Woodland Jewellery & Snowdrop Week in Ireland

     Who knew Snowdrop Week in Ireland and around the world is taking place usually late January or early in February!

     It can probably seem quite unusual for some of you reading this blog that this little flower can have its own week, especially popular in UK and Ireland. I only learned about it when we moved to Ireland more than a decade ago and I started to visit beautiful Altamont Gardens nearby.

This year Snowdrop Week at Altamont Gardens runs from 12th - 18th February.

 

     Every year after dark and cold winter months it is inspiring to see the first signs of Spring. Would it be evenings getting brighter, more sunshine or first spring flowers.

     I have created several floral designs in the past but choosing and creating design inspired by snowdrops is one of my favourite. It was on my mind for a two years before I actually started to work on this design and below you can see a simple step by step process.

• First I collected a folder full of different snowdrop images on my computer.
• Believe it or not there is a impressive collection at Altamont Gardens with over 100 named varieties!... so I even borrowed a book from the main gardener and it was interesting to learn about the plant, its different parts, colours and nature.
• Next step was sketching followed by making decision on colour scheme and starting to condition the polymer clay.
• Finally everything was ready to start making unique Valg Studio snowdrop design cane.
• It was great to introduce new bead shape and use new findings - hoop leverbacks, stylish and very secure.

Take a closer look at Valg Studio Floral Range online HERE.

     When I see snowdrops I almost feel like transported back to childhood family home in North Latvia, in early Spring there would still be big snow patches lying around the garden, icicles meting in the sun and snowdrops emerging.

     Spot these delicate white flowers on a woodland walk or stroll in park and have a wonderful Spring!

Talk soon,

Liga x

January Sale at Valg Studio

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your New Year is off to a good start!

I wanted to take a moment to THANK YOU for all the ongoing support and custom throughout the 2016. It really means alot to me!

I would like to offer 25% OFF coupon code on all purchases until January 5th at valgstudio.etsy.com. Simply use coupon code VALG25 at checkout to get 25% OFF any order! 

On the New Year's Eve I decided I should try to make a dreamcatcher and this is what I came up with. 

Happy New Year everyone! Don't be afraid to Dream Big!

Liga x

Countdown to the Festive Season

     

     Glowing Autumn leaves, foggy morning light... needless to say it is a beautiful time of the year. There is still plenty of sunshine to enjoy when taking a break from preparations in the studio for the Festive season ahead of us. I'm looking forward to meeting you at one of the shows I'm doing before the end of this year. Don't hesitate to get in touch or browse Valg Studio shop online if it's not meant to meet in person.

      I'm delighted my first show of the season will kick off in Cork city. If you live in the province of Munster or are visiting Cork city during the second week of November make sure to visit the annual Glucksman Gallery Craft + Design Fair.  It is wonderful vibrant craft fair and I will have new work on display as well as old favourites. I hope to see you there! 

Valg Studio stand at The Glucksman Gallery Craft + Design Fair 2015

Get ready to feel the Christmas spirit! Liga x

FORM Craft Exhibition

     FORM Craft Exhibition showcases wonderful work from local art and crafts people including jewellery design, ceramics, stone and fine art textiles. Taking place in the beautiful and historic Shaw Room of Carlow County Library it is open during Carlow Arts Festival until 18th June.

     Tireless work and support from everyone involved leading up to last Friday concluded with the opening of FORM exhibition by the Minister of Enterprise (Mary Mitchell O'Connor) and launch of brand new FORM Designmade in Carlow brochures. Thanks for the  continued support to Karen Hennessey from the Design and Craft Council of Ireland (DCCOI).

     Below you will find a short video from the opening day on 10th June. Part about FORM starts at 1:00 into the clip. Delighted to show the Minister my new work. We had a short conversation about it and the material I use. Great to hear a compliment. It was a lovely morning.

     Many thanks to Kieran Comerford and John Mulcahy from Local Enterprise Office and the team at Carlow Library for all their help organising this significant event. I have to admit I think the window film looks great, very eye-catching. 

Fragment Series Necklace / Valg Studio

FORM Craft Exhibition during Carlow Arts Festival at Carlow County Library, June 2016

DIVA Necklace / Valg Studio

Icy Necklace, Rocks Brooches / Valg Studio

Official opening of FORM Craft Exhibition by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor. 

Martin Lyttle, Stone sculpture.

     I'm honored to be part of this exhibition and delighted to show new work. FORM Designmade in Carlow exhibition during the Carlow Arts Festival in Carlow Library is open till 18th June. You are all welcome to visit. Liga x

Rocks Collection

     Introducing the new 'Rocks' collection featuring simple and elegant contemporary pieces. Treat yourself with fresh colors and unique designs to complement your individual style. The beauty of statement jewelry is that it only takes one piece to make your whole outfit to stand out.

     Tirelessly tiny pieces of polymer are cut, chosen and arranged in clusters on pearl white or granite polymer clay base to create limited edition cluster rings, earrings and pendants. The inspiration behind the collection grew from the statement necklace 'Icy' designed and made last year for the International Polymer Clay Awards.

     Selection of 'Rocks' collection will be available online at valgstudio.etsy. Alternatively during the Summer months I will take part at Carlow Arts Festival in June and Kilkenny Arts Festival in August. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or require further information.

     I was delighted to work with Ramona from Strike a Pose blog and Dagnis from Photography by Dagnis Abols on the Rocks photoshoot. I couldn't have wished for a better model than Ramona and Dagnis captured the mood and pieces of this collection wonderfully. Product photography by Rory Moore during the FORM Designmade in Carlow annual photoshoot.

     I wish you a wonderful Summer filled with love, adventure, joy and piece. Liga x

New Valg Studio Website

     Ever since I started Valg Studio I wished one day it would have its own web address. I'm delighted that finally it is up and running. It's still a work in progress but it's a start. I would like to say a sincere thank you to my good friend Maria from Lollipops & Daydreams for supporting and encouraging me all the way!

     If you have a minute or two hop over and check it out. I'd really appreciate hearing any feedback that anyone might have. Liga x

www.valgstudio.com

Carlow Made Exhibition during the Heritage Week

     Carlow Made Exhibition during the Heritage Week in August was a lovely finish to a busy Summer for the Valg Studio. I'm delighted to be part of Carlow Made creative collective for the past three years. It is pure joy to come together 2-3 times per year and put together a wonderful show. Our most recent activity was exhibition at Carlow Central Library during the Heritage Week and it was brilliant opportunity to show the beautiful work of talented artists and craftspeople living in county Carlow.

"Carlow Made is a collective of artist craftspeople living within the Carlow county boundary. Our aim is to provide mutual support and to foster a professional standard in our practice. All our members use authentic materials and processes to fashion their pieces. Crafts represented include jewellery, textiles, fashion, woodturning, ceramics, printmaking, fine art. The group exhibits regularly and usually organises two pop-up shops in Carlow, one during the Carlow Arts Festival and one around Christmas."
     I was delighted to show Valg Studio knit inspired collection and floral designs. I have to say that it was honor to exhibit in this historical building, especially in the beautiful G.B. Shaw room. Thanks to the Carlow Central Library for inviting us. Executive Librarian, Fiona Foskin for the warm welcome, all the help and support from the first day.
National Heritage Week is over, it has been great to be part of such an important and wonderful event. Carlow Central Library hosted many interesting events. PenFest is up next, check out the library website for more information. www.carlowlibraries.ie Meanwhile I'm getting ready for the Autumn/Winter shows. More information coming soon. Talk soon, Liga. x

Midsummer: Celebrating Nature

Photo by Olga Kern

     Summer Solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the whole year and it is by far the most popular holiday in Latvia. I'm Latvian and this time of the year is very special to me with many memories from my childhood.  It is wonderful to see many traditions getting stronger with every year and evoke interest in younger generations. However it can take more effort to keep your native traditions alive if you are living far away from your home country. I enjoy gathering wild flowers and making flower or oak leave wreaths, decorate the house. Always trying to get caraway cheese, visit friends and sing "Līgo" songs. Keeping our traditions alive keeps us connected to our roots.

     I was very happy to participate at Latvian Culture Days at Temple Bar Meeting House Square in Dublin last month with my nature inspired jewellery collection. It was a great day filled with Latvian music and dance. I loved seeing participants in their colourful traditional costumes and meeting festival visitors. A day for celebrating and re-discovering my culture’s rich history. It almost feels a little bit more special to experience it on the streets of Dublin while at home in Latvia it is natural.

I found a wonderful short description about this special time of the year by Ieva Alksne.

Līgo and Summer Solstice Festival in Latvia, Midsummer Night or Jāņi celebration can be deemed the most Latvian holiday, marked according to pagan traditions. The festival bears also such names as Līgo!, Jāņi Day, Grass Day, and Grass Evening.

Līgo! and Jāņi are a somewhat mystic event, as, according to ancient traditions, you have to search for the Legendary fern blossom, wash your face in the grass`s morning dew, and gather herbal plants, which are said to have a special power midsummer. Summer Solstice or Jāņi celebrations date back centuries, when Europeans actively practiced the cult of the Sun. Bonfires and other rituals were not only part of annual traditional celebrations, but also manifested the unity of cosmic and earth order. Jāņi is the celebration of the longest day and shortest night of the year. Besides, Jāņi is also closely related to the countryside - everybody tries to at least to spend that day/night outside a residential area, drink beer and search for the fern blossom. Cities and their life have brought their own options into Jāņi celebrations and created some new traditions, for example, special events in city centres. People are invited to cheerfully celebrate Līgo! in all Latvia`s regions and towns, by warming themselves around bonfires, playing games, and observing traditional rituals and other activities until the sunrise. This night becomes memorable when celebrated together with the best Latvian folk groups and musicians any place in Latvia. 

Have a great week, and enjoy all the Midsummer fun!

Liga x

Carlow Made Pop - Up Shop and Carlow Arts Festival 2015

     Start of the Summer is always busy and inspiring. Lush countryside  views and many Summer festivals begin.

     I had a pleasure to show my new floral range designs and Summer ring collection at Carlow Made Pop - Up Shop during the Carlow Arts Festival. It is one of the biggest season's festivals in Co. Carlow when many local and invited artists are exhibiting.

     Carlow Made is a small group of local artists and craftspeople active during the past few years.  This year our group had a lovely shop unit in Carlow Shopping Centre. Work displayed at the pop - up shop included knitwear, handwoven textiles, quilts, pottery, jewellery, woodwork, cildren's clothes, handmade toys, paintings and prints.

     I was particularly happy with my black and white display. Often it is challenging  to set up a stand in the new venue but this shop had really useful fittings I could use along with my adjustable height table and frames from Ikea. I like the mix of TK Maxx props I have.

     The most enjoyable moments during the festival were taking part at Adventures in Abstract Art painting workshop facilitated by Cora Murphy. Wonderful tutor and a great group! We had so much fun and I can wait to paint more. I also enjoyed checking out little Pop - Up Galleries and AIB Éigse Open Submission exhibition at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art.

     I would liked to visit the Festival of Writing and Ideas taking place in picturesque Borris village but it was one bridge too far this year for me. I remember well the festival atmosphere last year when FORM Designmade in Carlow had first joint exhibition in the Old Laundry at Borris House.

    

     Thanks to everyone who visited Carlow Made Pop - Up shop and I hope you enjoyed the arts festival.

     One more thing to say - we are holding a Summer Giveaway on Valg Studio Facebook page at the moment with a chance to win one of our whimsical designs and treat a friend. To enter press HERE.

All the best,

Liga

Making Floral Birds

         Jewellery inspired by nature is special, I would say dreamy. Sometimes it reflects the symbolic meaning it may have and is important to us. For me the birds symbolise freedom, flowers celebrate natural beauty and femininity.

      Every year I'm making flower canes. I have made various cane designs: simple, common (I think every clayer at some stage has made at least one rose cane) and some complicated flower canes too. Now I am in love with my own tiny flower design canes. For the background I like to use just one colour, it works equally well for various shapes.

     I have been making birds in the past and I was using a blank bird shape base I filled with various cane slices but ideally I wanted to make a bird pendant just using polymer clay. Early this Spring I felt it's the right time. I sketched, cut out various shapes, thought about fastenings, chain or cord and many other things. Challenging was to find the solution for the border around the pendant. I didn't wanted to use one colour line around it so I tried to add organic line of translucent clay pieces  with inclusions (in this case it was glitter and powder) and I'm happy how it worked out.

Scroll down to have a look at step by step process and of course I had to make the  matching earrings.

Enjoy the Spring and Summer, birds singing and flowers blooming!

Take care,
Liga

Perfect Destination for a Creative Weekend in Ireland

     It really is inspiring to go away for a weekend, learn a new skill, meet like-minded people and in this situation I just loved that it was taking place in the beautiful part of rural Ireland at Ennis Creative Arts Centre in Tubber.

     What do you do to nurture your creative side? I'm sure many of you have seen at least one of those lists titled (x number) Ways To Stay Creative. No doubt they are good and full of great advice but often we soon forget about them. Here is my ideal top 5 ways to stay creative and I almost managed  to tick them all off last weekend.

• Spend some time in nature,
• Learn new skill,
• Collaborate,
• Challenge myself,
• Turn off distractions.

      A few days ago I came back from wonderful Precious Metal Clay workshop with Debbie Carlton and I'm delighted with what I learned. The material consists of microscopic particles of pure silver powder mixed with a non-toxic moist binder which burns off during firing leaving objects containing .999 pure silver - aka fine silver. PMC can be shaped just like any soft clay, by hand, texture sheets or using molds.

Various pieces I made during the workshop.

     I chose this workshop because precious metal clay can be easily combined with polymer clay and Debbie showed us really great samples. I haven't decided exactly how I will include PMC in my creative process but I'm sure I will be using it again. I particularly like the fact that tools used are almost the same for both mediums.

     But workshop is only part of this creative weekend. Important part  add participants who come to the workshop. It's great to meet like-minded people, exchange ideas and build friendships. At the late afternoon when workshop is over one of the must destinations every time is GalleryCafe in  Gort. Pure essence of creativity - gorgeous interior and heavenly food!

     To complete the package you will find wonderful b&b only a short distance away from centre.  Perfect for an early morning walk into the beautiful countryside.

Lunch break at Ennis Creative Arts Centre.

     Ennis Creative Arts Centre in Tubber is located almost on border between Co. Clare and Co Galway. It is wonderful venue offering variety of courses starting from decoupage, sewing, jewellery making, felting and much more. I'm almost sure wonderful owner and hostess Shirley Bredin has some new ideas and is always expanding. Maybe in future there will be painting classes or creative writing workshop. 

     I was thrilled to participate at Polymer Clay workshop with Ronna Sarvas Weltman at Ennis Creative Arts Centre in Summer 2013. Click HERE to find out more.

    Stay creative!

All the best,
Liga x

RDS National Craft & Design Fair 2014 in Dublin



National Craft and Design Fair in the RDS, Dublin, Ireland 3rd Dec - 7th Dec 2014.

     The days are getting colder and countdown has begun for the RDS National Crafts & Design Fair here at Valg Studio. For anyone interested to know a little bit more about the fair here is a lovely introduction I found on National Craft & Design Fair website. All the information you need about the fair is available online, including a free gift guide featuring blue flower rings and knit inspired jewellery range by Valg Studio.

     "Whether you are a confirmed shopaholic or completely phobic about shopping, the annual National Crafts & Design Fair, is just the place for you. For those who love shopping it’s the chance to browse and enjoy the unique work of more than 500 designers, artists, and craftspeople who will be taking part in the country’s largest celebration of crafts. But if shopping just isn’t your thing, think of it as a heaven sent opportunity to buy all your Christmas gifts in a single shopping session!"

 



Click HERE and browse this beautiful RDS National Craft and Design Gift Guide online.

 

National Craft and Design Fair, image courtesy SidewalkSafari.

      Our stand B16 will be located on the balcony of the main hall. Stop by and see our floral and knit inspired jewellery range, you will find some old favourites, best sellers and of course new stock. We will be showing some new brooches and pendants! Every piece comes gift boxed and ready for gift giving. 

     "Many of Ireland’s most respected craftspeople will be there, showing and selling top quality goods. The range is dazzling – everything from chocolates to high fashion, and because the goods are handmade by craftspeople, they have the added distinction of each one being unique."

Enjoy the pre holiday season and maybe we will meet at the Fair!

Take care,
Liga