Exciting news from Corzo & Wood!
We are delighted that our little business has been featured in this month’s edition of Prima magazine (page 132 if you’re on the lookout for us!). We are excited to be asked to be part of Prima’s push to highlight and support local businesses in Buckinghamshire. We are lucky in Buckinghamshire to have Visit Buckinghamshire and The Chilterns who do an amazing job of highlighting all that is great and good about our county. This is not only useful to visitors but for those of us that live here.
If you are new to us – whether you found us through Prima, our social media and website or are local to us – then we thought we could tell you a little more about our passion for silver jewellery making and our workshops.
Why Choose Jewellery Making In 2021?
It’s a new year, and we know that many of you may be looking to take up a new hobby or change up your routine in 2021. So why not begin with jewellery making in one of our workshops? We work with many beginners and pride ourselves in cultivating an environment in which you can both take precious timeout for yourself and learn a new skill.
One of the things that comes up time after time from our students is how mindful and relaxing the jewellery making process is. We know from experience that working with our hands instantly switches off our heads, and as Sarah always says, you really do forget about your worries when creating something special.
Our silver jewellery experience at Corzo & Wood is a labour of love, and we have a fondness for helping others create original pieces. Do you love jewellery? Have you ever wanted something specific and unique to you? Do you have a loved one you want to make the perfect gift for? Do you struggle to find jewellery that fits you, or suits your style? Then come and create it!
No prior knowledge is needed to join us, and you can bring your favourite people along for group making. Jewellery making is a wonderful communal experience for all ages, whether you are 16 or 98 years old you can have a go! With us, you get to spend time with friends and family in a safe environment while still creating something new.
Workshops: How Do They Work?
So, you want to stretch your creative muscles while experiencing a fun day out, with a beautiful piece of jewellery to take home, but you are curious about what workshops are available, or what they are like.
So far, most of our students have consisted of family groups and friendship groups but of course you can just come along on your own and enjoy meeting new people!
Our most popular workshops are our half-day (4 hours and breaks) and full-day (7 hours and breaks) packages. These include different types of making dependent on what you are interested in: stacking, spinning or standard rings; pendants; silver or semi-precious stone earrings; bangles and cuffs.
On occasion we do run two-day workshops, evening workshops for those with busy days and one-to-one sessions. Workshops are aimed at beginners but there are some more advanced projects for students with experience, normally those who have been students of ours before!
Both the half-day and full-day workshops currently have a maximum of 4 places (in normal times), ensuring everyone gets the individual attention required to get the most out of the hands-on experience. However, at the moment, for your safety and our we have chosen to reduce our numbers to 3 places. All the tools and equipment you will need are provided by us and materials will be available to purchase on the day if required.
Once you have chosen which workshop you would like to do, we send you an email confirmation which includes a link to a Pinterest board with examples of what you could make on the day (take a sneeky peek) – we suggest you have a look and use the board for inspiration, but you can certainly bring along an idea you have sketched or have in mind.
On the day, we will discuss what your ideas are and help you to find the perfect final form. We also show you finished Corzo & Wood pieces to help your design decisions; we even suggest you bring along a notepad so you can draw your design.
Then we will give you a brief overview of the techniques you can use, the tools and processes you will need to make your piece of jewellery. As you finish each step in the process, we explain the next one – so don’t worry if you have questions, we will be there help you along in learning. Jewellery making is a satisfying process, especially when you can see your design emerging from the initial materials with your own hands.
Gifting The Experience
Our full-day or half-day jewellery making workshops also make the perfect gift for a loved one. Whether they are a jewellery enthusiast, a creative or just love getting stuck into something new with a group of like-minded people, gifting the experience can be really special.
At the moment, as we are in Tier 5, the workshop is closed. But don’t worry, you can purchase one of our gift vouchers which are valid for two years and pencil in a date for later in the year. Having something to look forward to in these turbulent times could be the ideal gift.
One of our students – who’s group photo was featured in Prima – Alison said about her experience, “it was a fabulous day spent with good friends, such a lovely way to get together and create something beautiful.”
To find out more about our gift vouchers, please go to our website: https://corzoandwood.co.uk/product/e-gift-card/
Health, Safety and COVID-19
2020 was not the year any of us planned for and came with many challenges.
For our little business, one of those challenges was how to deliver our workshops in a safe environment without taking away the fun and enjoyment! We could not use our shop space for group work and still stay COVID-safe. After much research and head scratching, we found the perfect location.
Our group workshop is now located at Acorn Farm, approximately a 20-minute drive from our shop at Claydon Courtyard. It is a lovely rural location with free parking and a peaceful atmosphere.
In terms of COVID safety, the inside is spacious with individual benches for each student, all tools and benches are sanitised in between sessions as well as everything else. While teaching, we utilise our teachers’ bench, which has a Perspex shield around it so you can view demonstrations up close and still stay safe.
We are conscious of the need to keep our students safe, so as per the government guidelines, we take your temperature on arrival and ask that you wear a face covering and abide by the social distance rules. There is more than enough room to move around and we have an inside and outside space for breaks, as well as tea, coffee and bathroom facilities. We also have our fridge – named “Bob” – which you can store any food you bring with you.
If you have any questions, concerns or clarifications about our COVID measures, please do not hesitate to contact us while considering signing up for a workshop.
Our Top FAQs
Here’s our most asked questions about workshops, answered by Violeta and Sarah:
I am not artistic or particularly creative, will I be able to do it?
Sarah: “Yes, absolutely! We have lots of examples and we give step by step instructions, we are by your side throughout the day, and everyone leaves with a finished piece of jewellery.”
What are the most popular workshops?
Violeta: “Our most popular workshops are half-day wrapped rings, full-day stacking rings and full-day bangle workshops.”
Should I do a half-day or a full-day?
Violeta:“We encourage you to make the piece of jewellery that you most want to make, so that will depend on the process needed.”
Sarah: “Half-days are generally for more ‘straight-forward’ pieces. Full-day workshops are for pieces that take a little longer and involve soldering, joining and more extensive finishing. But really it’s down to what you want to make.”
Why do we need a day make stacking rings?
Violeta: “It takes time to design and make your creation, and accurately size the rings. On average most people make 3-5 silver rings. The process is slightly longer, you get to have a go at soldering the rings and personalise them with different embellishments and texture.”
Sarah: “It’s essentially a time issue, the processes of making multiple items – while also not rushing – is much better with a longer time slot.”
Make 2021 the year of being creative, we look forward to seeing you in one of our workshops.
Take care, stay safe, keep smiling
Sarah and Violeta xx
