If you ever visit Cockpit Arts, head upstairs to Studio E2F and there you will find two women working away at their individual benches. One is a Northerner, the other from down South, one is blonde, the other brunette, one works with colourful silicone the other in silver and gold. Both are jewellers and both are firm friends.
Hello we are Jenny Llewellyn and Anna Wales, and this year we are both celebrating our 10th birthday! 10 years of being in business. But our friendship goes much further back.
We met way back in 2003 on our first day of University. Jenny had a punk rock hair cut, a skirt made from a pillowcase and a single feather earring whilst the ever-anxious Anna was fighting off tears of homesickness.
Before we knew it we were off together, through the thrills and inevitable spills of university life, on through graduation and that first year of “what the hell do we do now?!” Until we both found ourselves in East London, taking our first tentative steps into the world of self-employment.
Jenny & Anna circa 2003!
And so began the next chapter of our lives, with Jenny converting an old warehouse into a live-work space, while Anna worked for and shared a studio with the renowned silversmith Ane Christensen. Although we worked in separate spaces we were never far apart, supporting each other both physically and emotionally sharing tips and ideas, struggles and inspiration, helping each other try, fail and try again.
Then in 2014 we simultaneously applied for a studio at Cockpit Arts and happily found we were each offered a space in Studio E2F. This wonderful creative hub is where you will find us today; working side by side with 10 years under our belts. We are slightly baffled by where the time has gone but completely in awe that we get to do what we love, right next to people that we love.
FIRST GIVEAWAY – WIN A GOODY BAG!
COCKPIT ARTS OPEN STUDIOS – JULY 2018
So it’s time to celebrate and we want to celebrate with YOU – the people who follow and support us and have made this crazy dream possible!
We have a number of treats and surprises planned for you throughout the year, the first of which will be a special giveaway to coincide with our summer open studios later this week.
All you need to do is sign up to my mailing list below (or Anna’s mailing list here) to receive the “golden ticket” giving you a chance to claim 1 of 10 goody bags, each filled with some of our favourite things!
If you can’t make the open studios, don’t worry, we have plenty more planned throughout the year. In the mean time keep following along to hear more of our story and be the first in the know of all the treats to come.
WIN A RING MAKING CLASS FOR YOU & A FRIEND
*COMPETITION ENDED – AUGUST 2018*
Our second giveaway is to win a ring making class for you and a friend. You will both get to come to our central London studio for one day, learn some new skills and both make your very own silver ring. This competition is held on our social media pages.
Follow Jenny and Anna on Instagram and Facebook to find out more.
SIGN UP HERE FOR CELEBRATORY OFFERS!
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