Life Update... 🌿 1 Year Later

 Here we are again.

One year on after my last post but I promise there was a valid excuse.

Some of you will know I've ran my own jewellery business for 9 years now. While it's not been anywhere near as successful as that might initially sound (quite the opposite) rather than give up I look for ways I can improve and grow. 

I can't give up on my jewellery brand as I finally found what I am passionate about and love to do, so if it's not going anywhere, I don't think to give up but to think how I can do better.

Last year January 2022 I left a job I was in that was very toxic and draining. 

I spent 6 months unemployed and focused my time trying to pick up and concentrate on my business. It felt amazing to spend my time purely on my own thing trying to work on my business again.

But I needed to do more. I've always been a self taught designer, and well, even everything business related I have taught myself along the way!

What I really wanted was to improve my making skills more than anything. I love working at the bench working with metals and tools and even though I taught myself a few easy basics, I wanted to be better.

So in August I started a new job, I now work in repairs for a lovely fellow jewellery brand and I am super grateful for this job as I have already learnt so much through them. I'm surrounded by such amazing people and fellow jewellery designers who are keen to help each other out. It's a lovely community. A far cry from my previous job!

I then enrolled and started at the BAJ in September.

This was the start of my 6 day week grind, keeping my head down and learning as much as I could.

This course was more like quick snippets of many different areas within jewellery making and design. From CAD to wax carving, orthographic drawing, stone setting, engraving and quite a lot more.

A great opportunity to find specific skills and techniques I enjoyed more than others and managed better than others!

There is so much more practising I need and with jewellery I think you can never stop learning. It has opened my eyes even more to what an incredible skill it is and honestly I think jewellery designers/makers are undervalued because this stuff aint easy!

So now, I am taking a little time off to relax and catch up on rest because quite frankly the 6 day weeks the past 10 months nearly killed me! 😅

But then I will be at the bench and planning a new collection so don't forget to follow my business - Nostalgic Feather

Here is a look at my final piece which I think may be the inspo towards my new collection.. 👀

As today is 08/08/23 The Lions Gate Portal and a powerful day for meditation and manifesting I thought I would start with a catch up post before I sit down with a cuppa and journal my dreams down 🌿

Thank you for being here 

🪶