Where I work and what I have been doing today.

I have spent the morning with the family and the afternoon in here, my lovely little workshop. My dad spent hours making me this little space and I love it in here. Radio 6 or 4, cup of tea and the sunshine coming through the plastic!

I have been busy finishing things off today in preparation for the Going Green exhibition on Recycling at Otterton Mill.

I have made 4 stained glass mosaic trivets and lots of bottle top rock pools to accompany my larger artworks going into the exhibition (photos on a previous post).

So I have been grouting and finishing brooches. I always find finishing things difficult. I have lots of enthusiasm at the start of a project, but I am easily distracted! However, I find it very satisfying when a piece of work comes together with the finishing touches and when I do get round to finishing things I get quite absorbed in it.

My first sunshine award and other exciting news

Thanks so much to Naomi at Woollylakes, who has awarded me my first sunshine award, I am very chuffed, that atleast one person has read this!

check out her excellent blog: http://www.woollylakes.blogspot.com/

I have also been featured in Oddsoxs lovely blog, the Sock Garden, so please check that out if you have a chance: http://thesockgarden.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/whos-through-the-stained-glass-window/

I am also now a fully fledged colomist with the Indie Smiles website, so please go subscribe for free to read loads of interesting craft articles (not just mine):  http://www.indiesmiles.com

Starting a new commission

I am just starting work on a 5 window commission for a lovely old Victorian Lodge. The owner has renovated and decorated it beautifully and it has a sumptuous Mediterranean feel, which fits the Victorian gothic style suprisingly well. My design brief is to create windows for the unusual shaped front porch and arched bathroom door with inspiration from the Turkish tiles which the owner imported and has used in the porch area.

This is the first time I have embarked on really documenting my design process from start to finish and I am quite excited about trying to show how the creative process works. When I have made the designs I will post them, so watch this space!

New Art Deco Fish

I always like to have one of my Art Deco inspired fish in my shop and this is my latest version of my design. I have used some lovely pieces of glass for this one and even some of my own acid etched glass. This time with a star motif

Couple of new additions for the up and coming festive dates

Something for St David’s Day, Across the Valley from sketches of Hay On Wye  and a lovely pink lily for  Mother’s Day. Both available for sale on my lovely little Folksy shop

Morocan Panel finished and some other new additions

Rather pleased with the way my little morocan inspired piece has turned out, please let me know what you think

Also pictures of Hotchpotch Church and Boats in the Harbor panel just listed for sale on Folsky too.

Returning to repeating patterns, work in progress

When I started making stained glass windows I was very much influenced by Moroccan patterns having traveled around the country in 2001. The other day when I was looking through some old patterns I found the cartoon for the first window I ever made and I decided to revisit this design, which was based on Moroccan tile patterns. I am very much enjoying making a smaller version of this, please let me know what you think.

Pieces for Recycling Exhibition, Otterton Mill, 6 March 2010

I have been very busy getting a collection of  my Junk Plankton together for the Recycling Exhibition starting at Otterton Mill on 6th March. This is my biggest exhibition so far and I am hoping to complete 12 pieces for it, I have done 9 so far, so hopefully I will reach my target in time! They are made from waste glass, broken and discarded costume jewelery and other found items. They are framed in frames from charity shops and recycling centres spray painted black. The only aspect of them which is not recycled is the adhesive holding them all together. Even the spray paint is left over from another project.

This is a free exhibition in a beautiful gallery with a lovely cafe and excellent walks to the nearby coast, so it is a lovely family day out. Please pop along if you are in the area

<a href=”http://www.folksy.com”><img src=”http://badges.folksy.com/images/badges/folksy-small.gif&#8221; alt=”Folksy” /></a>

Junk Plankton

I have recently finished my first piece for the TRAIL Inside exhibition  to be held in the Ariel Centre, Totnes, Devon.

This is a mixed media piece made up of 8 panels depicting different types of plankton, some close ups of the centre of them. They are entirely made from waste glass, broken and discarded costume jewelery and found objects. Basically rubbish!

Next I am preparing a mobile made up of 45 boats made from waste glass, the exhibition starts on 15th March, so I had better get my skates on!