Art Glass Revisited and Revealed

A reminder from a friend has prompted me to share some of my art glass creations. This will be a bit of an update as well from a previous post Today I am mostly . . . as I have managed to move one of the projects on a bit.

First things first: The top image is of the piece I am calling 'Dimly Remembered Tree of Plenty'. I quite like this title and I can see potential in this piece now that I have foiled it. What does 'foiling' mean. Foiling refers to the application of a copper foil strip (comes in lots of widths) with adhesive back to the cut edge of the glass pieces. This technique was invented by Louis Comfort Tiffany way back when the 'foil' was considerably thicker.

Dimly Remembered Tree of Plenty

This will be a small panel to be displayed in a commercially available frame. See previous post for the frame. Who know I might even solder it soon!

[Updated: As you can see I did indeed solder the mini panel today and it does fit the frame beautifully. I am really pleased with this panel on a number of levels. First, an experiment to abstract a section of one of my existing panels has worked. Second, I love the deviations in the design. It feels more like an impression of the original work which is very pretty and impressive due to its size but is quite clean looking as well. Now clean looking isn't a bad thing but I do like things a bit rough about the edges. Third, the subject of the tree of plenty - good times - wealthier times - better times seems to be in sharp contrast to the current situation in the economy and also in other places around the world which used to be rich beautiful places and now are scarred and suffering unrest. The roughness in this design demonstrates how easy it is to slip from good times into bad times on all sorts of levels - personal, social, national and global. (blush) End of Update]


Mini leaded panels with painted (pebeo) techniques

These two panels were experiments in using pebeo bake on paints. I am terribly frustrated that I can't yet paint on glass using proper stained glass paints! One day - it will happen.

The leaf is a scribble tracing of an actual leaf from the garden. I used different coloured glass strips and added details in various colours. The piece is leaded and set in a commercial frame. Only 8x6 inches in size.

The tree uses different techniques. Some texturing of the glass - in one case the total surface of the glass is painted over 3 times. Other techniques involved blacking out the background to reveal shapes. I've also used simple painting of objects on the colours. Again a small 8x6 panel leaded and in a commercial frame.


Mirrored Trinket Dish

I have made a few small lidded boxes and even a few with hinged lids. I have to say that my style is rustic and I was playing around with using forms to construct pieces. Some of the lampshade designs that you see around today were created originally by Tiffany and use moulds to construct them. I have not received sufficient inspiration to tackle one of these lampshade . . . yet. These sorts of projects are usually 1000+ pieces and wax/glue to stick them onto the forms and a soldering session that takes several days to complete. A marathon of work - so if you do see a locally produced example of say Tiffany's Dragonfly Lampshade and it has a large price tag, please do bear in mind that each piece represents at least an hours work, the cost of the glass which can be considerable, the hardwear of the lamp which will probably be an excellent quality reproduction stand, in addition to the time.

Anyway, back to my modest little dish. I cut the pieces from a paper template I created by wrapping the card around the steel dish. Curvature is tricky - my method was to half plan and half wing it: in other words, my usual method.

I do sometimes work totally from a design created on paper and then transferred to glass. But even then one has to be able to work around problems. Different types of glass respond differently. Green for instance is a very brittle glass and will shatter when breaking shapes out. Textured glass can be particularly difficult to break cleanly. Sometimes a piece in the design is just not a viable cut which means that the glass will always break into that piece which generally leaves you with little option but to accept two pieces in the design where once you had one.

To construct the dish I covered the steel form with masking tape sticky side out and stuck the foiled glass pieces to it. Then soldered away. The dish is patinated. This one was created with leaded solder and so unsuitable for foodstuffs.


Sun Ray Art Box

This box started life on paper as a single design which occupies 4 panels. I think I originally conceived of it as a flat panel with 4 parts. In the end I thought to make this into a lamp of some sort which didn't turn out that way. I still intend to solder some candle cups to the brass bar at the bottom of the open box so it can be used as a candle holder. I already use it as a candle surround and as an object placed to catch the sunlight. When the sunlight strikes it at an angle the glow is just incredible!

The piece is roughly a foot high. I have stopped using it as a prop on my jewellery display as people tend to fix on it and are rather shocked that I put a £40 price tag on it.

I leave you with the remainder of the photos. If you have any questions about art glass in general I'll try to answer them for you. The pieces featured here are not listed on my commercial websites. I consider them either too rough, too unfocussed, too expensive to ship making them unlikely to find new homes. However, if you are smitten with any of them I certainly am willing to consider selling them.

Michele

Tied up in Knots! The Sequel

Back along I promised I would share my efforts at attempting to produce a long knotted necklace using borosilicate beads. Well I have made a necklace but it didn't turn out quite the way I envisioned. As the attempt was a trial run for a possible commission of a lampwork necklace of opera length it has proved to be an invaluable learning experience.

At this point I wish to extend my thanks to the members of UKBeaders Forum who are so generous with their knowledge and views. I have asked for their help and guidance on numerous occasions and they have never let me down. I learn so much more about any jewellery design experience when these very knowledgeable and passionate ladies (mostly) share their views.

A brief exchange brought into sharp focus a little 'niggle' at the back of my mind. Sometimes it is very hard to see why you aren't quite convinced about a design. And this necklace is a classic example of it for me.

Yes, I love the borosilicate beads. They are gorgeous colours and beautiful when used in a handful with equally delectable Bali or Thai silver beads, semi precious stones and crystals. When used sparingly, they are some of the most richly decorative beads you can design with. But maybe you can have too much of a good thing!

What didn't quite go to plan?

Most importantly I was not able to make a knot big enough to hold the borosilicate beads in place. I used the thickest silk thread I had which was just over 1mm and even a double knot disappeared down the boro hole. So knots as spacers was not an option.

The second thing that went off script was the crow beads (cobalt) I thought would work better as they have a large hole as well made for an interesting colour combination but not for any of the right reasons. Colourwise my initial thoughts were to use a Czech round bead - about 6mm - in 'montana'. This is the type of bead I used but the holes were too narrow to put the thread through to knot at the end. And this in turn explains why I didn't in the end produce a knotted necklace but merely a continuous necklace with a few knots.

So basically a failed attempt. But all of the problems I encountered on the way have given me a firm idea of what is possible when your heart is set on a knotted lampwork necklace of nearly 34 inches long!

What have I learned?

First and foremost - beads with very large holes are not really suitable for knotting. It can be done but the supporting beads have to have a hole nearly as big as the main beads so you can get the thread through twice.

Secondly, I would say that the shape of the beads needs to be round or near round or oval. Tyre beads are not good subjects for such a large number of similar beads. Cubes though might be interesting.

Thirdly, you can have too much of a good thing if you don't have the right support beads. If every other bead was a lovely 12 mm Bali Silver decorated round bead - this would be an incredibly stunning necklace. Possibly unwearable due to the weight but what is a little neckache when you can swank around with an incredibly gorgeous necklace.

Details of the necklace

I used 64 borosilicate beads (oops with two of them touching!), nearly as many Czech glass 'montana' rounds, Dark blue silk thread of 1mm, Length of just about 25 inches with no clasp.

I welcome comments on my little trial. The commission, should it not fall by the way on technical grounds, would use roundish lampwork beads and possibly lampwork spacers too now and silk thread with knotting between each bead and made to 'opera' length which starts in the late 20s inches and finishes mid 30s inches.

Will the necklace get the chop?

Well, I'm not sure. I might fall in love with it tomorrow and be happy to leave it alone. But I suspect that I may well sacrifice the silk to create that incredibly full look of dozens of looped boro charms on a lovely sterling chain necklace that I bought the 100 borosilicate beads for in the first place.

Feel free to voice your opinion - 'thumbs up' the necklace remains intact or 'thumbs down' the necklace gets the chop.

Michele

Sweet Home Blogger Award

As mentioned in the previous post I was very kindly nominated for an award 'Sweet Home Blogger - for sharing Beauty, Love and Joy.

I have taken some time to consider five people who also deserve to receive this award. They can then go on to nominate five more people.

In no particular order but with great pleasure I would like to nominate

Juliet Doyle Musing from a muddy island - her blog is wide ranging but she always has beautiful images of her local area to share. She is an excellent writer and shares her love of books, reading and seaglass with us all.

Maureen Random Distractions - is a Devon-based blogger who again has a love of books and other gorgeous things. She is also very supportive of special causes and you will find an incredible mix of subjects (as well as book reviews) on her blog.

Jo of DaisychainDesigns - Jo is a lovely person who also happens to design gorgeous jewellery. I've featured her designs more than once whenever I've been fortunate enough to win a treasury on etsy. She is one of the first shops I look at for something gorgeous to share.

Billie Jean Little - Glass by Billie - is a very talented lampworker who was very generous and talented.

Isabelle Anderson - Adventures in Glass - Anyone who knows my jewellery well will have spotted that I have a great love of Izzy's beads. She has an incredible way of encouraging glass to do beautiful things and I have to say that jewellery made with her beads are always popular. I'm very pleased to hand this award onto her. She is a lovely person as well as a very talented lampworker.

All of my nominees add more beauty, love and joy to my world with their creations and their blogs.

Michele

today I am mostly . . .

Subtitled, the blog that almost wasn't!

I've been having technical difficulties and that combined with being distracted by at least 10 projects in various stages has left me with little time to blog and little of interest to share.

However, I did receive a lovely accolade from fellow blogger Kerrie Slade. Many thanks to her for making me one of her five! I leave you to read about the Sweet home blogger award for sharing beauty, love and joy. So the torch is passed to me now to choose 5 Bloggers for the award. I do have a not-so-short list in mind but I want to give this some consideration and promise it will be the subject of my next post! (the technical gremlins willing, of course)

Ok, I had a vague outline of what I was going to share with you but the technical difficult stuff has wiped my memory of it so you will have to endure a rather rambling list of things yet to be done!

Art glass - Mini Panel

I have had this particular project on the table for quite a while. I managed yesterday to wash the cut pieces after weeks of it just sitting there. The project is provisionally titled 'Tree of Plenty -Dimly remembered' which is an abstracted section of my larger circular panel 'Tree of Penty'.

This isn't a slavish recreation of a section of the panel but rather a more freeform version that is to be packed into a 4 x 6 inch frame - in theory. At the moment it looks rather unpromising. It often does at this stage. Any number of things can go wrong most important being the cut pieces, once foiled, are too big to fit the frame. I can always cheat and leave it frameless so the panel won't be a total loss but I would be disappointed.

Knotting technique - the next stage

I have shared a few images of necklaces I have made using the traditional handknotted technique in the past. The top photo shows how supple these necklaces are. I embarked on this particular creative path in response to a potential (it is still only potential) commission to create a very special necklace that would use handknotting.

I have managed to gain enough skill to create very pleasing simple necklaces using small beads including pearls and Czech pressed glass. Oddly enough the beads I use for these creations I would normally only use in making accessories like bag charms, mobile phone charms and earrings but not my necklace or bracelet ranges. I love these simple beads for their knotted necklace potential though so I may well do a small range of self colour knotted necklaces - a few of these are shown here (and if you want to know more visit my Etsy shop and Hedgelands Glass Gems - see my Links to the Outside World).

The next stage is to get comfortable with knotting bigger lampwork beads with different beads as spacers. Next pic: I have 100 borosilicate beads I bought as an unreamed lot. Most of these are in similar colours so I reckon they will make a good test subject. What you see is a selection of the 100 on a bead reamer. And yes, I did ream them all by hand and then soaked them in a dilute vinegar solution to disolve the remaining bead release. Don't worry I rinsed thoroughly! (Tip alert!)

I have a few possible spacers and another style coming. However, I can already see potential difficulties. The silk thread is one of the thickest you can get. Holes in lampwork beads are typically quite large so even a thick thread doubled isn't a problem. The spacers are mass produced and tend to have holes of only 1mm and sometimes smaller. There could be trouble ahead. I will of course share the disaster with you all!


Etsy UK Team Promo Pack

OK, I am on their list but only a fringe participant in the strategic direction of this adventure. I have to say I had never heard of felted art work before I joined Etsy. For those who don't know, Etsy is an online selling venue for hand crafted items (and some supplies) - sort of a much nicer Ebay without the auctions. It is free to join and certainly free to visit. Check out the Treasuries and the Pounce feature first.

Anyway, back to the promo pack. This little lot arrived yesterday and it is quite colourful. The little brooch is sweet. The little felt balls are colourful. Of course I joked that I would make a couple of the pink ones into earrings - work colleagues who know my work didn't believe me. I can't resist such a challenge! So here you have 'pink fuzzy ball' earrings shown on the ceramic lid.

I'm also considering turning some of the other balls into keyrings or charms of some description and you see can the little materials pile.

Beautiful Jasper Focal

I have had this focal for nearly two months! Unprecedented to have such a gorgeous piece and not have it in a necklace the next day or week at latest. But here it is a beautiful thing in soft browns, creams and pinks. I have some beads sitting with it in a little box bottom but I'm obviously not convinced that they work. So I get to gaze at it some more in its naked state for a little while longer.

The reason?

The reason I am currently unable to progress these swiftly is I was persuaded to set up a little table at the works summer BBQ this Friday. So I am making a Summer Fun range that doesn't dent the purse too badly. I share a few images (sorry for the flash!). Black earring trees look great on stands but are totally pants if you want to photograph them with a rather pathetic little digi camera. The good thing is I've made a few earrings that can match my knotted necklaces so if these don't find new homes on Friday I have them for sets and an event on 8 November in Exeter on the Cathedral Green.

Gosh . . . Did I write all that about nothing much?!

Sea Glass & Reading . . . ?

How is it possible to connect these two interests (not obsessions, honest)?

Easy, just take some silverplated copper wire and a few pieces of Mersea Sea Glass and a few bookmarks and get wrapping.

These pieces of Mersea Sea glass were given to me by Juliet Doyle and I won't spoil the beginning - you are going to have to read her blog to get the back story. You will enjoy it, I assure you. The writing is always excellent, the subject matter interesting and unexpected with many delightful detours into other worlds.

Of course, I have a few more still waiting to be attached to book marks or perhaps bag clips.

Do you use bookmarks?

I have to admit, I am a bit naughty and often just leave the book open on the page I stopped at! I can hear the shocked gasps. I know it really isn't good to leave books in that position.


Why not use them as pendants?

I chose these pieces to use for bookmarks (bag clips or key rings) as the pieces didn't seem particularly suitable for pendants. I could probably recreate the wrapping in sterling silver but it would have to be 18g wire which would add quite a bit of cost to the pendant. Also the hanging loop would not be hidden or particularly attractive. Anyway it is always good to practice with copper craft wire silverplated or not. Practice is what improves your 'eye' and your technique.

Beaders will bead anything that doesn't move very fast!


Suncatchers, Moneyclips, Key rings, Bag Clips, Mobile phone loops all sorts.


If you don't already know it yet, you soon will: beaders will attempt to bead just about anything. I certainly have attached beads and dangles to all sorts. We will of course spare 'cs' any blushes by posting a pic ; ) Only kidding, of course. The doggerelist is a non-bead kind of a guy. He is totally immune to offers of having anything beaded made for him.

There are of course plenty of examples of manly beaded creations. In fact, I would be willing to wager that the first pieces of jewellery created were worn by men. If you look at many of the traditional tribal groups in the world you will see that the menfolk wear 'necklaces', 'torques' and 'arm bands'. Some of it is very colourful stuff as well.

Back to Bookmarks - Pics explained

The short clips are ones that have been posted on this blog before and feature artisan made glass beads and wonderful enamelled charms.



The Suncatchers have been rejuvenated with the addition of key charms and concentrating the impact by reducing the number of dangles and beads. The middle suncatcher features a proper stained glass square painted by my tutor Claire. I am hoping one day to get a kiln so I too can paint on glass.


Which bookmark style is best?


It depends on your views of how you like to use them. The clips are quite compact and bijou. The clip itself is quite powerful so you need to be careful when you slip it over the pages that you don't rip them.

The longer bookmarks come in a few styles. The one shown here is a less expensive version of the gorgeous pewter bookmarks you can get these days. I am considering getting a few of these for the remaining sea glass dangles. One design is 'books' and another is 'sea life'. I have used the 'celtic' design and the 'cats' design in the past. There is a nice range of designs in this pewter series - dogs, dragons, shoes, dolphins, horses to name a few more.

Another design of longer bookmarks are quite plain and flat. These I think are very low impact on the books but obviously not as decorative. There is also a shorter 'squiggle' type available.

This last image is of a book clip I call 'ChickLit' .

As promised, bookmarks with a twist. Now off to try and make a decision about what style of bookmarks will look best with some genuine Mersea Sea Glass.

Tied up in Knots!

In preparation for a possible commission to recreate an Arts & Crafts Opera length necklace I have been learning how to knot.


I'm not sure there is a great demand for such necklaces but they do have a lot of fluidity and for small beads you really don't know you are wearing them. I have to test drive some of my first efforts to assess their wear-ability.

Mission of mercy

Anyway, in chatting with friends at work I do occasionally mention that I'm trying to learn how to create knotted necklaces. The two pals I told immediately said 'I have a couple of knotted 'pearl' necklaces broken at the back of the jewellery box'. So I volunteered to have a go at restringing two necklaces. I have to say these poor necklaces had seen better days, but were well loved. These are the coated glass pearls and are decades old. The little pearl necklace had suffered the most dinging and flaking. It had an interesting clasp. Marcasite with 'Made in England' stamped on the back. Now when was the last time you saw that!

Are you a 'secret string of pearls' girl?

I wonder how many secret strings of pearls are languishing at the back of jewellery boxes up and down the country?


Images

I've taken before and after pics. The brief was not only to restring but to extend the necklaces by an inch or so. I made due with what I had in stock although brass is traditionally used. I have to say that I think pearls look best with themselves but I didn't have any of this type to hand and so did the best I could.


I've put 'Mist', a knotted necklace I made using Czech pressed glass beads. I think this is a nice necklace but I much prefer the little 4x6 rice beads. And hurray I found 2 more colours so I shall probably be boring you with fuschia and amethyst knotted necklaces in the future!


Event

Sadly, it is a closed event - works BBQ - at the end of June. I let myself be persuaded to come along with some of my 'ephemeral' and dichroic jewellery and accessories. I made several inexpensive lariats and a load of £2 earrings which you can see in my Etsy shop. I'm particularly fond of the Summer Bounty lariat and the Sexy Green earrings.

It will be interesting to see how the Etsy community take to these ephemeral summer time pieces.

Is there a demand for Knotted Necklaces?

If you have a view about this, please leave a comment.


Reminder about Rackenford

If you are in the vicinity of Rackenford do stop into the shop and say 'Hi'. You can browse the secondhand books, have a drink in the Stag or admire the little Church next to the shop.

I haven't got a date for my next 'demonstration' yet but, if you are particularly interested in seeing a particular piece of jewellery email me and I'll try to arrange its passage to Rackenford for you to see it personally. If you buy it in the shop, 20% goes to the village store.

Learning new skills

One of my favourite things is learning new skills and techniques.

I recently started researching some Arts and Crafts period jewellery for a possible commission and realised that I may well have to create a necklace with knots between all the beads.

I did a trawl and found a useful tutorial at Crystal Flair which got me started. There are so many really generous skilled people around the world who share their expertise. It isn't always possible to find everything you need to know but generally enough to get you started.

I decided to do a few practice pieces in preparation and chose some lovely little Czech pressed oval/rice beads in a wonderful rosy colour with gold and green highlights.

It took the better part of 4 hours work to knot all the beads but the result is a wonderfully fluid necklace.

It was slow work but quite satisfying and now if I'm asked to repair a necklace that is knotted I can confidently say 'yes, but it will cost you . . .'.

I'm planning on making a little bracelet to go with this necklace and I'll list it on one of my sites in the next week or so.

If you are interested in this little (18 inch) necklace contact me via email or leave a comment.


Metalwork

It is tremendously exciting to find out that an idea you've had gestating in the background actually works! This was the case with an idea I had to use lengths of glass rod to make pendants. First though I had to see whether my skills with sterling strip and solder were up to the challenge and then whether the design would be attractive. Of course, not everyone likes this sort of pendant but I certainly do.

I'm sure I can improve my technique but the results have been very encouraging and so I introduce to you 'Pure Colour' Pendants. I don't think there are any like it anywhere else at the moment at any rate.


Designing to verse . . . update

I would like to share with you a pic of a necklace 'Deceitful Waters' I made using some of my most favourite materials. Firstly, artisan made glass beads by Tania Grey. Tan is Cornish through and through. I love her beads and cabs and these particular beads are wonderful using raku glass where the skill of the lampworker is brought to bear on the colour effects. I've also used dichroic seed beads as spacers between the Czech 'montana' rounds. I think by weight these little beads are the most expensive I have ever bought at nearly £6 per gram! My thanks to 'mishari' for providing me with translations to several poems - Thread!

I have really enjoyed this personal challenge to design to verse. It has lead in a few instances to some very nice designs. I am currently working on 'brown impeturbable faces' from Joyce's 'The Dubliners' (suggested by 'obooki'). I will of course be brown and house shaped (sort of) but I think it will be quite wearable.

Next challenge . . . for me will be to design some artglass panels. I do have one based on one of my existing large rounds on the bench (Ikea three tiered hall table) at the moment. This one is a mini panel 6x4 inches. Once that is completed I can jump into designing a few panels with the same poetic origins as the jewellery pieces. I will be interested to see how the medium influences the outcome.

I would like to thank 'mishari' for his help in translating the verse of several French poets which have added an extra layer of pleasure for me in creating this piece of jewellery.