creative juices running riot

Pop-Up shop, Birmingham City Centre

2009-11-16T22:04:00.001Z

Coming soon to the Pavilion’s Shopping Centre, Birmingham.

From 6th December 2009, Pogo Jewellery shall be amongst other local designer maker’s exhibiting and selling their wares in the heart of Birmingham’s shopping mecca….. Watch this space!

Festive Flair, Wolverhampton

2009-11-15T18:06:00.001Z

PogoJewellery shall be taking part in Festive Flair, at the Lighthouse Media Centre, Wolverhampton, on 5th December 2009 from 11am-4pm. Set in the historic courtyard of the Chubb Buildings, Festive Flair brings together 40 designer-makers from all craft disciplines.

New Outlet, Leamington Spa

2009-11-15T17:57:00.001Z

Whilst in Leamington Spa today I was pleased to see that new gallery Sydna had opened its doors. Having been contacted by the mother and daughter team a few months ago, I was eager to see the gallery for myself. I have to say this gallery really is a gem and far exceeded my expectations. Beautifully lit and styled, it had a real air of elegance and I can honestly say I’ve not stepped inside such a sophisticated gallery in some time. Work should be with them within the next 2 weeks- I am very excited about exhibiting here!

Goodbye my trusty workshop , adieu!

2009-10-27T19:29:00.001Z

I am afraid to report that come the end of November, Pogo Jewellery are no longer going to be resident in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter.

But fear not, for they shall continue to make the sparkling jewellery you have all come to know and love…. just from a secret location! :)

xxx

Adorn Til Dusk- change of date

2009-09-28T21:28:00.001+01:00

Please note the winter Adorn Til Dusk event is now to be held on Thursday 15th October 2009 and not the 21st October as originally stated. I hope this isn’t a problem for those people attending.

Adorn til Dusk ~Thurs 21st October 2009

2009-09-17T17:37:00.001+01:00

Adorn till Dusk returns for a *Winter special* October Thursday 21st~ a unique opportunity to again view our showcase jewellery collections in an exclusive venue (www.thevaultsbirmingham.com)! With two for one cocktails, two course meals for £10 B4 7pm. With eight booths each housing a jewellery designer/maker you are sure to find some treasures, and all in time for Christmas!! Evening 6.30pm-10.30pm

Looking forward to seeing customers both existing and new,

lots of love Helen @ Pogo Jewellery xxx

Stock Replenishment

2009-08-07T20:11:00.001+01:00

Galleries being restocked this week with more beautiful pieces from Pogo Jewellery. In high demand, the small leaf domed earrings and bale earrings, sweet gifts at £20 as well as the delicate chain necklaces and bracelets.

Adorn Til Dusk 22nd July 2009

2009-07-30T23:23:00.001+01:00

We had a great turnout to this debut event at The Vaults Bar,Birmingham and are hoping to follow it up with another closer to Christmas. The venue is an old women’s prison http://www.vaultsbirmingham.com and the beautifully renovated brick cells made a stunning backdrop into which the 6 designers housed their showcase summer collections. Showing were Alice Gow, Sian Elizabeth Hughes, Lisa Watson, Bonnie Styles and The Bead loft alongside myself, PogoJewellery. The atmosphere was buzzing, helped out of course by the convenient 2 for 1 on cocktails! PogoJewellery’s newly extended Dancing Leaves collection went down a storm with business cards flying out and purchases made on the night. A huge thank you to customers both existing and new, your support is much appreciated!

To see more images from PogoJewellery’s Dancing Leaves Collection amongst other innovative collections, go to my website at: http://www.pogojewellery.co.uk

Jewellery Quarter Museum

2009-07-08T16:47:00.002+01:00

The Jewellery Quarter Fair on 4th July was a great event and we were very lucky to have good weather uptil the end. The Birmingham City Choir provided cheery entertainment for both fair and 400 wedding guests who happened to be in a service at St Pauls church that afternoon! And beautiful the Bride looked too. Following on from a lovely chat with one of the staff from the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter Museum I decided to initiate a meeting earlier this week with the buyer of the museum, Ruth. After a cuppa and a tour of the new extended gallery we looked at the work I had brought along (My new Dancing Leaves Collection which is going down a storm in galleries)...and to my delight I am now invited to sell in the Museum shop too! My work will be in the Jewellery Quarter museum shop from this month :) Which reminds me...must update the website with all the beautiful new photos Ive been working on...and a list of all these galleries!

Birmingham Jewellery Quarter Festival 2009

2009-06-30T15:01:00.008+01:00

Pogojewellery has been selected as one of several mixed media designers chosen to exhibit and sell her work

in the Craftsmarket at St Pauls Square as part

of the celebrations for the

2009 Jewellery Quarter Festival.

10.3Oam-4pm July 4th 2009

New work includes a vastly extended 'Dancing Leaves' collection of bright and cheery jewellery guaranteed to put a skip in your step and banish any thoughts of rainclouds!

Jewellery Showcase Wed 22 July 2009 Birmingham

2009-06-30T14:52:00.004+01:00

BCTF 5-7 April 2009

2009-04-08T20:48:00.003+01:00

Have just got back from exhibiting at BCTF 2009. As PogoJewellery's first solo Trade Fair I have been eating-drinking-sleeping jewellery these past months in the grand buildup to April 5th!

Thankfully all the hard work has paid off and I have gained alot of positive feedback, orders and Gallery interest across the UK.

Better hit that workshop!

Bye for now x

SOCK, Loughborough March 14th 2009

2009-02-08T22:12:00.004Z

Very excited to be doing this debut show. I have kindly been invited to co-exhibit on an additional date, 21st February 2009, alongside Fiona Barber http://www.fe-b-jewellery.co.uk/index.html

Another SOCK jeweller I reccommend looking out for is Sophie Wiggins - check out her funky molten glass and precious metal work at http://www.duckduckgoosetuff.co.uk

If you are a fan of bold contemporary colourful pieces I GUARANTEE you will be struggling to choose between the pieces on offer at SOCK 2009...I know I'll be doing swopsies ;) !

New Rattle Ring Designs Launched!

2009-01-26T10:09:00.003Z

PogoJewellery are pleased to announce the launch of a new two-tone rattle ring which will form part of the ever growing Dancing Leaves range, a collection which is gaining much interest in galleries :) It will be available in all colour options, as is the full Dancing Leaves Collection.

Exhibitions

2009-01-15T11:26:00.005Z

Pogo Jewellery currently has work for sale in:

ONGOING: David Louis Gallery (enter via Artful Expression, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham)
'Be Mine' Exhibition at FG2, Quorndon, Leics http://www.fgtwo.co.uk/
LIMITED STOCKIST: Purete, Bristol
Alternatively visits to the workshop to make direct purchases or simply see how the work is produced, are welcomed at prior arrangement.

Upcoming exhibitions:

'Sock', Loughborough Town Hall, March 14th 2009 10am-4pm http://www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk/sock
BCTF April 5-7 (Trade only)

More regular stockists coming soon!

Pogo Jewellery is getting famous!!!!!!

2009-01-15T11:03:00.005Z

Logging into the British Craft Trade Fair (BCTF) website to upload information for my catalogue entry for 2009, I could not believe my eyes! In full blown glorious colour, my Finders Keepers bracelet was shining out at me from the new Sales Brochure :) http://www.bctf.co.uk/pdf/BCTF%2009%20Sales%20Brochure%20210x210%20v6.pdf

The Finders Keepers range, inspired by days beachcombing in Cornwall, is made up of soft irridescent oval components each individually coloured,formed, drilled and strung, to create playful pieces full of life.

For more information or to see PogoJewellery's other collections please visit www.pogojewellery.co.uk

New work and gallery feedback

2009-01-11T21:11:00.002Z

Things are very exciting in the world of Le Pogo at the moment. Im chomping at the bit...well at the malteasers anyhow...and very keen to take on the world at large. My New Year Resolutions. Well, so far I've not committed to any, even in my head so here goes. Let you be my witness:
1) By next Xmas I shall be regularly exhibiting in at LEAST 10 galleries.
2) I shall have an online shop (May need a little help with this one-you know who you are!!).
3)...we will leave it there for now :)

Self Assessment

2009-01-11T21:02:00.002Z

It's in! I am over the moon...until next year:)
I will be more organised for next time, I won't leave it til the last few weeks. I won't have receipts screwed up throughout my room, unlogged. Infact, I will actually know the receipts exist next year, as opposed to finding them by accident. Oh yes, I shall be super efficient.
hmmmmmmmmmm. Well... a small step towards that is a start :)

Kitchen Garden Cafe Crafts Evening

2008-12-15T13:13:00.002Z

Christmas coming sooner than expected? Presents still un-bought? Get yourself down to nthe Kitchen Garden cafe this tuesday 6-9pm where you can not bonly soak up a festive atmosphere with mince pies and Gluhwein but also find some unusual andf handmade crafts , from ceramics, textiles, jewellery and fine art.
York road, Kings Heath 16th December 2008 6-9pm

Open Studios

2008-12-14T21:25:00.004Z

This weekend's Open Studio was alot of fun, attracting more parties than I had anticipated despite it raining all day, so a big thankyou to those who came to show their support. It also gave me an opportunity to work on some exciting new ideas :)

Pogo Publicity

2008-12-10T14:00:00.000Z

December 2008 Pogo Jewellery listed on the following sites Applecart, Official Birmingham Jewellery Quarter Website and featured in The Birmingham Mail: http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/business-comment/more-business-comment/2008/12/07/be-creative-this-christmas-it-could-be-one-to-remember-65233-22416088/

November 2008 Pogo Jewellery featuring on two blogs, check out the 'Created in Birmingham' blog by clicking here and the 'Fierce Earth' blog here.

Open Studios & Craft Fair

2008-12-08T15:26:00.003Z

Two upcoming events at which Pogo Jewellery amongst others will be exhibiting...

Saturday 13th December 10am-4pm Open Studios in conjunction with Brilliantly Birmingham.
Your opportunity to meet the designers themselves, try pieces on and perhaps even purchase a special Christmas gift. Top Floor, 53a Frederick Street, Hockley, Bham, B138DS

Tuesday 16th December 6-9pm Christmas Craft Event at The Kitchen Garden Cafe
York Road, Kings Heath, Bham, B14 7SA

The penny dropped...and may plenty more drop where that came from!

2008-12-06T19:12:00.000Z

Well, what an exciting time for Pogo Jewellery this year is turning out to be! After what has been upon reflection a rather slow start, these past few months have seen so many changes: In the collections, in sales, in exposure... and I can now really see my gamble paying off :)

Having followed my head not my heart, choosing to study English Literature in favour of Art (ooh, poetic) - whch incidentally wasn't to prove a financially more rewarding option for me - the yearning for Creativity would always be my ball and shackle, eventually dragging me down the dark path of drunken student treachery once again. Well okay, so the second time round was hardly hardcore, but one must remember that a girl does have a certain student cred to live upto and I wouldn't want to disappoint....

I almost fell into the jewellery world. Infact, I did fall. Why pretend otherwise for it was a number of happy coincidences that have brought me and my collections to where we are today. My Uncle brought a highly skilled jeweller into our lives, the uber-talented Chris Irick, http://www.chrisirick.com/ and I think this was probably my first proper insight and or awareness into the design-led side of the jewellery world. With textiles, sculpture and carpentry amongst the professional routes my extended family have taken, whilst aware of the instability that self employment can sometimes bring I was equally aware of its rewards and found the idea strangely compelling. Me my own boss, my finances a show of my own determination and hard work. I think it was around then that the penny dropped and I realised I had no option but to follow my heart and throw myself into that creative world. A gamble it may be but with risks come rewards...let's hope :)

I moved to Birmingham to study in the heart of The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, studying for an HND in Jewellery/Silversmithing in 2005-7. During this time I made the most of the summer courses on offer and enrolled on a course about Anodised Aluminium. The word colour is all that it took to hook me in and is what continues to excite me today. Nowadays I work predominantly in Anodised Aluminium and Sterling Silver and its usually the materials that dictate the collections rather than pre-conceived ideas. Having said that, a year spent teaching English in rural Japan prior to my jewellery studies has influenced my ranges alot both in terms of colour and motif. After graduating I was accepted onto Design Space, a Birmingham City Council incubation scheme that is going from strength to strength- check out this year's delegates (and Pogo Jewellery whilst you're at it!) at The David Louis Project AT Artful Expression, 23/24 Warstone Lane, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6JQ.

Pogo Jewellery Progress Updates

2008-11-15T20:00:00.000Z

November 2008 Version 2.0 of website has been launched. A snazzy make over!

October 2008 PogoJewellery will be available to purchase online shortly. Watch this space!! If you cannot wait that long, Helen can be contacted via email by clicking here

September 2008 Currently preparing for exhibitions later in the year

August 2008 Moved into new workshop July 2008 'Finders, Keepers' collection initial design commences.

January 2008 'Dancing Leaves' collection launched. More information coming soon

November 2007 'Cherry Blossom' collection launched

March 2007 Moved into Design Space

December 2006 'Barnacle' collection launched