Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Stephen Smith (That's his Sunday name by the way), designer and maker at Steve Smith Jewellery, based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.Steve is also 1/4 of the founding members of Hand Made Yorkshire.
Here's what Steve had to tell me:
How long have you been a designer maker?
6 years making dichroic glass jewellery but
was an abstract artist before that.
What do you do/make?
I design and make Kiln fired glass jewellery
and include some silver smithing in some of my pieces.
How did you become a designer/maker?
For a long, long time, I painted abstract art
for open exhibitions and before that did quite a few animal portraits.
When I went to art exhibitions the
three-dimensional art always caught my eyes. It’s different shapes and form and
watching the light change and bounce in different directions.
I
think this is when it started.
I
loved the idea of making glass jewellery but never could because of the cost of
a kiln. Until I met my wonderful muse and partner, Sue. It was her who gave me
the confidence to start designing and making and put the idea of asking for a
kiln on freecycle to get me started. Within 48 hours I was fully kitted out
with a kiln and all the tools to get started. Although, the very first time I
plugged the 40 year old kiln into a very long extension cable and set it going
outside in the garden, just in case it burst into flames.
I used that kiln for nearly 2 years before
buying a more reliable one that didn’t have hot spots.
How did you choose your business name and
what’s the meaning behind it?
That’s
easy, my name and what I do!
Do you run your business full time or balance
another job as well?
I balance my business with a 4 day a week PAYE job as a Chemist.
I balance my business with a 4 day a week PAYE job as a Chemist.
How do you make time for it all?
I
don’t. But I do get most things done, eventually. (too much TV make me a lazy
man)
What’s your favourite thing about running your
business?
The
freedom to create whatever I want.
Of all the thing’s you’ve ever made, which has
been your favourite?
That always changes, on a weekly rate. I make
new designs almost every week, to pick one would be very hard.
Describe your business in three words?
Quality, Colourful and affordable.
I have a love hate relationship with?
Sunday nights, as I have to go to my PAYE job
in the morning.
I love?
Designing, making and coming up with new ideas
that work!
I ignore?
Sometimes common sense!
What inspires you?
Shape, form and colour of the things I see
around me.
Where can you be found
At the studio on Fridays & Saturdays, 288a High Street,
Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8DW
Tel: 07736 680 190
Website: www.stevesmithjewellery.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SteveSmithJewellery
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/stevesmithglass
See Steve making one of his pendants here
Thanks Steve for sharing your beautiful, shiny, sparkly, objects of dazzling, delight with us and for the video too.
Thanks Sue for taking up your spare time (which you don't have) doing this for the collective.
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