Sitting down

What a silly few weeks I've had!  After finishing a challenging commission for a set of four silver boxes I'd rolled up my sleeves up further and spent three days destroying a monstrous to do list culminating in playing at a Mess Dinner with the OTC band and then drinking too many sambucas in Liquid nightclub (I know, I swore I'd never go there), I was looking forward to my Thursday tootling about the flat and taking it easy!  But my day off was ruined by a sore tummy, assuming I had the sickness bug my sister had a few days earlier I just felt incredible sorry for myself and did a lot of writhing.  After a sleepless night my sister made me phone the doctor, I got an emergency appointment and hopped in a taxi in my joggys assuming it would be no worse than a trip to the pharmacy for a big box of laxatives.  But they sent me to the hospital!! A long wait on an uncomfortable gynae trolley (actually at this point even a cloud would be uncomfortable), x-ray, CT scan and not forgetting the disappointing enema later I was told my right bowel was twisted and they'd have to cut a bit out and stitch it up again - a right hemicolectomy for all you doctors out there!

So while I was meant to be spending Saturday night celebrating the first pipe band competition of the year for us mighty Mac Cal's instead I was in surgery, luckily I found the whole thing extremely fasinating!  I spent a few days in hospital when I was 5 with a fractured skull and have pretty clear memories of it (the only day I went to school dinners in Primary School I fell in the playground, it was mince pie, I didn't like mince pie) but I'd never even had stitches, never mind drips, cannulas, catheters and a down my throat.  Fortunately the latter two got removed before I had hit reality, damn morphine's good! But the whole experience, although obviously I wouldn't want to repeat it, was pretty interesting!

I had a couple of days with my PCA morphine feeling dead perky, had lots of visitors, cards, lego and nice messages which I was sneaking a look at on my mobile, read magazines and books, had snoozes and did lots of people watching, a hospital ward is brilliant for this! Some interesting characters indeed! And I was lucky to have some great nurses and doctors, especially my sisters boyfriend Luke who works there as a doctor and popped in to give me the low down everyday and kept my mum informed during my surgery, that actually made a huge difference and totally put me at ease.  It's scary how quickly the simplest things can suddenly become such a challenge, it seems a bit unreal now how pleased I was just to get into the chair myself.  On the Tuesday they took my morphine away and a got my first taste of hospital food, some clear soup and jelly... bleurg!  Bit of a downer that day and started noticing annoying things, like the lack of anywhere to put things down in the toilets and shower rooms - for the want of a shelf!  Staff moving your table away when you've spent so long getting everything within arms reach and being left wandering about dragging your drip trying to find a nurse to hand your piss pot to!  But I was recovering fast and two more days and wards later I was punted oot with a big bag of painkillers and lots of new lego to build!
So overall my hospital experience was pretty good, the nurses all seem to work so hard but it does seem they are short of staff, there's certainly no time for anything but the necessities when it comes to care and if you don't ask you probably don't get.

So now I'm at my parents house getting looked after and doing some convalescing, done a lot of film watching and lego building, some drawing, finally finished my new Kilt Pin website, no wait, that's a lie, the shop is still on hold... arg! Go look anyway! - http://www.islayspalding.co.uk/kiltpins.htm - gave the rest of it a bit of a scrub up to and uploaded loads of new jewellery photos, so that's something productive!  Still got a couple of months accounts to do...(been putting that one off!) and some design drawings I should be getting on with, so plenty of sitting down type activities!  This is one of those times I wish I had an employer to give me sick pay! Aim to ease myself into workshop next week, be ready for ceilidh dancing and a bouncy journey from Rum to Mallaig in a RIB by the 19th, and then paintballing by the first weekend in July, and of course be ready to wear a drum again for the European Pipe Band Championships in Ireland in July!

Right enough about me, sorry about the pure wall of text! Next post will be about JEWELLERY! Yay!

Oh, and moral of the story - Don't go to Liquid Nightclub or school dinners.

Me with my pal the morphine button and copy of Viz

The Tayberry Gallery

Exciting news!!  The Tayberry Gallery in Perth is open for business under the new management of my talented sister Sarah Spalding.  After a month of hard work making the premises her own, finding new stockists, creating a website and moving her workbench into the gallery (that's just the fun stuff!) The Tayberry Gallery reopened on April 1st 2011.  It stocks a broad mixture of jewellery (some of mine!), ceramics, painting, wood, textiles, photography and glassware, visit the website here

 

 And the Courier did this great wee article all about it!

 As well as some new stock on the shelves of the Tayberry Gallery I recently sent some pieces down to Franny and Filer in Manchester - 

Been pretty busy over the last month trying to get a long overdue commission finished..... but more about that later.... as well as lots of marching about in a kilt.  Got a (lucky) second place with Tayforth OTC Pipes and Drums at our inter OTC competition, Exercise Northern Lights, held at the glorious Stirling Castle, an excellent venue for prancing about with a mace.  Had a speedy trip down to Warcop to visit the ducks and play at our Passing Out Parade for the first years.  And I'm just back from a week up in Inverness teaching cadets at Cameron Barracks.   So looking forward to spending some quality time at the bench this week, going to be hard to keep inside when the weather is so nice though, barbecue tonight and another planned for tomorrow! Well you gotta enjoy it while you can!

Oh, and I made some kit pins!

Hebditch Kilt Pin

family name, rose, yorkshire dales

Canna Kiltpin

isles of canna and sanday

y

Hunting Kilt Pin

pheasant shooting and hay bales

Not super happy with my photos just now, needed a lot of photoshopping.... stoooopidly managed to lose my fav wee camera.  Thanks to ebay though I have a new old one coming in the post so that's pretty exciting, and I found my glasses so that's good news too. Right, time for sleeps, good night!

Neo Design - Dundee

I now have a collection of Biomorphs, Treasure Rings and more in Dundee's newest jewellery boutique, Neo Design on Whitehall Crescent.  The gallery is run by fellow Duncan of Jordanstone graduate and jeweller Tracey McSporran, and is a welcome addition to Dundee's city centre hosting an eclectic mix of contemporary jewellery from UK and international designers, fine art exhibitions and a slick interior complete with original features.

You can visit their facebook page here>>

Here's a wee preview of some of my jewellery now for sale -

Quark Bangle, Purple Biomorph Earrings and Green Biohoop Brooch

Green Biomorph on Dyed Freshwater Pearls

 

Treasure Rings with Ruby, Garnet, Peridot, Amethyst and Topaz

  

Go and have a look!

Kilt Pins and Cuff Links

Oh! Hello! It's been a while! First post of 2011 and I feel I have a bit of a back log already, it's been a busy start to the year. So to start you off here's images of some of the kilt pins I've been commissioned to make over the past few months. If you'd like your own Islay Spalding Kilt Pin specially designed for you then please visit my website for more details.

Pour Christophe Kilt Pin

Bist du bei Mir Kilt Pin

McKay's Polka Kilt Pin

Rugby Ball Kilt Pin

SK Kilt Pin

I was also asked to design a pair of cuff links for a previous client for his 21st birthday to match the kilt pin I made for his 18th.


That's all for now, off to Perth to help my sister with her new shop, that's right! New Shop! Whoo! She's taking over the Tayberry Gallery in Perth, opening on the 1st of April, you can check out the website here - www.thetayberrygallery.co.uk

Bye Bye 2010

Well here it is, the last day of 2010, it's been a funny old year, lots of ups and downs, things gained and things lost. I'm sitting at the table in front of the window just now looking out at the harr upon the Tay, it's a beautiful last day and I'm looking forward to the drive across to Skye soon to spend Hogmany with some dear old friends. So as a wee end of year blog post here's my three favourite creations this year.

Paua Shell Kilt Pin

Ruby Flower Power Necklace

Green Small Worlds Pendant

I hope you all had a good Christmas and all your presents made it through the post, and if not, hey you have some to look forward too! I was very pleased with the response to the christmas decorations I emailed out this year instead of cards, many of you indulged my decorating desires and sent me your photos of it in situ, it pleased me greatly!






Now, must go pack a bag, there's plenty of adventures round the corner and the sun is shining outside, all the best for 2011 and lang may yer lum reek!

New jewellery in galleries in time for Christmas!

I recently restocked four galleries with jewellery for the Christmas season. (Can't believe it's that time!)

The Victoria Sewart Gallery in Plymouth now have a collection of Biomorph Rings, Brooches and Necklaces a well as jewellery from over 40 other designers, the gallery also runs jewellery making classes from their workshop.


These pieces went to my local stockists, the DCA Shop in Dundee, Biomorph Rings, Brooches and Earrings and Biodrip Pendants. The DCA is well worth a visit for Christmas presents, as well as jewellery and ceramics they have a range of inspired gifts, magazines and notebooks.


The Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh received a collection of Biomorphs and a couple of the popular Biocube Rings which sit alongside an exciting and ever changing exhibition of contemporary fine and applied art.


And last but definitely not least with it's wonderfully sparkly floor, Jewel Thief in Brighton have a new collection of Sweet Sweet Chains and Bracelets as well as Biomorphs and a Biohoop Brooch.

If you live near one of these galleries what are you waiting for? Every piece of jewellery I make is completely unique so if you see a piece that you like you'd better snap it up soon!

Trip to Shetland

Last week I spent two days on the beautiful Shetland Islands, it was business but just as much pleasure!
I flew (got blown) up to Sumburg from Aberdeen in a tiny two prop plane early on Tuesday morning and driven over the runway and up through the main island to Weisdale, home of Shetland Jewellery. After a tour around their workshop and showroom I chatted to the staff and makers and learnt a lot about how a jewellery workshop of that style runs, quite different to my own wee business but I have come away inspired with lots of useful ideas on how I can improve the running of my own practice. Then I visited the companies shop in Lerwick, J G Rae's, and had a nice wee walk about the town, I particularly liked all the tiny wee streets and sandy inlets near the harbour.






That evening I was treated to some home cooked fresh Shetland salmon, yum! On Wednesday after another morning in the workshop I had lunch at the Weisdale Mill (more salmon!), which houses the Bonhoga Gallery, unfortunately it was in between exhibitions but I had a good root around their very well stocked shop! Then back to Lerwick for an afternoon in the Shetland Museum, I could have easily spent the whole day in there! There was lots about the geology of the islands and early life which I love learning about and the next morning (with my hangover from the Lounge) I managed to squeeze in a visit to Clickhimin Broch to experience one of these early settlements for real.








Outside the Shetland Gallery there is an interesting installation called the Shetland Receivers which is made up of four dishes on posts made from local materials each containing a speaker which plays clips of conversation, sound and music recorded in Shetland or sourced from the Shetland Archives. An anemometer controls the recordings so that on a calm day long sections of the clips can be heard and on a really windy day the clips merge into one another. There are also lights on top that illuminate a box of shetland wool blue and turn on and off in response to the wind speed.



I didn't take many photos of this as it started raining pretty hard so I had to hide in a pub :)

I met loads of brilliant folk, saw some crazy Norwegian accordion playing and found a place I loved and know will visit again, topped off with a drive back to Sumburg in the most glorious sunshine and the most thorough search at an airport I've ever had!

Skol!