Whit Monday and again time for the Silver Day in Schoonhoven. Familiar Renske and I get together again participate in this fun day.
 
We've been looking forward to this. The work and the daily activities absorb our free moments, which means that we have not been able to plan a decent clay date this year. Today is our day, we are going to enjoy.
 
Wake up early and into the car, I'll be right on time at Renske in De Bilt. I step over and we drive together to Schoonhoven, underwhile nice chatting. The weather is beautiful, it promises to be a beautiful day.

We are back at our old familiar spot, next to the Church. And as is known, it is always windy around the church. So also today. The weather is sunny and warm, but not in Kerkstraat 😉. After just an hour we’ve almost emtied our table. Everything really blows away. Not only the flyers and leaflets, but also the sanding pads and ultimately even the pieces of dried silver clay, which I work on. Nice then, these are broken! In addition to designs, the visitors now also see a immediately repair.

Furthermore, it is a pleasant, busy day. There is more than enough interest in Art Clay Silver, old and new customers visit the stand, as well as a number of Art Clay Silver fellow instructors. Any toilet break is used to get something to eat and drink. That's how we get through the day.

Just like last year, sales are less. This remains a pity. A lot of attention for Art Clay Silver and the possibilities. And ultimately we do it for that?
 
Renske has not seen a chance this year to participate in the Novelty Show. Inspiration enough, but too busy. So, I don’t need to pick up a piece of jewelry this year. This time saving means that we are already driving home by 17.15. We are so attuned to each other, the cleanup goes a little faster each year.

Dear Renske, thanks again for this pleasant day.
It was super nice to work together again, to chat and to carpool.
Schoonhoven, until next year!

As many already know, we are in the studio already 11 years based on Celsiusstraat 21-A in Harderwijk. In that space I have taught many people an Art Clay Silver Instructor course and / or workshop.
 
Moving is not just saying goodbye, it also brings something new, a new fresh location, where we will continue our work.
 
With effect from 1 July 2018 we are located at the address:

Last Thursday Ingrid Wijnen came to Harderwijk for the Art Clay Silver Supplements program UV-Resin. After a day off on Friday, I met her today for the 3-day certified training Art Clay Silver Quilling. This is a fairly intensive course, filled with delicately filigree. The weather is slightly less beautiful than the past few weeks. No punishment, therefore, to stay in the studio.
 
Ingrid seems to have the requested techniques completely in her fingers. She is working steadily through the project descriptions and creates beautiful designs. The precision with which she cuts, rotates and bends the various shapes and strips from the Art Clay Silver Paper Type means that less time is needed to secure everything perfectly together. An additional advantage is that less repair work needs to done.
 
At noon we have lunch with tasty sandwiches and fresh orange juice. During the rest of the days I do my best to provide Ingrid with tea, but she is so absorbed in her work that she regularly forgets to drink 😉.
 
And so 3 nice days pass, filled with metal clay, Silver Quilling, nice conversations and friendship.

Dear Ingrid, I sincerely enjoyed your enthusiastic, spontaneous commitment. You have made beautiful pieces. Good flight to Norway and up to next month. Already on the first of June we see each other again, then for the certified Art Clay Silver training New Mokume-Gane.
Together with Esther and Annemiek you all guarantee a pleasant course again.
​Until then !

Today is Ascension Day, for many a free Thursday.
A day to go cycling or . . . follow an Art Clay Silver Supplementary training in UV-Resin. Ingrid Wijnen has requested to plan this day for this and I like to make myself free for this fun.
 
She arrives at 10.00 am and immediately she takes place at the now familiar place in my studio. We talk through the day and in the meantime Ingrid colors two beautiful jewelry with UV-Resin and pigments.
 
She already made the ring at home, neatly according to the guidelines of this supplement. This is colored cyan blue. She then uses the UV-Resin in a beautiful transition from cyan blue to grass green in the matching pendant. Take a look and admire the beautiful match of this set.
 
Ingrid is very happy with her self-designed creations. And I? I am proud! On our friendship, her hunger for knowledge in the field of metal clay and proud of this cozy, colorful day.
 
Thank you Ingrid and until coming Saturday, May 12!

In February of this year Shirley Wouters, Edith van Leeuwen and I went to Japan for the new certified Origami Jewellery training. In 2016 Renske and I presented the Silver Quilling in the Benelux. For this new Origami course we want to be as prepared as well. Time for a claydate and this is scheduled for this weekend.
 
From 10 am to 5 pm we have enough time to discuss our plans and to form some different figures. Part is already being baked off, another part Edith and I are working on the next day. Shirley is only present on Saturday, she has other appointments for Sunday. Edith stays with me overnight, this saves her a ride up and down to Hillegom.
 
At noon we have lunch with tasty sandwiches and for that first evening, Edith and I plan a bite outside the door.
  
The next day we continue with the development of the Origami program and managing the projects. As a Teacher it is useful if you can give good explanations and answers to most questions.
Just to the fall season, we want to teach the first certified training. The planning is now focused on the first weekend of October 2018. The next will take place in the 2nd weekend of November.
   
On the Instructors Day September 23, 2018, we would like to show some examples of this technique and hope that many colleagues also want to make their own Origami Jewellery.
We believe that it is a valuable addition to all other courses and supplements.
 
So . . . keep an eye on your mailbox and do not miss a newsletter or blog!

This workshop was already scheduled this month on Easter Monday. Then I welcomed 4 colleagues. For today I have sent 5 invitations. Yet there are only 4 ladies present, Anneke van der Velde of "Eksie Art" from Waalre has been pretty hurt during a crash. Unfortunately she can not participate. Get well soon Anneke, we just pick another date together.
 
However, Mandy Gleisberg of "De Witte Jasmijn" from Rhenen, Agnes Koekoek of "Esquell" from Kampen, Mieke Kuiper of "De Zilverloods" from Radio Kootwijk and Sylvia van der Giessen of "SylviAtelier" from Sleeuwijk.

The ladies chat and work at the same time, as befits real women. After all, we can do 2 things at once.
 
We have lunch between the activities. Halfway through the afternoon, the boxes are fired. Only polish and finish. Because of the time, it stays with brushing with the wire brush. At home they have to put the legs underneath and a button on the lid: ready! Not quite finished yet and already that beautiful!
 
Dear girls, thank you for your pleasant presence. You are of course welcome for a next workshop!

Last November 2017 I met Erne Veenhuizen from Emmeloord during the KreaDoe in Utrecht. She showed special interest in Art Clay Silver and the possibilities to become an instructor as well. She is by her former employer - so to speak - "honorably discharged", something that seems to become a contemporary phenomenon. After his good employees in her age category soon turn to a reorganization and / or merger. Anyway, Erne is certainly not the type to sit behind the well-known geraniums. On the contrary, it is still bursting with energy and is therefore looking for a new challenge. She seems to have found these in silverclay.
 
And today she starts the Instructor Training Level 1. Armed with a large dose of self-knowledge and courage, she enters my studio. While enjoying a cup of coffee and a delicious almond cake, I get acquainted with her. Then we start with the first project. And that goes fine, just like the 2nd and the other projects. At the end of this first day, there are no less than 3 jewelery on the table, ready to take away. Awesome!

oday is the 2nd Easter day and I have planned a workshop. All family members are horeca toppers, holidays are the most busy working days for them. Sitting alone at home is nothing for me, and a number of fellow instructors think the same way. On the program is the design of a miniature box from Art Clay Silver. An adorable box with a size comparable to a coin of 2 euros.
 
I have also planned this workshop for April 14 a.s., and a number of colleagues also registered for this. But for today I celebrate Easter Monday with Renske Dussel of "Renske Art" from De Bilt, Karin De Pauw of "De Zilverdoos" from Reet (Belgium), Annemiek de Graaf of "Xitin Beads" from Harderwijk and Mirjam Knibbe of "Herinnerink" from Hoofddorp.
 
We start with coffee, tea and lemon fudge cake. The work description is read and where necessary I provide additional explanations. The ladies are all experienced colleagues, so familiar with metal clay. Everything runs as desired and within the time set, ahum. . . Haha, everyone knows that I always run out and it is still accepted. But rather go home with a beautiful design, then a semi-finished product, right?
 
And look what a nice miniature boxes the ladies have made! Tiny, meant for keeping a small memory, a lock of hair, a baby tooth or another gem.

Recently I was approached by Stephanie Thorn, an equestrian friend of our daughter Nevada and therefore also a horse girl. She had to say goodbye to her sweet beautiful horse "Esprit", a sad event. In order not to forget Esprit, she asked me to make a ring in which the name and hair were processed.
 
Studio "Nevada's Dream" has designed a narrow basic ring for this request. Handmade and -formed from fine silver. The hair is washed and braided, is visible in the band of the ring and is protected by UV-Resin. The name can be chosen in any desired font.
 
Take a look and admire the example. Stephanie is very happy with it. This keeps the memory of her horse alive.
 
I have experienced satisfaction working on this assignment. Dear Stephanie, thank you for your trust, I hope you can wear this keepsake ornament for a long time!

Again Shirley de Jong - Wouters asked the Japanese from England to the Netherlands, this is a shorter distance compared to Japan.
Shirley is our contact at Craftlines, the distributor for Art Clay Silver in the Benelux.
 
And we Metal Clay addicts do not want to miss anything and like to learn as many techniques as possible. This is why Margit, Edith and I have decided to also register for this. Joyce also comes both days, An and Annemarie can both participate in one of the days, the work calls. Last year Inge and I traveled from England directly to the next location, Hotel Marickenland in Mijdrecht.
This year Edith van Leeuwen offered us to stay at her home. This makes a huge difference in the costs and thus the invitation is accepted by both Margit and myself.
 
Leo, Edith's husband, picks us up from Schiphol. At home in Hillegom he turns out to have cooked a true feast for us ladies. Delicious turkey breast, sprouts with gorgonzola and baked potatoes. What a treat! A little after dinner and then to bed, tomorrow fresh start.
 
During the first masterclass we make a "Double Deck Pendant". With this technique 2 silver plates with an open-worked part are riveted to each other. On the inside of the bottom plate gold foil is applied and the 2 parts are kept at a distance by silver fantasy beads.
This pendant is thus realized through the application of multiple techniques.

Today the "Colorful Slide Ring" is on the program. This project consists of a base ring of silver, 2 rings of brass wire and 2 rings of silver clay between them, in which bezels are processed. The first 3 rings are all soldered and the entire design is soldered in and to each other again, allowing the 2 inner rings to move freely.
A job of goldsmithing in combination with silver clay. Something I clearly have less mastered and what makes me decide to make it a Colorful Sliced Ring 😉. All parts are now attached to each other, turning? . . . Not!
​And yet I am very happy with it! 
 
It is over, we quit and go home. Margit and I are picked up by Michael, at least we think. He appears to leave too late, ends up in traffic jams and takes a wrong turn. All in all not that bad, you might think. Well if you set off with an empty mobile and a deceased tomtom. He has no idea where he is at any time and arrives at the hotel with a delay of more than 1.5 hours. Fortunately for him, Renske also waited with us for his arrival.
She always takes it for him. Where I get angry, she knows how to explain his performance.
Not only a dear friend of mine, but also for Michael and our kids.
 
Arrived in Harderwijk, Margit gets into her car and drives the last part to Dieverbrug alone.
​Finally back home, unpack and reminisce on a full week Metal Clay.
 
Again I need to say: Feel Blessed & more than Happy!