Meet Your Tutors
Tracy Hills
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Hi, I am Tracy Hills - proprietor and jewellery tutor at Metal and Flame Jewellery School.
I am a professional jewellery designer and maker and sell my designs under the Tracy Hills Jewellery banner. But my story doesn't begin here. I am originally from South Africa and have been creative ever since I was a little girl. From my humble childhood jewellery beginnings of stringing gumball charms onto twine, I progressed to sewing and making leather clothing for stage wear, to designing and making hats and fascinators, and finally onto my absolute favourite - making jewellery. I have also always loved jewellery, and as a child spent many hours dressing up in my mothers clothing and accessories. It was the swinging 60's and the fabulous hippy era and I especially remember her large vibrant Perspex rings and long strands of beads. My mum taught me to sew and I guess it is fairly telling, that with my first pay cheque, I bought myself a ring and a sewing box! Over forty years later, I still have both that ring and sewing box. |
I also play bass guitar. For over twenty years, my husband and I travelled the world playing music - both on land and at sea on various cruise ships. We had the misfortune of sinking twice, but that is another story.....
Naturally, I made my own stage clothing and Jewellery.
In 2000, we settled in the U.K and I hung up my guitar. I progressed from making jewellery for myself to making for others. In turn, this led me to creating my own small business, making costume jewellery and millinery - which I sold from my website (Midnight Rose Creations) and from various e-commerce sites such as Etsy and Ebay. My costume jewellery designs have appeared in British jewellery magazines, such as 'Bead' and 'Beads and Beyond'
Wanting to further my jewellery making skills, I enrolled at Farnham University for the Creative Arts in Surrey and graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in metalwork and jewellery. Tracy Hills Jewellery was born.
Two of my my metal jewellery designs (Lace Cuff and 'Foxwood') were shortlisted for the prestigious Pewter Live 2012 Competition and I went on to win third place for my interactive pendant 'Foxwood.
Most of my designs tend to lean towards, dark, edgy, rock and roll pieces. With a love of all things dark, weird and wonderful, my inspirations are varied; fairy tales, fantasy and Gothic. I am passionate about nature, which is predominantly what my work is about. Where some recoil in horror at a bird or bat skull, I see beauty. It therefore made sense to honour and immortalise these little beings in sterling silver. However not all of my jewellery is dark - I also love and create the lighter aspects of nature, by capturing the perfect swirl on a sea shell or the texture on a twig or acorn pod.
My designs can be found at Tracy Hills Jewellery
https://www.tracyhills.co.uk
I enjoy teaching and passing on my knowledge. I began my teaching career by teaching Beginners and Intermediate Silver Jewellery Courses for Clare Styles in Farnham, Surrey.
I moved to Liverpool in 2018, where Metal and Flame Jewellery School was born.
Exhibitions:
London Design Week - 33@The Oxo 2014 John Louard Building – Farnham UCA 2014 Pewter Live – Pewterer’s Hall, London – June 2012 Collaborations -The Craft Study Centre – Farnham, Surrey, UK June 2012 A Journey - James Hockey Gallery, Farnham, UK – May 2012 Awards: Pewter Live 2012 – 3rd place for ‘Foxwood’ interactive pendant.
I am a member of: The GJD (Guild of Jewellery Designers) Young British Jewellers SRAJD (Self representing Artist in Jewellery Design)
Publications:
Bead Magazine
Beads and Beyond Magazine
Naturally, I made my own stage clothing and Jewellery.
In 2000, we settled in the U.K and I hung up my guitar. I progressed from making jewellery for myself to making for others. In turn, this led me to creating my own small business, making costume jewellery and millinery - which I sold from my website (Midnight Rose Creations) and from various e-commerce sites such as Etsy and Ebay. My costume jewellery designs have appeared in British jewellery magazines, such as 'Bead' and 'Beads and Beyond'
Wanting to further my jewellery making skills, I enrolled at Farnham University for the Creative Arts in Surrey and graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in metalwork and jewellery. Tracy Hills Jewellery was born.
Two of my my metal jewellery designs (Lace Cuff and 'Foxwood') were shortlisted for the prestigious Pewter Live 2012 Competition and I went on to win third place for my interactive pendant 'Foxwood.
Most of my designs tend to lean towards, dark, edgy, rock and roll pieces. With a love of all things dark, weird and wonderful, my inspirations are varied; fairy tales, fantasy and Gothic. I am passionate about nature, which is predominantly what my work is about. Where some recoil in horror at a bird or bat skull, I see beauty. It therefore made sense to honour and immortalise these little beings in sterling silver. However not all of my jewellery is dark - I also love and create the lighter aspects of nature, by capturing the perfect swirl on a sea shell or the texture on a twig or acorn pod.
My designs can be found at Tracy Hills Jewellery
https://www.tracyhills.co.uk
I enjoy teaching and passing on my knowledge. I began my teaching career by teaching Beginners and Intermediate Silver Jewellery Courses for Clare Styles in Farnham, Surrey.
I moved to Liverpool in 2018, where Metal and Flame Jewellery School was born.
Exhibitions:
London Design Week - 33@The Oxo 2014 John Louard Building – Farnham UCA 2014 Pewter Live – Pewterer’s Hall, London – June 2012 Collaborations -The Craft Study Centre – Farnham, Surrey, UK June 2012 A Journey - James Hockey Gallery, Farnham, UK – May 2012 Awards: Pewter Live 2012 – 3rd place for ‘Foxwood’ interactive pendant.
I am a member of: The GJD (Guild of Jewellery Designers) Young British Jewellers SRAJD (Self representing Artist in Jewellery Design)
Publications:
Bead Magazine
Beads and Beyond Magazine
Keith Taylor
I am a professional silversmith and goldsmith and studied jewellery, silversmithing and Allied Crafts at Sir John Cass College, London way back when blow torches were the fashion; indeed we learned to solder Platinum with just such equipment. My allied craft was Photography gaining City and Guilds in this area besides the Jewellery degree and C & G.
Since the early 80's, I have spent much of my time doing both Jewellery and Photography in a very diverse world, specialising in Rock and Theatre photography. This gave me the opportunity to meet musicians for whom I have made bespoke pieces of jewellery. I designed and made one off pieces for clients, thus ensuring individuality for them and never made the same piece twice unless specifically requested. I was commissioned to make the Mayoral badge for Hale, and in formative years I have cleaned and repaired much of the Liverpool City Council Silver. I had my own shops in Prescot and Formby for a period of time, and later worked for Pryors, (AE Baker Warrington) having five workshops to handle. Because everything is one offs, I don’t have any specific genre or style, I make what I am asked and try to see what the client is inspired by. All types of skills are needed or have to be adapted and there are many times I find myself looking for new ideas and ways to create. Moving abroad I worked for myself, reverting to the commission pieces. I returned to Liverpool and was offered a new position working for the Signet Group, where I am ridiculously busy handling a variety of repairs from the mundane to the almost impossible. I have taught evening classes at Sir John Cass and at Liverpool city college and there is not much that I have not encountered, but you can never take any jobs for granted as they will come back to bite you. I currently work for a large jewellery conglomerate by day, and teach at M&F Jewellery school. I teach Intermediate and Advanced Courses as well as some of the specialised techniques classes. |
Amber Hills
Hi, I am Amber Hills, and I hail from South Africa, where I initially trained as a sound and lighting technician.
I am lucky enough to have done lighting for some huge acts - including Robbie Williams, Madonna, Slip Knot and the Party in the Park in London I left the lighting industry and moved into Ecommerce in early 2003, and have remained in the digital market ever since; however, I have always been creative, and started making costume and beaded jewellery some time ago. A couple of years ago, I attended some silver jewellery making courses at Metal and Flame jewellery studios with Tracy, and my love for jewellery making exploded. I have branched out from working with silver sheet to working with metal clay, and other techniques such as water and sand casting I now teach various silver classes - including metal clay and sand casting at Metal and Flame Studios. |