http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk en-gb hothousebeads.co.uk 2010-4-28T00:00:00Z hothousebeads.co.uk http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#64044 I am so pleased to be the recipient of a scholarship to go to the International Society of Glass Beadmakers Gathering in Rochester New York in July 2010. Ill be doing a sculptural class for 2 days with Wesley Fleming www.wesleyfleming.com visiting the Corning Museum of Glass doing voluntary work not sure what yet at the Gathering and attending lots of workshops demonstrations and the famous Bead Bazaar. I shall come back thoroughly inspired Thanks so much to Carole Morris BSGB Jean Power editor of Bead Magazine and Ray Skene and Diana East for supporting my application.If you are a member of the Bead Society of Great Britain Im in the Spring 2010 edition newsletter 99 on pages 4 and 5 which popped through my door this morning.We had the first GBUK Regional Group meeting at my house at the end of March which went very well. Most people had a go on the torches and we talked about glassy things. There should be a few pictures in the next edition of Hotstuff from GBUK Glass Beadmakers... 2010-4-28T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#59720 My work will be displayed at the Civic Theatre in Chelmsford from 6th April until 4th May. Most of the work will be for sale and there will be a display of Metamorphosis so you can see them up close.Had a table at the Essex Bead Fair last weekend. Was nice to meet both old and new customers shame the weather was so terribleHave volunteered to be a Regional Network Coordinator for GBUK Glass Beadmakers UK for this area. Our first meeting is on Sunday 28th March. If youre a member of GBUK or are thinking about joining you are welcome to come email me for more details. 2010-3-3T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#50715 Im thrilled to be a finalist in the first British Bead Awards for the Lampworking category. The entries were judged anonymously so I couldnt write about it on here before. Im going to the Big Bead Show at Sandown Park in Surrey tomorrow. Cant wait to see the other entries in both the lampwork and other categories. My entry is called Metamorphosis and as you can see is the life cycle of a frog. The frogspawn bead was a nightmare to make it kept cracking and I had to make 9 of them before I was happy with itLast weekend I passed my Metal Clay Level 1 Instructor Certificate in Art Clay Silver. I had a fantastic three days with Pat from Pajed in Witham Essex and am hoping to do my Level 2 next year. Ive recently been making some silver hollow beads which will eventually go on the beadshop when Ive refined my designs. So many ideas....too little timeToday I have added the new bead shop to the website there are categories for Focals Beadsets and Spacers but there are more categories... 2009-10-16T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#42793 Ive been accepted by the Arts Development team at Chelmsford Borough Council to be on the front webpage of their Virtual Gallery for 3 months alongside some other artists from shoemakers to sculptors. After the 3 months my profile and pictures will be put in their permanent collection. You really should check it out as there is some interesting stuff on there. Ive started training in the new studio Im offering taster sessions in glass beadmaking using a dualfuel torch of 2 hours for 16330. This includes any materials used and lots of useful training helpsheets on subjects such as Setting Up A Studio Working With Glass Cleaning Bead Holes etc You can keep any beads that I demonstrate and all the beads you make will be annealed in the kiln and posted on to you. Ill be putting a page on the website about it soon but contact me if youd like to book in the meantime. My Volcano bead mentioned in a previous entry got a highly commended in the Beads amp Beyond lampworking competition... 2009-6-5T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#42732 Sorry I havent written for a while but thought it best to wait until I had something interesting to say. Ive had a strange few months and have lost both a Nan and a Grandad quite close together they were very fortunate to both be in their eighties but I still miss them all the same. Luckily Ive had the new workshopstudio to distract me. My husband and I have been working weekends for months to get it ready. We recycled some timber and chipboard from an old factory and used the timber for a studwork wall and the chipboard for worktop. My husband welded together lots of angle iron into workbenches and has installed electrics and water. So a huge thankyou to my him for working so hard probably the prospect of a tidy house for once and to my stepfather for helping with the electrics and plasterboarding. Here are a couple of photos the first is of the lampworking area and the second is my silversmithing bench. I do wish Id taken the pictures before I put all my stuff in there ... 2009-6-4T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#35018 Happy New Year to everyone Ive got lots of new projects on the go. Im in the process of building a new studio which will more than double the amount of workspace I currently have. This will mean that I can do lampworking and silversmithing in the same area and I can then convert the old studio into an office. I may even get a tidier house Ive been experimenting with metal clay in the last year and am hoping to come up with some interesting workable designs for silver beads. Im about to send off my entry for the Convergence project entitled The Four Elements which is a collaboration between the ISGB International Society of Glass Beadmakers and the Bead and Button magazine. Ive been working on this with the talented beadworker Sue Wheeler of Daisy Beaders. Were hoping that our entry will be accepted and then it will be included in a brochure and touring exhibition at some of the beadshows in the US and will then be auctioned off for charity at one of the shows. This is a version ... 2009-1-15T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#30635 Spent the last weekend at a Bead Society of Great Britains workshop which was on African beadmaking. It was run by John Haigh at Little Hidden Organic Farm in Hungerford. John made a kiln using bricks and clay. We smashed and powdered different coloured glass bottles and added them in layers to home made clay moulds which were then fired in the kiln so that the glass could fuse together. We also watched videos of brass bead casting using the lost wax technique from his trips to Ghana. It was a really interesting weekend and a real contrast in techniques to my lampworked glass beads and silver casting. 2008-10-7T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#23607 Have just spent a fantastic 3 days at Diana Easts studio learning some amazing new stuff like sandblasting engraving offmandrel lots of enamelling and murrini making. Saw her make a fish murrini and then put it in an incredible aquarium bead. I met some really nice people including Red Hot Sal and lots of other people from the Frit Happens forum. I feel really inspired and am still buzzing Also have just been accepted for membership by the Guild of Essex Craftsmen so will be doing my first proper show for two days at Cressing Temple near Witham in Essex on the 24th and 25th August. 2008-4-30T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#19534 Have just added a few more items to the Jewellery Shop including some earrings and pretty focals on sterling silver snake chain and some larger focals on leather thong choker. Am still trying to get the hang of my new camera. I have a long way to go yet but am reading up on it as we speak 2008-2-4T00:00:00Z http://www.hothousebeads.co.uk/page9.htm#19090 If youve found this page hello and welcome This year is already zooming by. In early January I went to Rome to celebrate my 40th birthday and last Sunday I came back from a weeks skiing in Slovenia. There was so much to see in Rome and 3 days was not enough. Check out this cute car from Rome old Fiat 500 Here is a picture of the Vatican at dusk and also part of one of the mosaics inside its vast museums. Slovenia is a beautiful country but it did rain for a few days which is not what you expect when youre skiing. Still not too many bumps and bruises and I still have the use of both my arms and legs so I cant complain. Ive been working on the website this week and next week I hope to get the hang of my new camera so I can add more items to the Jewellery Shop. It does look a little sparse at present but I assure you I have lots more items to go on it. Speak to you soon... 2008-1-24T00:00:00Z