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

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 :)

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. :)

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.

Didn't we have a luverly time the week we went to Wales...!

I'm back after the luckiest week weather-wise of the summer! I don't know how that happened, but I was very grateful for it. Sun, sun, sun - ahhhhh! :) What a stunning place Snowdonia is. Our cottage was right on the coast, literally garden and a very infrequent railway between the 'cliff', beach and the sea. I even got a room overlooking this view, so woke up to the sounds of the sea and little birdies singing every morning. Bliss! Apparently you can see dolphins and seals... apparently! Not the week I was there, though, allegedly, another family staying in the cottage next door who arrived a couple of hours before us saw 4 dolphins when they arrived. Bah!

So, yes, as usual, I was 'snap happy'! Just the 201 photos this time (after the naff photo cull!) so for me, that's not very many!! I've been told I take a good photo so that was nice to hear. If you've got a spare moment to kill and you'd like to see them, they're on flickr here, or click the 'play' button below.

We have our first 2 uBou artists (that aren't me or Tash!)

It's official, uBou is totally up and running now as our first 2 artists sign up. We welcome to the fold Julie Fountain of Lush Lampwork and George Harper of By George.

Both design and hand make jewellery, but in very different styles. Julie is a glass lampworker - she makes her own deliciously desirable glass beads over a lampwork flame, selling the beads for others to make into jewellery (or horde!) as well as creating her own jewellery pieces too.

George is an expert in metal maille. She creates exquisite chain maille and metal weaves to form bracelets, necklaces and rings. Her work is predominately maille (why fiddle with perfection!), but she also uses handmade lampwork glass beads and gemstones in her designs.
More uBou artists coming to this blog soon!! :)

uBou - website nearly there!

Been working more on the uBou website, to get it more or less finished before my hols on Saturday. I'm already getting great feedback on how it looks, as well as lots of positive comments on our ethos - to bring art & craft up-to-date. I even had a seller approach me to be involved today, all buzzing with excitement over our uBou event. We must be hitting the right chords!

"What an EXCELLENT idea! What a treat to be able to do something a bit more contemporary!"

I'll be adding artists as they sign up to uBou and each one will have their own gallery page, including a personalised artist's statement. We're hoping these will show the human side behind us crafty folk and enhance the talented work and uBou experience.

The uBou : Unique Boutique website is coming together

Well, instead of doing what I was meant to last night (fill up the kiln with other glassy goodies around a lattice bowl commission in reds), I worked on the uBou : Unique Boutique website. It's looking really smart and I'm so pleased with how it's turning out. I aim to have more info on it before the end of the week when I go away. Tash has made great headway on our designer/maker application packs which I can use as a basis for some of the website copy. I don't want to leave her in the lurch while I gallivant off to Snowdonia(!) so I wanted to crack on with the site to get it up and running, as we all know websites are great marketing tools :)

The uBou website address is: http://ubou.co.uk/

Here's a screengrab from the 'uBou : Arstists' page. It will have some pretty pictures on very soon and lots more of our talented artists.