Glass at The Butterfly Rooms

Photo Credit Helen Drye

For everyone who has been asking for glass fusing workshops in West Yorkshire I will be teaching a workshop at The Butterfly Rooms in Saltaire on Sunday 12th June 2016. 

Creating Glass Dishes Workshop Sunday 12 June 2016 10am to 3pm Cost: £80

This workshop is aimed at absolute beginners and intermediate glass artists as an introduction to glass fusing including: cutting skills, technical know-how, working with coloured glass, designing and glass assembly.   You will be using best quality Bullseye glass from the USA and working in opal and transparent coloured glass. You will create two stunning glass dishes measuring between 11 and 13cm  to your own design. Hand outs will be given on fusing schedules for future use.

The Butterfly Rooms is an independent gift shop in Saltaire, West Yorkshire and I will be teaching s at the studio upstairs. It is a small venue and there are four places available. Unfortunately there is no disabled access as it is a Victorian building.  To find out more or to book your place visit my Workshops page HERE

Our little bit of land

Lovely little greenhouse

So 2016 started with a phone call telling us that we have an allotment! We gave up the shared one in Ilkley at the end of 2014 so I have had a whole year without growing any fruit or veg.

This allotment is half a plot just at the top of the road where we live. We weren't expecting much so we are thrilled to report that it has a greenhouse and a shed and a compost bin and a tree and a beck and is completely fenced in! 

Lovely little shed

Despite the terrible weather work has already commenced on the plot. I have cut back the fruit bushes and treated them with potash and Jonathan has made repairs to the greenhouse. There are two fruit trees (probably apple) and a raised bed - full of weeds.  Our next job is to make the shed water tight and put up guttering and a water butt.

Our plot

I have a Pinterest board about Our allotment where you can see more pictures and watch us charting our progress. 

O Christmas Tree!

Christmas Tree Decoration 

At the beginning of the year I made 30 glass Christmas trees ready for the end of the year then put them away, feeling smug. However, since November there has been a Christmas Tree explosion! I am now making a batch a week and they have been selling out each weekend.  I have another 20 in the kiln for East Riddlesden Hall Christmas Fair on 5th and 6th December.  They are such a delight to make - mixing up coloured glass and hand decorating with gold and white glass powder.  Finally, they are finished off with red and white striped string. 

Multi colour Christmas Trees

I've even made some spotty ones too and I am teaching Glass Decorations at Skipwith Common, Nr York on Monday 7th December at Silver and Stone. 

More Trees

Christmas Trees are available for sale at my Etsy Shop or visit my Facebook Page too.

Threads of Feeling

In 2010 The Foundling Hospital Museum in Bloomsbury, London put on an exhibition called "Threads of Feeling - 18th Century Textile Tokens left with Abandoned Babies". You can see more about it HERE on a slide show.

When babies were left at the foundling hospital the only things identifying them were tiny scraps of fabric. Although the babies were given new names and were not told of their previous history, mothers were encouraged to leave a token with the baby so that, should they ever be able to return to claim their children, they would have something that would identify them. 

The Foundling Hospital Museum is a moving place to visit - the thought that, out of all the abandoned babies only a few were ever reclaimed, is heart rending. Also, almost two thirds of babies taken in died - not through neglect but because the infant mortality rate in London was so high. 

I have woven a copy of a piece of cloth that was pinned to a baby boy who was left at the Foundling Hospital. He would have been under 2 months old (the hospital was so overwhelmed with babies that it could only take 20 children a month - under the age of 2 months) and, if he had survived, he would have been sent off to a wet nurse in the country straight away.  At age five he would have returned to the hospital to be educated and then apprenticed at 10. (Sadly, he died soon after he was taken in).

Threads of Feeling woven sample

If you are visiting London please put The Foundling Hospital Museum on your itinerary of places to visit. 

Jo X

Weaving for the Soul Part 3

My second sample

Last week I wove my second tapestry weaving sample.
It didn't go too well.  The problems started as soon as I wove the first few wefts because the warp thread wasn't strong enough and it snapped.  I had to keep tightening the right hand warp and, as I wove, the weft on the right hand side got thinner and thinner.  The weft on the left hand was fine.
Anyway, I couldn't complete the piece because, by the time I reached the top the warp was shrinking too much.  Lesson learned: make sure the warp yarn is strong!

This piece is all about experimenting with different yarns including metallic thread and silk.  The weft from the green section up to the top of the piece is all silk thread, hand dyed by me, left over from embroidery projects. As it is space dyed it gives the tapestry a depth that uniformly dyed yarn doesn't have. Also, silk has a natural lustre to the fibres which I love. 

I need a lot more practice at circles and shapes - hopefully I will be able to get an even weave eventually.  You can follow my weaving journey on Pinterest too.Jo X 

Glass Dishes Workshop

On Saturday 7th November I will be teaching Glass Dishes at The Garth at Skipwith Common, just outside York.  Here is a bit more information about it.

Enjoy a day designing and making a trio of fused glass dishes including trinket dish, curved dish and square dish (13cm square).  Experiment with opal and transparent colour glass, add inclusions such as mica and copper to create sparkle. Stunning results and lots of fun.  No previous experience of glass cutting necessary.  Fees: £80

If you would like to book a place on this one day workshop please click on the link HERE which will take you to Silver and Stone where you can book your place. Any questions about the workshop (or future workshops) please email me HERE

Tealights or trinket dish

Weaving for the soul

My first sample

I have taken up tapestry weaving.
Whilst on holiday I visited Woolfest at Cockermouth and re-ignited my love of all things textile. When I studied textie design (many years ago) I did a short course on handweaving at The Handweavers Studio  in Walthamstow and I absolutely loved it. But printmaking dominated my studies and I abandoned constructed textiles in favour of surface decoration.
I am amazed at how much I remember from that short course as I embark on the first of a series of samples I am going to make in order to practice and re-learn the techniques of tapestry weaving.  This first sample shows plain weave, a soumak, blending colours, pick and pick, stripes and curves.  I can already see that the warp is bulking out at the sides (!) because I am not puling the weft firmly around the end warps. (This is because I am trying to avoid pulling the weft too tight and distorting the warp)

I have a very long way to go before I am a confident weaver - I am waiting for the lovely weaver Chrissie Freeth to start teaching so that I can become an improver rather than a beginner - but it is such a therapeutic activity.  I shall be keeping a weaving diary here on my blog so that I can chart my progress. 

Jo X

I love Mondays

I was chatting to one of our resident artists at work the other day and she said that she really looked forward to Mondays as she spent Sunday in anticipation of getting back to her studio.  Well I like Mondays too.

Today I'm off to Harlow Carr to drop off glass for a forthcoming exhibition. It's a lovely drive over to Harrogate via Beamsley Beacon (a very big hill) and I have a car boot full of new glass.  Harlow Carr is a fantastic place to visit, made up of extensive gardens and owned by The Royal Horticutural Society.  The exhibition, which opens on 17th March, will be in the Old Bath House and I am really looking forward to it.

The Old Bath House, Harlow Carr

I think the reason that I like Mondays so much is that no two days are the same. Last Monday I was teaching glass fusing and next Monday I will be enjoying a long weekend in The Lake District. Before I was self employed I worked for a building society and every monday (in fact, every day) was the same. 

Once I get back from Harlow Carr I will spend the rest of the day back in the studio creating more glass for an exhibition application with a deadline of the end of March (!) I'd better get busy then....

Create Your Own Glass

Fused glass platter

Have you ever wanted to make your own fused glass platter, dish or wall piece? I offer individual tuition at my studio in Silsden, West Yorkshire to enable you to make a stunning piece of glass to your own design. 

Glass plate after the first firing

I design, cut and clean all my glass prior to placing it on the kiln shelf for fusing. Most of my glass goes through 2 days of kiln firing (coasters up to four) to achieve the finish that I like - a slightly raised design but all edges are well rounded.

Glass plate on platter slump mould

Once the glass is fully fired it is washed to remove any resideue of kiln wash and then placed onto a ceramic slump mould. The piece is then fired at a lower and slower rate so that it slumps down into the mould and takes the shape of the platter. This is always the exciting bit - opening the kiln to see the finished dish. Some glass fusers will grind the edges of the dish and refire it to "polish" the edges but if your firing schedule is slow enough this isn't necessary.

Slumped platter stll in the mould

If you would like to visit the Glassprimitif studio and make a large glass platter or wall piece you can contact me HERE. No previous experience of glass fusing is necessary and all materials are provided and refreshments too (but bring a packed lunch).

£150 full day - 10am to 5pm

Scandinavian Style Quilt

It's finally finished! The red and grey sofa quilt has been machine pieced, hand quilted and edged in a stripey binding ready to snuggle up on the sofa with.  

I like machine piecing during the summer so that I can hand quilt in front of the fire during the winter. It's a very simple design of squares and rectangles edged with a figured white cotton.  

But I can't rest on my laurels because I have another quilt to finish and a new one to start for a very special person.....  

All my patchwork and quilting inspiration is on my Pinterest board HERE

Feeling Poorly - what to do?

Linen curtain remnants

I've not been very well lately so I haven't been able to get to the studio and make glass for a couple of weeks. It's boring being ill, there's only so many films I can watch and books I can read and sleeps I can sleep so I thought I'd do a bit of sewing.

Having chopped the bottom off a pair of silver grey linen curtains I am left with a length of fabric, ideal for making some napkins.  I ironed Bondaweb to the back of a piece of red patterned cotton fabric and cut the bid shapes out, then ironed it onto the front of each napkin.  After pressing it flat I machine stitched each birdy and now have four useful (if a bit creased) napkins. 

Voila! Took an hour. Now I'm thinking: lampshades, table cloths, tea cosies......

Tealights and Trinkets

Tealight Dishes

Over Christmas we snuggled up in front of the fire and watched movies by candlelight - very cosy! I bought lots of lovely scented tealights: frankincense and myrrh, Christmas tree scent and Christmas spice.

Tealights need tealight holders (doh) so I have designed and made some new curvy glass dishes that fit perfectly with tealights and small candles.  The colours of the glass reflect against a windowsill or wall by candle light.

Tealight dish

These durable tea light holders are now available for sale in my Etsy shop and includes a yummy scented tealight too.  

Tealight dish Etsy

New Year, New Glass

Kaleidoscope Dish

I have been  spending the days between Christmas and New Year restocking my glass by making lots of decorations, dishes and Christmas decorations (yes, that's right!) Although my first public show isn't until April I need to make enough stock whilst I still have the time. Once I start my new job next week I won't have this luxury for a while.

I have been enjoying making glass dishes based on a kaleidoscope pattern and have these for sale in my Etsy shop. The patterns are great fun to design, starting with concentric circles on graph paper and "colouring in" the shapes.  

Kaleidoscope dish

The colour combinations are endless and I have just made a large fruit dish in greens and ambers. I will be posting the image as soon as I have photographed it.  Meanwhile, I am now playing with new ideas for Christmas tree decorations based on snowflake patterns which will hit my Folksy and Etsy shops from October 2014.  

Kaleidoscope dish

Anyway, Happy New Year to you. I hope 2014 comes up to your expectations!

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