Adventures in Fused Glass 1

i believe that glass is one of the crafting media that i'm least familiar with. i'll admit it: it kinda scares me. it can be unexpectedly sharp, easily breakable, and you don't know it's gotten into you until you see little drops of blood falling onto your work. eeee!!!


fear of the material, i'm sure, stems from my lack of experience with it. naturally drawn to animal and plant fibers, wood, and stones, the characteristics of glass seem so foreign to me.

despite this fear, however, it really does intrigue me. and after talking to a glassworking friend, i'm starting to realize that there is so much more you can create with it than i'd have imagined.

upon getting to know her and viewing some of the work she's done, i'm so inspired. for years she has been making gorgeous stained glass windows and fused glass art and jewelry. after seeing some of her work, i've heavily encouraged her to start selling some of her pieces.

i know it's not a very good picture--i don't think i'd ever be able to do justice to these vivid colors in a mere photograph--but here's a bit of her jewelry at one of my summer shows:




after seeing how interested i became in what she was creating, she was graciously eager to teach me some of the processes involved in fusing glass (and later will come stained glass too). so begins my new adventure in glassworking! stay tuned for Part 2, including pictures of my very first fused glass pendants!



...and just for fun...

i've always been interested in glass blowing and large glass sculptures, but don't really plan on learning any of these techniques for myself. i just love viewing the amazing artwork of others.
here's glass artist Dave Chihuly's website, which i came across through a google search. some truly spectacular sculptures! with decades of experience he combines his passion for art with his unique vision of nature in a way i'd never imagined was possible. all i can really say about this dude is WOW.

Adventures in Handspinning 1

my fiber addiction finally got the best of me. the solution i have in mind is to become a spinner..


in part, i blame etsy and ravelry, as well as my friend amanda of brickmillstudio who's been spinning for a little while now. check out her blog where she writes about many crafty endeavors including spinning and knitting, and a hodgepodge of other interesting topics. one of the few blogs i try to read regularly.


for too long i've drooled over others' handspun yarns. i've fondled wool fleeces, fantasized about color combinations. it was time to face my addiction and try it for myself!


my man made me a simple drop spindle, bottom whorl with a hook at the top. it's a little one; i'm going to have him make me a slightly larger one as well. eventually, once i learn more about the technical side of spinning, together we plan on building a wheel. that'll be an endeavor!


i also made myself a wpi (wraps per inch) gauge so i can measure the thickness of my yarns. so easy to make! there's a 1-inch slot for uniform yarns and a 2-inch slot for irregular yarns so that i can take an average and get a more accurate measurement.


i'm starting out with some superwash merino wool combed top that i bought from FatCatKnits. i bought a few ounces of undyed and a few ounces of hand-painted; it's so soft and colorful. i'm sure i'll be buying from FatCatKnits again!









about ravelry:


from their 'about' page:


"Ravelry is a place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools, and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration. The content here is all user-driven; we as a community make the site what it is."


this amazing site is not yet open to the public; sometime in the future when they're prepared to have the capacity to see their membership skyrocket, they'll make the site available to everyone. if you wish to be a member you submit your email to their waiting list and they send you an invitation. let me tell you, if you like fiber arts in any form, then it's worth the wait! it's a great community with a wealth of information and a place to organize patterns, projects, yarn stashes, and much more.


warning: when you join, prepare to be immediately hooked. (or needled, if that's your thing, hehe. i'm a sucker for bad puns.)

Green Bracelet Giveaway

9/18/08
It's time for another giveaway!!

This bracelet is made using brilliant green glass beads of varying shapes and shades. Its memory wire frame ensures that you can put it on and take it off easily while the bracelet maintains its shape. Measuring almost 8 inches (20 cm) around, with its flexible frame this bracelet is a one-size-fits-all accessory.


To win this bracelet, simply leave a comment on this blog post.

Be sure to leave me an email or other form of contact!

Contest runs for two weeks. You have until Thursday, October 2 to enter, at which time I will choose a winner by random number generation.

Thanks for stopping by!


Update 10/2/08:

the winner: bunny b!

congratulations!