Friday, 31 October 2008

Odd moment of fame!

I got an email via my flickr account a while ago from a travel guide website wanting me to submit one of my photos from my trip to Budapest last year. They wanted to include it in their next guide. Ok I thought, why not. It's been chosen to be used and they sent me the link today! I have to say, it's one of my worst photos from the trip(!) so seems an odd choice but I am now very, very mildly famous! Here's the link.


Thursday, 30 October 2008

Ta da!

Cufflinks made up and ready to go :) They look fab and hopefully will go down a treat on Blueberry Park.

Wednesday, 29 October 2008

Happy Hallowe'en

My friend sent me a link to all sorts of fantastic pumpkin carvings today. They are so amazing I thought I'd share. Take a look here on Martha Stewart's website. I will be in the cinema with Daniel Craig on the night itself but I shall be Hallowe'ening in spirit! :)


Featured on the Handm@de blog

I'm busy preparing for the Handm@de craft fair in Oxford town hall on the 9th November. The organisers have a blog which they regularly update and I see my work has been featured again. Hooray! See you at the event, I hope :)

Tuesday, 28 October 2008

SO excited!




He's an institution isn't he? Bondjamesbond that is! I'm booked in to see the new movie on opening night and I can't wait! Just thought I'd share my enthusiasm! hehe ;)


Fused glass rings

I had to say goodbye to another one of my glassy goodies this morning. 'Lilac Violet Blox' fused glass ring is off to Ayrshire to its new owner.

I know I said a while ago I'd be uploading lots more fused glass rings to my website but I'm hoarding them until after my shows as they're good sellers (and a bit of a pain to photograph!). Bear with me though and I will add them. They are mostly one-offs so if you see one you like, grab it while you can!

Monday, 27 October 2008

uBou : promotional postcard

I needed to design a promotional postcard/leaflet for uBou so I did this at the weekend too. I am really pleased with the design and I can't wait to get them. I've made them non-date specific so they can be used at any time. I also ordered some round stickers with the details of our next event to pop onto the cards when we use them as event leaflets. Genius! Here's the digital version of the postcard:

What's this? Glass, on a glassy blog?! Whatever next!

Yes, that's right folks! I managed to slip in some kiln goodies in amongst the domestic stuff and uBou craziness!! I've fired a beautiful latticeware bowl made on commission via some of my gift vouchers (make great Xmas pressies!), in some beautiful autumnal colours. In homage to 'Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds' (grew up on listening to this in the car!), I've called it 'Forever Autumn' :)

This is a snapshot of the bowl, post-firing (flat). Love it!

I also went big on cufflinks, making the glass for 35 pairs, 5 of each of the designs I mentioned before. These are nearly ready to be shipped out. Just need the finishing touches. :)

Sorry about the rubbish photos! Just took some quickies without my usual lighting.

Saturday, 25 October 2008

Wholesale order

Just about to cut and fuse the glass for a wholesale cufflink order. I asked Karen of Blueberry Park to choose from my designs for her order. I am re-making:

L-R: The Blues, Liquid Pools, Last Night at the Proms, Electric
Oberon, Flame, Comrade

I will post photos once the order is ready :)

Thursday, 23 October 2008

Freebie giveaways

With my next two events just around the corner - Handmade on the 9th Nov @ Oxford Town Hall and uBou Christmas on the 30th November @ The Royal Oak, Prestbury, Cheltenham I've been a busy bunny.

Each event will have take-away goody bags, filled with lovely samples and info on all manner of talent artists and designer/makers. I am providing little samples of fused glass on specially designed cards and I made the first batch this morning. I am really pleased with how they've turned out. I think they look really professional and will give visitors to the events an idea of my work and be nice little take-home samples. I plan on making 100. I have made 16 so far! hahaha!

If you wanted to do something similar, I've used Bostik removable 'sticky dots' which have worked a treat! Took me a while to find what I wanted - not easy when you don't know the name of something! I picked removable ones so the glass could be easily taken off the card. I'm considerate like that!

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

uBou grows and grows :)

The collective of artists that is uBou : Unique Boutique is growing and growing. Here's a list of who we have so far...

  • Handmade Heaven by Steph Jones (me!)
    Funky fused glassy goodies & contemporary crafts with a retro twist
  • Lush Lampwork by Julie Fountain
    Stunning, delicious & delightful handmade glass beads and jewellery
  • By George by George Harper
    Intricate handmade metal maille jewellery, oozing quality & style
  • Emily Parker Art by Emily Parker
    Realistic & artistic life-drawings & mixed media paintings
  • Charmaine Bartram
    Luxurious & exquisite wearable wonders : collars, shawls & wraps
  • Dove Art by Kate Wilkins
    Richly textured & colourful mixed media art
  • Through the Lens by Ken Shekan
    Photography for all occasions and needs
  • Button Bijoux by Lauren Williams
    Fun, eye-catching & wearable unique button and fabric bead jewellery
  • Frances Browne Art by Frances Browne
    Cute & collectable flora & fauna paintings
  • Sue Green Jewellery by Sue Green
    Pretty, easy-to-wear, handmade fashion jewellery
  • Changing Leopards by Katrine Elliott-Mead
    Contemporary mosaics for interiors, exteriors & to wear
  • Green Forest by Phil Hinton
    Woodland crafts in local & reclaimed timber
  • Sarah Pearson Cooke Textiles by Sarah Pearson Cooke
    Hand-dyed Shibori textiles
  • Emma Helbrough Art by Emma Helbrough
    Charming & collectable still life, real life & textile artwork
  • Boseley Wood by Lucy Boseley
    Mirrors, clocks, coat hooks & more made from recycled wood & old furniture
  • Fuzzy Merton Jewellery by Katherine
    Contemporary, unique handmade jewellery in silver, gold & semi-precious stones
  • Trudi Hayden Art by Trudi Hayden
    Nature & abstract art for home, commercial & outdoor spaces
  • Michael Peckitt Jewellery by Michael Peckitt
    Very colourful, handmade designer jewellery made from acrylic & adonised aluminium
uBou artists coming soon...

  • Richard Wells
  • Snappy Sausage by Abbi
    Fun, funky jewellery for dressing up or dressing down
  • The Gingerbread Girl by Emma Gladding
    Cute, cuddly and colourful recycled textiles
  • Worcester Pen Company by Bryan Lucas
    High-quality pens made from precious resins, ebonite & hallmarked sterling silver
  • Mike Kingston Art
    Bright & bold paintings - beach huts & more
  • Jane Vernon Ceramics
    Modern-yet-tradtional ceramics for every home
I'm planning on making some glass this week (shock horror!) so watch this space!!

Sunday, 19 October 2008

I'm still alive, just super busy

You know how usually I'm rushing about doing allsorts of things? Well, I am now past that stage and have hit uber busy!! Sorry I am neglecting my blog. Here's my current to do/just did list...
  • liase with pub to book uBou2 in
  • sort out food & drink for uBou2
  • update uBou website with new artists
  • write application pack, form and terms & conditions for uBou2
  • email uBou-ers with said application material/answer uBou emails
  • create excel file with all uBou info in it so i don't forget what
    i'm doing!
  • update Handmade Heaven website
  • make 35 pairs cufflinks for wholesale order
  • order in supplies for said wholesale order/packaging for uBou
    gift bags
  • design, create and order in cards for glassy samples for Handm@de/uBou show freebies
  • order glue for said card freebies once decided the type it is/what it's called!
  • pack up and post 'Patience' latticeware bowl which just this minute sold
  • create 6x 'Huge Heart' coasters for a commission
  • make more stuff for Handm@de fair
  • sort out bloody car!!
  • domestic stuff
  • eat/sleep - or at least try to sleep!!
etc, etc!!

So, I shall get back to proper blogging asap when things have calmed down a bit.

Bye, bye 'Patience'


I also want to say RIP to TishTash Art, my friend's painting venture which she has sadly laid to rest due to a big promotion at work and health problems from trying to be superwoman! Chin up Tash. Hope things sort themselves out now you'll have time for yourself xx

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

uBou's back!

Yes, we're back with another uBou : Unique Boutique shopping event. uBou1 was such a success we couldn't pass up another opportunity to sell our wares at another uBou event - uBou2 will be on the 30th November, 11am-5pm @ The Royal Oak, Prestbury, Cheltenham, Glos., so do pop along and support us!

http://ubou.co.uk/

More details shortly :)

By the way, if you have a website and would like a link swap with uBou, please contact me and I'll add you to our links page.

Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Jewellery cards

I thought I'd try out something a bit different with my glass. I've ordered some jewellery cards I'll attach pendants & rings to at fairs, etc. I can also use these cards as my giveaways in goody bags at the Handm@de event and at our uBou events. Fingers crossed they look nice in the flesh!

Monday, 13 October 2008

Sausage Singstar Saturday!

I must make a special mention to my friend Claire who made the tastiest sausage and mash for us on Saturday night. I got together with friends from work for 'Sausage Singstar Night'. I was adamant I wasn't going to sing... but a few drinks later I was demanding the microphone!! Never try to sing a song cos you like it - deelite's groove is in the heart is a nightmare!!!


Ooo, light fantastic!

I'm getting things ready for a big (hopefully!) fair in Oxford Town Hall called Handm@de on the 9th November. I bought the white shelving unit a while ago but haven't used it yet. It will give me more height and looks really professional, I think. Yesterday I bought two new lights which is kinda why I took this photo. They're great! They give out as much light as the 6 smaller lights I was using before and fold down flat so will be easy to pack away and carry. They are fully re-positionable too so I can point the light exactly where I need it. I'm excited about lights. Oh dear!

You can also see my new cloth in this picture. It's a bright red with a Scandinavian pattern and makes such a big difference. The moss coloured one I was using before was a little bland and I wanted to have something that more reflected my bright, fun and colourful work. Must say a big THANK YOU to my mum for hemming the new cloth for me!! x

I'm really pleased with how the stall looks in this mock-up. Planning before an event is always a good idea and I'm glad I did it. Now I know I don't need extra lights - well, maybe 2, but not the full 6 old ones as well as the new! I also now know how I am going to set up the basics of the stall so this should save me time on the day. More time to make things look pretty & buff up my glass!

Saturday, 11 October 2008

The big 3-0!

Yep, I'll be turning the big 3-0 quite soon and I'm just planning my trip away. Last year I went to Budapest with my little bro and had an amazing time :) This year my first plan was for Prague, but I was a bit worried it would be too loutish and spoilt so I've opted for Krakow in Poland. Should be pretty bracing at the end of November but I love wrapping up. Hopefully it should be pretty quiet so I can enjoy the city and surrounding area relatively uninterrupted.

Photo by elliot23 on flickr

No trip to Krakow would be complete without a tour to the locations used in Schindler's List (stunning & moving movie) and visiting Austwitchz. A strange thing to do on a birthday trip but it's something that interests me on so many levels. I want to try to understand, but I know I never will.

I'm also hoping to see the Wieliczka salt mines too. I saw them on one of Michael Palin's programmes once and they look amazing. So, a bit of a whirlwind tour as I'm only going for 4 nights but it should be very memorable :) It will be the first time I will be away for my actual birthday too so that will be a bit odd!

Salt Mines
Photo by Pete Reed on flickr

Wednesday, 8 October 2008

More of me on the folksy homepage!

Just went to folksy.com to pay my listing fees and what did I see on the homepage? Me!!


More glassy goodies - handmade fused glass artwork

Sorry about the delay blogging. What with the prep for uBou, my Welsh hols and a trip home for a hen do/family visit I've not had too much time for Handmade Heaven! However, I do have some new artwork to show you. I made these pieces in preparation for the uBou event. They looked fabulous out on their own little display table and got lots of attention. All three are now on my website on the framed art page.

The first is one of my popular 'Faith, Hope & Charity' designs in luscious pinks, with copper heart, dot and wire spiral detailing, as well as thin copper strips which turn a sparkly turquoise blue with the heat of the kiln. This piece can be stood on a table, shelf or sideboard, or hung on a wall. The next is similar in style to the previous piece, but in delightful purples, lavender and rich browns. This one is called 'Love in Lavender'. Finally I created another one of my fab retro-esque 9-nugget piece artworks. This is a multi-layered, multi-coloured creation in white, purple, lavender, green and sparkly dichroic glass. The trios of glass form a fun, funky square picture, perfect for any wall. Remember, glass art will never fade! This one's called 'Fairy Glen Fondant'. I am planning on making more like this very soon :)

Friday, 3 October 2008

uBou : Unique Boutique - event#1 is a rip-roaring success!!

i had a fantastic time and it went REALLY well! had so much positive feedback about the idea from sellers & jo public too. had lots of folk saying 'when is your next one' and 'i had some friends who would have love to have come to this' and 'we'd love to come to another one' etc etc :) the landlord seemed keen to have us back, and you struggled to find somewhere to park cos it was so busy! and it was even raining too but i didn't notice as we were packed out from 7pm when we opened to round about 9ish when things went a little quieter. We had people in right up until just before 10pm when it finished :) I had one of my best shows selling wise I've had for ages too! Yay! The atmosphere was great, with a lovely venue, music, food & drink. People even wandered in from the pub with their pints! I got chatting to loads of enthusiastic people (my fave customers being 2 builders who came back to my stand about 3 times & both left with purchases! ...and poss some work for me making bespoke bathroom tiles!). I love that interaction and this was a real social event. I think everyone really enjoyed the evening. Here's to more uBou!!!! :D :D :D

I had to take these photos from behind my stall - I was too busy to leave it! I didn't even get time to walk round and see everyone which was very frustrating but better to busy, eh! I know George took some other photos. I didn't even snap a photo of my own stall!! Bah!

See more photos from the event HERE, taken by George of 'By George' handmade chain maille. :)

Thursday, 2 October 2008

uBou's first event is just around the corner...

It's TONIGHT!!! Our first uBou event kicks off at 7pm tonight at The Royal Oak, Prestbury, Cheltenham, so if you're in the neighbourhood, do pop along.

Tash and I are really excited, as our uBou artists. We've got a great range of designer/makers who'll be there on the night and lots waiting in the wings, or asking to be involved in uBou. We're obviously doing something right! I'm taking my camera so I hope to have a few photos to show you but I may be too busy schmoozing and selling... here's hoping! Wish us luck :)

'Hot Colours' fused glass latticeware bowl & new 'trifle' coaster duo

Before I went away I took some photos of my latest glassy goodies. I got another handmade fused glass latticeware bowl commission in 'hot colours' and was subsequently told that the recipient's fave colour was red. So, I went on red overload and made 'Vulcania'. I love the richness of colour to this one. Very warm indeed! My photos aren't the best as I took them at about 6am the morning before I went away. Hey ho!

Love how you can see the edges of the bowl reflected in this photo :)
Along with the commissioned bowl, I threw in (well, carfeully cut, cleaned and laid out!) this 'Raspberry Chocolate Trifle' coaster duo in pinks and browns. Another edible set, I think you'll agree. This pair is now available to buy on my coaster duos page.

I used my new polarising filter on my camera for this photo. It took out a lot of the usual blue reflection/glare I get on some of my glassy photos. You can see more detail, I think.