COME ON In…

A ‘jewellery studio’ for me conjures images of vaulted ceilings, open spaces & the clink of tools echoing off vast white walls. So what does the space where my handmade jewellery comes to life actually look like? Well, It’s not exactly a lofty cotswold barn…

STARTING SMALL: BETTER THAN NOT STARTING AT ALL

Black Octopus Jewellery handmade jewellery studio small room with bench on the right under window — My home studio

Honestly…I think the term ‘studio’ is probably a bit generous. I work from a very compact room in my home which didn’t become my ‘studio’ for a while because I was sure I needed more space.

Not having a place to work was the big obstacle stopping me from getting my sustainable jewellery business off the ground, so in the end I realised it was make the best of a small not-really-used room, or wait 5+ years for my dream of a garden studio to become a reality.

CREATING LUXURY JEWELLERY JUST STEPS FROM THE KETTLE

With the advantage of hindsight I realise it’s exactly what I needed all along, and I feel super lucky to have this bit of space just for me. There’s quite a few pros to this setup too….

Home Jewellery studio bench view of garden — The view from my bench, comes both with and without kids on swings

There’s a lovely garden view (albeit through a climbing frame)
It’s just steps away from the kettle
There’s a radiator right under my bench- I don’t know who I was kidding thinking I could survive a winter in the garden

The commute downstairs isn’t quite long enough to get my steps in, but it certainly beats the cold wet train platforms and sweatbox tube commutes of my past life.

From Temporary Kitchen to CREATIVE SPACE

Having a carpenter for a husband certainly has it’s advantages, so turning this room into a creative sanctuary was a quicker turnaround than I’d imagined. Originally planned to be the space for my desk-job (that I never went back to), it had briefly been a temporary kitchen during our home-renovation project.

Handmade jewellery studio previously a temporary kitchen — My studios’ (brief) previous life as a kitchen while our house reno was underway

NOTE: This kitchen moved locations several times during the building work- this photo it not reflective of his carpentry standards

Keeping the old kitchen sink turned out to be a massive win - the art of creating handmade jewellery involves a LOT of washing (and my lovely new kitchen sink didn’t need the mess I make when creating).

With the rest of the kitchen stripped out the bench and worktops were built (I’m always happy to be using up some offcuts from his ever-growing wood stash), and after a trip to Ikea for some storage and last minute ‘essentials’ I was off.

Organised bench=Organised brain?

I try to start the day with an organised bench to avoid losing too much time hunting for the right pliers or file, and have discovered that magnets are a metalsmiths’ storage solution dream. With the addition of some un-used pen-pots and the odd coffee tin for bits and bobs I generally know where things are when I need them, but am a bit disappointed I’m yet to find a space for a pegboard.

My silver stash definitely needs a sort out but that’s a job for a rainy autumn day.

View of Black Octopus Jewellery studio bench tool storage — Keeping tools in reach

There’s still tiles to add, more storage needed and of course my ever-growing collection of tools all need a home. But for now I’m just very grateful to be here in this perfect little creative corner of my home, making jewellery in a way that seemed completely out of reach not that long ago.

Overcoming MIni studio Challenges

Having a small space for everything from storage to soldering and polishing to packaging certainly comes with it’s challenges.

Black Octopus Jewellery soldering block and blowtorch WIP — Soldering WIP

Packing orders is mostly done in an awkward squat on the floor, and I can only use my small blowtorch inside to reduce the risk of burning the house down - but I’m seeing it as room to grow. I’ve managed to commandeer a small corner of the shed for the bigger-flame jobs and I haven’t been evicted yet….

I’m pretty sure the ventilation situation isn’t ideal, but it’s certainly better now there aren’t 50 bees hanging around outside the window, and I think I pull off the full face mask ok.

Creating Silver Jewellery in a Zen Space

The value of a calm and organised space is definitely something I’ve come to value (particularly in those long evening sessions when you probably should have given up and gone to bed).

I’m working on adding more bits and pieces that inspire me as I go; art prints, lovely plants and work from other local artists and makers are always on my Christmas wishlist.

Black Octopus Jewellery studio wall — More artwork to come…

Whether I’m listening to a comedy podcast, watching (listening to) the latest weird documentary on Netflix or smashing through a not-hard-to-follow-when-you’re-not-looking-up series, it’s (mostly) a zen space where I can make beautiful things from silver.

So why have I invited you in for a look?

Because I want my lovely customers to see the real story behind where your favourite pieces of jewellery were brought to life. It’s easy to assume that even the smallest businesses are operating out of a commercial unit with a small team of people. The reality of my handmade jewellery is that it’s made here, by me and my two hands. Two always filthy, regularly blistered, occasionally burnt hands, that are happiest when creating little pieces of metal joy to share with the world.

Handmade jewellery being created at the bench

Meet the Maker

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I hope you enjoyed this one. Want to see more of my studio (jokes- there’s only really under the bench left) or find out more about my processes? Why not sign up to my newsletter so you can receive insights like this one direct to your inbox