Glass Fusing Students

Funky Fish Workshop at South Square Centre

I REALLY enjoyed myself last Saturday teaching a workshop on Funky Fused Glass Fish at South Square Centre. I hope the students did too. Nine future glass artists joined the workshop to learn how to design and create their own fused glass fish in both float and Bullseye glass. The workshop covered the basics of cutting glass, grinding, working with both transparent and opal glass and making some delightful fused glass fish. The workshop also covered colour theory, glass types, how glass behaves in a kiln and fusing and annealing. In fact, a comprehensive introduction into the creative and tech side of  warm glass. Here are the results of the workshop - they did a good job!

Bullseye Glass Fish - students' work 

The next workshop at South Square will be Shards, Frits and Stringers on Saturday 4th August. This is an introduction into making glass tiles or coasters with additional glass pieces, powders and rods. At the end of the workshop I will take the students' glass home and fire it in my kiln before posting it back to them. 


I am now arranging the September workshop on Glass Fusing but I'm in a bit of a quandary regarding what to teach. I have a choice of three workshops so I am asking people to vote HERE. I will teach the workshop that gains the most votes. 
The choices are:
1. Dichroic Glass Jewellery using top quality CBS dichroic coated Bullseye glass to make pendants, earrings, brooches, cufflinks - whatever your fancy. Dichroic glass glitters and shimmers in the light and has an amazing colour shift. 
2. Fused Glass Dishes takes students through the process of designing, cutting and creating fused glass dishes in both float and Bullseye glass (examples HERE) that will then be slumped into moulds to form delightful dishes. 
3. Fused Glass Hangings and Light Catchers with copper wire, inclusions, frit and coloured glass. These look fabulous hung in front of a window (see below). 

Fused Glass Hangings

If you are interested in Glass Fusing Workshops at South Square Centre in Thornton, Bradford please email Glassprimitif or contact South Square HERE. 

Art in the Pen - it's official!

Today I received my pack of invites for Art in the Pen and the information for exhibitors so I am both excited and worried.  Excited because I have made all my glass for the event so I won't run low on stock. Worried because I don't have a clue about how to display my glass, even after years of setting up fairs and markets, when it comes to staging design I suck!  

I understand the principles of display such as making sure my display is at different eye levels, grouping in styles and colours, making sure the display materials don't overwhelm the glass, but when it comes to putting this into practice it is a different matter. I have been selecting ideas for display on Pinterest  but I will have to buy some furniture to make this kind of display. 
At least I have the opportunity to go to the Auction Mart next week to measure up my "pen" and make some decisions. If I can get the display right I will feel more confident about booking larger shows and events. Watch this space! 

The Great British Summer

Deck Chair Striped Trinket Dish

I'm very inspired by all things seasidey at the moment and, despite the terrible weather we have in the UK, I'm looking forward to days out on the beach in Scarborough, Whitby, Hunstanton and Brighton this year.

Several things stand out as representing the British seaside but the most evocative, for me, are beach huts and deck chair stripes. In fact, I'm so obsessed with deck chair stripes I have been spending a lot of time gazing at the vintage deck chair canvas at Deckchairstripe.com  What an inspiration! Colour combinations that I wouldn't normally consider such as bottle green, orange, deep pink and pale blue. I have been making a range of fused glass dishes using opal glass with a vanilla background and the possibilities are endless. 

Large Deck chair striped dish

As for beach huts, I have a range of Beach Hut brooches available on Etsy at the moment - each one in jolly reds, blues and greens. Just right for the summer season. 

Beach Hut Brooches

I also have one Seaside Boat dish left in my Etsy shop - all we need are the "Kiss-me quick" hats and the ice cream - oh, and some sunshine would be nice too....

Sailing Boat dish

I have a fine selection of inspirational stripes on my Pinterest Board, please take a look and see if you're inspired by them too. 

Apple for the Teacher

I had a great day at The Stalls pop up shop on Saturday, talking to customers, chatting with the other designers and eating cake from La Bottega.  The first piece of glass that I sold was my Glass Apple Dish and, at the end of the day I was approached by a customer who wanted to buy a ......... glass apple dish (oops)!

But nil desperandum - fortunately the customer commissioned the dish to be made and sent to her. It is a present for a teacher who has taught her children and is now retiring. What a lovely idea for a gift - so much better than chocolates or flowers. A gift that will last forever.

If you would like to commission me to make a glass dish or bowl please contact me via the Contacts page. 


If you live in the Yorkshire region I teach glass fusing to all including technical processes, design, glass colour theory and glass assembly. Find out more by clicking on the Workshops Page. 

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