Inspiration Friday

I love fireworks, have a look at these.






The colours and energy are amazing.

Happy New Year!

Wow, 2011 is just around the corner!
It has arrived so quickly. I hope you all have had a great time over the festive session.
Looking forward to next year I am hopping to do more courses and I am looking in to doing some different types of events.
You will also see an updated website soon with some new jewellery collections, including Funky Fusion Hearts.

Inspiration Friday

This inspiration Friday I am going to dedicate it to a wonderful crafter who always brightens a craft event for me.
She is happy, cheerful and very talented.
Krysia you are inspiring.

Here are a few of her stunning products. Click on the pictures to go to Krysha's Shop.

Pretty Snow Pictures

I love snow, now I know alot of you still have snow and are fed up with it but I think it can be soo pretty.
Here are a few pretty snow pics.

Look What I Made!!!

Last Saturday I attended a craft fair in Romsey, it wasn't very good but I was so inspired by Krysia of Kryshees. Visit her website HERE
During the day she made a crochet hat, it inspired me so much I picked up my own crochet hook when I got home and made this for my daughter.






Yes it was meant to be a scarf but it was too short so I sewed the ends together to make a tube scarf.
In the morning it was greatly received and worn constantly!

How to Cut Glass

Well this is my very first attempt at doing a video tutorial!!!

One thing you might notice there is no sound, I will be having another go at some point.
Anyway have a look.

Inspiration Friday

I would like to recommend SwirlyArts on Folksy, She make some amazing bits and pieces and I love her Chickens. Here is one particular smart chicken. Click on his name to go to the shop.

Terence Tweed D'Arby cheeky chicken doorstop

I would also like to recommend a brilliant inspirational forum The CraftsForum
Every one is so helpful and friendly. A true place of inspiration.

New Make

I have created a new design and I am soo pleased with how it has come out.
I tried it on my mum to make sure it sat well and looked good.
It looked so good I took some pictures.
What do you think?



Mum I think you look amazing!!

What is Dichroic Glass

So what is dichroic glass?
Well dichroic means two colours so you get a shifting of colour from this glass. It has a reflection colour (where the light bounces off the surface) and a transition colour (where the light goes through the glass)

Dichroic black backed glass

Dichroic glass is made up of hundreds of layers of quartz crystals and metal oxides, these are sprayed on to a spinning circle of glass in a vacuum chamber. This means you get even coverage on the glass.

Dichroic clear glass

The origin of dichroic glass is as hard to pin down as an urban legend all that is conferable is that it was discovered in California in the 60's. It has many uses for example: lighting, sculpture, film making and it is used by NASA for various things.

Basically for glass artists it means an amazing array of colour to play with.

Week Round Up

Wow what a week.

It started with doing a great course with some lovely people at Cherished China in Andover.
I then spent the week with the kiln on firing all the makes from the course. They came out amazing, the added bonus with having the kiln on it has made the room lovely and toasty.

Then on Thursday morning we awoke to a world of white!!!! The children were off school and where out playing in the snow by 8am!!
I have attached the necessary picture's of snow.



These were all taken from my warm lounge.

Friday the children had enough of being cold and had run out of dry cloth's so they put up the christmas tree, it looks lovely but it's the earliest we have ever had the tree up.

Inspiration Friday

This Friday a couple of websites which have been long time favourites.
1st www.t2landscapes.co.uk
Amazing Landscape Photographer stunning pictures. One of my favs' is this one.



2nd A wonderful blog full of delicious recipes and stunning cupcake designs.

The Art Of Being Perfect

I found the delicious site through her amazing recipe for rice krispie cakes see below
It's the best recipe for these I found and very tasty.

Marshmallow Rice Krispie Cakes

Ingredients

250g bag of toffee
50g butter
3 tbsp milk
115g marshmallows
175g rice krispies

1. Lightly brush a 20 x 33cm roasting tin with a little oil, (I use my 9inch brownie tin and just pack it all in). Put the toffees, butter and milk in a saucepan & heat, gently stirring until the toffees have melted.
2. Add the marshmallows. (I let them melt in, stirring for a minute before moving on).
3. Add the cereal and stir until the marshmallows have completely melted.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared roasting tin, level the surface and leave to set. (At this point you could top with melted chocolate as I have, next time I think I will use a mix of white and milk chocolate and create a marble effect).
5. When cool and hard, cut into squares, remove from the tin and put into paper cases to serve.

Open House

At the weekend I did an Open House to show off my products. To say I had low expectations is an understatement, for me it was a way of getting my contact and website details in to local households.
I made up a jpeg image (see below) and then I printed them as photos through an online site, they came out really well and at a good cost. I then handed them out t school and got my husband Peter to go round the village and drop the rest.
We only covered about an 8th of the village homes, so next time I will get more printed!
I had a good response and met some lovely people and sold a good amount of products with a couple of commissions to boot.
Well worth doing and I will do it again at some point but with more marketing before hand.

Glass Compatibility

Which glass can you use for fusing glass work?

Well nearly any so long as they are compatible.

Compatible? I thought all glass was the same?

No glass types vary immensely, let me tell you all about it.

When glass is heated and cooled it expands and contracts at different rates depending on the type of glass.
To be able to tell them apart glass is given a COE number. COE stands for Coefficient of Expansion.
Window glass has a COE of 84
Pyrex glass is COE 32
Effetre glass used for lampworking is COE 104
The glass I use is bullseye glass which has a COE of 90. This is the most commonly used glass in the UK I think.
Right... so as long as you use the same type you should be fine. If the glass is not compatible it could cause cracking or even shattering of the piece when it cools.

To demonstrate the stress glass is under when fused with incompatible glass see the pic's below.

This one looks okay and seems to be fused together.


In this pic you can see the stress in the halo of light around the glass the dark gap is the compatible glass.

Inspiration Friday

Things that are inspiring me this week include:



I love this song it is uplifting and has a great message, everybody needs to let their colours shine.

This is one of my all time favourite glass works.
"Growth I" by Amanda Simmons

New Products

I have just updated my earring page with new products.
Check them out here Earrings

These are a couple of my favourites.

Tools of the trade

Okay when working with glass you need three essintal tools.

1st You need an oil filled glass cutter,
these come in various shapes but the
most popular is this one a toyo pencil type
oil filled cutter.
The oil is held in the clear reservoir and it
has a wheel cutter at the end.


2nd You need a tool called breakers.
These look a little bit like pliers but have a
flatter head, the head also has a curve.
Breakers are to help break the glass once
you have cut it.


Lastly the last piece is not essential but very
very useful. This tool is called is called a Grozer.
Its great for tough corners or thicker glass.
The grozers have a serrated jaw which nibbles
at the glass.

New plan!

Hi, I have decided to make a plan about blogging to help me keep on track and get in to the habit of blogging.
So I am going to do a few basic tutorials and impart some knowledge, I will also be doing an inspiration day where I will find pic's, music, etc's that inspire me.
So keep your eyes open more posts coming your way.

Wow what an amazing sound!!!

I came across this choir last night and they are amazing.

New Course's for making fused glass

Wow, where has the time gone!
Well it has been the school holiday's and I am now looking forward to the start of term.

Introducing brand new taster course's.
These course's will be held at Cherished China in Andover with thanks to the wonderful Mandy for supplying the venue.
I will be doing an adult Jewellery Fused Glass Course, which will consist of learning about how to cut and use glass and you will make two pendants, with the option to make more for a small fee.
This course will last for about two and half hours.
To book please contact Mandy at info@cherishedchina.co.uk

Also I will be doing a Coaster Making Course, this is open to children aged 7yrs upwards and adults.
You will be able to make a glass coaster with small bits of glass, no cutting of glass necessary but will be an option to older participants. The course will last about an hour.
The date for this course will be Wednesday 27th October, right in the middle of half term!
The first session starts at 9.30am.
To book this course please contact Mandy at info@cherishedchina.co.uk

Here are some examples of the coasters you could make.

Surrey and Hampshire Crafters

I was asked by SHC to tell the world a little bit about me so I thought I would also post it on here too, for you to see.

1. Tell us a bit about you and name of your business

Hi I am Ann a glass artist and my business is Vibrant Glass Art. I am passionate about glass fusing, reading and anything creative. I live in a little village in Hampshire and it has become my inspiration as well as my place to relax.

2. Where did you get the idea for the business

I rediscovered my creative side at the point in my life which (so far) was the most stressful time. After trying my hand at various things I discovered dichroic fused glass. I was and still am fascinated with the depth of colour and vibrancy achieved with this media. I became hooked and my passion for creating the glass naturally turned into a business.

3. What do you love most about your business

The things I love most are the always changing colours and uniqueness of the glass, I love to experiment and see what happens and I love seeing a customer fall in love with a piece i have made.

4. What would you like to change

I would like to change the financial climate and increase the size of my kiln!

5. What is your aim for next year

Oh... to keep playing and experimenting with glass.

To show my glass and to have it available to a wider audience.

6. Where do you ultimately see yourself

Working with glass in my own light bright space.

7. Top 5 tips you could pass on to other crafters

Trust your intuition when you feel like your being pushed the wrong way you probably are.

Learn a little distance from your work to protect yourself, not everyone is going to appreciate it as much as you.

Smile, Smile and Smile some more.

Learn from others.

And lastly trust your heart and follow your instincts with your creativity.

8. How can we buy from you (website etc)

You can buy online at www.vibrantglassart.com and at my future events, which are listed on line.

You can also give me a ring and come and see me and my full range of glass products.

White Teardrop Pendant

Fresh out the kiln a new experiment.
Made by making my own mould from thick fibre paper and with handmade frit.

Current Read The Magicans Guild

My current read at the moment is The Magicians Guild by Trudi Canavan.

I am really enjoying discovering this author and this world. It is fast paced and you immediately feel connected to the lead character and drawn to her.

Here's the blurb from amazon:
Each year the magicians of Imardin gather together to purge the city streets of vagrants, urchins and miscreants. Masters of the disciplines of magic, they know that no one can oppose them. But their protective shield is not as impenetrable as they believe. Sonea, angry, frustrated and outraged by the treatment of her family and friends, hurls a stone at the shield, putting all her rage behind it. To the amazement of all who bear witness, the stone passes unhindered through the barrier and renders a magician unconscious. The guild's worst fear has been realised ...There is an untrained magician loose on the streets. She must be found before her uncontrolled powers unleash forces that will destroy both her, and the city that is her home.

Stripy pendants New!!

Brand New Fresh Out Of The Kiln Stripy Pendants.

I had some leftovers so I thought I would try something different...
What do think?

Just Finished!

I thought I would share some of my fav reads with you all.

Today I have just finished this book Demon Hunts by C E Murphy. I loved it... I think it only took me two days to read, very involving and funny.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:
This case is way out of her jurisdiction...
Seattle police detective Joanne Walker started the year mostly dead, and she's ending it trying not to be consumed by evil. Literally.
She's proven she can handle the godsand the walking dead. But a cannibalistic serial killer? That's more than even she bargained for. What's worse, the brutal demon can only be tracked one way. If Joanne is to stop it's campaign of terror, she'll have to hunt it where it lives: the Lower World, a shamanistic plane of magic and spirits.
Trouble is, Joanne's skills are no match for the dangers she's about to face - and her on the job training could prove fatal to the people she's sworn to protect....

11th July 2010 New work

Fresh from the kiln full fused instead of tack fused Purple Heart.

April Makes

Wow I can't believe it's been nearly a month since my last entry!
I have been busy making new bit and pieces and love my new fairy with attitude.

We have also got a new addition to our family, a lovely beagle cross spaniel called George! He's lovely and loves to curl up next to me while I'm working.

You can see all my new items at my next event, Saturday 24th April at Winchester Guildhall.

New Project Glass Fairy

This week I have been trying new thing's.
Here is my first Glass Fairy.

I found a patten/design and printed it out on to paper.
I then used this a guide to cutting the glass, you can see below how it's coming together.

One tip make sure you look out for the needle sharp shard's of glass.
I didn't and kept leaving my mark on bit's very annoying and painful!!

As before in my commision project I put the glass in the kiln with clear glass covering the joins.

Here is the finished piece.

Hanging in the window.

When in place in the window I think she comes to life.
For my first attempt, I am pleased with the results.

You can Purchase her here http://www.vibrantglassart.com/gifts