Time on My Hands

by Brooke Pickering, of Bancroft Studios

So one of the up sides of this sluggish economy is that I find myself with extra time on my hands. While this benefit does not help the stack of bills on my dresser, it does give me the opportunity to explore new things. My most recent guilty pleasure was to take a clay class from our own Kirsten Bassion at her North Shore Clay Studio. Although I have been producing decorative hand cast dinnerware for about a year now I had never thrown anything on the wheel and thought there was no better time to give it a go. The class was fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area. Not only did I make my first tiny bowls (2 are featured in the pictures) but as a student you are extended unlimited access to the space so you can go in and practice any time!

Then several weeks ago I was given the unfortunate news that my Atlanta showroom was closing it's doors and I was left with no wholesale representation in the Mid-Atlantic States. Eeeeek….. now what? Well I have scrambled to get in to as many spring/summer retail venues as I could and started brainstorming as to what other products I could offer for sale...........how about jewelry? Everyone buys jewelry right?

So voila! My line of porcelain jewelry is in the works

Here is the beginning stages- making plaster molds from cute buttons

and my little bowl full of my porcelain beads

20 and here are my rough drafts!