13th March 2010:
Overseas commission for Willunga Quarry Market stallholder
Eleanor James, a passionate self-taught creator of Art jewellery from Reynella, has been selling her original personal adornments at the Willunga Quarry Market since early 2006. In March 2009 May Elphinstone from Scotland was holidaying with her family on the Fleurieu Peninsula. During a visit to the Willunga Quarry Market, May purchased a handmade wrap over distressed silver ring from Eleanor’s stall. (pictured below) Due to another commitment that day, Eleanor was absent, and it was her partner that sold May the ring.
That’s not the end of the story: May returned home to Aberdeen and began a fruitless search in Scotland for a silver arm cuff to match the ring. Two months pass, then May decides to contact Eleanor. Despite Smoke & Mirrors (Eleanor’s business name), having a website, and being listed in the Adelaide white pages, May and her Australian family had no success in finding either. In a last ditch effort to fulfil her quest to contact Eleanor, May decided to email Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism. The email was forwarded to the Willunga Quarry Market’s president who then forwarded it to Eleanor.
After connecting on the net, many emails with drawings, questions and decisions crossed back and forth over the 1600 kilometres between artist and client, Eleanor accepted the commission and May chose a design.
When ordering the silver Eleanor challenged the supplier by requesting a 350 mm band of silver to be made on a machine that normally only made 300 mm bands. After many hours of subjecting the silver to shaping, heating 22 times, pickling, further shaping then tumble polishing, the cuff was ready for sending. It arrived on 22 December last year in time for May to wear it to Christmas celebrations. May sent this message to Eleanor “…the cuff arrived yesterday and I am so pleased with it, it is beautiful.”
May (pictured above on the left) returned to Adelaide again this year, and on 13 February revisited the Willunga Quarry Market and met Eleanor James (pictured above on the right); the maker of her one off, handmade silver cuff, from Australia. You can make contact with Eleanor at the Willunga Quarry Market or http://www.smokeandmirrorsdesigns.com/
Be sure to stock up on candles for Earth Hour at the next Willunga Quarry Market on Saturday 13 March. The Market is located on Aldinga Road Willunga and is open from 9am to 1pm. Enquires: Pamela Jensen P: 8556 2502
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