Glass Cabochons

Cabochons are actually gemstones that have been shaped and polished rather than facetted. This gives the stone a softer and smoother appearance than facetted gemstones have. Most cabochons are oval or round in shape.
Fused glass cabochons are glass nuggets that have not been made up into jewelry yet. Like the gemstones they also have a smooth, rounded shape which is due to the firepolishing they receive in the kiln. Once at full fusing temperature all sharp edges smooth down as the glass first pulls itself up and then slumps.


Buying fused glass cabs is a great way to create your own jewelry as they have many possibilities. They can be set, like gemstones, in precious metal or metal plate pre-formed settings to make rings, earrings, pendants, brooches or cufflinks. By grinding a ridge along the glass with a dremel (drill) they can be wire wrapped and they can be glued to bails or cufflink posts. Cabs can also be set in precious metal clay (PMC) or glued to magnets or even fused to compatible glass art.


All my cabs shown here are compatible to Bullseye (COE90) glass. They are available in sets of 4, 8 or 9 at very reasonable prices and all shipping is free. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5116357&section_id=5094061

Look what she did!

Beautiful books hand stitched and constructed by The Gift Shed using wax batik paper made by me!!! Here's Galloping Gecko (top) and a red Giddy Gecko. http://TheGiftShed.etsy.com


I am now selling batik papers in packs of three http://ILoveRed.etsy.com and don't forget that shipping is free!

Wax Batik Papers

I spent last weekend making 60 sheets of wax batik papers to sell in my shop http://ILoveRed.etsy.com They are fun to make because each one is different and the dyes are such vibrant colors. On some sheets I have double printed the lizards (geckos) and on others I have used a decorator's paint brush to splash and drip hot wax over the painted geckos (lizards). Layering the color is fun too because, by painting the first layer yellow, the next blue layer of color turns green. The red and orange papers are particularly successful as, combined, the colors just sing!


These papers come in packs of six, sized A4 and, because they are painted onto thick quality cartridge paper, make excellent book covers or gift tags.


The dyes are colorfast and, although all the wax has been removed from the paper, it leaves a stiffness to the paper and a slight sheen. I remove the wax by ironing the paper between sheets of newspaper. The heat from the iron causes the wax to melt and become absorbed into the newspaper.


The tool I use to print the wax with is called a tjap (pronounced cap) and is an Indonesian wax printing tool made from copper. It conducts heat from the wax pot so I have to wrap the handle in a cloth to prevent my hand from burning. Wax is an extremely volatile material and should be treated with the utmost care and respect.


I love the combination of golden yellow, tangerine and fuchsia pink in this paper. As the lizard-geckos were printed with wax on white paper, the white shows very clearly.


For a tutorial on how to print your own wax batik papers please visit http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/wax_batik_collage_papers

A walk on Cowling Pinnacle

Last weekend we walked the dog between the two towers on Cowling Pinnacle. It was late afternoon and very hazy, therefore the light quality in these images isn't very good.

The distance between the two towers is less than a mile so it doesn't make for a very extensive walk. However, the scenery from the top of this tower is stupendous. We could see West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Lancashire laid out before us. these two towers have the nickname "salt and pepper pot" and are quite a landmark as they can be seen from miles away.

Unfortunately, when we climbed the first tower (above) to look at the view the dog decided to jump from the top. I let out a scream and Jonathan grabbed the dog just before he leapt to his death! I haven't got over the shock yet.

It was really cold on the pinnacle and the ground was frozen solid. But the sun was shining and we saw a hawk hovering over the cliffs.

I Love Red

I have opened a new shop on Etsy called I Love Red where I am now selling lino prints, dyed and painted silk, origami, batik papers, textiles and silver jewelry. It's taking me a while to fill it but I will be listing new items every week. http://ilovered.etsy.com