Lovely lampworking!

I thought the last week of my holiday would be quite chilled, filled with endless days of crafting, but it's not going to work out that way! I'm not complaining though, it's going to be fun.

Yesterday I spent the day playing with molten glass over at my friend, C's, where she has a glass studio! More about that later.

Today I'm off to lunch with the girls from college, then to a chick flick (not usually my thing, but it should an afternoon of irreverant merriment), then to belly dancing tonight. I think the place where we're lunching is one of those 'all you can eat' places of international quisine, so I have a feeling my belly will be able to dance on it's own by tonight!

Tomorrow, N and I are venturing into deepest darkest Bedfordshire to find a fibre and textile exhibition. That should be a good laugh. I really like N, we have the same tastes and the same sense of humour and can quite easily lose hours without realising! I need to locate an address that I can load into my SatNav though before we go. I have an appalling sense of direction and find it impossible to read a map and drive at the same time. That calming voice telling me to 'take the third exit at the roundabout in 50 yards' is what I need to keep my sanity. And yes, I have sworn at my SatNav before. More than once in fact. But I would be lost (literally) without her!

Friday I have staff meetings at school. Not the best way to finish my week but they do lay on a nice (buffet) spread for lunch :-) There's usually only myself and my HOD from our art department (the guys don't normally show - naughty naughty) but S and I joined at the same time and get on really well, so after the main meetings are over, we have a giggle at our departmental meeting of two!

So, that's the week planned out so far. The housework seems to have taken a back burner and it seems that my car is never going to get cleaned out *lol*

Anyway, back to the crafting!

I rejoined the OWS swap and claimed Kookie, but I shan't be showing what I've made for her yet till she receives it. I also claimed Liebschein for a glasses case as she admired one that I'd made ages ago and had it on her list. I hope she likes this one I made for her.

It's felt with felt applique and beads and sequins sewn on. There is a double layer of felt to provide extra protection for her glasses. It does up with a popper, but I sewed a button on the outside for a decorative feature. I was terrified when I finished it because it seemed so narrow, despite making it to her quoted measurements. Then I slid my own glasses in that I wear on the computer and there was plenty of room!

Hurray!

I'm also going to see if I have time to make her another one. I had planned to do it last night, and cut the felt out ready, but got distracted ( yep, my crafting ADD strikes again!) by my jumbled ribbon box while selecting the trimming for it and ended up doing a little organisational job instead. Who knew I had so much ribbon? I this isn't the half of it! It's usually all stuffed together in a Firefly box that I received in a swap.

I bought crockery yesterday!

M is ultra clumsy and breaks things regularly, so I don't usually buy expensive or nice stuff because it's not worth getting upset when you're down to the last plate. Yes, that's where we were. One of us was having to eat from a pasta bowl *lol* I bought this small dinner service reduced from £30 to £10. What a bargain! It's hard to tell in the photo, but it has a lovely reductive glaze. I quite like simple dinnerware. I like the centre of the plate to be fairly plain. I think a heavily patterned plate centre detracts from the food. I do like a nice glaze though. This service appeals to the potter in me!

And here are my beads! Ta da!!

The second ever lots of beads that I've ever made! I'm a little disappointed that the colours aren't as dynamic as the glass rods were before I started, but that's the luck of the draw I guess. I chose lilacs, pinks, violets and blacks believe it or not. I still love them though. I learnt some new techniques, like making a tubular bead, making bobbly effects on a bead, swirling and feathering colours in the glass and making a little air bubble in the dotty beads.

They're not perfect, some of them were experimental, but they're all my own work. I aspire to produce beads like Sarah from the Glass Slipper. If you've never seen her work, check it out! She produces the most amazing beads! I don't think I'll ever be as good as her, but I drool over her work!

One day.....