Jewellery, Jewellery... from

Inspired by the art of the Vikings and the Picts. Crafted in silver and gold. Maggie Lord's Skaramanda jewellery is to die for.

The Drumsyre-based jeweller creates a whole range of inspirational hand-made rings, wedding rings, earrings, kilt pins and bangles. Influenced by the intricate art of the ancient tribes of Britain and Scandinavia, Maggie cuts and polishes precious metals into her stunning creations.

Largely self-taught, Maggie learned some her craft on Orkney when she became the eager pupil of a local silversmith. After moving down to the Central Belt, she attended jewellery making classes at Glasgow School of Art and in Edinburgh.

Yes, she's had some formal training, but, Maggie feels, the fact she didn't attend art school full time or become a jeweller's trainee has given her designs their contemporary edge.

She said: "I'm basically self-taught which has allowed me to experiment more with different techniques and designs. It's given me the confidence to try more things, techniques that I maybe would have been discouraged from using in a more formal training setting.

It has also earned the Yorkshire lass a dedicated customer base - her designs were snapped up by Iona Abbey, the National Portrait Gallery, Scottish Gems and Jenners in Edinburgh and are very popular with their clientele.

With the fame of Skaramanda growing, it was time to open her own workshop.....not in Drumsyre, but in nearby Carnwath. She did so with the help of South Lanarkshire Council and Small Business Gateway Clydesdale. They secured Maggie a Business Venture Fund grant which enabled her to refurbish the interior of her Main Street store and workshop.

The result is a bright little jewellery store selling Maggie's creations and the handmade goods of other Scottish artists plus a workshop upstairs enabling her to create on site.

Said Maggie: "I'm really pleased with how the shop turned out. I opened in February and it's going really well. Obviously, the bad weather didn't help in the beginning, but things have definitely picked up since then.

Business Ventures Fund has another successful year

A fund set up to help businesses by providing grants and loans has assisted 41 companies over the last year.

The South Lanarkshire Business Ventures Fund was set up in November 1996 and is administered by Small Business Gateway Hamilton on behalf of South Lanarkshire Council and its partners Small Business Gateways East Kilbride, Rutherglen & Cambuslang and Clydesdale.

It can provide financial support for small businesses across South Lanarkshire in the form of grants of up to £4,800, loans of up to £5,000 and property improvement grants of up to £15,000.

Funding is provided by South Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire's Enterprise Trusts (Small Business Gateways), Hamilton Business Development Loan Fund, the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire and European Regional Development Fund money through the Strathclyde European Partnership.

Councillor Eddie McAvoy, leader of South Lanarkshire Council, said: "The Fund is very successful and continues to assist companies throughout South Lanarkshire. In addition, it has helped safeguard around 450 jobs which is very good news."

Businesses interested in the Fund should contact their local Small Business Gatewaywww.sbgateway.com for more details or:

Business South Lanarkshire - Spring 2001

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