Swirly swirly

I've been trawling the Handmade Heaven archive of photos as I want to put together a bit of promotional stuff to pop through local doors. Things are ticking over nicely but it's always nice to reach a new audience. I've been uploading some photos to my flickr and found some great bits and pieces of glassy goodies past which I'm keen to make again. One of my fave ranges is my Swirls. I love the bubbles, the way the decoration 'floats' over the coloured base ...and the fact they are always popular at fairs! I think I'll make some more like those made in the past (see photos below) and try out some other colours. Maybe they could be sold in a mix-and-match stylee? Hmm...

Rasberry Jam Swirl Bubblegum Swirl Aqua Snowstorm Vortex

I have also applied the same swirly principals to some pendants:

Decole - retro cute

I've seen some of this before but have just learned that the brand is 'Decole' and it's all from Japan. I love retro, colour & fun, funky items and the Decole stuff is so up my street! Apparently it's not so easy to get hold of in the UK but I've found a couple of places. Try Tokyo Jazz Panda (!) or join the flickr group Delicious Decole. Or you could browse the flickr hive mind.

Inspirational colourways

I've always got my eyes open for colour combos and patterns that inspire me. It can be the smallest thing, but once I see something I like *poof* a glassy idea appears in my head. Here are a couple of images I've seen lately with some lovely colours. Expect to see some glassy goodies in these colourways shortly :) (I am planning to get a batch of goodies in the kiln tomorrow)

Wobbly-edged, neon stripy duo

Something brand new from me...

Meet 'Electric Dreams' :)

Inspired by the bold colours popular in fashion, with a whiff of the 80s and neon.

They have an intentional wobbly edge on 2 sides which is great to run your finger along and looks really fun :) I have them listed to buy in my shop, here.

A featured artist on the Handm@de blog

I forgot to say, I am the current featured artist on the blog for the 'Handm@de' event in Oxford on the 9th November. I wrote some waffle and they've posted it, along with some of my photos. Hopefully it's a good read and will tell people a bit more about me and my work, in preparation for them buying lots from me on the day :) Click here to read the post.

Bye bye 'Bonny Heather Lattice' handmade coaster duo

I never sell anything on etsy.com but I just did, so I'm happy! It was another lattice coaster pair called 'Bonny Heather'. Quite restrained colourwise for me really. It's off up the road to Oxfordshire :)

Ugh

It's that time of year for the dreaded tax return. I've sacrificed a weekend away with my family to sort my books, tax return and make more glass. I'm hoping for some respite from all this admin (X Factor soon, can't miss that!) but looks like the books are taking a bit longer than I thought. Hey ho, my own fault really for storing it all up so I have LOADS to do at once! Guess I need to stop selling stuff/buying more supplies.... nah, that's a silly idea!! hehe! :) From the looks of all the postal receipts I've just entered into my spreadsheet, I have been doing really well this year so that is keeping me upbeat. Must....soldier....on....!

Flickr hive

I also found myself on google as a flickr 'hive mind'. Seems it's a gadget that grabs lots of photos from flickr and presents them as uninterrupted thumbnails. Looks very pretty! Here I am.

Handmade Heaven and 'The Sun'?! Surely not?!

Tash googled herself and told me we were in The Sun! Surely not! But yes, here I am!! Must be linked into my etsy.com shop. How strange!!

Amazing moon

Driving home late I noticed the moon was ENORMOUS so, after I drove up the big hill behind my place to grab a better look, I thought I'd see if I could snap a couple of photos with my camera & tripod from my balcony when I got back. The results really don't do it justice. It's not often the moon looks so large in the sky or it's clear enough a night to see! When I first spotted the moon it was very, very low and a burning orange. Stunning :)

Apologies for the naff photos! (...but can you see the craters?!)

Bye bye 'Medusa' pendant necklace & 'Gingerbread Lattice' coaster quad

Seems it's a busy week for Handmade Heaven sales. Two more parcels posted out today...

One of my handmade fused glass ribbon & cord pendants
called 'Medusa' which uses some lovely sparkly green glass:

and the 'Gingerbread Lattice' latticeware coaster quad.

Featured on the www.folksy.com homepage

I was just checking my page on www.folksy.com (the new UK version of www.etsy.com) and look who was on the homepage... me! Yay!!

Hellboy 2 & 'Red Devil' handmade fused glass coasters

Oo! Hellboy 2 was great :D Funny, fantastic (in both senses of the word!) and full of action. I expect I might see it again. I just remembered about these coasters I made aaages ago (sold) which I think fit perfectly with the Hellboy look - they're even called 'Red Devil'!

Hellboy 2!! Whoop!!

Ok, so I'm excited. Hellboy 2 tonight @ the flicks. Can't wait! Have everything crossed we can get tickets as it's impossible to book in advance with the Cineworld card I have, unless you pay extra (pfft!). I am hoping it lives up to my expectations and even exceeds them... :)

Hello 'Lime Trifle Lattice'!

One goes, another arrives on the scene! More glassy goodies from me now on my website. My 'Lime Trifle' designs don't often hang about long so grab this one while you can. This edible-looking colour combo of lime, raspberry, cream and chocolate colours is for your furniture, NOT for consumption! Please, DO NOT EAT! This tasty duo is now listed on my latticeware glass page.

'Lime Trifle Lattice' handmade fused glass coaster pair'Lime Trifle Lattice' handmade fused glass coaster pair (detail)

Bye bye 'Polar Lattice' handmade fused glass coaster duo

Another day, another sale. I'm a happy bunny! My frosty 'Polar Lattice' coaster duo are off to a new home. Think I need to stock up on latticeware soon for my up-coming fairs at Frampton-on-Severn (14/9) and Handm@de in Oxford (9/11). Then there's always Christmas! Got to think for that now. Ah the life of a retailer!! :)

Screen grabbing tool

For some reason my 'print screen' button on my keyboard has decided to stop working. As this is an invaluable key to me I was a little peeved, but I googled 'screen grab' and the program "Screen Grab Pro v1.5" came up. I've downloaded this freeware and it seems to do the job really well. Actually, it will shorten the time I take to do screen grabs as you can select an area with a drag box, rather than having to take the keyboard grab into photoshop for cropping. Genius! Download it here if you need a grabber! :) It does whole pages too apparently but I'm yet to try that out.

More etsy treasury love!

Someone else has chosen my work to be featured in an etsy.com treasury. The theme this time is stripes:

'SunSpot' new wall/window hanger commission

I have a few repeat customers and I love to keep them happy :) A lady who has quite a few of my glassy goodies commissioned a larger hanger to go with her mini hangers in sunshine yellows. I kinda had free reign on the design, as long as it was made of yellows and creams. We mentioned blocks and stacks so I decided to do a fusion of the two. I am really pleased with the result. I wanted to get a bit more interest into this hanger and designed it so the glass would get sucked in at the sides, creating this wobbly edge. I will be adding this hanger to my shop as an example for people to choose their own colour should they want to commission one.

'SunSpot' handmade fused glass wall/window hanger (Glass = 16 x 3.5cm)

'Blackjax' fused and ready to go

I love this! It's turned out really well. Not quite as I'd planned but I'm loving the bright, graphic look it has. Reminds me of records somehow, the old-fashioned ones with the brightly coloured labels. I hope you like it. It's now for sale in my shop.

'Blackjax' detail'Blackjax' full view

Batch2 - handmade fused glass rings

So, Tash and I were busy bunnies today. We put together a new batch of handmade fused glass rings which are ready to go in the kiln. Here are a couple of photos of the designs, pre-fire...

'Blackjax' birch-framed handmade fused glass art - WIP

So I've not posted much glass lately have I? Well, it's not that I've not been working on some (I always am!) so here is something to keep you going until I post a photo of all the rings I am going to make today! This is 'Blackjax', an idea that came to me, as they usually do, as I drove the commute to work (the day job). I love bright colours and rainbows too so I thought this would work as a design. I hope so! I'm using coloured opaques with just black and clear glass to make this piece something special. Clear gets neglected sometimes as just a base or cover layer but it really does wonderful things to coloured opaques if used during a full fuse. I'll post a photo or two of this when it's all done and dusted but I thought you might like to see the WIP...

The bright red object at the front is my trusty glass cutting tool. :)

Pick me! Pick me! ...and they did :)

Well, I am keeping abreast of all the goings on in preparation for the Handm@de pre-Xmas fair @ Oxford Town Hall on the 9th November in a group on flickr. I noticed another treasury had been made on etsy to showcase the designer-makers who'll be at the fair. As I was in the last 2 esty treasury showcases I thought I couldn't be in another...

...but it looks like I am :) I think they need to sort the blog out though, get more pics/info out so people can start to get excited about it. They assure me they are so keep checking that blog (and this one!).

Oops!

I was browsing etsy.com and seem to have bought this snowman. Am such a sucker for cute, wonky stuff! He's Swedish too so he's extra cool :) I also watched The Mummy 3 this week (don't bother, it's rubbish!). The only good thing in it is the Yeti. I want a Yeti. Please?! Actually, Brendan Fraser was quite amusing, as usual. Hellboy2 next for me. SO excited about it! Am such a geek :P

...hang on a minute. What's wrong with me?! It's meant to be summer, not winter, right?!

More rings on the way

Seems my new rings are going down very well so I have already got more supplies on the way. I'll be spending the best part of the weekend making more glass for rings, bracelets, brooches and pendants. I'm really fired up about these designs and can't wait to make more. Keep your eyes on the blog/website for new designs as they are made. Tash has volunteered her services on colours and ideas so it should be quite a productive time.

Photos from the weekend - Malmesbury, Wilts.

I have a love of Britain's architecture and history, with a particular interest in ecclesiastical designs. I love, love, love stained glass windows and have a bit of an obsession with photographing them! On Sunday I went to Malmesbury in Wilts to grab a bite to eat and have a little mosey about the town. It's one of those historic English towns with an unchanged look to it. These are a couple of snaps I took, in and around the abbey:

Does this face look like it's floating to anyone else too?! Freaky!

This window really was stunning. It was quite different to most I've seen as it had a high proportion of a greeny glass and simple, striking figures. Nice and simple and not overly gaudy!

Latest latticeware bowl commission photos

Thought I'd post these photos of the 2 latest latticeware bowl commissions, in a home environment (under my older-than-me 70s lamp!). I love the shadows I get in these photos. Here are:

'Berry Zest' handmade fused glass latticeware bowland 'A Touch of Luxury' handmade fused glass latticeware bowl

I also asked my commissionee, Amy, if I could have some photos of the glassware in her home and she went one better - she's already blogged about it here :)

These 2 photos by Amy Etchells

It's really great to see how my glassy goodies fits into its new home. If you have a photo, do send it to me :)

Top row in treasury for the Handm@de pre-Xmas fair

This one sneaked up on me! Another treasury has been put together of designer-makers who'll be at the Handm@de pre-Xmas fair in Oxford on the 9th November. Can't wait to see the beautiful Oxford Town Hall crammed full of these fab crafts. My handmade fused glass 'Love Token' fobs and hangers are shown top right:

Finally! - Photos of 'Blox' rings ready

Editing photos to make my glassy goodies look their best takes a good deal of time. I've only just edited the 'Blox' handmade fused glass rings photos and uploaded them to my website so now you can see this range of rings. Only a couple at the moment but I'll be making more in the next ring batch as they're selling well (6 in the last couple of days!) and I need a healthy stock for the Frampton Show on the 14th September.

'Jaffa Purple Punch Blox''Lilac Violet Blox''Strawberry Toffee Choc Blox'