Bubbles in Glass

 

Recently I've been getting ready for my first craft market (24-25 Oct 2026 in Farnham) which has given me an excuse to play with some new techniques.

One of the things I've been playing with is creating bubbles in glass.

My favourite reaction is with Copper Oxide which created lovely blue bubbles.  Adding more makes the colour deeper but also makes the bubbles more unpredictable.  Using less powder might mean a lighter colour but also makes the bubbles more uniform.

This stuff is strong.  It's suggested that you mix it with clear glass powder before using.

 

But what if I don't want blue bubbles?  

I got given a whole bunch of glass supplies when I bought a tool off someone who was giving up.  In this mix was a bottle of Bubble Powder.  No instructions so I had to do a little investigation.  And I found that I could mix this with different coloured powders to create bubbles like the Copper Oxide but in the colour of my choice.

So I gave this a go too.

 

I started by making some glass blocks to make into earrings.  You take two pieces of clear glass the same size.  Sprinkle the powder mix on one sheet of glass, and put the second on top.

Now do a full fuse.  You will have a sheet of glass full of bubbles.

Next cut the sheet up into earring sized chunks.  This is easier said than done.  Also within my sheets I had a few bigger bubbles, so I cut these to make pendants.  Lay them all out so they aren't touching and run them through another full fuse.

 

Now you have lots of blobs full of bubbles which you can add earring backs to and voila, you have yourself a set of funky earrings.

I spent a lot of time matching size and colour to make matching sets.  But there were a few were the colours didn't match but the size did.  I'll be interested to see if anyone buys them. 

 

Of course I couldn't stop there.

I really wanted to make a dish.  So I bought 2 pre cut circle sheets (big circles are hard to cut) and added some Copper Oxide.  A full fuse later and I had a sheet of very bubbly glass!  I then slumped it into a bowl shape.  I'm still amazed at what you can do with glass! 

 

Once the market is done I'll have a bit more time for some other projects that have been on my list all summer!  Looking forward to it. 

Brightwells Craft Market - Flyer

 I'm quite excited to announce that I'm doing my first craft market this October as part of Farnham Craft Month.

I'm part of the Farnham Creatives Network and 16 of their members have come together to run a craft market on 24-25 October - 10am-5pm at Brightwells Yard in Farnham.  A mix of artist, potters, fashion and even some fudge!

I've never done a market before and I've no idea what people might buy but I've been busy making stock to take with me.

However, we need to advertise the market so the call went out for someone to put together a flyer.  I said I didn't mind having a go, if no one else came forward.  And that's how I ended up putting together a flyer for the market, even though I don't really have any graphic design skills!

Except for not being given all the correct information in the first place, it was quite fun to put together.  I tried to make sure similar makers weren't next to each other and that the images I used showed their work to it's best.

I thought I was done when someone suggested it might need a map on the back.  Luckily that didn't take too long to add. 

 

It was all put together in free Canva and actually prints out quite well considering. 

If you're looking for Christmas presents maybe pop along for a look.  And if you're reading this after the market you can always visit my online shop.

Glass Holly Wreath

 

You may remember that last Christmas I went to West Dean and learnt how to copper foil by making some lovely glass stars.

I had lots of ideas for what I could do with this skills and did try some stuff out but life got in the way, like it does, and I sort of forgot what to do and gave up a bit.

 

However, when looking at the glass stars course last year there was another one I was very tempted by, and when I saw it was running again this year, I quickly signed up before it sold out - a glass holly wreath.

So today I was back at West Dean, for the last time this year, to learn how to make a glass wreath.

 

The wreath consists of 28 holly leaves, so while it could be a tedious process making all the leaves, it was actually the perfect project to remind myself how to cut the glass, apply the foil and then the solder. 

In the process I hope I built a bit of muscle memory too to help me get back to some of my other projects.

 

While not quite as laid back as the star project, as there were many more pieces and the curved cuts were a little harder to master, it was still a nice project to spend the day on.

I'm dead chuffed with how it came out and I know exactly where I'll be hanging it.  But while the stars have managed to stay out all year, I think this one will be going away with the Christmas decs in Jan. 

Finished Pottery Photos

 So after 14 weeks of pottery, what do I have to show for it?

Term 1: 

 4 mugs.  These were the first things I made.  None of them were the same so I decided to play with the handles rather than try and make them the same.

5 bowls.  Again none were the same.  This time I played with the colours and decoration.

 4 plates.

  

4 vases. Two big and two small.

 

 Term 2:

4 plates, but they will get their own post. 

2 lidded pots. Very pleased with how they came out.  The lids fit!

4 vases. All small.

 

And lastly a pot for firing beads covered in glaze, plus beads.
 

Needle Felted Butterflies

Peacock - Aglais io

 

Over the last couple of weeks I've been working on my submission for the annual Arts and Crafts Society exhibition.

Every August they have an exhibition for members in the local festival hall with free entry for all to view.  I love how inclusive it is - of different art and craft types and abilities. 

This year I have needle felted three butterflies and framed them up.

Large Blue - Phengoirs arion

 

I have to admit that they were kits from The Makerss, but while they might supply the materials and some instructions it's still up to the maker to produce the final thing.  For instance you have to mix some of the colours yourself.

They are fun and relatively quick to make, but I am still learning how to add details and make things look natural.

Small Tortoriseshell - Aglais urticae

 

I'm also submitting some glass, but that's for another post. 

Shrink Pot Making Course

 

 This weekend I spent a day at the Makers Barn learning how to make shrink pots.

So first, if you haven't come across the Makers Barn yet, then you really should have a look.  Based just outside Petworth and only open Friday and Saturday it is an old barn in the middle of a field full of the most amazing collection of arts and crafts from local makers.  It's a great place to visit if you have a birthday coming up or need inspiration for Christmas for instance.

 

Anyway, this year Rosie has started inviting local makers to come and run workshops at the barn.  When I saw the shrink pots course on the website, I just had to book.  I've been fascinated by them for years. 

The course was run by Chris Matthews, who was so generous with his knowledge and helped us all end the day with a finished pot. 

 

I say finished but mine isn't quite.  The idea of a shrink pot is you work with very green wood which is quite wet - you can feel this when working with it.  As it dries it will shrink sealing the bottom of the pot, but it does mean that I can't finish my lid until I know how small it needs to be.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Firstly we had to cut chunks of wood from freshly cut branches to become our pots.  I went with Sycamore. 

 

Then you drill a hole down the middle, and chip away the excess leaving you with a hollow cylinder. 

Next I cut off the bark and gave it texture.  If I had left the bark on, it would have fallen off as the pot shrunk. 

 

Then you make a bottom for your pot.  I used red cedar, which smelt lovely.  This has to be cut and shaped to be just a little bigger than the bottom of your pot.  Then with some careful tapping you pop it in.  I was very pleased with how mine fitted.  At this point you should be able to see a little daylight round it, but this will disappear as it dries.

 

Then you can make a lid.  There are many options for this.  I ended up with some spalted beech with a cedar tenon which will hold it in place once the pot is dry and I know how big to make it. 

Some of the class made lids that twisted, or one like mine but with different details.   The options really are massive. 

It was a really lovely relaxed day.  Lunch was tasty and we were blessed with the weather.  It's a great location and I'll be keeping an eye on the website to see what other courses Rosie puts on next year. 

And I've got a lovely pot and the knowledge to make more, if I can find some green wood and convince 'im outdoors to let me use a corner of his workshop.  (I can't have sawdust in the studio!) 

6 Week Pottery Course - loam.

 

So after the success of the 8 week pottery course at loam. I went back for the 6 week summer term.

Where last term I was given projects to do each week, this term it was up to me what I wanted to learn.  I'd had plenty of time to think about it so had a fair idea of what I wanted to achieve.

Week 1 and I made 4 plates.  They aren't my favourate thing to make, but I have a plan for these plates.  More about that in a separate post later in the year.

At the end of the last term I had also made a 'bead bowl'.  I've got a crazy idea about making some clay beads to go with some of my glass beads.  While they can be bisque fired anywhere in the kiln, when it comes to glaze them they need to be 'hung' so they don't touch anything while they are firing, otherwise they will stick to whatever they are touching.  So I made a bead bowl so I can hang them when firing.

Having thrown my plates, I turned the bottom of my bead bowl, just to tidy it up - it doesn't need to be pretty.

 

Week 2, I turned my plate bottoms, then I started glazing some of my things from last term.  One plate, and two of my vases.

In week 3 I asked if I could make some lidded pots.  I'd watched a couple of ladies do this last term and really wanted to have a go myself.  Jack spent ages with me showing me what to do.  It starts very like making a mug.  But then you have to finish the top with a lip for the lid.

 

With two pots thrown, I then had to make the lids.  A bunch of measurement is needed here to make them fit.  And I actually made four, in the hope that at least two would fit.  It was fun making the lid and handle as one piece.

 

In week 4 my lidded pots were ready to turn.  I started with my pots, keeping them nice and square.  Then I had to decide which lids I wanted to keep.  I turned one of the spares first as practice, before turning the ones I wanted to keep.  I was very pleased with the fit.  However, until they've been fired you don't know if they will continue to fit well.  Nail biting stuff!

 

With my pots sorted I then contined glazing.  I started with three plates from week one.  (I'm not sure what had happened to the 4th, it caught up with me later.) And one plate from last term.

I've got a bit of an obsession with leaves and I'd been talking to Jack about how to include leaves in my work.  Once the clay has been fired a live leave won't stick to it.  So I'd made some paper templates out of newspaper at home based on a liquid amber leaf.  I now used one of these on my plate, so I could paint glaze over it and leave a leaf shape when it was dry.  I also used two of my paper leaves on one of my larger vases.  A course like this is the perfect time to experiment.

On week 5 I threw vases.  I ended up with 4, but I know I threw more than that.  Several of them crashed.  It's all good practice.  Part of the issue I think, was because I was trying to make them small and I wasn't sure what shape I was aiming for.

This time I had bought small leaves picked from the garden - feild maple and hawthorn, which I then pushed into the wet clay of two of the vases and left. 

 

Then in the last week I started by turning the bottoms of my vases.  I can't say I'm that impressed with the shapes I managed except for one of them.  

One had four leaves stuck to it (now mouldy!) which I painted over with blue slip.  Once it was dry I peeled the leaves off.  They left some great imprints, so hoping they will still show up once fired and glazed.  

The one with the good shape I carved lines into and also painted with slip.

While these dried I did more glazing.  This time another plate from the first term and the 'missing' plate from week 1.  I also glazed one of the lidded pots.  The fit is really good for both of them right now, so I need to be careful that the glaze doesn't mess this up!  Fingers crossed.

 

I then went back to the now dry vase and worked off all the dry slip that I didn't want.  

If you've been paying attention, you'll know that this isn't everything glazed!  And the last 4 vases haven't even been fired for the first time yet!  So yes I'll be going back to finish things off - hopefully in mid August.

Over the course of this term I bought home 5 plates and 3 vases.  I am extremely pleased with the vases.  All very different but lovely in their own ways.  The newspaper leaves worked so well and I love both the plate and vase!  It's so nice when things turn out well. 

 

I won't be going back in the autumn, only because I don't have a massive desire to throw anything else right now.  However, I do think I'll be trying some hand building at home to see what I can make that way.

So if you are in the area and want to have a go at pottery, I would definitely recomment loam.  I may well go back in the future.

Once everything has been glazed and fired I'll post again with proper photos of all the finished work.