From teaching English to designing and making silver jewellery in one huge jump!

I have always enjoyed experimenting with design – making and organizing objects into aesthetically pleasing arrangements. I learnt to knit as a small child and continued to enjoy colour and texture in knitting. I didn’t regret choosing to study English at University and I found a great deal of fulfilment in teaching literature in further education for 27 years. Whilst some aspects of my creativity were satisfied through teaching, collecting ceramics and textiles and knitting, it was my discovery of silversmithing that truly allowed me to explore designing in three dimensions. I enjoy working with a variety of materials to create unique pieces. I enjoy finding materials that I like because of their colour, texture or shape and then designing my work around them.

I am generally inspired by the natural world around me; I like the roughness and irregularity of natural objects, of stones, and sticks and bark, so that I prefer to use chips of gemstones rather than beads. Colour is also very important to me and I love the greens in nature contrasted with autumn colours. I also find that much of my work is asymmetrical and I often use fastenings at the front of my work, making them an integral part of the overall design.

After a fantastic career in teaching, my jewellery designing has allowed me to develop further aspects of my creativity and to pursue a second career. I have become involved in an artistic and creative community which is both supportive and importantly great fun!

I hope you enjoy wearing the work in my shop as much as I enjoy making it.

Ever since I was a child i have enjoyed knitting, from my very first cat puppet (sadly lost) which I made at the age of 6, to complex fairisle jumpers (my partner and teddy bear wear identical slipovers made in 1980s) and finally the elaborate art pieces you see in my Etsy shop.

Originally as a display piece for art and craft shows, I knitted a crow (after all, they love shiny things). It caused quite a stir; people smiled, laughed and stopped to ask if it was for sale. From then to now my repertoire has expanded and become very popular with collectors of Victorian taxidermy, with lovers of birds and animals and also with lovers of all things woolly. I have shown them at art fairs and at galleries. I was commissioned to make some pieces for a museum which wanted to use them for educational and marketing purposes and I have included images in my shop.

I am very happy to discuss any commissions with you and I look forward to creating unique and fabulous pieces for you. I can honestly say that I love what I do and I love to bring a smile to the faces of my customers.

If you are in England please come and meet me at shows and see more of my work in galleries; details on my website http://alisonyoungjewellery.co.uk/