First up.... Man Pins! Louise and I, along with our team of rubbers, drillers and benders, have been busy in the workshop designing and making our new collection, the Solar System Collection which will be ready to launch in July. We're really excited about this collection (I'm really excited about this collection!) as for the first time we'll be using precious metals in our designs! If you check out our Man Pins instagram @pinsformen you'll get some wee peeks of the new designs as they're being made.
But what I really want to tell you about is our Make Your Own Man Pin Workshops! They are happening TOMORROW 5th May! We still have spaces left for you to come along to a workshop and make your own Man Pin, tie clip or pair of cufflinks. Bring your own bit of wood - an old wooden object, an old instrument or piece of sports equipment, a bit of something you can't bare to throw away and we'll provide all tools and guidance to turn it into something wearable. There are four 2 hour workshops to choose from, £20 a head, head to our website www.manpins.com to book.
Here's some photos of last years workshops! We had great fun!
One last Man Pin thing.... you'll find some of our Fruit Wood Collection in this years Design Festival Shop run by Tea Green. Dundee Design Festival is taking place from the 21st-28th May in the Keiller Centre, curated by Agency of None....I can't wait to see what they do with it! Man Pin Maker Louise will also be stocking the shop with some of her beautiful hand carved spoons AND is heading up the install team to build the thing!
Next! Oor Wullie's Big Bucket Trail! I am excited to announce that I'm painting another giant Oor Wullie! This time the trail goes nationwide with sculptures in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness to find from 17th June until 30th August. After this they will be auctioned off to raise money for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and the ARCHIE Foundation. And even more exciting.... V&A Dundee are sponsoring my design! Whooohoo! Turns out stripes are right up their street :) It's called Dazzle Wullie and is inspired by Dazzle Ship camouflage, much like Dazzle Penguin was last year, I'm trying to channel a bit more of the V&As angles and stripes this year (it basically looks like a big dazzle ship anyway) and am very happy to be getting to do this sort of work again....I'm finding it very therapeutic in a time of lots to do! Can't show you the full design yet, but here's a few wee bits :)
And while we're on drawing rather than making... Colouring Club! Another Design Month activity! The wonderful Suzanne Scott aka WhimSicAL LusH and I are holding Colouring Clubs in her fabulous studio (just under WASPs) on Thursday 9th and Thursday 23rd May from 7-9pm. It's be an evening of colour and cake! We're gonna get all our coloured pens and pencils together for you to use and we have six original drawings for you to choose from, colour in and take away...and another one for home :) We'll guide you through picking a colour pallet, demonstrate and help you with techniques and fill you full of tea and cake! It costs £20 (£14 if you're aged 14-18) and tickets can be booked on Eventbrite here 9th May or here 23rd May
If you haven't seen WhimSicAL LusH's work and you're on the Instagram go give her a follow @whimsicallush...you'll find some photos of her wonderland studio there too!
Now back to jewellery! There's a new club in town! The Dundee Jewellers Collective are holding their first exhibition - The 4th J - on the weekend of the 25th-26th May in Studio 215 of the WASPs Artist Studios. The DJC started life as a network to share information, support, tools and materials between independent jewellery design/makers in Dundee. 14 of us are exhibiting together to showcase our work and highlight the impact that contemporary jewellery has on Dundee's design scene.
This is something I've been wanting to pull together for a couple of years now so very pleased we'll be taking part in Dundee Design Month in this way. I'll be exhibiting some Kilt Pins along with some new jewellery designs all inspired by this evolving city.
If you're in the Ferry this month pop into Pretty Fly on Brook Street. They are stocking a selection of my Biomorphs and Thritty Pings...I think they've got a few of my greetings cards too!
For those up Perth way get yersel to Tayberry Gallery on Princes Street, the best selection of Islay Spalding Kilt Pins in Scotland....the world actually! And some other work like this silver Small World Domed Pendant (they have one in 18ct too....lush!)
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| Photo by Chris and Eliza Photography - www.chrisandeliza.co |
Anyone in Aberdeen? Teasel and Tweed have a selection of Kilt Pins, including a specially designed Aberdeen Coastline Kilt Pin and some Man Pins. And if you're on your way up there, pop into Forfar and see Zoe Duthie's beautiful new jewellery shop on the High Street which has a small selection of my Kilt Pins and cufflinks.
I've got loads of bespoke Kilt Pins and some rather lovely engagement and wedding rings on the go just now :D which means along with everything else my order book is currently full with new work starting in July. But if you have an idea or an occasion for a bespoke Kilt Pin then send them my way and I'll schedule you in! Thank you to all my customers for giving me such interesting work to do and for your patience as I juggle all my work! Best place to see my most recent creations is on my instagram @kiltpins.
May is usually a time for pipe bands for me with the Scottish Champs happening in a couple of weeks.... but not this year :( I've taken a wee year out from competing with my band MacKenzie Caledonian, just a wee year... to put a bit more time into my business, put some plans into action and move it up a notch...it's time to level up! I'm still keeping my hands in though and doing some teaching work, which includes teaching at the Dundee City Pipe Band, the worlds first all inclusive Pipe Band, based here in Dundee. We'll be out recruiting at the Dundee City Pipe Band Competition in the City Square next Sunday 12th May so if anyone fancies trying their hand at being a pipe band drummer, now's your chance to come and have a go! And my two worlds will collide on Saturday 25th May at the Dundee Design Parade as the band will lead the parade through the city centre....also the same day as the DJC exhibition....oh it's all going on!
Better get cracking!
