Amazing! What would you say is the best part of your job?
The best part is definitely working with an incredibly talented team. We solve so many problems by talking things through with each other and patiently trying different solutions. I also just love coming into work and being able to make things with my hands using skills that I have learnt over the years.
What would you say is the biggest challenge?
Learning that things will and do go wrong. It can be incredibly frustrating when you spend a day - or even two! - on a dial and it doesn't work out. However, this probably makes the successful dials feel even more of an achievement!
Sometimes good things can come from things not always going to plan though...
Yes! The fumé dials were a bit of an accident in that they were originally inspired by a dial I made that went quite wrong, during our first attempt to enamel on silver. The dial warped so badly it became a dome! When we sanded it back to its final finish, there was a lot less enamel in the middle, creating the fumé's gradient effect. It was very much a team effort to work out how we could reliably and effectively produce it again.
For those of us who have never done so, are there any things you must never do when working with enamel?
The process can be quite scientific, especially when enamelling watch dials, so there is a whole list of dos and don'ts. However, a simple rule is to stay by the kiln when there's something in it - you don’t want to forget about it!
What would surprise people about working with enamel, if they don't know anything about it?
I think just the vast array of methods and outcomes that applying glass to metal can achieve might be surprising. But, on a more practical level, perhaps that it can take as little as a minute in the kiln to do it.
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and find her online at http://www.mornadarlingjewellery.com