Born, raised and educated in Scotland, Amanda followed her husband to Canada in 2001, where she now combines work as a parent/homemaker with running a small craft business.
Taught by her mother to knit, embroider and sew, handcrafting has always been a part of her life. However, she has only recently started designing and selling jewelry, online and locally,since 2006. Her work focuses around an interest in wire, metal and fibre, leading to some curious projects combining the techniques of wire crochet, metalworking, art clay silver and traditional fibre work. Influences include her parents’ Scottish garden, the natural world and her son’s crayon box. She is on a constant search for the ultimate portable crafting project to fit in, around and in spite of family life.
Her main collection of jewelry comprises wire crochet cuffs, bracelets, choker necklaces and collars incorporating artistic or fine silver wire with glass and semi-precious gemstones. In some pieces feltable and synthetic fibres are combined within the mesh for the beads to ‘nest’ in, whereas in others elements such as chainmaille, silversmithing and metalwork are also combined with wirework. Gentlemen are not forgotten either; a suggestion from her husband inspired a range of cufflinks where individual gemstones or glass tablets are wired like a tiny gift into a sterling chain setting.
Currently contracted to teach workshops at Place des Arts and Port Moody Arts Centre, Amanda has taken part in Port Moody’s Artists in the Park program for several summers. Her work has appeared in “Creating Metal Clay Jewelry” (Powley) with a project contribution, gallery images and studio showcase. She has taken part in group exhibitions at Maple Ridge Art Gallery, Port Moody Arts Centre and Place des Arts, with her first solo show "home is where the heart is" in the Plum Gallery of Port Moody Arts Centre in May 2011.
For feedback, please check her main Etsy shop, ebbandflo, for customer comments.
Thanks
Further links;
- Got Craft interview
- gallery and portfolio
- Port Moody ArtWalk interview
- Craft Council of BC portfolio
- Wet Coast Women blog post
- "home is where the heart is" Pecha Kucha presentation, April 2012