My Super Awesome Craft Day!

So, I'm still buzzing from yesterday.  I was at a craft fayre in The Paget Rooms in Penarth and had a really great day.  Sold out of lovespoons! And had loads of interest.  Days like that really boost your morale when you've not been selling much, I'm sure any humble crafter will agree.  I really like craft stall holders.  They're always so nice and friendly and they are always willing to help you out.  I met some nice people yesterday.  The craft industry is a lovely little community that I am proud to be part of.  I think I would have forgotten my head yesterday tho had it not been securely attached to my neck!  I was a big jumble of nervousness and excitement.  It was a super awesome day which I hope was an indicator for future events to come.  Bring it on!!



This is my 'Mega Chuffed' face



Me and my little glass creations



Stained Glass - Labour of Love

My first ever glass piece was a pretty epic journey. I used to attend an arts group regularly and we were given an amazing opportuninty to create a stained glass piece for Caerphilly Castle. As naive as I was at the time to the long and sometimes tedious process of tiffany work, I designed quite a complex A2 sized piece with about 100 awkwardly shaped fiddly pieces of glass.

The assembled piece after designing and cutting

  As time went on I began to realise the enormity of the challenge i'd set myself. Glass cutting didn't come naturally to me so I often found myself getting very frustrated from the beginning. There were times when I worried I wouldn't finish the piece and many members of the group thought I wouldn't do it.

As I found, grinding individual pieces is time consuming!

The copper foiling process

But (somehow) amongst the frustration, doubts, cuts and splinters I managed to finish the piece (just) on time and was really pleased with the result. Seeing it proudly hanging in Caerphilly Castle made all my efforts worth it. I had an excellent teacher along the way who I still keep in contact with and who was actually the person who encouraged me to pursue glass as a career.

Stained Glass needs light to show it true beauty!

 

The completed stained glass piece

 I'll always have a soft spot in my mind for the labour of love that was my introduction into glass artistry.

I'd love to know what you think of my piece, let me know!