Affordable Arts Fair at Ventnor Winter Gardens

Just a short post this week, as I'm busy getting ready for the 'Affordable Arts Fair' at Ventnor Winter Gardens this coming bank holiday Monday artsisle.org. Monday 4th May 2015 - 11am - 4pm.
I've been making some pendants combining lamp work and fused glass, I'm hoping to get them ready in time for Monday. Here's a little preview of them fresh out of the kiln.

Fused glass and lamp work combination

Trying Something New

Cylindrical Beads within Transparent Outer Glass Beads

For the last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with a new style of bead. It's sort of a bead within a bead.

First I made a cylindrical bead and then used the hollow bead technique over the top. This was quite successful and effective. The biggest difficulty is getting the bead even and preventing the transparent outer bead from collapsing onto the inner bead. Hopefully, it just needs plenty of practise.

Cylinder Base Beads

I got really ambitious next, I decided to try and create a loose bead within a transparent outer bead. It took a good few sticks of clear glass in practise, as the beads continued to fuse together. On the ninth attempt I achieved it.

Tricky to see, but small orange bead within clear glass bead

Unsuccessful Attempts

In conclusion, although I quite like the loose bead within a bead, there's a few impracticalities with it. It's success rate at the moment being one and the difficulty in cleaning out the bead release being another. I may go back to it at a later date. However the original cylinder base bead definitely has possibilities. It's effective on it's own and definitely has scope to develop further.

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My Perfect Place

Summer house April 2015

A perfect place to chill out after a walk

Earlier today I found a lovely post on Facebook entitled 'She Sheds, Women's answer to the Man Cave'. lightersideofrealestate.com. The sheds are beautifully decorated little places to escape to.

It got me thinking about my shed, or as I grandly prefer to call it, my 'summer house'. It's not a beautiful shed, it's not stylishly decorated. In fact it is messy, cluttered and far too full of stuff. It is the place where I make my beads. But oh, it is so much more than that. It is a little protective capsule of a place. In a world and a life that is always changing, it is a place that stays the same.

View through the door

The other day I was listening to someone explaining what meditation was. They said it wasn't necessarily a person sat crossed legged with eyes closed, making 'om' sounds. It could be simply being in a peaceful state of mind. Well I would say my shed is the nearest I have ever got to meditation and being at peace. When I walk through the door I feel my body and mind relax. The radio or audio book is turned on, the kiln is fired up and very quickly the only thoughts in my head are to do with beads [and following the audio story, of course].

Making Beads

And Toby dog finds it relaxing too!

 

The Return of Red

Considering my favourite colour is red, I think I've done rather well to get to April without making some red beads. The truth is it's done me good to use a different range of colours and tones. I have enjoyed and been pleased with what I have created using aqua, white and mauves. However, with the sun shining and everything buzzing with life in the garden, when I go to the summer house, I keep getting drawn to the red sticks of glass. I suppose it's a little like wanting a fresh salad rather than hearty casserole on a warm, sunny day.
Anyway, I picked out my favourite red and then experimented with earth colours - dark brown, wood, cream and a new one called fossil. I really like fossil as it has a lovely swirly, marble effect. The one down side with 'fossil' is that it is very expensive, so I have to think of ways to use it sparingly but still effectively.

Red with 'fossil' spots and small plain 'fossil' beads

 

Black with Smudgy Flowers Beads

I do like black, so I made these beads. Although they are black, my intention was to make them summery with soft smudgy flowers of lavender and pale pink. I was aiming for sort of Chinese chrysanthemums. I didn't quite achieve this, but I'm pleased with results all the same. www.littlehousejewellery.co.uk

Gardening

Thought I would start with the bits that look okay.

Front border

More front garden pots

What's gardening got to do with beads, you may ask? Probably not much directly, except that one of my main bead and jewellery events of the year happens in my garden. That is the Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios.isleofwightarts.com

I have been part of Open Studios for the past six Summers and two Christmas'. The Summer event takes place on the last two weekends of July, with the West Wight, which I am part of, taking place this year from Friday 17th - Monday 20th July. I will write more about my open studio preparations as the event draws nearer.

At this time of year, although I haven't abandoned bead making, it does take second place to the garden, or rather it will do once I get started!

So far all I have done is to make a list of jobs to do, and a very long list it is too! I was going to make a start today, but the weather is just too horrid. It's at this stage I wish I had a nice little courtyard garden. At least this year I have remembered to take some before photos.

View from my summerhouse

A very tangled horseshoe shaped border

A sad greenhouse

desperate looking pots outside my summerhouse

This time a tangled pot combination

Bare vegetable troughs outside back door

A Stall at West Quay, Southampton

Why am I writing about what was probably my least successful stall? On the down side I not only sold very little and few people even stopped to look [I do struggle on the eye catching presentation bit]. This was a shame, as I like explaining how my beads are made and watching how people then take a closer look. Never mind, win some, lose some.

Enough of the negatives and onto the positives. Firstly, I was in West Quay and situated quite close to my favourite department store, John Lewis. Every three or four hours I would leave Mark in charge of the stall and have an amble around the different departments, mentally adding things to my wish list.

I feel a little sad that I won't be having another stall at West Quay, as the other stall holders were delightfully friendly and the chats made the day a very pleasant experience.

There was art work, embroidery, iPad and tablet rests and of course all sorts of jewellery. On the stall next to me was Michaela  Carrington who deservedly did well with her fused glass.etsy.com/shop/micpru. There was a stall just round the corner where a man wrote and drew on single grains of rice! I watched him write 'Congratulations' on a tiny grain. He didn't even use glasses or a magnifying glass. He would then suspend the grain in a tiny vessel of liquid [ some sort of oil, I think?] which magnified the grain so it can be read by people with normal eye sight. www.ricewriter.com


We managed to get wifi and so were able to unobtrusively follow the Six Nations Rugby. We were packing up and travelling home during the second half of the England v France game, so I didn't get find out what a great game it was until later.

Anyway, even though I won't be there, if you happen to be in West Quay at the end of June, take a look, there's some interesting things.