Instagram Addiction / PicTapGo

Sorry about the blog absence.

I have no excuse, other than a slightly unhealthy addiction to The 'Gram.

But as a result of this, I am stunned and delighted to have been chosen as this week's featured photographer by PicTapGo (my mobile photo-editing app of choice).

You can have a look on their blog over here.

Contemporary Glass Society Skills Showcase - Stained Glass

I'm very happy to say that I have been selected as one of 4 artists to be featured in the Contemporary Glass Society's latest Skills Showcase on their site.

This fourth showcase focusses on contemporary stained glass artists, each with quite diverse approaches to the medium - from soft and painterly to bold and graphic.  I particularly like Tom Pearman's screen printed glass pieces for Oxford NHS Trust.

Above 3 images © Tom Pearman

A long time ago, when I had just finished university and was deeply regretting a Media Studies degree over something more practical and hands-on, I decided to take some stained glass evening classes to see how I liked it.  I really did like it.  On days off from my boring admin job, I used to take the bus over to the Crafts Council and sit in the library there and read back issues of the CGS newsletter.  So as you can imagine, it feels pretty good to be featured.

Elle Decoration January 2013

Great to see contemporary and traditional stained glass being featured in the latest issue of Elle Decoration.

Although I was emailed about being included as a recommended designer/maker a few weeks ago, I didn't really believe it was actually going to happen until I saw it in print!

Hey Look That's Me

Yes, this very blog that you are reading right here has been recommended

as one of Channel 4 Homes favourite craft blogs.

If you're visiting from the 4Homes website...

Hello! 

Shop Talk - Folksy Blog

Look! It's me! On the Folksy Blog...pretending to sound all knowledgeable...

Plus, I've finally listed a few more things...

Ho Hum

Just drumming my fingers, waiting for balls to get rolling, whips to get cracking and shows to get on the road - there are a couple of interesting jobs in the pipeline that are yet to get the go-ahead.

In the meantime, I'm really looking forward to this Friday's episode of Mastercrafts (9.00pm BBC2) which will follow 4 apprentices trying their hand at stained glass. The mentor who will be training them is an artist called Sophie Lister Hussain, whose work embraces a wide variety of styles and practices and is technically superb. She also shares a studio with my ex-collegue and good friend Delia (http://www.apollostainedglass.co.uk/), so I was a little green with envy that she would be rubbing shoulders with the lovely Monty Don for a few days.

I've yet to catch up on the previous episodes of this show (green woodcraft, thatching and blacksmithing) but by all accounts they make really interesting viewing.

Other newsworthy items...I won a giveaway! This beautiful paper mechanical animal set from Oh My Cavalier! (via Pikaland).


Julianna's work is inspired by ephemera, folklore and sharp-toothed mammals. This hesitant little badger just about breaks my heart.

All photos from Oh My Cavalier

Oh and I should also like to point you in the direction of It Belongs To Turtle by way of thanks to the Turtle for his kind words about my glass. A very charming Turtle he is too.

A sweet note

I'm still here...just a little busier than usual filling orders from Folksy. The response has been great and I'm off out to the workshop after this to finish off two more birds to be sent to their new homes.

I had a wonderful card the other day from the new owners of one of my singing lovebirds. It was bought for them by their daughter. The card had a really beautiful linocut by Robert Gillmor on it (not actually pictured - sorry, no time for scanning tonight!).







I am a big fan of his work (and would love to do a course in linocutting myself in the future when time and money are a bit more plentiful). As you can imagine, I was even more delighted when I opened the card, to see that it was in fact from Robert Gillmor, and along with some very kind words, he had very sweetly drawn a picture of his kitchen window with my bird in-situe .

The week so far...

World domination edges ever closer to Through The Round Window! Not one, but two mentions in the Blogosphere. First came this nice little nod from I Love Handmade followed closely by this beautiful photo on Peonies & Polaroids. That totally made my day. She is so ludicrously talented, stylish, funny, eloquent, generally-all-round-sorted and (here comes the really painful bit) only 24.

And stuff has been selling! My Items You've Sold page at Folksy is looking pretty impressive!

Random people are e-mailing me just to say they like my work! Isn't that nice of them!

Anyway, I'll stop now. Next week will probably be really quiet and I'll wonder what the hell I'm actually doing all over again. But for now I shall head towards the weekend in a little bubble of contentment.

Oh, and I've listed a couple more birds in the shop. I was pleased with the way this picture turned out.

100th Post Baby Bird Giveaway!

I know, I am rather shocked that I have managed to find 100 things to say myself.

But before we get on with that, I've got more important things to do. Namely, blowing my own trumpet. Parp. There. You see, I got runner-up in the Folksy Upcycled Xmas Competition. In the Quality of Craft Work category, which I am really delighted about. This is what judge Louise Roe said:

"I’ve always admired the craftsmanship that goes into Stained Glass, and I particularly love this piece and the inspiration behind it. The colours from the individual bottles and glass sourced really compliment each other, and I like the fact that it is inspired by a Suzanne Vega song. Music is increasingly an integral part of the inspiration behind fashion and art, and there is fantastic expression in the little girls face."

Anyway, enough about that - more importantly, bidding has commenced and there are 146 wonderfully hand-crafted items up for grabs, with all proceeds going to Sue Ryder Care - when I last looked the total bids on items was up to £400, but I think we can do much better than that! Folksy are hosting the auction on Ebay for greater exposure and because people are more familiar with the format. You'll see I've added a link at the top of my sidebar, so when you've finished up here, go and have a little potter about over there and bid bid bid!

In fact, in order to check that you really are going to have a look, the proviso for my Giveaway is that you have to leave a comment telling me what your favourite item is (other than mine, obviously). And then you'll go into the hat to win a lickle wickle baby fledgling birdy. This one to be precise:


Everyone clear on that? Comments before 12pm on Wednesday 16th December please!
This is open to regular listeners and first-time-callers alike as well as far-flung-folk.

P.S. for some reason, I have decided it is now a GOOD IDEA to be on Twitter. So I am.