Fit for a Queen

Etsy.com 

This year sees the celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and The London Olympics here in the UK.  More importantly for me, it is about The British being able to claim back the Union Jack as a symbol of unity and pride rather than a representation of The National Front, EDL and the BNP (spit....)

So I have been making fused glass brooches using this symbol and I have been working it in different colourways including pink, pale blue and vanilla and a fruit coloured brooch in citrus colours.  After all, why does the flag have to be red, white and blue? 

Folksy.com 

These brooches are made from Bullseye opal glass with glass stringers on vanilla glass with silver plate brooch backs. They are available in both my Folksy and Etsy shops and I will be taking a selection to Saltaire Makers Fair in May 2012 too. So, if you feel like celebrating, wear your brooch with pride.

Glass Paint Experiments

Glass paints before fusing

I love doodling and drawing and, for a while now, I have wanted to combine this with glass fusing. I tried a black glass pen for float glass but the results were too messy and very disappointing so I finally invested in red, blue, yellow, black and gold Glassline pens from Warmglass.co.uk

The colours are chalky when they are applied but the results were surprisingly good. I had to practice quite a bit until I could squeeze the colours through the nib with a steady hand but, fortunately, any mistakes can be wiped off. Also, any large blobs or wobbly lines can be tidied up with a cocktail stick when the colour is dried, before fusing. 

Drawing

The fish was drawn using Glassline pens and a nib on float glass. The periwinkle blue is a bit too pearly and is thicker than the other colours.  I'm going to dilute it slightly and try to get a better flow.

Drawing

Gold, black and red Glassline pens. The gold fires to a lovely shine - I wish there was silver too. 

Fired glass

The glass on the top left hand corner has been painted with Glassline with a brush. I'm not keen - it's too pale.  The glass on the bottom right hand corner has been sponged across masking tape before the tape is removed and then fired. It's a nice effect.

Fused Glass fish

If you are visiting the Saltaire Makers Fair on 5th, 6th, 7th May you will get a free funky fused fish if you spend £30 or over on Glassprimitif products. Hope to see you there. 

Glorious Colour

Tutti Frutti

Following my blog post -Thanks Bob - here is the first proper dish I have made using the extra large slump mould. It's clear and white Bullseye glass with transparent blues, greens, amber and orange glass. I love it!

Ready for slumping

It was a bit nerve wracking whilst I was making it because I only had one piece of white glass left that was big enough and I was also a bit worried that it would slip sideways when it slumped into the mould - but it turned out well. I love the colours, particularly the new pale aquamarine glass which works so well with the acid yellow glass. 

This dish measures 30cm X 20 cm and looks good as a fruit bowl. 

Book Sale

I have an urgent glass commission and need to raise some cash to purchase the glass so I am having a Book Sale. All of these books are in great condition and are described below. All prices INCLUDE postage in the UK. If you wish to buy a book please contact me by Email HERE and I will give you the Paypal details. I hope you find something you like. 

Letts Contemporary Crafts - Papier Mache

This book is a fantastic resource for papier mache and features to work of Julie Arkell, Marion Elliot and Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell. It has 12 projects and I once made the doll house. There are slight marks on the hard cover corners.  £6.00 includes UK postage

Paper Engineering and Pop-Ups for Dummies

Really simple instructions to create quite complex paper engineering including pop-ups, tabs, slides, sculptures, animation and making your own designs. £8.00 includes UK Postage

Linoleum Block Printing by Francis J Kafka

A Dover Crafts book exploring the craft of lino printing including a selection of projects, printing on textiles, colour mixing and alphabets. £8.00 includes UK Postage

Cut and Assemble Paper Dragons that Fly

8 full colour models that come with instructions - all you need are scissors and glue. Photocopy the pages before you cut out the dragons so that you can make them again. The edges of the pages are slightly yellowed.  £4.00 includes UK Postage

Art Nouveau Designs by Ed Sibbett, Jr

A great resource for designers and artists, this copyright free book is packed with black and white line drawings taken from the art of Mucha. This book smells faintly of cigarette smoke.  £6.00 includes UK Postage

159 Celtic Designs by Amy Lusebrink

Ooh, I love this one! Black and white copyright free line drawings with celtic knots, lettering, borders, zoomorphics and plaits.  £8.00 includes UK Postage

How to design and make Banners by Gisela Banbury and Angela Dewar

Beautiful full colour photos accompanying instructions, designs and lettering to make banners for sacred and secular festivals.  £5.00 includes UK Postage 

SOLD

A gorgeous book in perfect condition - step by step guidance by leading textile artist Mandy Southan showing 18 projects including Arashi, kanoko, Karamatsu and Sekka wrapping and binding to create a myriad of fantastic patterns on silk, cotton and velvet.  £9.00 includes UK Postage

Myths and Legends of the Haida Indians

A great mixture of black and white illustrations and fascinating stories. Can be used as a child's colouring book or a resource for artists and designers.   The edges of the pages are slightly yellowed.  £4.00 includes UK Postage

American Indian Design and Decoration by Leroy H Appleton

A thick book packed with information, stories and over 700 illustrations of American Indian design and artefects.  The edges of the pages are slightly yellowed.  £8.00 includes UK Postage

Lamination Glass Handbooks

The ultimate book on glass installation, showing how to make panels that create an architectural impact  The edges of the soft cover are slightly curled.  £6.00 includes UK Postage

Colouring Clay by Jo Connell

A compact ceramics handbook written for the serious ceramicist. Book contains instructions and recipes on adding colour to clay, blending and glazing, making Agateware and Egyptian paste. In brand new condition - RRP £14.99   £8.00 includes UK Postage

Kiln formed Bracelets 

A must-have for the glass artist. This book is packed with designs, instructions, equipment and design gallery that show you how to make the most amazing glass bracelets and watch bands. Read it and drool! £8.00 includes UK Postage 

SOLD

This is a British Museum Pattern Book and is quite a heavy tome. It is a brilliant resource for textile artists, illustrators, graphic designers, ceramicists, jewellers, printmakers and anyone interested in surface decoration. This book smells faintly of cigarette smoke.  £8.00 includes UK Postage 

SOLD

s

Another Dover, copyright free book with beautiful hand drawn illustrations of whaling, spinning, fishing, hunting and gathering - showing the lives and culture of the NorthWest Coast Indians. Slight mark on cover.  £4.00 includes UK Postage 

A Colouring Book of Ancient Africa

Mostly hand drawn black and white illustrations of the ancient people of Benin, this book has great motifs and patterns from Ancient Africa. Use it as  resource and a colouring book. The cover of this book is green and not red.   £3.00 includes UK Postage

Please note: not all these books are new but they are in very good condition. Some may be old but the pages are clean. If you are not satisfied with your book please email me within 3 days of receipt and return it within 7 days and I will refund your Paypal account.  Many thank for looking.