Making Handmade Jewellery: A Day in My Life

Early Mornings

I hear respectful woof from the living room: my alarm ‘clock’. Bleary-eyed, I fetch my furry friend and make tea. They both come back to bed with me, my tea and grateful for my canine hot water bottle. Once I know what world I’m waking up to today I snooze Radio 4, and write for a while - my journal, my blog, something else - capturing the thoughts that curl from my mind.

Journaling, Intentions and Breakfast

When I journal, untamed thoughts and feelings unfurl into something coherent on the page. A conclusion or intention for the day soon emerges.

My intention is often simple; are Grace and Pepper and I healthy and happy enough? What can I do today to make that happen? It might be to create, to clear, to organise, to produce, to connect, to hustle, or to nurture, to gather, to rest, to laugh.

On school days I oversee the teenage breakfasting and morning preparations from a safe distance.

Healthy breakfasts are bright shadows left over from my year and a half with Long Covid. I did everything to get my body back to functioning including good nutrition. I am reminded for the third time in my life of the fragility of my human body. When it’s warm, a giant bowl of fresh fruit and a boiled egg (peri-menopausal women also need a lot of protein). As autumn days beckon, cosiness and comfort is required; porridge with turmeric and nut milk with frozen heated cherries, or tinned prunes or chopped apple with a sprinkling of seeds.

Without a Dog I may not have a Nature Inspired Business

My old dog Hazel (god rest her fuzzy, crazy soul) and now Pepper have taken me for daily morning walks along the river for most of the last 18 years, a treasured gem in my day.

Through the dappled light of the woods and across the grasses, past the wildflowers and under those dangerous squirrel-trees. Without a daily dog walk, would I have paid so much attention to those treasures of nature that form much of my collection? I found that particular sycamore seed here, which would become the sycamore jewellery range (once proudly featured in the Guardian Gift Guide). The wistful willows, the sturdy, billowing (in spring) hawthorns or the majestic oaks? Thank you dogs - isn’t it funny how things in life fit together?

Our soundtrack: a cacophony of birdsong, rustling leaves, flowing river water, flapping wings and occasional woodpecker. I can’t leave out the planes landing at Heathrow (no third runway was one of the few benefits of the pandemic). My annoyance soothed by the blue flash of a kingfisher darting by.

A quick paddle for Pepper in the river, the mandarin ducks, moorhens and herons politely make their way in the other direction. If not inspecting what the trees and plants have to offer my collection I chat and walk with my fellow morning walkers, my daily social sustenance.

Getting ready for a Day in my Jewellery Studio

My quota of caffeine is used up by 8am so I take a herbal tea downstairs. I head down the stairs from my first floor maisonette to my garden studio just a few feet away, Pepper at my heels. Padding through my tiny garden we pass the rose bush where I plucked the rose leaf from all those years ago, my first one to cast, and still one of your favourites. (It makes the most beautiful leaf ring.) My rose bush (pictured) happens to be the first plant I bought for my garden when I moved in. Pink roses now spread across my small flowerbed from May to October with no effort from me.

By now, Woman’s Hour is on, or I listen to whatever juicy audiobook I am getting my teeth, or ears into. I open my orders list on my phone and see what is in store for today. Pepper makes a nest on the sheepskin rug on the sofa behind me for her morning snooze.

Making Your Jewellery Orders

If I am busy to the point of nearing overwhelm, such as any any day in December I get a bit twitchy.

To prevent panic, I start my making time by assembling and packing as many already-finished pieces that I can before I start soldering new orders (thank you past-me for making them in advance!) . Then I feel like I am winning as the little packages pile up. Then if there are curveballs in the day I have orders to send that night. (I am, after all, a single mum with a daughter and dog and my own business - curveballs often fly around all over the place).

Knowing that even after an hour in the studio some customers will have their eagerly awaited packages arriving on their doorstep the following morning, probably during the next instalment of Woman’s Hour, puts me at ease.

I head over to my workbench feeling ahead, smug even, with plenty of time for soldering, finishing, polishing things I need to get on with.

Creating and Finishing the Jewellery

My solder block and torch sit on jewellery bench with my pliers, solder pick, all my files and sandpapers, silver findings for attaching and building pieces with. Pepper sleeps through any hammering I might be getting on with.

I am always grateful to yesterday’s me for tidying up, and forgiving of yesterday’s me if I had to rush off to grab a curveball, leaving it in a tip.

I gather the silver casts I am working with, a silver leaf or two to be made into a ring and bracelet, or a selection of silver shells to become a cluster necklace. Or I might gather silver scrap to make recycled silver earrings.

Working through the list I file off where the casting ‘sprue’ was through a series of 2 or 3 files and 5 levels of sandpaper. I usually wear a mask for this to prevent silver dust getting in my lungs, even though a sprinkling of silver dust in my body sounds appealing.

Soldering Silver

Once filed to a smooth surface, I soldering whatever it is, a ring band to a silver hydrangea, creating a bangle with a charm, or a little jump ring onto a pair of ferns to make earrings. I attach them with the fire, the flux and solder, not forgetting my glasses or goggles because you never know.

The moment the silver starts to glow a little, the solder flows into the spaces and hardens when I pull the torch, and heat away. A moment of alchemy, I witness the forces of nature aligned before my eyes.

Recycling silver to make the recycled silver pebble earrings is hugely therapeutic. I try to find time for that, regardless of whether they have been ordered.

Cleaning the Silver Jewellery

Once I have made it through the list (if it is short, I make a few popular pieces too, for those days where things get in the way, and to stock up through the year for the winter season). If orders come in after this time they are on tomorrows list.

I pop the soldered, now rather messy looking jewellery in a heated pickle solution. I use Picklean, a natural acid I buy from Cookson Gold which is non toxic and easy to use. Once the dark oxides on the pieces are cleaned by the pickle leaving them clean and matte, I polish the jewellery pieces in my tumble machine which takes a few hours. I make them polished or matte finish in this machine.

My Garden ‘Office’

While the polisher is tumbling I do any admin. Ordering materials, updating my website, printing labels, social media or writing, emails and whatever else needs to be done.

I also have lunch, sometimes a power nap if time allows (essential during those bad long covid days but less common now). This is also when I might work on new jewellery designs.

Designing New Jewellery

I am excited to be designing more at the moment. Designing new things for my collection often feels luxurious, though it is essential or I would have nothing to sell. I am able to do this more during quieter times, such as in the summer and early in the year, or this ‘while my orders are tumbling around in the polisher’ time. Making unique sea glass jewellery and adding to my recycled silver jewellery range is currently top of my design list.

Out and About

Every now and then I ditch the admin. While the tumble machine does its magic I sometimes go on a jolly. I am back in time to package up again and catch the post later. I am introverted though enjoy meeting up with friends old and new, and make sure it happens regularly.

Going to beautiful places and talking with other creatives feeds my soul and nourishes my business.

I am lucky to live in Twickenham, a beautiful area surrounded by even more beautiful places to visit like Kew Gardens, Petersham Nurseries, and Ham House and Garden. I am around the corner from Richmond and Marble Hill Park which I wander round every week. York House Gardens are also very beautiful, as well as Orleans House Gallery, all a stones throw from each other. Petersham Nurseries and Ham House are across the other side of the River Thames, just hop on Hammertons Ferry, for £1. I shared photos from some of these places on my blog.

Packaging Your Jewellery

Before I empty the tumble machine I make up the packaging and gift boxes, like a simple origami project. I line them with recycled acid-free tissue and sprinkle delphinium petals because, well you know. A burst of flowery confetti brightens up your morning too right? Especially if you listen to Radio 4 too much.

I cut twine to the right size to wrap around the gift box, 12 inches if you are interested. The box is 50% recycled materials and 100% recyclable. (they used to be 100% recycled and I am hoping they will improve their recipe again soon). I stamp my logo on the box. (the logo is quite detailed, so I was warned that it wouldn’t come out with professional foil print. I think it looks great, and it is better for the environment. If prestigious Petersham Nurseries can get away with it, so can I.

Finishing Your Jewellery

I give the pieces a final polish with polishing cloths (I recommend Town Talk and sometimes include surprise free kits for my best customers). Next, I assemble with the chain or ear wire or make up the bracelet using my pliers. I straighten rings and bangles on the mandrel with my leather mallet (leather so it doesn’t leave marks).

I pop them in their gift boxes. Once they are in their little homes I tie the twine into a bow, add a pretty nature inspired business card and nature quote card (they make great bookmarks) and pop them in the packing box and tape up with sticky paper (Grace and Flora parcels are plastic free).

I sling the packets over my shoulder and take them to the post office where theres a 5pm collection. It doubles up as a dog walk: as we trot along the other side of the river, past the oak tree where I plucked the baby oak leaf and acorn I use in my acorn and oak jewellery. Through the bank of blackberry bushes where my beloved blackberry necklace first found life and onto the main road to the post office.

“Running your own business means creating your own boundaries”

Work Life Balance and Boundaries

I am better at balancing my time after ten years of jewellery making. Work life balance, structure, and wellbeing are all hand in hand. I worked as a counsellor and psychotherapist for 16 years but I still have to remind myself of these things.

Running your own business means creating your own boundaries. There is no boss or structure to adhere to so you have to do it your way. For example, I rarely respond to emails and enquiries in the evenings or at the weekends and don’t often look at Instagram messages. I don’t tend to work at the weekends unless it is designing new things which feels restorative to my wellbeing - creativity feeds the soul.

Having boundaries means I can give prioritise my time and service to my paying customers. It also allows me space around the edges to have new ideas, or have creative thoughts to address problems that come up. I cultivate the work life balance I need to look after me and my lovely ones.

Harnessing Creativity - and Running with it

When I am on a creative roll, as I am at the moment, ideas erupt from me and it can feel overwhelming. I have to keep my feet on the ground in these phases, and channel it without burning out. I can’t make all the things, all the time. I remind myself that no-one will die if new things take another month, or even another year to get out into the world. It is like parenting a teenager who wants to stay out late every night (another theme in my household). I achieve this through lots of self talk to regain perspective.

In the evenings your jewellery is safely stowed in a post bag in a Royal Mail van trundling its way to you. I make dinner. I sometimes do social media, if I find it replenishing, with my snoozy dog and a peppermint tea; a square of chocolate or two. Or I read, write or watch a gripping series if I feel like escapism. I often have a short yoga session before bed to stretch out the day.

Me at my jewellers bench.

I started Grace and Flora ten years ago to compliment my work as a therapist. I wanted a creative outlet and a business that sustains my wellbeing. It also now pays the bills and sprinkles some joy into the world. My chest swells at the thought of one happy customer, or now thousands all over the world.

Apart from becoming a mum, with all its trials and traumas, starting Grace and Flora (named after my daughter Grace Flora) was the best decision I ever made. When I started, I never for a moment imagined that I would make it this far. I never even dreamed that I would get so much love and support from my community, my customers, and be able to lead this creative life. And here I am!

Maybe this is a good time to thank you all for allowing me to do this wonderful job.

Photos taken by Hannah Argyle (mostly).