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.

Watercolour Glass

Watercolour Glass Dish

I've got a new glass design to add to my collections.

Watercolour Glass has been a bit of an experiment, using up tinted glass cullet placed slightly randomly and decorated with coloured glass "blobs".  After the second firing I painted tiny gold stars and then refired at a lower temperature. The tinted glass is 3mm thick (I usually use 2mm Bullseye glass) and so the dish is slightly chunkier and heavier. 

I am very pleased with the results so I am planning to make more dishes in different sizes (this one is 30cm).  Tinted glass is more expensive than 2mm transparent glass so it does push the price of making it up - particularly if I use my favourite colour, Rhubarb, which is a pinkish-greyish colour.  This is because pink/red glass has a gold content which creates the colour. 

But I haven't forgotten about the weaving..... 

Glass Versus Weaving

Wool yarn from Texere Yarns

It's here! A big package of assorted yarns from Texere Yarns in Bradford ready for my next project. Lots of lovely colours (three shades of black) and some Chinese silk yarn for dyeing too.  I love the aqua and pistachio yarn - can't wait to start experimenting.I'm also hard at work in the attic studio creating glass for several events. The new Christmas exhibition opens at Just Makers in Harlow Carr very soon and I also have events in Masham, Saltaire, Kelbrook, East Riddlesden and Headingley in November and December. 

Christmas Trees for Harlow Carr

So glass versus weaving - which one will win out? It will have to be glass of course (but I can always weave instead of sleeping I suppose) 

I have a weaving diary on Pinterest HERE 

Circles and Ovals

Circles and Ovals

I've been getting in lots of practice at this tapestry weaving malarkey.
My warp tension is improving and I'm not tightening the weft too much (although it could still be neater).  I have been trying to weave circles and ovals using a wool yarn in flat colour.  Placing a piece of white paper behind the warp has made weaving shapes so much easier. I have also woven another practice sample but it is so bad I'm ashamed to show it.  It has some soumak that I tried to weave to outline shapes but, when I wove a vertical line, the soumak became thick and messy. I need soumak advice!
I have just ordered a lot of weaving yarn so I am expecting a big box of lovely colours to play with.
Jo X

Weaving on  a canvas stretcher