A Magical Weekend

This weekend I will be taking part in Settle Storytelling Festival (11th and 12th October) at The Makers' Market  in Settle Social Club.

I'm really looking forward to this event - it was really good last year with story tellers at every venue around the town.  So, the kiln is on, the glass is hot and I'll have plenty of new stock.

Hope to see you there. Jo X

Chapel Allerton - one year on

Silly me! I forgot to post that I will be at Chapel Allerton Festival in Leeds this Saturday selling hand made glass.  I can't believe it's been a year since I was there but I hope it is as brilliant as it was last year.

Scandinavian Birds

I will be bringing a selection of my Scandi Birds which have now been redesigned to make them more bird-like (I gave them a longer tail).  They did terrifically well at Strid Woods last weekend and I have been busy making replacements.  

If you at Chapel Allerton this weekend please pop by and say hello. I will be outside on Hawthorn Road (yes, I know, I don't like being outdoors with glass) but the weather is supposed to be cracking. :) 

East Riddlesden Hall

I shall be at East Riddlesden Hall near Keighley this Sunday (1st December) at the Christmas Craft Fair.  The fair will be held in the Great Barn from 11am to 4pm with 25 stalls of Christmas crafts.  East Riddlesden Hall is a 17th century manor house, now owned by the National Trtust, set in lovely grounds with a duck pond and two barns. I shall be in the Great Barn and I hope you will come and say hello.  I have lots of new glass goodies including tree decorations, lightcatchers and the popular Scandi Birds. 

FODDER!

Fodder, Harrogate

Glassprimitif fused glass birdies, hearts and lightcatchers are now for sale at Fodder in Harrogate! 

Fodder is a shop selling and supporting local farmers and rural businesses within Yorkshire and has a lovely cafe serving local foods too.  It's just on the corner of The Great Yorkshire Showground and is well worth a visit. I hope you will go and see for yourself (and perhaps buy some groovy glass). 

Love Glass, Love Pinterest

 Duncan McClellan, glass artist

I am absolutely addicted to Pinterest and enjoy browsing for inspirational glass.  My favourite board, Glass I Love, showcases mostly hand blown or cast glass rather than fused glass because I have immense respect for glass blowers (and a bit of envy too).

Glassprimitif

I also use Pinterest to promote and catalogue my own glass and I try to remember to upload every piece of glass I have posted on-line. 

Glass Commissions

Spun Sugar Fruit Dish

Large Spun Sugar Fruit Bowl

I love commissions, particularly when the customer asks for colour combinations that I would never have thought to work with.  This 30cm fruit dish has been made from clear, leaf green, chartreuse green, fuchsia, cranberry, coral and light orange Bullseye glass.  Who would of thought?

Before Fusing

If you would like to commission me to make you a totally unique piece of glass please contact me via my Folksy shop

Happiness is Handmade

Headingley Heart Centre

Yes I shall be at Headingley Heart Centre next Saturday with lots of new lightcatchers, coasters and dishes. Now back to the kiln.......

Chapel Allerton Arts Festival

Chapel Allerton Festival 

Yikes! I have just been invited to take part in the Chapel Allerton Arts Festival's Makers' Fair and it is tomorrow!

No panic but I have glass to sort and wrap, a table to paint and a car to load. Also, must remember to go into town and get some float.  I don't know anything about this festival except that I am outdoors(!) but my friend Natasha assures me that it won't rain... hmmmm. (But what if it is windy)? OK. Better bring a plastic table covering and an umbrella too.

If you are visiting Chapel Allerton Arts Festival please visit their website HERE for more information. I will be on Wells Lane so come and say hello. 

Retro Glass Commission

Retro Glass Dish

I love glass commissions and I receive most of my commissions via my Folksy shop where I have a large range of my different styles in glass. This dish was commissioned by The Cotton Potter because she liked the colours of the dish below but wanted something bigger for the coffee table. 

I wanted to show Emma (The Cotton Potter) the shape of the dish so I fused and slumped a float glass test dish, just to check that she was happy with the shape. 

Float glass test piece

I used some graph paper to chart the design and planned out the colours on a grid.  Once I had cut the glass to size I would need the graph to help me place the coloured squares accurately onto the vanilla and clear glass surface. 

Coloured glass tiles on graph paper

The next stage was to place all the component parts together and put into the kiln on a full fuse programme. The glass I am using is Bullseye 2mm opal. I never compromise on quality so it has to be Bullseye. 

Glass dish on kiln shelf prior to fusing

Once fused, the glass is washed and dried then placed back into the kiln for a second firing.

Fused glass ready for slumping

Finally, the fused piece is placed into the slump mould and fused at a lower temperature to create the finished dish. 

TaDa!

If you would like me to make you a dish to your specification please email me HERE 

The Kiln is on but nobody's home....

Yikes! Only six days left until the Saltaire Arts Trail and I have more glass waiting to be fused than time to fuse it in! 

I have now finished making decorative hangings and cocktail swizzle sticks but the number of dishes waiting to be slumped is growing and I have two very large dishes still waiting to be fused AND slumped! Well, if it's not finished, it's not finished - not a lot I can do about it. Just waiting for the gift boxes to arrive this week. Gulp! 

Rainbow Cocktail Swizzle Sticks

If you are thinking about visiting the Saltaire Arts Trail then I strongly recommend that you go. Everything is FREE yes, free! With The Makers' Fair in Victoria Hall (I'll be there, hopefully near the cafe and in sight of the cake) Open Houses around the village, three exhibitions, free family activities and choirs singing outside, this is the most vibrant and exciting weekend in the calendar of Saltaire. 

Hope to see you there. X

Best of British on Pinterest

Charlotte Morrison Ceramics

I confess - I am addicted to Pinterest. It's a great way to store images of stuff I would love to own, love to make or love to redecorate my house with.  My latest Board is "My Favourite Makers", a showcase of top quality British makers, designers, jewellers, ceramicists, glass artists, textile artists and illustrators. 

Vinegar and Brown Paper

Designers and makers make a valuable contribution to the British economy, boost retail sales, export sales and offer something a bit different from mass produced goods.  Their designs are often copied by big companies, their work often stolen by manufacturers and their prices often hammered down by retailers, usually making the designer accept the VAT which they cannot pass on (small businesses who are under the VAT thresh hold are the most exploited).  Can you tell that I'm on my soap box?

Hannah Nunn

So I am celebrating the Best of British by showcasing "My Favourite Makers" on Pinterest and thoroughly enjoying scouring magazines, websites and trade fairs to find lots of lovely handmade stuff I would like to own. 

Janet's Quilt

Janet's Quilt

It's finished! AT LAST I have finished a quilt for my sister Janet and will be posting it off to her tomorrow. 

I started this quilt last February, soon after my sister had been diagnosed with cancer, because I wanted her to have a quilt made up of memories.

All the coloured squares are made from scraps of fabric that I have had for many years, including some scraps from both my Mum's and my sewing box dating back to the 1960's. There are scraps from a turquoise dress that my sister used to wear as a teenager and Laura Ashley furnishing fabric that I used to make dresses from for my daughter when she was small.  There is also a scrap of the bridesmaid's dress that I wore to my sister Gill's wedding in 1976!!! 

There have been times during 2012 when I didn't think I would still have my sister Janet, things were really bad during July and August (around her birthday) but, thanks to the great support she has received from her local hospice, Jan has regained some strength and is feeling a lot more like her old self. She is even talking about doing some voluntary work once she has finished her physio.

So this quilt has been made from cotton scraps pieced around a square of ivory cotton and edged with a black and white stripe. It is really densely quilted by hand (I know. What was I thinking?) with a meander pattern and a heart in the centre of each square. It is padded with Warm and Natural cotton batting (wadding) and backed with a spriggy blue cotton fabric. 

This quilt is a great way of using up scraps but, I swear, I will never make a large quilt with 1" squares EVER again! 

Headlingley Heart

Glassprimitif will be at Headingley Heart and Craft on Saturday 8th December!

There will be new glass designs including sculptural labyrinth bowls and more lightcatchers.  I'm busy in the studio fusing glass for this event. Hope to see you there.

Kelbrook Arts and Craft Fair

Kelbrook, Lancashire

This weekend (3rd and 4th November) I will be at Kelbrook Arts and Crafts Fair in the Kelbrook and Sough Village Hall in Lancashire. This will only be the second time I have displayed my glass in Lancashire and I am looking forward to it.

My first venture into Lancashire was at The Ace Centre in Nelson as part of the Nelson Art Fair two weeks ago and it was really enjoyable. So, next year, I hope to be adding some Lancashire venues to my craft fair itinerary. 

Transparent glass lightcatchers

As Christmas is less than two months away I feel that it's now OK to say the C-word, Christmas, without getting booed and hissed. So my kiln has been very busy fusing glass tree decorations and ornaments which can also be used as Lightcatchers. I popped into our local haberdashery store this morning, Duttons for Buttons, to buy some pretty gingham ribbon for each decoration, as gingham is not too Christmassy and can be used to hang the decoration from the tree or in the window. 

Mosaic Decorations

And, as I have mentioned Christmas, I have just reminded myself to dust down the box of decorations in the attic and start planning our own Christmas here at Chez Glassprimitif! I like the idea of a diorama in the living room window showing a snowy village scene so, as soon as I am back from Kelbrook, I will be drawing some ideas for the window.

Kelbrook Village Hall is just off the A56 between Skipton and Colne. The Fair opens from 10.30am to 4.30pm.  I hope to see you there. 

Glassprimitif at The Light, Leeds

If you are in Leeds city centre on Saturday (2nd June) don't forget to call into The Light and say hello.
I will be at The Stalls pop up shop as part of the contemporary Arts and Crafts Fair and will be showcasing new coasters, dishes and magnets fresh from the kiln. There will also be some new glass pendants and cufflinks for jewellery-lovers.

Here is some more information about the event:
The Stalls officially launches its pop-up shop at The Light in Leeds city centre this Friday 1st
 June 2012! Described as a 'haven for designers' The Stalls presents an eclectic mix of 
contemporary artwork from new emerging and established artisans. The aim is to raise a 
substantial contribution towards £10,000 needed to open The stalls very own Urban Arts and Crafts Gallery on Leeds city centre high street during the eight day extravaganza.

Leeds born Natasha Harris, entrepreneur and founder of The Stalls commented, "It is a great opportunity to have the pop-up shop based at The Light and a fantastic venue to host The Stalls Arts & Crafts Market on Saturday 2nd June . We have designers specialising in art, glass, jewellery, mosaic, knitted crafts, textiles and live artists' demonstrations, it's a not to be missed event". 

The Stalls has recently relocated from Harrogate to be situated more centrally to the designers and makers it supports. Natasha looks forward to setting up shop very soon to continue her work of championing and selling handmade arts and crafts and delivering creative art workshops for the community.

Event Details:

Pop-up Shop - 10am - 6pm 1st - 8th June 2012

Arts & Crafts Market - 10am - 6pm 2nd June 2012

The Jubilee Tea Party - 11am - 4pm 4th June 2012

Glassprimitif at The Butterfly Rooms

I am now stocking The Butterfly Rooms with fused glass dishes and coasters. 

The Butterfly Rooms specialises in design led, unique and unusual gifts from independent British companies and individual designer makers. They have a wide range of gifts for all occasions from baby clothes, homewares to cosmetics and jewellery. All made in the UK or produced ethically by fair trade organisations. Their commitment to the UK and local artists means they provide support to British companies whilst offering the customer a beautiful and inspiring selection of products.

Tel 01274 581806. 73 Bingley Road, Saltaire BD18 4SB

Jubilee at The Stalls

I will be taking part at  The Stalls pop up shop in Leeds on Saturday 2nd June as part of the Arts and Crafts Market. 

Natasha Harris of OOBBAA will be opening a pop up gallery in the old Benetton Shop at The Light, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 8TL. 

Connecting the community with new emerging and established artists and makers, The Stalls Market showcases the work of talented local designers.  

There will also be a Jubilee Tea Party on Monday 4th June 2012  in support of Breast Cancer Care.

I hope to see you on Saturday 2nd June - please say hello. Doors open at 10am. 

Come and See Me

at Saltaire Maker's Fair in Victoria Hall from 5th to 7th of May 2012. Visit Saltaireartstrail.co.uk for more information and to find out who else will be there. 

Who else will be there? 

Bell Amour

Dove Street Pottery

Dizziebhooked

Prefab Designs

Kitschen Sink

Alice Fox Textiles

InkyLinky

Restoring My Confidence

The Stalls, Harrogate

I haven't been making much glass lately, despite buying a lovely new kiln, because I have been too busy with the day job and also organising Handmade events in West Yorkshire.  I have been neglecting both my Folksy and Etsy shops and haven't exhibited at a craft fair in over a year. To be honest, I'm never happy with my table display and I think that the way I show my glass makes it look amateur and a bit "cheap". 
Then last week I gave a talk on glass fusing to my friend's church group and sold lots of glass, which restored my confidence in my product.  So it's time to get back in the saddle and start finding selling opportunities and marketing my glass again. The first gallery to stock my glass designs is The Stalls in Harrogate. Natasha only received the box of glass I posted out yesterday and she has already sold one cupcake dish! This has given me a boost and I am already planning new designs.

Cupcake Dish

As for handmade and designer-maker fairs I am going to start back behind the craft stall. I have been looking at mechandising and window display for retailers so that I can create a more inviting and professional  layout. Having visited the British Craft Trade Fair this year I have studied each trader's stand to decide what works and what doesn't. Less is definitely More so I am cutting the clutter and resisting putting out every piece of glass I make. I'll let you know how it goes.