Heather Andrews

I love to create beautiful things, so I feel very lucky to be able to make jewellery for a living. Every piece is designed by myself and hand-made from start to finish. I trained in Glasgow and now work from a rural studio in Dumfries & Galloway. I use traditional tools and techniques to transform tiny pieces of metal into pieces of wearable art. I enjoy the process of creation, and the feeling of achievement at the successful completion of a technically challenging project. Making jewellery is fiddly, precise and time-consuming. It is also messy and dirty, (forget beautifully manicured nails), but it is also very rewarding. Watching molten metal ripple and swirl, encouraging it to take on amazing organic textures and forms never ceases to fascinate me. Occasionally things don’t go to plan, but happy accidents can lead to something new and exciting. Many of my designs are influenced by the natural world, and keen to protect the environment, I use recycled silver and copper, and in my studio, create almost no waste. As a change from the precise demands of jewellery manufacture, I also create pictures from wool fleece, using the technique of needle felting. I enjoy teaching this technique, and make kits so that more people can try this craft. I love what I do, and I hope that my creations will bring much pleasure to their owners. I particularly enjoy being invited to create a piece that reflects the unique requirements of an individual or couple, often to mark an occasion or create a family heirloom.