The Great British Summer

Am I the only person in the UK NOT complaining about the hot weather? I know it's humid, I know it's sticky but, come on guys, it doesn't happen here too often! Remember last year?



In celebration of the good weather I decided to treat my front garden to some furniture and I have been looking out for two fold up metal chairs and a table. So I was pleased to see this set in B & Q and, even better, reduced by 30%. I didn't know that just SEEING it was going to be the easy part.
I then tried to buy it.
But I couldn't buy it because it wasn't in stock and there was a possiblity that it was discontinued. But I couldn't buy the display furniture because it might not be discontinued. But I couldn't expect anyone to call me and tell me if it was either discontinued or not because "we don't do that". When I pointed out that it was probably illegal to advertise something that was no longer for sale I was told "hey, I only work here 2 days a week".
So I paid for the item (that might be discontinued) because that way I could guarantee that someone would eventually call me - or so I thought.
Nobody called.
I called them. "Yes, the computer says it's in stock".
So I go to B & Q. The computer says No. But I can come in on Wednesday because it will be there.
I call on Wednesday. "The computer says it's in stock but I'll check the warehouse and call you".
Nobody called.
I call the next day. "The computer says it's in stock but I'll check the warehouse and call you".
Somebody called.
"I can't see it but someone will call you tomorrow".
Nobody called.
I called. "The computer says it's in stock but I'll...."
Stop! Do not say you will check the warehouse and then call me back. BECAUSE NOBODY CALLS! I want to speak to the manager.
"I AM the manager". (In the words of my daughter - oh crap!)
Please help me, please, please, please because I am trapped in Goundhog Day. The next day someone calls. The furniture is here - come in and collect! Hoorah! I get there, I sign for it, someone brings it on a trolley, the trolley is too heavy for me to manouver to my car. Nobody offers to help. I struggle out of the door, ramming stationery objects and another customer kindly helps me to get it into the car.
So here it is. Rant over - here are a couple more pictures of the front garden

Bling Bling!

I've got the jewellery making bug at the moment and am driving my family mad by spreading all my stuff over the table and constantly dropping beads on the floor.




I visited a car boot sale last weekend and picked up this "swag" for a bargain. There are assorted earrings, necklaces and thin chains, mostly broken pieces and I couldn't resist two silver plated tiny spoons (don't know what to do with them yet). I have been "deconstructing" these all week and, with the addition of Swarovski crystals, silver findings, crimp beads and tiget tail I have made a collection of vintage jewellery. (I am particularly) proud of an earrings, bracelet and necklace set that I made out of a fake diamante necklace.
I'll get the camera out and take some photos of the results. I'm hoping to sell these at the Crafts Market in Royal Arcade, Keighley on Saturday July 18.

And the Winner is......

Congratulations to Chantal of Here Pretty Kitty who's name was drawn out of a hat to win bag of glass goodies. Incidentally, her suggested name was Tomomi. What did she win?

• A fused glass magnet
• A set of glass coasters
• A pair of dichroc etched glass drop earrings
• A glass fish pendant
• A pair of opal glass cufflinks
• A glass bead bag charm
• A 25% off voucher from Glassprimitif

Thank you to all who entered - I was thrilled to have so many participants. I'll be in touch with you all.

Name That Magnet!

Your chance to win a glass goody bag from Glassprimitif



This Funny Face Magnet needs a name. To enter the draw just comment on this post with your suggestion to name this happy chap (or chapess).
The Rules:

• You may enter only once
• All comments will be vetted before posting
• Closing date: 17 June 2009 6pm
• Your name suggestion will go into a hat and be drawn after 17 June
• Winner will be notified and receive a bag bursting with goodies!

This draw is a bit of light hearted fun and I hope you will take part.

Making Totem Poles

Last term I have been busy at a local primary school helping years 3 & 4 (7 - 9 year olds) create totem poles from cardboard tubes.



We began by looking at the symbolism and meanings of totem poles carved by the native American peoples of north-west Canada such as the Tlinglit. We read about the different magical powers each animal has and we began by drawing thunderbirds, owls, beavers, frogs, eagles and wolves. When each child had decided on their design we then drew our totems to fill an A4 size piece of paper. This design would become the template that would be painted onto the poles.



But first we had to make our flimsy cardboard tubes more solid and this meant the messy task of slapping papier mache over the tubes using newspaper and paste. It took three layers of mache to bulk up the tubes and attach them to the bases. The bases are two wooden boards. Here you can see Emily's fierce owl with bulging eyes.



Some of the children had designed their totems with wings which needed to be attached to the pole. At first we tried sticking them with papier mache but the cardboard shapes became really soggy and would slide down the pole. Also, the poles wouldn't stay fixed to the boards with mache alone. This was very frustrating! Then I found a box of mod roc (plaster bandage) and we used strips of this to hold the cardboard shapes in place. We also wrapped it around the bottom of the tubes to fix them to the boards. Even messier!
Above - Charlotte's savage lion.



This Thunderbird by Rose was the most successful of the winged totems. By the time we made this we realised that the most effective way to make solid wings was to cut an aperture in the tube and slot the cardboard shapes into the holes then secure them with papier mache.



Next the totems were given an undercoat of cream emulsion paint (we mixed the colour ourselves using white emulsion and adding a tablespoon of red, yellow and blue acrylic paint). This was to cover all the newsprint and provide a base colour for the painting. Here you can see Harriet's rabbit and the base pattern designed and painted by Jessica. You can also see how much mod-roc is holding the base together!

The totems were painted with acrylic paint in bright colours. This was fun but also chaotic because everyone wanted to paint at once so I decide that everyone had to work in pairs - one as painter and one as assistant. This meant that the assistant would hold the pole steady whilst the painter did their "thing". The following week they swapped places. Fiona was a bit too enthusiastic painting her butterfly and was leaning heavily on the pole - so this pole lists to one side but, hey - that's art!

Once all the painting was finished the poles needed two coats of protective varnish. We used an acrylic varnish which washed out of the brushes with water and didn't give off fumes. But the poles were still a bit unsteady so we balled up gobs of wet mod-roc and threw them down the tubes. Once they dried the poles were more stable (but they will never survive a high wind). Here is Sarah's dragon.

So we now have four totem poles completed although what we are going to do with them I am not sure. I know I'm not supposed to have favourites but Jack's toucan is brilliant. OK, so he has taken some artistic licence by changing his thunderbird into a toucan (how many toucans live in north-west Canada?) but he produced a wonderful totem after struggling to draw the original toucan.

And why do we have 2 totem poles on bases and two totem poles without? Well I had this idea that we would have two 8 foot poles by joining the tubes together but this meant that no-one would be able to paint the top of the poles as they couldn't reach. The children did suggest that they lower themselves from the ceiling on ropes like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible but even I couldn't get that to work! So now we have four 4 foot totem poles, two free standing and two wobbly ones.

I can't begin to tell you how much fun it was to work with a team of enthusiastic and lively children to make these totems. Some of our planning and problem-solving was hilarious, team work was excellent and their imagnations are terrific. To see more totems by Years 3 & 4 just click on this link.

Glass Magnets by Glassprimitif

I've been looking for something new to make (I get bored easily) and found a packet of magnets that I bought a million years ago for some project or other.



So here they are: Funny Faces Magnets now for sale on Folksy and Etsy. They were such fun to make. I cut squares of glass from scrap Bullseye and added features from glass stringer. Stringer can be a pain to use sometimes because, if it's not glued firmly before fusing, the little b*ggers roll off onto the kiln shelf (grrr)!



Fully fused glass cabochons with magnets securely fixed to the underside. Each magnet has a different expression and will hold your important papers to the fridge. Take a closer look at Glassprimitif on Folksy.

Suicide Glass!

Fused glass and razor blades are made for each other! With the latest craze of Steam punk* these glass items seem to fit right in.



I fused my first Blade Dish about four years ago and I have been making them occasionally since. They are a combination of float glass (picture glass) which gives the glass a greenish tinge and red enamel powder sandwiched between the glass. Oh, and don't forget the razor blade. Because steel blades are so thin they don't cause fractures when fused.



My first dishes were always shallow, because I worried that a deep slump would cause the blade to fracture the glass. But as you can see from the deeper dish (above) the metal is flexible enough to bend and slump with the glass.

The ultimate steam punk accessory must be the Rock n Roll Suicide pendants. I wear one to work sometimes and I always get comments (and sometimes funny looks). As David Bowie said "Your too old to lose it, too young to choose it..."

Pendants and dishes are now available for sale on Folksy and Etsy.

* "Steam Punk is a sub-genre of fantasy and fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era —but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy." Wikipedia.