New Sea Motion Collection

Sheila has a new collection for you! Introducing Sea Motion…

Sea Motion is a collection for the summer. Let your mind wander to warm sands and windswept shores…

Sheila and Marion spent a very enjoyable afternoon on the windswept shore of Dingieshowe beach not far from the Workshop. It was a special day for Sheila because all the designing, making and enamelling of her new collection were finished. Time to share with the world so Sheila asked her interior visual designer, Marion, to model and off they set with local photographer, Tom O’Brian.

They were blessed with a beautiful April day. Indeed Tom took these photographs to the sound of waves breaking and sea birds calling. Marion tells us she wasn’t cold at all!

It was all very fitting as Sheila’s first ideas for Sea Motion came to her while on holiday. Sitting gazing at the sea she found the constant motion very calming. This in turn really helped to let her creative side take over and she has tried to portray the idea of this constant motion with enamels on silver and gold.

Making Sea Motion

As ever, the challenge is in turning two-dimensional sketches into three-dimensional jewellery. This process starts with the master pattern. Here Sheila’s design is broken it down into small parts and each part, however tiny, is cut from plates of solid silver.

Above you can see the jewellery saw master pattern maker, Pete, uses to cut the silver plates lying just below the bench peg while the necklet itself is on the bench peg. Pete has made and soldered the first five parts and you can perhaps just see the slender sixth part beside the necklet. He’ll put it on next along with the other small parts lying ready on Sheila’s design sketch. Pete needs to have patience and to be a perfectionist!

And here’s the necklet a few hours later… Sheila’s bold design has come to life in textured and polished sterling silver. The master has no colour, that comes later with the enamel…

Enamelling Sea Motion

A silver cast of the master then goes to the enamelling room. Here Hayley is working with a sketch where Sheila has detailed the colours she wants for the design. It’s Hayley’s task to create these colours with molten grains of glass. She chooses from her myriad of coloured glass tubs and starts blending different shades.

Just like creating the master itself, creating the colours is a skilled task requiring great attention to detail and care. Hayley has a rather unusual tool though. Unlike Pete’s technical, precision tools, Hayley uses one of Nature’s creations: a trimmed goose quill!

A quill-full of coloured glass… enamelling underway. Hayley has already blended several colours. Once finished she’ll put this piece into a small specialist kiln where the heat will cause the soft solution of glass grains to fuse and solidify to become enamel.

Sea Motion Complete

One beautiful necklet in Lunar Light enamel… capturing the flow of the sea and sunlight on deep and shallow waters.

The rings are also available in gold!  Would make lovely wedding bands… Shown below in Tempest on left and Lunar Light on right.

Meet the Designer

Sheila will be introducing her new collection in her boutique shop in historic Stockbridge in Edinburgh Friday 25 – Sunday 27 May so if you’d like to see more do come along!

To celebrate Sheila is also offering 10% Loyalty Discount* in Stockbridge during the event.

And finally, Sheila hopes you’ll like her new collection. Here’s a sneak preview of Sea Motion.