Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!

that was nice - a week off from everything :) just back from my week's holiday in cornwall. wet and windy but still lovely.

out tonight for my best mate's 30th bday celebrations! eek!! should be a giggle. we're off to bristol, dressed as builders of all things.... so look out! ;)

x

Woohoo! HOLIDAY!!

As of 5.30pm today I'm on holiday :D Can't wait. Been working so hard and have definitely earned it. Have done a 12-day week this week! Off to Cornwall with my folks for a very relaxing break in a quaint little cottage near St Neot. No glass, no computers, no work :) Hopefully I'll be rejuvenated by it and will have lots of new ideas to crack on with.

Also have someone to meet when I get back too...

Vivre Interiors

there were 2 people at the vivre stand, both loved mine and tash's work. mark, the guy we got talking to, bought a pair of my cufflinks - the 'bandits' ones and he put them on straight away he was so excited! they looked FAB! i was excited myself as i've not seen my cufflinks actually on anyone and they just looked SO funky and cool. unfortunately i'd just been home and left my camera there too or wouldve got him to be my model!!short week this week (she says, having worked an 8-day week so far!) then off on my holiday to cornwall. bliss. not doing the cotswold craft market anymore as the temporary venue is just shocking. it's a shame but needs must. (was meant to do it on sat). tash and i will sort out our own contemporary 'fair' (still deciding on what to call it - avoiding all 'craft fair' connotations) soon anyhow.

have a commission to do this week - a bowl in brown, cream and burgundy, as well as one for tash's bday in browns, creams and pink.

the vivre interiors shop website is www.vivreinteriors.com

Cheltenham Home & Garden Show, 5-7th May

have been doing this show the last 2 days and again tomorrow. sharing a stand with my friend of 'tishtash art'. i've talked to SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many people and handed out so much stuff. nearly out of postcards & leaflets - and only really given it to the people who looked interested! yesterday was v quiet & mainly OAPs but a much younger crowd today & the place was rammed from 10 to about 3.30. all non-stop! lots of positive comments & made some sales. hopefully will get some people going to the website & maybe buying there. satsuma coasters are gone! that will disappoint a few people i know who have had their eye on them. snooze you lose tho right. ;) even had people queueing to look at our stuff & even coming back again when they couldn't see!

also been talking to a guy a couple of stands down who loves my stuff & tash's work who we will be doing a 'private view' thing with all our work in his high-end spec interiors shop (he takes all his stuff off the walls & out the shop too). champagne, the lot! you'll all have to come!! he's also keen to take on some of our work too & was particularly interested in the latticework bowls :) so that was great.

it's all very exciting & i love talking to people. most people are really enthusiastic as well & have had so many nice comments. we expect monday will be even busier so early night for me i think!

anyway, here are some photos. it's quite a small stand so nowhere to sit but we've certainly filled it! yes it looks busy but people are really drawn in. our work complements each other so much people dont realise it's 2 companies. someone even thought we were sisters! ha! only met tash in feb :P lots of people have commented on how colourful our stand is compared to the others & it's funny watching people trying to walk past, hesitating, and walking in :) am very tired - with 'real work' and this will have done a 13-day week (REALLY 13 days as have been up to the small hours most days, working!). x

Cocktail anyone??

how fun are these?! these are fresh from the kiln - 'tishtash splishsplash' swizzlesticks called "Candy Cane" (set of 6) and "Flame" (set of 4)...

Last day before "The Biggie"!

Oh good god, it's the Home & Garden Show tomorrow!! So much to do, so little time! I'm very excited and very terrified at the prospect of a "proper" show. Everytime I hear the ad on the radio I get more nervous. I'm sure it will be fun and definitely an experience. I'm so greatful to Tash of www.tishtash.co.uk for offering space on her stand. It will be great to have her moral support over the 3 days and we can hatch our next venture together. Muhahaha! *rubs hands together*

Friends

Don't think because you're chalk and cheese, you can't be best mates with someone. I've just been out with my best mate and had a blast! Nothing fancy, just the local pub, but it's been so great to get together. I've not seen much of her the last year as she's been pregnant and I've been crazily busy working but getting together was such a buzz. We're SO different but have personalities that just click and, in the real world, we probably would never have gotten together. This is where I sing the internet's praises! Just have an open mind, you never know when your perfect friend might come along.

...how sugary was that?! Can you tell I am a little tipsy?! lol! ;)

Here it is. Viridian. Stunning! I'm so pleased.

Viridian...

...should be cooled and a bowl when I get home later. Will buff it up and take a couple of photos. Very excited! Watch this space...!

Latticeware

so, the new latticeware i've been working on went really well. www.handmadeheaven.biz/page21.htm
the first one was a bowl called Sugar & Spice

it's sold and will be on its way to belgium after this weekend's home & garden show @ cheltenham racecourse 5/6/7th may as a display model for commissions. i also have another commission from this in browns/cream/burgundy so no rest for me!

then, of course, i had to make coasters! they worked really well.

and this bowl (still flat here), Viridian, is cooling in the kiln. i have a black/white/grey one ready to fire tonight.

i also made up a test on the suggestion my friend made, so in her honour, here's a tishtash splishsplash swizzlestick! lol! this one's Emerald City . i think they're great fun (bit of a random test colour scheme tho!)

Who is Steph Jones??

Hello there!

My name's Steph and I'm a glass addict!! I'm a contemporary kiln-fused glass artist living and working in Cheltenham on the edge of the Cotswolds, UK. Working under the name Handmade Heaven, I produce a range of unique and contemporary fused glassware, gifts, art and jewellery for men and women.

Over my time working with glass, I've become something of a 'coaster-queen', producing unique, fun and funky designs in bold and bright colours. My work has been sold to customers all over the UK and US, as well as Europe, so I am quite the international! It has a wide-ranging appeal and is different and modern. I specifically produce things you won't see anywhere else and feel I am doing something different with the glass, colour-wise and with the design, to other fused glass artists.

My work has been described as "sweets for the eyes", real eye-candy stuff, and it's funny how many people have a strange urge to eat my glassy products! They do have that quality of boiled sweets about them but I wouldn't recommend them for consumption! I produce affordable 'artworks' for everyday use, showcase artwork for wall-mounting and display, gifts and 'wearable' art in the form of jewellery for men and women, with this range ever-expanding as I try new ideas and techniques. The possibilities with glass are endless and my 'to do' list is huge! I really love working with such a tactile medium and am very passionate about my work. From the amount of fingerprints I have to clean off my work at fairs I know that other people can't help but touch too. The traditional thought is glass = 'do not touch', but with my work, it's positively encouraged - you just can't help yourself!

My website is http://www.handmadeheaven.biz/ which will tell you a lot more about me and my work. You can also see my gallery of commissions and my online shop which are both crammed full of bright and colourful photos. It's definitely worth taking a look rather than me try to explain my style as, like they say, a picture speaks a thousand words.

I am currently working on a new range of latticeware designs, which I am launching at the Home & Garden Show at Cheltenham Racecourse (5/6/7th May '07) which is very exciting for me. I have had a spectacular reaction to the designs I have created so far, and with my glass looking better in the flesh than on photos, I am hoping for good things from it this coming weekend.

I have an online shop and work in outlets in Gloucestershire (hoping to sort out some more in the next few weeks) and also thrive on commission work. I enjoy the challenge of bespoke designs and have many very satisfied customers so far.

I am a trained graphic designer and design children's books day-to-day and I find my design background has been really helpful not only with colour choice and design, but also presenting my products to my customers. I work with glass almost every hour outside the graphic design job and can't get enough of trying out new, exciting designs.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog and come back regularly to see how I am getting on.

Thanks for reading,

Steph :)