Lots of love,
 
Henriette

The Tooth Fairy is a figure from European and American folklore. According to the stories, she is a fairy who, when the children lose a tooth and put it under their pillow, exchanges the tooth for a coin at night.
 
This legend also lives within our family and our nephew Andrea and niece Teddie have now changed their milk teeth for adult teeth. And both are well remembered by the Tooth Fairy.
 
To make the Tooth Fairy real, parents come up with something to keep the legend alive. For example, their mother Brigitta has agreed with Andrea and Teddie that they can craft something beautiful and lasting for the coins they received, for example a piece of jewelry.
 
Today they come together with Brigitta to Harderwijk and I help them design a beautiful ring. The youth has clearly thought about it, they know what they want. At 10.00 we can start almost immediately. The ideas are discussed and assessed for technical feasibility.
 
And look what beautiful designs have been made!
Even found time for eating a mandarin, a sandwich and another mandarin, to finish with a sugar waffle. So bad, but oh so deserved!

Dear Andrea and Teddie, you can be proud of the memory of your milk teeth.
​I for one am very proud and I think the Tooth Fairy secretly too!

Agnes Koekoek from "Esquell" in Kampen, has now passed for her Art Clay Silver Supplements training UV-Resin and she has received her certificate. On to the next wall decoration.
 
Today I meet her for the second and final course day of the Porcelain Supplement. Yesterday she has already prepared a large part of the projects, so last night I could fire some. The ring is thus ready to be brushed and polished.
 
The two pendants can be further finished. For these designs, we used the first firing session to prevent deformation of the jewelry. ​In this way Agnes ultimately gets a better result.
 
We have enough time, 2 full days. Coffee, chatting, lunching and being creative. And because we are ready early, I can also explain to her what is expected of her for the Higher Level. I understand that she wants to get started with this after the certified Art Clay Silver New Mokume-Gane training. I’m very curious what you will design for this Higher exam Agnes!

Upcoming month we will work with my favorite technique and combine silver and copper, with which you will design fascinating fine jewelry.
​See you in a few weeks!

Hi Agnes, there you are again! This time for the Art Clay Silver Supplements training UV-Resin. Play with color and so embellish the silver designs.
 
Agnes has decided to expand her skills as an Art Clay Silver Instructor, choosing New Mokume-Gane, Porcelain and UV-Resin. Porcelain is planned for 27 and 28 January. She tries to plan New Mokume-Gane together with Ingrid Wijnen. Level 2 they also followed together, so they have already worked together. And say it yourself, it is often fun to follow such courses with several colleagues.
 
But today she comes for the UV Resin. Agnes has already made the ring at home, technically according to the work description, with a personal twist. This jewel can therefore be decorated directly with UV-resin and color pigments. She opts for a beautiful green color. Because of the shape of the opening it looks like the ring is wearing a beautiful gemstone.
 
Meanwhile, she is designing a pendant, which is fired during lunch. Only sanding and polishing and then color can also be applied to this creation. For this she mixes a nice, warm color, orange yellow tending towards ocher.

Both designs look beautiful. Agnes thanks for your enthusiastic commitment, it was as always welcoming. I'll see you in 2 weeks for the Porcelain module. Have a nice day and until then!

Nice start of a new year full of Metal Clay.
Anna is coming to Belgium this month for several master classes, most of which I have already followed. So I opted for a new challenge and signed up for the Fantasy Eye.
 
This fun weekend starts for me already on Friday. So I took a day off from my job at the bailiff's office. Renske and Shirley are going too. Furthermore, I also meet Mieke, Arnolda and a number of other well-known colleagues from Belgium and England.
 
Shirley left last night and has already spent a night in Temse. Renske and I drive together from Harderwijk. As I write this, I realize that some readers probably notice that this is a different order of carpooling than before. Right! Renske moved last year and exchanged De Bilt for the high north of the Netherlands. On her route to Belgium she passes Harderwijk. By then, she has already been driving for more than 1 hour. Together we drive to Temse and I take the honors as a driver. Our little Daewoo is currently slightly spicier than the steel steed of Renske. Her car therefore celebrates a long weekend in our city.
 
We leave at 7 am and are waved off by Michael and Nevada. Both also got up early and not only to say goodbye, but also to congratulate Renske. Today she is 49 years old, Hiep, Hiep, Hurray!

No traffic jams on the way and we arrive at the workshop space on time. Present for this master class are:
 

• Shirley de Jong from "Aware Jewels" in Nieuw-Vennep
• Renske Dussel from "Renske Art" in Terkaple
• Mieke Kuiper from "De Zilverloods" in Radio Kootwijk
• Arnolda de Nooij - van Dalen from "Silverclay Art" in Leiden
• Karin De Pauw from "De Zilverdoos" in Reet
• Katty Van Der Elst from "Zandstorm BVBA" in Erps-Kwerps
• Gudrun Haedens from "Atelier Gudi" in Avelgem
• Yvette Caljé from "Zilverpracht" in Goirle
• Jessie Pauwaert from Lochristi
• Izabela Biedrzycka from Antwerp
• Jennifer Anthony from England
• And of course Inge and Anna

 
Meet, greet, coffee, tea, introduce and explain the work schedule for the next 3 days. Soon, the first hour flew by and we started with Metal Clay. Every afternoon we have lunch with delicious sandwiches. For dinner we reserve a table on Friday evening at "Casa del Torero", a Spanish tapas restaurant. A few years ago we ate there once and that has left a positive impression. Shirley, Renske and Arnolda are coming along. Well, that impression the Spaniard knows for me to turn to a negative experience for me. Also the other ladies aren’t very enthusiastic, so we decided to eat dessert elsewhere. Arnolda isn’t going along and goes to her accommodation for the night. The remaining trio treat themselves to a delicious ice cream dessert at brasserie-restaurant “De Hoogpoort”. Another glass of hot tea and then on to our trusted B&B, "De Brug" in the Nijsstraat.

On Saturday night we reserve as usual at restaurant "De Zaatman". On Saturday night we reserve as usual at restaurant "De Zaatman". We are 10 people and enjoy good food and pleasant conversations. A last night in "De Brug", to join the next morning to the last breakfast, provided by Jan.
 
On to "Joc. The Nartist "with the aim to finish the pendant. Hahahaha, despite all good intentions, I'm not going to make it this time. As known and familiar, I make it a home study again.
 
We leave home early and are already in Harderwijk at 5.30 pm. Renske takes her bags over in her car and drives on to Terkaple.

What a weekend, great, delicious, cozy, TOP!
Thank you all for the pleasant days.
Inge, for the organization - Anna, for sharing your skills - Jan, for the well-kept room and the breakfasts - Shirley, for following my snail pace during the master class - and last but certainly not least: Renske, for sharing the car, room, breakfast, masterclass and the conversations.
 
For some of you: Until March 2019!

It seems to be a habit. Every year December is surely the holiday month. Santa Claus, Christmas, New Year's Eve. And since a number of years, the certified Art Clay Silver New Mokume-Gane training has also given an extra sparkle to this last month of the year. Also this year 2018. Cheryl Daunt has enrolled for this training and today concluded her last courseday at Studio "Nevada's Dream" in Harderwijk.
 
4 full days full of Metal Clay, silver and copper, with which beautiful jewelery is designed.

Full of enthusiasm all assignments are worked out. We have lunch in between, tasty salads, vegan wraps and fresh orange juice.
 
The planned days prove to be sufficient, especially if it concerns a private education. We take some time and fill this with the design and design of a pair of beautiful earrings. Completely finishing won’t work, we do that at home. There will certainly be another Metal Clay playdate. If they aren’t ready by then, we will work them out together okay?

And this was it, the last training this year.
Dear Cheryl, thank you for your pleasant presence, your enthusiasm and passionate commitment.
We are going to see each other in the new year.
​Beautiful holidays and a great 2019!!!

Last month I met Carolien and Inge together with Fanny - their mother and mother-in-law - in my studio. The ladies all made a ring. Perhaps you remember from the blog about that workshop, that Carolien was not completely delighted with the final ring size. This became exactly the calculated size after heating and finishing, but at the start we had better take a different size as a starting point. I offered to come for another day and the choice fell on November 24, 2018, so today. Fanny is not there this time, the young ladies come together.
 
Inge doesn’t go for a ring this time, but chooses a pendant in the shape of an elephant. This design already participated in a choice round last month and now she knows for sure. Besides this pendant she also makes a round pendant with texture.

Ladies, thanks for this beautiful day! Have fun with these wonderful creations.

Last September 2018 Art Clay Benelux (Craftlines) organized the Metal Clay Days 2018. Cheryl Daunt unfortunately could not participate this weekend. She had so eagerly registered for the masterclass Hinged Earrings and wanted to learn the technique she so desired.
 
So . . . we planned a date together, on which she still learns to make hinges. And because Cheryl had already indicated several times that she was interested in the technique of the Miniature Memory Box, we immediately planned a nice clay weekend.
 
Cheryl always comes by public transport, more specifically by train. The last time it was a whole tour to come to Harderwijk. Our colleague Erne Veenhuizen then offered Cheryl her help and put her on the way back at the station with the most comfortable connection, Lelystad.
 
And as if the devil is playing with it: even now the NS is carrying out work on this route. This weekend Cheryl is alone and we agree that I will get her and bring her.
 
2 days full of fun, Metal Clay, new techniques, delicious salads, fresh orange juice, sweets, friendship and collegiality. Wonderful results that we are both proud of. Beautiful hinged earrings with a floating marques and a cute little memory box.
 
Thank you Cheryl for this nice collaboration.
We meet again in early December for the New Mokume-Gane training.
​Then we'll enjoy again!

Like last year, we also have a lovely late summer this year and it is still nice and warm weather. To then achieve good results with silver clay, requires always a challenge. Fortunately, we have air conditioning in the building, which makes the temperature workable.
 
Carolien de Hoop has reserved an Art Clay Silver workshop. Together with her sister Inge and her mother Fanny she will discover the unique silver clay and design beautiful jewelry.
 
At 10.00 am they arrive in my studio, where we start the acquaintance with a cup of coffee.
​Meanwhile, the ladies also express their wishes, view achievable designs and they all choose to design a ring.

Dear ladies, how nice it was. Thank you for your input.
Carolien and Inge, I see the both of you again on November 24th. Have nice days and until then!

Today 6 colleguea-instructors from the Art Clay Silver Benelux network have completed the latest certified Origami Jewellery training at Studio "Nevada’s Dream” in Harderwijk. This was taught by myself, in close collaboration with Edith van Leeuwen from "ArtiChic" in Hillegom.

In 2011 I participated in the New Mokume-Gane training with Monique Gülicher in the same way and in 2016 I taught the course Silver Quilling together with Renske Dussel.

At the beginning of 2018 Edith, Shirley Wouters and I went to Japan to acquire the necessary skills. The elaboration of this training and the repetition of the various applied Origami techniques have ensured that we now know at least how things shouldn’t be done.

​The past 3 days we enjoyed the presence of:
 
-     Renske Dussel from "Renske-Art" in Terherne
-     Margit Borst - Topper of "Zilver en Zo" in Dieverbrug
-     Tine Demol from "Actino" in Veldegem (Belgium)
-     Judy Kars from Uithoorn
-     Barbera Ploeg of "Atelier 015" in Pijnacker
-     Ingrid Wijnen from Tananger (Norway)
 
Katty van der Elst from "Zandstorm" in Erps-Kwerps (Belgium) has also registered for this course. Unfortunately she broke her wrist a day before the start, which is why she had to cancel. Katty, we really missed you, you are always a happy note within our network. Tine also missed you. After all, in the evening she had to enter the forest house in Nunspeet completely alone and in the dark 😉

Sunday, the second course day we conclude with a joint dinner. Delicious food at Restaurant "De Boterlap" in Harderwijk. Fortunately everyone was given the opportunity to participate in this enjoyable evening. Such a relaxed setting makes it possible to approach each other in a different way and get to know each other.
 
Back home, Edith and I discuss the situation and plan the work for the last day. She is in Harderwijk from Friday to Monday and stays cozy in our bare attic room. Normally our daughter Nevada stays in that room. She is infected with the well-known storage sickness of an Indo, so we thought it was time to paint this room once again and to decorate it and upholster it. By now I got the uneasy feeling that any archaeologist would like to do an excavation on our attic floor, hahaha. Loving daughter offered to stay with her friend, so Edith had the now very empty room for her alone.

Dear girls, thank you for your presence and commitment. They were great fun days! 
Success with folding, success with Origami Jewelery!