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Welcome to Spring!
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Spring is officially here! In the blink of an eye January and February are already behind us, which includes one of my daughters birthdays as well, and now as the days continue to lengthen I’m counting down to three more birthdays in the house in the next two months, as well as Mothering Sunday. It’s a busy old time!! The same can be said for the studio which although it took a small break for Christmas and new year has been full steam ahead. So without further ado I bring you the spring newsletter to indulge you in some glass and studio happenings.
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What's been happening in the studio?
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Well the eagle eyed amongst you will have noted a lapse of newsletters for January and February. I won’t lie, with a New Year’s Eve birthday and far too much fun and games at the same time, I didn’t think I would be able to bring you a sleek, defined and awe inspiring newsletter (yes I know it’s never that, but let’s just pretend for now). So instead I’m bringing you a spring edition instead. Please forgive me! And keep reading!
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Over the Christmas break the studio had a deep clean and a small refit. New display boards put up, flexibility in the screen used to divide the work bench, and reorganisation of the tools and glass. Beautiful!
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January started as February ended, with a flurry of elephants! My majestic elephant design is one I am very proud of. I was asked in January if I could create a smaller version, so of course I obliged. Being me I couldn’t just do one, so three smaller elephants came trotting along, in blue and orange to keep it fresh! A large purple elephant in a panel ended my studio time in February’s and was very well received by my customer.
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I decided it was time to look at creating some pieces to show off the different skills that can be used in stained glass, so I created a series of large box lanterns. Each one sits on a wooden base, which in turn sits on 4 lovely little brass feet, and with the exception of the honeycomb design has an inbuilt light fitting. Lantern one was utilising a beautiful sunset glass and used copper foil overlay to create a silhouette of safari animals leisurely strolling along.
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Lantern two was working with different heights of glass in the form of glass nuggets. Personally this is my favourite, the colours just pop!!
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Lantern three was precision cutting. I won’t mention how much muttering and altering of the design had to take place, but a honeycomb lantern was the end result, and while it uses a more translucent range of glass making a light fitting stand out, it looks stunning with a candle.
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Lantern four was a rich deep blue nighttime sky box, with twinkling stars on each side. Using copper patina as a studio first as well!
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Each lantern is £85 collection from studio or delivery can be organised additionally.
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Away from this we do still have the very popular suncatcher scheme. Returning for 2022 shiny and new and even better for you!
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🎉On the first of every month, a brand new suncatcher will be showcased.
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🎉 purchase just 8 suncatchers as part of the scheme and you are entered to receive a free Christmas design worth £20, plus for every purchase your name is entered into a draw to win a gift voucher of £30. Purchase 10 suncatchers and your name is entered 10 times. Live draw will take place on Christmas Eve.
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🎉The first 10 of each design will be available to purchase right away from the shop at a special introductory price of £15.00 After that the design goes into the catalogue. It can still be purchased but won’t be that cheap again.
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Looking forward
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What’s next for the studio? Well Mothering Sunday is just around the corner, as well as the start of the craft markets.
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Keep an eye out on the studio Facebook or Instagram for a little gift for mums, grandmas, aunts, sisters or pretty much anyone who you would like to show your love for!
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Weekly workshops are busy, but I am opening a list for those that would like to be notified if a space becomes available, please let me know.
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Alternatively book a weekend workshop and bring a friend for a few hours or even a whole day getting creative and having lots of fun too!
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Dates for the diary
- March 19th - Cam memorial hall craft fair, 2pm
- April 2nd - Dursley craft fair, 9.30am
- May 21st - Chipping Sodbury, Hatheralls Yard
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Reduced in size, but still as beautiful. Yours for just £60!
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This sweet little lady is perfect for a window on even the dreariest of days. £15 in the special offer before she rises in price, so act fast!
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Catch it before it's gone
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Working with glass top tip
How can I help those of you who have stepped into the great expanse of glass work and would like to try something new in their projects? Well let’s talk about foil overlay. It is basically a sheet of sticky backed copper foil. You cut out the design you want, the solder sticks to it the same way that it will stick to copper foil, and the end result is much more intricate and wider covering than the tape. So why discuss it in a tip? Because it has many pitfalls.
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It doesn’t like to stick to the glass, it can hold too much heat and crack the glass when you solder it in place, and it can curl and fold too easily.
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Cut out the design you want. I recommend you don’t have too much of a solid mass as this can be harder to shape later on.
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️using a microwaveable plate, put the copper foil onto that. If it cracks you won’t mind, but it’s much harder to crack as it’s designs to cope with heat.
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️apply the flux and solder. Try to move around where you apply the solder to keep the heat down. It can also be a good idea to have a wet tea towel underneath to further reduce that heat build up.
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️when soldered, glue onto the project int he correct place.
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Please note, for full transparency I have done this method and I have soldered it directly to the final piece of glass. I have managed it by keeping the heat to very short bursts and allowing it to cool between. I have had this work and I have had the glads crack. So it’s trial and error and some degree of luck to go with it!
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Poppy Glass Studio, March 2022
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