Fool's Flower Offerings
It’s a New Moon in 'no mow' May and the first instalment from my Fool’s Gold Jewellery Studio Substack. Expect ramblings, a NEW WEBSITE in the wings and exciting workshops waiting for you!
As we welcome in the New Moon this evening, which comes into play at 21.00 hours GMT on this Saturday 16th May, I’d also like to welcome you to my Fool’s Gold Jewellery Studio Substack, thank you for being here!
As I type I am currently waiting for my new Fool’s Gold Jewellery Studio Website domain to connect to it’s landing page, it’s taking it’s time of course and the excited child in me that always wants to run before she can walk is getting a little impatient, but that’s okay, I’m only human afterall.
You maybe reading this as a result of clicking the ‘Subscribe Here’ button from said connected landing page at some point in the future, so this may well be your sign to sign up below and receive these seasonal moon cycle ramblings and jewellery workshop offerings direct to your inbox.
Consider it a light-hearted informative read with passionate undertones, a bit like this Fool’s Flower here!
HELLO…
If you’re new to this Substack space (as I relatively am) and have recently subscribed, let me introduce myself and explain a little more as to why Fool’s Gold Jewellery Studio has come about.
I will then share more info on our exciting June Workshops that span every weekend including our Summer Solstice Guest Artist Workshops that cross the realms of art, design and jewellery making!
I’m Julia, founder of Julia Thompson Jewellery, a mum to a young teenage boy and fur baby ‘Peanut Butter’, our lovely slightly bonkers lurcher. We currently live in rural South Somerset, a absolutely gorgeous part of South West England, and have a passion for walking in nature, traditional crafts, art in all it’s forms and anything that sparkles. I also have twenty plus years experience as a jewellery designer maker and female lead small business owner.
Truth be told, it’s not always been an easy ride and it’s definitely a struggle in this current climate, but I’m determined with your help and the wonderful community around me to dig deeper into the soil of these challenging times…
I have a skillset worthy of sharing and communicating, this is what keeps me ticking along. I also have a passion to continuously learn from others too!
SKILL SHARING…
This brings me nicely onto skill sharing. I believe one of the major building blocks of community is the ability to skill share. It’s practical yet creative and fun. Skill sharing can enrich one’s life and bring a sense of joy.
I want Fool’s Gold Jewellery Studio to be accessible to all. It’s an inclusive space where one can come and play, relax, meet other like minded people, skill share, swap creative and problem solving ideas, escape the day-to-day, get offline, learn something new, try your hand and enjoy getting lost in the art of making. There’s something magical about truly focussing on what your hands can make with simple tools of the trade.
Developing a jewellery school was always going to be a natural progression for me to help pass on the skills I possess, whilst bringing in like minded tutors covering other fields of expertise. We will soon be offering wax carving classes, alternative texture surface play with fusing, the art of reticulation and rolling mill embossing, plus more advanced stone setting courses with guest master goldsmiths and gemmology workshops with leading industry experts whom I’m very proud to call my friends, you know who you are!
Discover our jam packed June listings below:
HERITAGE CRAFT & CONNECTION…
Some of the skills we already teach are ancient in origin, like the art of creating a mold from cuttlefish bone, to either carve into or press a found object into and cast in silver. According to the Ancient Wessex Network who attend the wonderful annual Green Scythe Fair here on the Somerset Levels, folk have been Cuttlefish Casting since 2400 BC, and that it was a technological advancement back then. Being able to cast a metal socket in which to insert your wooden axe handle before bounding it tight with leather, made for a much stronger tool. The axe became more robust, giving it longevity and the ability to tackle bigger jobs.
I do feel that technology is now out running us today at what feels like the speed of light and I for one am feeling the need to slow down and embrace the moment more.
There is an obvious beauty in slowing down and taking the time to repair or make something with your hands. Something real and tangible, made to best of your ability and not necessarily perfect either… We all know that there’s no such thing as perfection. ‘Hand-made’ is now being coined ‘human-made’ and it’s not rocket science to see why with the rise of AI and the current state of play.
MORE ABOUT FOOL’S GOLD WEBSITE…
The new website will be a cohesive one stop shop for all things jewellery school related. With info on who our tutors are, an easy booking system for our more regular classes and sessions like our ‘Rent-a-Bench’ or ‘Private Studio Booking’ for you and your friends to come and spend the day making jewellery. We will soon be offering our ‘Hen High Tea Workshop’ where you and your girls can craft beautiful silver pendants, rings, earrings and bangles ready for your wedding day whilst sipping fizz from decadent china tea cups!
In time I plan to introduce a Fool’s Gold Paid Subscription here on the stack, where for a set annual fee you’ll gain access to regular discount codes and special offers to use across many of the workshops and courses we run at the studio over the course of a year. Offer ideas may well include ‘Purchase one workshop space and bring a friend for free!’ … Or getting access to our well crafted ‘How to Guides’.
For example ‘How to create a solder plan’ and ‘How to order your precious metal & gemstones’ if you’re starting out at home.
If you have any suggestions of what you might like to see or gain from a paid subscription, especially regarding remote learning if you’re unable to physically come to our bricks and mortar studio then do please get in touch.
Let’s start a conversation… We’re totally open to any ideas you may have!
OUR SUMMER SOLSTICE GUEST ARTIST SPECIALS…
& OUR HANDCRAFTED LOGO!
Finally, please let me introduce you to my logo. It’s an original art piece in it’s own right. Designed by myself and Amber of @BlackRatStudios over many a back and forth text message plus an in person lunch date at our favourite midway cafe haunt The Bridge Bakery Canteen.
Amber then sketched out, lino cut and printed what is now an alternative tailor made square version of ‘The Fool’ tarot card, complete with dog (Peanut Butter of course, can you see the likeness?), the Fool’s Flower, a white rose, and me, The Fool!
We have encompased the four seasons, the four elements and four main jewellery tools, the piercing saw, Parallel Pliers, a rapousse hammer and flame, the master of all creation… and destruction too, oops!
And finally to complete the artwork we have of course some pyrite crystal (aka fool’s gold) within the earth plus ‘three for a girl’ magpies circling in the sky as a nod to The Matriarchy.
Where the journey begins at the bench…
Welcome to all again, and thanks for being here!
