Vanessa Neily: Decorative Craft & Jewellery Design

Spring Show Line-up!

vanessa — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:41:17 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that I have been juried into the following regional (Ottawa ON) spring shows:

Tarts n’Crafts – May 27th,

Happy Holidays!

vanessa — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:54:18 +0000

I’d like to give a big thank you to all for a fantastic 2011 and best wishes for 2012! I will be in hibernation over the winter months, busily updating my website and playing around with several new product designs for springtime shows. Until then, for a behind-the-scenes peek into the goings-on in my studio, join my Facebook Fan Page!

Idle Hands Craft Sale

vanessa — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:14:24 +0000

HOLIDAY SHOWS: Idle Hands, being held November 26th (10-5) at 760 Somerset St/St.Luke’s Church, Ottawa ON, CANADA!

Wearable Art Sale

vanessa — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:50:13 +0000

Next Up: BAC’s WEARABLE ART SALE, Burlington ON, November 5th!

Discovery Tour

vanessa — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:13:11 +0000

I am pleased to announce that this fall 2011, I will be opening my studio doors for the North Gower/Kars Discovery Tour. My studio will be 1 of 17 stops where visitors can see where and how I work and indulge in a piece, if they feel so inclined. More details (and teasers) to come in the weeks prior to the tour. For the time being, here is the Tour’s website.

A walk down memory lane

vanessa — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:18:42 +0000

I was flipping through my portfolio from undergrad the other day, which is always a fun and embarrassing time, and was reminded of what I consider to be the most influential class of my four years of study. It was my first class in craft and an introduction to the design parameters of decorative art. For each project we were assigned, we were given limitations with regards to what materials could be used, or what size the completed project could be etc., and even before we started making, we were pushed creatively in our sketchbooks to design no less than 100 possible ideas. I can remember numbering each sketch and feeling more and more excited with the anticipation of challenging myself for the next (even if the assignment was as seemingly dull as combining 3 shapes in 100 different ways). We were limited to using cardboard as the primary and oftentimes sole material for each project, but were encouraged to manipulate it using the vast array of techniques of the many craft disciplines. Even the design of the class itself was ingenious in subliminally preparing a group of mostly oblivious teens to the often unacknowledged challenges presented in working in the decorative arts. Just thinking about it excites me and it continues to inspire my creative process to this day.

Anthropologie Store Display - Clothespins

A New Year

vanessa — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:37:08 +0000

After a very enjoyable holiday, I am happy to be back in the studio(s) with some new designs, materials, and tools. I’m looking forward to a collection that is all about the handmade detailing that I so adore from as many crafts disciplines as I can get a hold of. As my business new year’s resolution, I am hoping to seek out craft courses to build up my knowledge of such specifics as leather working, wood working, and paper arts, and to add a new range of potential techniques to my designs. I am always eager to learn new skills and can’t wait for the fun of challenging myself in developing them in a creative, contemporary way!

Treasured

vanessa — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:41:08 +0000

I was ecstatic to discover that only a day after my first ever Treasury mention on Etsy, my work was chosen for another!

*UPDATE: I am happy to report that since this post, my work has been included in many more Etsy Treasuries and I have started cataloging them all on my “Vanessa Neily: Decorative Craft & Jewellery ” Facebook page. Take a look and join for a behind the scenes look into my creative process – from where I work, to the preliminary designs that I’m working on.*

Etsy Treasury - Nov 18 2010

My new Etsy shop!

vanessa — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:37:25 +0000

Visit my online shop, Sift & Stitch Jewellery Shop. I will be updating the shop with my latest creations, so check back regularly to see what’s new!