The New Antiquity : Micro mosaic, Silver & Gems

My first sterling silver, artisan jewellery ring, featuring a micro mosaic and completed on Valentine’s Day ‘26. Complete with a watching eye, stylistically reminiscent of the Powerpuff Girls cartoon from the 90s. 

This is accompanied by a gorgeous pink tourmaline, a gemstone alined to the heart chakra and symbolising love, compassion, emotional healing.

It’s almost a year since my visit to the Mosaic art school in Ravenna, Italy, to follow a course on the ancient technique of micro mosaics. 

During the course, I discovered a love for fire, as I pulled the fine filati threads with tongs from the molten smalti blocks, melted by blow torch. This was contrasted by the slow, therapeutic process of cutting the coloured filati threads into minuscule, millimetre long pieces and setting them into the fudge-like stucco in the pendant bezel. Each one taking many hours to complete.

Once home, with the idea of creating more unique pieces, I researched and purchased sterling silver bezels online. They were handmade from Bali and beautiful, but I decided it would be more cost effective to learn to make my own to avoid the exorbitant charges of import tax. 

With no prior experience (best way), I embarked on a two-month jewellery course and binge watched YouTube videos. This taught me the basics of how to cut, shape and solder precious metals. Soldering is a real learning curve and all I can say on this one is - ignore the molten attempts and persevere - it will pay off.

For simplicity’s sake and until I have a proper torch set up, I ordered a selection of filati colours online, so I can dive into my new found passion of jewellery design. My mother was an exceptionally creative jeweller, so I recon it’s probably in the genes!

Alison Day Designs

Spring in Ravenna, Italy: City of Mosaics, part 2 - Micro Mosaics

 

Città Amica Delle Donne - City Friendly to Women

The practice of miniature mosaics originated in 18th century Rome and were created by artists of the time all within a stone’s a throw of the Vatican Mosaic Workshop. Themes were inspired by Italian art and nature. Along with mosaics, this technique became a means of preserving and restoring religious paintings that were deteriorating, as a result of age, or climatic damage.

The minute 2-3mm glass tesserae of a micro mosaic, meant that smaller more portable artworks and jewellery could be created as souvenirs. Popular as travel souvenirs for young gentlemen on The Grand Tour through Europe. . .

Continuing reading this post on my website:  Spring in Ravenna, Italy: City of Mosaics, part 2, - Micro Mosaics

Alison Day Designs

Spring in Ravenna, Italy: City of Mosaics, part 1

 

Basilica di Sant Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy

Spring is the time of plans and projects ―Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

My attention had been caught by a variety of mosaic courses, offered by the Mosaic Art School in Ravenna, in Italy. One in particular, on how to create micro mosaics was intriguing. This, however, was different to my usual forays into online study - this was in person and in Italy!

Well why not? Arrange a week’s trip to Ravenna, the absolute centre of 5th and 6th century, brightly coloured, Byzantine mosaics and enrol in a course on micro mosaics at the same time. . .

Continuing reading this post on my website:  Spring in Ravenna, Italy: City of Mosaics, part 1

Alison Day Designs

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Finding Winter Wonder: Exploring Oxford’s Christmas Fair

 

Apart from the twinkling street lights and street vendor chalets, the Christmas fair in Oxford this year, with no snow, had a gigantic wooden Aprés Ski Bar, with tall (creepy) nutcracker dolls standing sentinel outside, an illuminated conical Christmas tree and an impressive carousel.

This carousel was not your usual kids only variety, but was a double decker, which included adult-sized rides too. A herd of brightly painted horses galloped to festive tunes, accompanied by carriages, sleighs and giant a couple of Rudolf the red nosed reindeers. 

Magnificent during the day, the carousel was a sight to behold as dusk approached. Walking past every day on my way to work, I couldn’t resist and took a spin on one of the horses!

If you’d like to see the carousel in action, visit my reels on instagram - @alisondaydesigns 

Alison Day Designs

The Magnificence of Mosaics

Bracelet in Blue

Marmite

Pink Fish - Mosaic Jewel

Green Fish - Mosaic Jewel

Poppy Petal

Cartoon TV

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The Wonders of Creating Pictures using Paper

Caribbean Bus

 

Turban Lady

Bead Lady

Angel '9 Women'- See the other ladies HERE

Cat Mirror

Lion Water Fountain (Spilli, Crete, Greece)

Waterspout (Spilli, Crete, Greece)

Decorative Bowl

Chameleon Box

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9 Women - A Series of Nine Portraits, Created Entirely from 'Trash'

 

Angel - Beautiful, Empathetic 9 Women was a personal project, highlighting womankind, recycling and the number 9. I refer to these artworks as 'papiermache-mosaics', which refers to the materials and process of their creation. Made from papiermache, the pictures are in relief and are decorated in a repetitive fashion, rather like mosaics, with recycled 'trash.      My choice of women as the central theme, stems from my interest in the adaptability of womankind.  In my opinion, unequalled in their creativity, multi-faceted and possessing an inherent chameleon-like diversity.  Why 9? The number 9 has magical, meditative and religious qualiities and is seen as a symbol of harmony, inspiration and perfection. In many cultures it is considered sacred, with a reference to eternity. 9 Women was exhibited at The Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, in the Netherlands, 01/05/11 - 31/07/11 Beatrice - Adaptable, Versatile  Candice - Crazy, Loving Lulu - Creative, Role-model Hannah - Nurturer, Supporter Medusa - Formidable, Wild Cleo - Diverse, Multi-tasker Scarlet - Colourful, Stylish Josephine - Adventurous, Funny Website: ©️Alison Day Designs Instagram

Nature's Cordial

A little later than last year, but it's that time again... 

Time to make elderflower cordial. A simple and satisfying process, from picking the blooms to bottling and makes a lovely gift for sharing.

INGREDIENTS 

1 kg white sugar, either granulated or caster

1 lemon

13 fresh elderflower heads trimmed

42g (10 tsp) citric acid

800 ml water 

Put the sugar and 800 ml water into a large saucepan. Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pare the zest from the lemon using a potato peeler, then slice the lemon into rounds.

Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat. 

In a bowl of cold water, swish the flowers around to loosen any dirt or bugs. Gently shake off excess water before transferring to the syrup, along with the lemon slices zest and citric acid, then stir well. 

Cover the pan and infuse for 24 hrs.

Strain through a tea towel over a large bowl or pan. Discard the bits left in the towel. Use a funnel and a ladle to fill sterilised bottles that have been rinsed and dried in a low oven. 

The cordial is ready to drink straight away and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks. 

Recipe makes 1400ml, approx 2 x 75cl bottles.

Website: Alison Day Designs

   

Stepping in to an Adventure

 

A quote by the Cheshire Cat, from Alice in Wonderland, added to an illustrative floral border of fuchsias, sourced from my garden 🌸

An assignment from Immersion, a Surface Pattern Design Course I’m taking. 

The quote was hand written, then stylised and digitised in Adobe Illustrator and the final colour choice reached by using playing with the recolour tool in Illustrator. 

Alice and the Cheshire Cat

Alice in Wonderland by John Tenniel

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Fuchsia Frolic

First pattern: Fuchsia Frolic - using the flower of a favourite garden plant for inspiration and one that I grow each year in my garden. 

Created as a result of following a 5-day pattern challenge, using Adobe Illustrator.

Quite a learning curve and it still needs tweaking, but that's all part of the fun. 

I love a challenge - the start of many more! 🌸

Website: Alison Day Designs 

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Immersion: Diving into the World of Surface Pattern Design

My collection of dried, pressed flowers and leaves, grown last summer and picked from my garden or collected en route somewhere are a great source for sketching. I’ve even created floral sheets for inspiration.

Below is first attempt pattern: Fuchsia Frolic - using a favourite plant that I grow each year in my garden for inspiration. This was created after taking part in free a 5-day pattern challenge, generously offered by Bonnie Christine.

Although I’ve used Adobe Illustrator before for publications, it was a learning curve on what else Illustrator can be used for. The pattern still needs a little tweaking, but was a lot of fun to make - I love a challenge!

The prospect of what learning surface pattern design could add to a my business long term, in terms of creativity and passive income is exciting. So, I’ve signed up for Immersion, an 8-week course (offered by Bonnie), to add this skill to my repertoire. 

And , the stunning course book and goodies have already arrived in time for the start on Monday !

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