Munich birthday trip

My birthday holiday to Munich was really great. Lots of snow, amazing buildings, lots of Christmassy-themed things and so much to see and do! It was great to spend it away from home as when I am home I tend to feel the need to work!

Here's a slideshow of some of my photos - I say 'some' as I had to whittle them down a bit as I took so many, like usual!

If you want to skip through to flickr direct, this link will take you to the set where I have added labels, descriptions and links: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephjones/sets/72157610622750978/

Busy, busy, busy - cufflinks & rings

Some of these new cufflink sets have been waiting to be finished for ages, some are brand spanking new! I am really proud of them & some even have matching tie slides too. Great for the man who has everything this Christmas! Get hold of them here.

The pretties below the cufflinks are rings, ready to be finished off. Every one is unique!

Handmade Heaven funky fused glass on Blueberry Park

Just thought I'd check out a wholesale order I did for Blueberry Park to see if my cufflinks were on their website yet. Yes, they are! It's quite cool to see them outside my website. The very nice lady I dealt with said "Oh Wow! They're FAB!" so I think she liked them!! I hope they do well for her as I really enjoyed working to a bit of a bigger scale than my usual one-offs. Cufflinks are one of my biggest sellers and I am currently making lots more new designs for my own site/stalls.

'Hey, good looking, whatcha got cooking'... and where the blooming heck have you been?!

Yes, I know, it's been a week of non-blogging for a usually regular blogger. To be honest, I felt I didn't have all that much to blog about the past week, nor time to do it, as I've just been doing boring-but-essential behind-the-scenes stuff getting ready for the uBou Christmas event on the 30th November.

I also went away for a bit of 'me' time with my friends to Brighton on a bit of a jolly this weekend just gone! It was a real good giggle and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Just what the doctor ordered to calm my stress levels!

Look! I really went - I have proof! That's me on the left in jeans.

My glassy orders have also been stacking up so last night I filled up the kiln (and cut myself *sob*) with commissions and some new cufflink designs.

Some HH Rainbow coasters, a chocolate & cola drizzle coaster duo, a latticeware bowl in earthy colours and the new cufflink designs. :)

Christkindlmarkt

Found out today that the traditional Christmas Market (Christkindlmarkt) is on in Munich when we are there. What great timing - the first day of it is on our last day. I am sure I'll be tempted by all the goodies for sale!

Photo by Brian Gilmore on Flickr

New gallery / I've been faffing...

So, as I've made so many handmade fused glass latticeware bowls for commissions now, I thought it was about time I uploaded lots of photos of them as examples into a gallery. This should help anyone who would like to order a bowl see how they look in different colourways. They can then choose either their own colour scheme or ask for a design similar to one I've made before.

I intend to make gallery pages for all my work as there is so much now it won't fit in just the one!

Success at the Handm@de show in Oxford!

I love it when all the pre-show stress and worry pays off! Yesterday's craft fair 'Handmade' was a great success for me and I am really pleased. I was sad to see some things go, like my 'Blackjax' artwork but I know the guy I sold it to will treasure it. It reminded him of something from his childhood (luckily nothing traumatic!) so he HAD to have it! He didn't buy it straight away but came back an hour or so later with the money, probably after lots of 'should i? shouldn't i?' :) I also sold one of my wall panels - 'Earth Blocks'. This was the first show where I'd put them out and they got quite a bit of attention. The tack-fused panel 'A Splash of Colour' had lots of folk running their fingers along it - more proof of how pleasingly tactile my work is.

'Blackjax' handmade fused glass framed artwork (detail)

'Earth Blocks' handmade fused glass wall panel (with mounts)

I wish I'd had a helper though so I could've browsed all the other handmade goodies! *sigh*

uBou Christmas event poster designed

Ta da! Our poster, ready to go...

http://ubou.co.uk

Big treat

Finally got round to buying myself a laptop. I was very excited going to pick it up. Let's hope it's all I wanted and more...!

(already frustrated that my current internet doesn't work with it tho! grrrr)

Website/email trouble

Looks like my website hosting and email is having problems at the mo. Sorry if you are trying to view my site/email me. *sigh* Not much I can do but wait until it's fixed. Hopefully soon! (This applies to Handmade Heaven & uBou).

Spotted!

Just typed in "handmade fused glass latticeware bowl" and found my work again, featured somewhere else! Here I am on The Art Zoo...

"Hello" to 'Lavender Meadow' handmade fused glass latticeware bowl

Mmmmm! Loving this one! I needed a show piece for Handmade as I'd sold my last lattice bowl a little while ago. It's all very well showing people a photo of my bowls but it's so much better to have the real thing to hand. 'Lavender Meadow' is the first of, I hope, a selection of ready-made, off-the-peg latticeware bowls.

What do you think?

I'm always told my photography is pretty good and that people love the photos of my glassy goodies. I thought it might be nice to mount some of my photos onto cards to sell. Here is a WIP photo of how it's shaping up. I am thinking of mounting the photos on the coloured square cards on perhaps a black foam to give a bit of 3d to them. All feedback welcome!

Freebies!

I send a lot of glassy parcels through the post and have finally designed some 'Fragile! Glass' logo sheets to go on my parcels. Pay for something like this?! Pah! I am a graphic designer, I can make my own :) So far I've not had any parcels suffer at the hands of an over-zealous postman (*touch wood*) but it's always better to be safe than sorry, eh! I've decided to let anyone and everyone download my 'Fragile! Glass' sheets to use as they will - I'm so generous, me!

Enjoy!! :)

Click the image to go to the download page...

Craft gossip blog

I'm really getting about! Here's a discussion I found about my 'Vulcania' fused glass latticeware bowl. Nice to be featured :) Thanks! It's always interesting to check my stats to see where people come from to view my blog or my website. I'm glad folk read all my nonsense! ;)

Here I am again on Handm@de's blog!

Yep, I'm on there again! A lattice bowl this time... :)

Can you help me?!

I need Handmade Heaven reviewers, so if you'd like to help, please could you write a review here. Thanks very, very much! :)

Lavender Mint Trifle

I've made this design before but I don't think I photographed the finished article. This set is ready to go to the Handm@de event next Sunday. Love these colours :)

Goody bags

Well, I've started making the goody bags for the uBou Christmas event on the 30th November, now I have all my glassy sample cards made & stuff from other uBou artists. I am, however, a bit miffed that the 50 bags I bought turned out to only have 48 in the pack! Grr!! Hopefully they will post me out another 2 so I can have the 50 I've paid for. Ho hum. At least I've made a good start on these :) Hoping to get some branding on too & sponsorship again from the fab holiday cottage in Rutland, 2 Chapel Lane.

'Huge Heart' commissioned handmade fused glass coasters

I've just photographed some of my 'Huge Heart' coasters I've made for commissions. I love these. The copper is such a gorgeously rich deep pink & the bubbles look fab! I hope the commissionees are pleased when they arrive :)

New 'reverz' range is coming...

Just putting together more freebie sample cards for the uBou event on 30th November and that lightbulb over my head just clicked on! I have a plan for these... watch this space! Meantime, check out this photo - they look really cool all together like this, don't you agree!?

Change of plan

So, I'd planned to go to Krakow for the big 3-0 but there's been a change of plan. The friend I was going with is a bit brassic at the mo so it's going on hold, probably until sometime in the spring. I will now be going to Munich in Germany. Really excited! Going with my aunt who used to live there so it will be great to have a guide who knows the best places & speaks the lingo! My german is non-existent I'm afraid!!

Latticeware bowl grid

Just thought I'd try another gadget for flickr photos. Here are a few latticeware bowls from the past. I will be making some bowls to add to buy on my website in the next month or so. Usually I just make them to commission but I'd like some click-to-buy ones too :)

1. 'Tropicana' handmade fused glass latticeware bowl, 2. Viridian handmade fused glass latticeware bowl (side view), 3. 'Berry Zest Lattice' handmade fused glass latticeware bowl, 4. 'A Touch of Luxury' handmade fused glass latticeware bowl in situ, 5. Forever Autumn handmade fused glass latticeware bowl (detail), 6. 'Patience' latticeware bowl (side), 7. Sugar & Spice handmade fused glass latticeware bowl, 8. sunset-landscape, 9. 'Vulcania' handmade fused glass latticeware bowl (top view)

Featured again on the Hadm@de blog

Eek! not long now until the 'Handm@de' event in Oxford Town Hall on 9th Nov. Today's task is to get everything together for it & hopefully make a bit more glass. I just checked their blog again and saw my work was been featured - a square bowl this time.

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.

Ta da!

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

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 :)

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!

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.

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 :)

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!

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!!

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

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.

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!

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!