It’s been a busy day setting out all of my glorious glass in the gazebo and conservatory. It all looks very colourful and looks stunning in the sunshine. Here’s s sneak preview of some of it

It looks like the weather is not going to be wet on Saturday so I’m hoping that folks will come for the day out and visit my glass emporium. I am also demonstrating how to make a quirky duck using a very hot flame and some glass rods so there’s something to interest everyone who enjoys a feast of colour.

It’s getting closer, but unfortunately so are the rain clouds. It may be showery on Saturday – not best weather for visiting people so it might be quiet. However, we have plenty of spaces in which to shelter and lovely cake to eat. I’ve been busy baking lemon drizzle and ginger cakes, flapjack and shortbread biscuits. If we have no visitors we are going to get very fat indeed!

To make it feel more like summer I have made a set of curves of beach huts. They are very jolly and bright and just remind one of a long hot summer by the seaside.

Hope too see you soon.

I am so looking forward to Art Weeks. next week is going to be a bit busy! Tidying, cleaning, gazebo to put up (probably after fighting with it a bit), and then the fun bit – laying all of my gorgeous glass out for everyone to see. Then next Saturday we open for visitors.

I have made a second wavy dish – blues this time. Still completely gorgeous. It would look fantastic with fresh fruit in it.

I have a new line of beach huts in production – I’m just waiting to slump them so that they stand up by themselves. I’ll post a photo later in the week, with an update on progress of setting up.

It’s May 1st so it must soon be Art Weeks. I have been busy making lots of gorgeous glass so that I will have a fantastic, colourful display for those who come to see it. I have already posted photos of some of my new pieces but I have more to come. I will be opening my studio on the weekends of 18th and 19th, 25th – 27th May from 11am to 6pm. You are welcome to pop in for a cup of tea and a feast of colour. I have some old favourites and new pieces so how about a low maintenance fish bowl, a pretty flower wreath or a rather amazing paperweight? Or a personalised gift for a special occasion formed especially for you? The possibilities are endless and start with a journey to Little Bourton.

 

  

I am very excited by my first ‘Meet the Artist’ event at Church Lane Gallery which happens on Saturday. I’m going to be there from 12 noon. Art Weeks is rapidly approaching and so all of us are having equal space in the Gallery next month. I have put several pieces in the gallery so am looking forward to meeting visitors and showing them round all the lovely things on offer.

Here are two of my pieces and they will join the curvy crazy dish from my last post, plus a few others.

 

I bought a new glass slumping mould a couple of months ago and finally had the opportunity to use it. The mould is the largest that will fit into my kiln so this is one of the largest piece I can make.

The dish is made with a clear glass base, one layer of glass powder in three colours covered with a random selection of blue frit (that what small pieces of glass are called – think grit), some clear glass and a surprise scattering of plum in a random pattern. (I thought I had chosen green lumps but it turned out to be plum instead!).

The glass was fused flat first which is the usual process. I then put the mould in the kiln and fired the glass again. I was totally thrilled with the result. I hope you agree. I will be taking it to Church Lane Gallery in Banbury because I’m very proud of it. I plan to make one in blues so we’ll see how that comes out. Firing glass is sometimes gives quite a surprising result. That’s what makes it fun.

I decided to make a few pieces with sunflowers on as it’s such a stunning flower.

These two dishes are 15cm across, one in two yellow tones of opaque glass and one in two yellow tones of transparent glass.

This is a 15cm square plate with a quarter of a sunflower. I have ideas to make some flowers large enough for the garden and supported on sticks but, well, I haven’t got round to making them yet.

Happy Sunflower time!

Life gets very exciting sometimes. Opportunities suddenly appear which I hadn’t expected.

I have been invited to join the Church Lane Gallery Artists’ Cooperative in Banbury. It’s great to be able to join in bringing many different art forms to the streets of Banbury throughout the year. The Gallery has been running for a couple of years and I am excited about having my glass on view all year round.

The website is: ‘churchlanegallery.com’ if you’d like to have a look.

Art Weeks is coming up very fast. This year Banbury and North Oxfordshire are exhibiting at the end of May. I am open over two weekends – 18th, 19th, 25th, 26th, 27th May, 11am – 6pm. I am so looking forward to meeting glass lovers over those 5 days. It will be the first viewing of my new pieces.

Here is a sneak preview of an easy to maintain fish bowl! These and many other new designs will be available.

I’ve been working on a lot of different ideas for 2019 so I’ll be giving you a taste of these over the next few weeks.

My first pieces are words in glass. I made the ‘love’ for Valentines Day for my husband. While I was doing this I also made ‘Welcome’ and ‘Emily’.

‘Love’ is glued onto the front of a picture frame, ‘welcome’ and ‘Emily’ are fused to clear glass with hangers and chain.

So, if you would like a name, a word special to you or ‘Mr & Mrs’ for example made in this way do get in touch. They can be any combination of colours as these are made with chunky frit (that’s is chunky lumps of glass – think small pieces of grit). A short word can go on a picture frame but otherwise they’ll be fused onto a clear piece of glass.

 

 

It’s a New Year and I like to have a new challenge. I have acquired a new granddaughter but that’s a different story!

First, I should explain what frit is because if you are not a fused glass person you won’t have any idea of what I am talking about.

Frit is powdered or tiny pieces of glass (think grit). It comes in four or five grades – powdered, fine, medium, coarse and super coarse (especially if I’ve made it myself!). It is used either to fill in gaps in a design or as an art form in itself. I have used it it as a filler in the past but I wanted to have a go at making art with it.

I had great fun making this dish – yet to be slumped to form the shape but it is a good example of using frit. The first picture is before firing and the second after firing. The curves are strips of glass, the little pieces are the frit. The coloured pieces around the dishes are nuggets in the making.

I will post photos of some art work when it’s been through the kiln.

I have also been busy booking lots of craft fairs for the year. I am hoping to publish the diary in a few weeks as I am still waiting for some dates. My first one is not until April so there’s lots of time.

Meanwhile, if you are inspired to have a go or want a new experience to start your new year off I am running workshops at mutually convenient times. You can come and have a go at fusing, stained glass or mosaics in my studio in the garden. Do get in touch via email if you’d like more information.

cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com.