New shop

So, I've been mulling over the new website idea for a bit as, of course, it is an extra expense in time and money but I think it will go ahead. I much prefer the functionality of the big cartel shop over my current one. I was on my own website today and there are lots of little errors that creep in and annoy me. The new site seems much more easy to use and more reliable. I will probably keep my non-shop pages where they are and have the shop hosted elsewhere. I am actually really looking forward to spring-cleaning the shop and making it that much better to use. I will then have good incentive to get it stocked up! Glass-making has been on the back-burner for a while and I need a boost to get back into the swing of things. I think this weekend I will focus on Handmade Heaven and see what comes of giving it more attention!

I have had some commission enquiries this week which has perked me up a bit :)

Watch this space...!

New website?

Hmm, undecided. I am not 100% happy with my website as is. I know most folk who see it like it so I should probably leave it be, but I am a designer after all and I know what I like! I've found a new website host (via a friend's site) who seems to offer the kind of site I'd like. Big pictures, simple navigation, product descriptions, managed shopping, pages with sensible names(!), and cool modern design. It's called 'BigCartel' and is aimed at designers, artists and crafters so it seems a good fit. It would be a lot of work to transfer all my stuff over and redesign my site but I am tempted. Annoyingly I did just renew my current hosting. Decisions decisions!

Take a peek at a quick mock-up using their free version (you only get one template choice in the free version)...

http://handmadeheaven.bigcartel.com/

Looks pretty smart and I am getting more and more tempted to make the move!

Drilling success!

Hooray! The drill testing is done and dusted and I can thankfully say it went pretty well. It is always very scary drilling anything, but drilling glass is terrifying! I've drilled my glasswork on a small scale with a dremel before but the 8mm holes I needed to do for the clock faces required a bigger set up. This is how things looked before I began. Took a while to set up the drill stand as there were no instructions with it! Not helpful :P I used an electric drill on a slow speed with a carbide drill bit. The glass has to be drilled under water - or you need to rig up some other way of keeping the glass and drill bit lubed and cool. I've done it with a little well of olive oil before but that wouldn't work on this scale. If I do make the 30 x 30cm glass clock faces then I will need to find a bigger tray!


The first attempt, as usual, I tried to rush. This didn't agree with the glass! The result is below. Hmm, it's all about learning. Slower speed required I think :)


This is the second and successful attempt. I am really pleased. It didn't take too long either. I might need to file a little but the edges seem very smooth and if the clock workings are going to fill the hole it should be fine as is.


And just to prove it was 8mm... ;)


The world is now my drilling oyster! :D

Grr!

The 8mm drill bit I need to use on the clock testing won't fit my dremel. Annoying. Got to wait 'til Friday now to borrow an electric drill. Was all set to try out the new carbide drill bits. Hey ho. Patience is a virtue!

New purchase - carbide drill tips for drilling glass

Save as Draft

I needed to buy some drill bits to do some tests for the clocks. I only needed an 8mm but I decided to get a pack of 5 which contains a 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm set of carbide bits. Hopefully they will work well on glass and will prove to be useful additions to the Handmade Heaven studio :) I will get to try out my drill stand too. Hopefully, accident-free!

More wholesale enquiries

I've been contacted again for wholesale. This time it was an enquiry for making clock faces. Different! Would be very cool though :)

Update

No new photos today but I thought I'd let you know what's going on with HH. I am waiting to hear back from the NYC boutique on which of my cufflink designs they'd like to stock. I have offered my current range of designs, as well as some new cufflink styles. As I design and make all the cufflinks myself the choice is quite vast!

I am also working on other wholesale opportunities and, if you have done this yourself, you'll know there is a fair bit of to-ing and fro-ing to finalise the deal. It would be nice to get one of these to go ahead as they're after my latticeware bowls which I really love making.


I am a little distracted from work as I just succumbed to buying a wii! It's such fun to play and unwind after a busy day at work. Now I have to juggle the day job, the glass work, an allotment, a social life and a wii! One has to have some time off eh! ;)

steph, steph, where have you been??

i've been the other side of the world! been off on my sabbatical in New Zealand via Hong Kong. very spectacular in NZ and hong kong is very unique. i'm so glad i went, but won't be emmigrating!! it certainly was no relaxing tour. we were mega busy each day and saw so much. usually on the bus by 730 to head off to the next place. got a float plane flight in and a jet boat safari. went up a 62nd floor revolving restaurant in hong kong and did a nighttime boat trip round the harbour. went on a cruise around milford sound, saw loads of waterfalls, a glacier, went on a steam-driven paddleboat, explored the jungle, the beaches, went in a glowworm cave, visited LOTR locations, milked a cow and so much more! busy holiday :D


came back to glassy work - orders to complete. the latest being a 4x 'beached' coaster set, a birthday present for the recipient's friend. hope they go down well. also another wholesale enquiry, this time from a boutique in NYC. exciting!

Finally!!!! Got some unframed glass art listed on my website

It's taken FOREVER(!) but I have finally listed my current in-stock unique unframed artwork on my website. I was prompted by an enquiry for a wedding present commission which reminded me I'd had 'coming soon' on these for a long time. Another 'to do' job I'd had to do!

I currently offer unframed art in two shapes - square and long. There are also two styles - full-fuse which creates a flat piece of art (such as 'Peppermint Fondant'), as well as tack-fuse which forms a wonderfully tactile piece (such as 'A Splash of Colour'). The unframed artwork creates gorgeous coloured shadows you just can't get with the framed artwork and each piece changes with the light throughout the day.

'Rich Red Patchwork' - available to buy now on my website, here.

'A Splash of Colour' - available to buy now on my website, here.

'Peppermint Fondant' - available to buy now on my website, here.

'With friends' - sold artwork, but available on commission

'Earth Blocks' - sold artwork, not available on commission - this one was a one-off!

Fun, funky fused glass commissions

A photo-tastic post for you! Finished lots of commissions and got started on another - this one's a latticeware bowl for my aunt in reds and blues. It's looking promising! The other photos are of the commissions I made this weekend which went to new homes today.

'Harlequin multi-square' coaster set of 6

' HH rainbow' coaster set of 4 coasters

' Ginger marmalade patchwork' set of 2 coasters

'Cath lattice' fused glass latticeware bowl WIP

Still no individual photos of the chunky, funky fused glass 'Blackjax' rings yet. It's looking likely I'll get onto that next week now. Damn not having enough time in the day! Managed to wear one today though :)