After taking my Dad out for breakfast on Father’s day yesterday, it was another nice day for sitting in the garden. I love relaxing and chatting in the sun whilst listening to all the birds in the trees and watching Molly chase bumble bees. I did sit out there for a bit too long though, and have had to smother myself in after sun today!
In the evening when the sun had started to pass over the garden, I decided to have a rummage through my new bucket of coloured glass which was given to me last week from a very generous craft fair organiser – Ann of Pennine Fairs. Her husband used to do a lot of lamp work with this glass, and had buckets full of leftover bits and pieces after toning down on his glass work. Ann knows I use a lot of recycled glass in my ceramic work and offered me a huge bucket full of scraps because they wanted to get rid of it. The glass may have seemed like unwanted rubbish to them but to me it was like a bucket of treasure! A huge thanks to Ann and her husband for being so kind and thinking of me.
Some of the glass from the bucket is quite opaque rather than translucent, so I’m not sure how this will look when melted down in the kiln. The temperature inside the kiln may even be too hot for it, and the opaque coloured glass might burn, but I’ll try it out on a few samples first. I’ve made lots of tiny ceramic bowls as samples to melt the new glass into – I like experiments! I’ll show you those later in the week.
Whilst rummaging through the glass, “oooh-ing” and “ahhh-ing” at pretty pieces, we started making shapes with it, and got a bit carried away…
I love the boats, but how good is the parrot!?
This weekend my online shops will be on holiday mode while I’m at the Castle Ashby Craft Fair in Northampton (26th-27th June). This fair is run by Pennine Fairs so I’m looking forward to showing Ann my first experiments with the glass. Any fair organised with Pennine Fairs is an opportunity not to be missed – They are very strict with who exhibits, to make sure all crafts are genuine and of top handmade quality. This craft fair at Castle Ashby is set inside the walled garden of Castle Ashby House and visitors are able to browse the beautiful gardens as well as the 3 huge marquees full of crafts, and the tea room for refreshments. See you there!
I love the parrot too! Look forward to seeing what you make with it : ) my mum makes fused glass pendants.
Lovely pictures! I love your bowls with melted glass – like an iridescent puddle, gorgeous 🙂
So many possibilities! Just like me with a bargain bag of fabric remnants- I know just how you feel!
Sue
What a lovely read, thank you! Love the boats but as you say the parrot is amazing! Di x
FAB Parrott!!!!! 🙂 xx
Brilliant parrot, love the colours in the bowls look forward to seeing the fruits of your experiments
janice