Ho! Ho! Ho!

Christmas Trees

The holidays are nearly here and I have hung up my market trader hat until 2014.  However, my Folksy shop will be open all over Christmas and I am still listing new glass, including decorations and lightcatchers.
It's not too late to buy a glassy gift for that "hard to buy for" person in your life or treat yourself to something special. Last posting dates by Royal Mail are:
2nd class Wednesday 18th December
1st class Friday 20th December
Special delivery 24th December

Kaleidoscope Dish

I will be cooking dinner for 12 on Christmas Day but then back to the studio on Boxing Day as I have some commissions and new designs to create in glass.  I hope you have a fabulous Christmas.
Jo X

Coasters

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. 

Poppy Commissioned Dish

Poppy Dish

I was recently commissioned to make a large glass dish to match the wallpaper design in a dining room.   Here is an example of the wallpaper and below that is my preliminary sketch. 

It was a bit tricky getting all the component parts to fit snugly but I used a combination of transparent and opal red glass to get more contrast in the petals.  The black poppy seeds are Glassline fusing paint and the dish was slumped into a 30cm square dish mould. 

Finished Glass Dish

If you would like to commission me to make you a unique glass dish please contact me through my Folksy Shop HERE.  Until you approve the design you are not committed to buy. 

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). 

Glass Fusing Workshop for Christmas

It's time to think about which handmade gifts you are going to give for Christmas (or keep yourself). Join my exciting glass fusing workshop at Hive Shipley and learn to create your own beautiful decorative glass in a day.

Saturday 23 November 2013 10:00  -  15:00

Fused Glass Lightcatchers and Decorations

A great  introductory workshop for anyone wishing to learn the basics  of glass fusing and also create wonderful Christmas gifts. All materials will be provided.  An additional cost of £3 will be required if you wish to have your glass posted onto you or arrange collection from Hive.  Fee: £48

 Email: Jfwhitehead@blueyonder.co.uk for details and booking  or call 07837471040

HIVE  Kirkgate  Shipley, West Yorkshire BD18 3EH

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

Kelbrook 2013

This weekend (Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November) I shall be at Kelbrook and Sough Village Hall as part of the Art and Craft Fair. This is a really surprising fair because, although it is in a village hall, the quality of the makers is really very good.  There's also excellent cakes and tea there too.  So if you are in the Barnoldswick, Earby district please call into Kelbrook for an afternoon treat.   Or why not join the Event page on Facebook? 

Settle Story Telling Festival

Settle Stories

I will be at the Makers' Market as part of the Settle Storytelling Festival. Details below

Browse and buy unique and original work by artists and craftspeople from across the North of England at the Makers Market – with the makers on hand to share their passion for their creations.
Admire your new purchases over a slice of homemade cake and a cup of tea in the Market Café run by the Cave Rescue Organisation – perfect!

Date: Saturday, 12 October 2013 - 11:00amDuration: 6 hours
 Venue: St John's Church Hall, Settle

The Local Press

Here I am promoting the Making and Doing Festival at Haworth tomorrow (Saturday 5th October) in The Keighley News.  Shame the "arty" pose makes my hand look like a dead thing but it's all good publicity for the Festival. For more details visit Pennine Prospects HERE

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

Making and Taking

Make Your Own Glass Decoration

If you are visiting Historic Haworth (home of the Brontes) on Saturday 5th October then pop into the Old School Room (opposite the Bronte Parsonage) and have a go at making your own fused glass decoration. Using quality Bullseye coloured glass you can design and create something wonderful to keep forever.

Hearts of Glass

This event is free although you will need to arrange to collect your glass from my studio in Sunny Silsden after it has been fused or pay £3 for the postage. Either way, you will be the owner of an original and beautiful gift and this may even be the start of a new craft!

Making and Doing Event at Haworth has been organised by Pennine Prospects and is part of a regional festival for the arts.  For more information visit Pennine Prospects. 

MAD Festival 2013

Making and Doing at Haworth

I am taking part in the Making and Doing Festival on Saturday 5th October - hosted by Pennine Prospects. Professional artists, makers and designers will be showcasing/demonstrating their work all over the South Pennines, from Hebden Bridge to Cullingworth and I shall be in The Old School Room, Haworth for the Meet the Maker event. There will be local ceramicists, sculptors, artists and textile designers all demonstrating their skills and inviting the public to have a go too.  Entrance is free and there will be lots to see and do. I will be inviting people to have a go at designing and making their own fused glass decoration and Trufood Catering will be there to provide the tea and cake. Yum! 

The Old School Room Haworth

The Old School Room is opposite the churchyard which separates The Bronte Parsonage from the church. Charlotte Bronte taught here and, more excitingly, Patti Smith performed here last year! (Yes, really). It is quaint and shabby and I am looking forward to being there on 5th October from 11am. Hope to see you there! 

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. 

Bad Birdy

Scandi Birds

I love making these Scandinavian-inspired birds in rainbow colours and they sell out at fairs and events. They are made from transparent Bullseye glass with fused gold paint and have a copper wire hook to hang them in the window. 

Glass birds are so pretty and here are a couple I would love to own. 

Shane Fero

Oiva Toikka

But occasionally, glass in the kiln doesn't behave as it should and can slip, fracture or just not perform as it should. Something that ceramicists can identify with too! Here is Bad Birdy - you can see where the clear and coloured glass has parted company which means this birdy was consigned to the bin. 

Bad Birdy! 

My Birdies are available for sale at my Folksy Shop and you can also follow my birdy inspiration on Pinterest. 

Art in the Pen 2013

Honeycomb Glass

It's the final countdown.....
until Art in the Pen this coming weekend. The preview is on Friday night from 7pm to 9pm and then two whole days of delicious art and hand crafted loveliness will be at Skipton Auction Mart.

Labyrinth Glass

I have an entirely new range of both Honeycomb glass and Labyrinth glass dishes made for this event, with new coasters and more Scandinavian Birdies available.  So I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at one of the best events in my exhibiting calendar. 

Scandi Birds

Glass Workshops in Shipley

Glass Mosaic

I will be teaching two glass workshops this autumn at HIVE in Shipley, aimed at beginners and experienced glass artists alike. 

Saturday 26 October 2013 10:00 - 15:00   Glass Mosaics Workshop

Whether you are an experienced glass artist or beginner this workshop  will take you through the stages of creating a unique piece of art. All materials will be provided although you will need to bring a small picture frame with glass and glue for glass. Fee: £48

 

Fused glass light catchers

Saturday 23 November 2013 10:00  -  15:00 Fused Glass Lightcatchers and Decorations

A great  introductory workshop for anyone wishing to learn the basics  of glass fusing and also create wonderful Christmas gifts. All materials will be provided.  An additional cost of £3 will be required if you wish to have your glass posted onto you or arrange collection from Hive.  Fee: £48

If you are interested in booking on one or both these workshops please email me HERE for further details. 

Gardening Times

Alliums and Aquilega

After last year's terrible weather it's been lovely to actually get into the garden and enjoy the planting.  This year the alliums have put on a great show (we didn't see them last year) and the day lilies - Hemerocalis - are thriving.  I have replaced the Penstemons that died off from the bitter cold of last winter and planted Nepeta and Gladioli too.

Day lilies and Alchemilla Mollis

Crocosmia "Lucifer" and Valerian

Meanwhile, at the back garden there are peas, onions, parsley, lettuce, broccoli and more Gladioli crammed into the small veg patch.  Sadly, the courgettes have been a casualty of the snails and, although the remaining solitary courgette plant is flowering, the flowers won't set.

Veg patch

More pictures of our Yorkshire Garden HERE 

News!

www.southpennines.co.uk

I shall be taking part in the South Pennines Making and Doing Festival in October. Not sure where I will be yet but I will be doing a free glass Make and Take activity there :)

www.settlestories.org.uk

I will be at the Makers' Market as part of the Settle Story Telling Festival on 12th October. More details to follow soon. 

www.creativemasham.com 

My last piece of news is that I have been accepted at Crafted By Hand in the Dales village of Masham on 27th October. So excited! 

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