In Memory Of Sam.

My friend Kate, asked me if I would do something in memoriam of her beloved dog Sam.

Of course, it would be a pleasure. so a little tub of Sam's ashes arrived in my workshop.

Never having worked with this material before, I am afraid it was a case of "suck it and see".

These are the first attempts, some glass pendants with Sam's ashes encased in glass.

The varying texture of the ashes caused some bubbles to appear which then gave the pendants a slight "snow globe" effect with the ashes being able to move about within the bubble. A really interesting result.

The pendants are now bailed and ready to string and wear. Will be trying some beads next.

Thanks Kate, for putting your trust in me to have a go.

Wine Bottle Bowl

A moment of madness overcame me I think, when I wondered if I could make a bowl out of mini wine bottles.

But SUCCESS !!

This was a many stage project:

• Stage One: Go to local Indian restaurant and chat them up very very nicely to save lots of little 'one glass' wine bottles for you.


• Stage Two: Be extra nice to partner and slip into a chatty conversation that you would be so chuffed if those bottles were to be washed and their labels removed.


• Stage Three: Get off your backside and wash the bottles, remove extra sticky labels by scrubbing with a scouring pad, then scratch remaining glue off with the back of a knife.


• Stage Four: Spend at least 3/4 of an hour balancing the bottles in the kiln, so they will flatten to make a large petalled flower.


• Stage Five: Wait impatiently all night for the kiln to do its work, then in the morning take out fused glass bottles whilst still warm, passing them hand to hand so not to burn your fingers.


• Stage Six: Wait until the kiln is cold, then prepare it for a second firing.


• Stage Seven: Find a suitable recepticle to use as a mold, a stainless steel mixing bowl did it for me, and put it upside down in the kiln, lay the fused glass on top, and prepare to wait impatiently again for a second night.


• Stage Eight: Lock yourself out of the workshop so there is no temptation to burn your fingers once again.


• Stage Nine: Take out your masterpiece, pat yourself hard on the back (put the bowl down first) and tell your visiting parents that they produced a genius. :)


• Stage Ten: Text your neighbour and ask if she has any grapes, or other fruits to use as photographic props.

So there you go, the making of a bottle bowl.

The neighbour couldn't supply fruit, so I had to used baking potatoes - they don't quite have the same beauty as a bunch of juicy grapes, but a compromise was needed. :)

Cufflinks

Do men still wear cufflinks?, none of the ones in my household do. But nevertheless I thought I might make a few pairs and see if they sell.

I thought bright & bold with a touch of loud, they are not huge so are not going to overpower a nice shirt, just add a little flash of colour.

Real glass, handmade in my own shed (maybe I should say Studio so I sound a bit posher?) with a touch of Millefiori or Dichroic, set on plated cufflink stems.

A little bit of glass.

This week I have been mainly playing with glass.

My Auntie Winnie, invited me to attend a Charity Evening, for Ladies, and take along my ready made bits and bobs.


PANIC !! I don't really have many ready made bits and bobs, so I needed to knuckle down and get some things made. Trying to cater for all purses I thought a few little glass stud earrings might be nice. I have made loads of the glass nuggets, but got bored glueing them onto the posts, so at the moment I only have 8 pairs.






I also made a few pendants, I only try and do a few at a time so I can make fresh things each time, otherwise I tend to get into a mass-production mode and make loads the same.

I know it's not much for a stall, but it's a start..........right? :)

Florence.

After finishing Raphael the Delica Bead Dragon, I decided that he needed a Girlfriend. A nice pink and purple Girlfriend, and so Florence was born. Made from tiny glass Delica Beads and lots and lots of time and love.

So why Florence you may ask?

Well, as you may know, Raphael was a famous artist, so I did a bit of Googling to find out a little about his life and find him a name for his Pink Dragon girlfriend. Apparently he had a companion called Maria. The name Maria just didn't seem to suit the lady Dragon, she just doesn't look like a Maria to me, so I searched a bit more.

Apparently Raphael travelled to Italy and spent a lot of time in Florence ;) I think that says it all :)

The happy couple.

Raphael

This was a labour of love, and I have loved every minute.

I bought this pattern at a bead fayre way back in October, it is from http://www.amuseink.com/

I never got around to doing it until a challenge was announced on the Bead Buddies Forum (Myth & Magic).

It is a flat Peyote stitch, worked in Delica beads for a wonderfully smooth flat piece of work.

The sparkly gold beads around the edge are 24k Gold Plated, quite expensive, but oh so sparkly. :)

The whole piece measures around 5x7", so you can imagine how many tiny delica beads there are in there !!

Not sure what I am going to do with it yet, I could add a beaded chain to the 'ears' and wear it, or I might just hang it from a mirror and look at it :)

Links

This piece took ages !!

I called it "Links" for reasons that might be obvious :)

I used the colours as they were part of a colour challenge on the Beading Forum Bead Buddies. Lime / Lilac / Black / White / Turquoise.

I chose seed beads deliberately in different sizes to give different thicknesses and texture to the finished piece.

I made a few tubes in Peyote stitch, which I then sewed into rings, then linked them together with other tubes, 'frillies' amd peyote strips.

The whole piece is one continuous chain which just slips over the head, very easy to wear and no clasp.