My first sucessful attempt at enamelling!



OK, not perfect by any means but I'm rather pleased with it all the same.
I've torch-fired the lead-free enamels on .5 fine silver sheet with fine silver rectangular wire. I've used a combination of sifting and wet packing techniques. (And a bit of swearing when it's fallen face-down on the floor...)
The torch firing method is a little haphazard and tends the burn the outer edges, well, at least I do, until I get a bit better at it!
I intend to contruct a little hotplate kiln next in my next attempt at not spending money on a proper kiln and see what happens. The drawback of torch firing is it makes counter-enamelling difficult on thin pieces like this. The torch re-melts the back each time I fire, as the heat is directed at the underside of the piece. The result- a rather odd looking replica of the wire mesh that it's sitting on! The good thing that torch firing has taught me is how to judge when the enamel is "cooked" and will help me enormously when I start using a hotplate kiln that won't have fancy things like temperature control.
More attempts posted as I go!
And maybe next time I'll remember to drill a hole in the top too...

Christmassy photos

I just had to share these with you. I've just downloaded them off Martin's phone and they are rather good!
This one was taken on one of the chillier days on All Saints this year. (Note the lack of other hardy stallholders...part timers!)



OK...the next isn't really Christmassy at all but it was taken a couple of days after Christmas at Crosby, near where Martin's brother lives. One of Anthony Gormley's amazing pieces of art. Nearly 100 of these figures dotted about the beach for miles in each direction. Amazing- so atmospheric, especially just after sunset when we took a walk down there. If ever you're in the area do take a look. I could have spent hours there in the stillness of it all. Ever so slightly sinister but something very British about it too. Something of the Island Race, maybe?

Snow is STILL managing to mess me about!

It does look pretty, I must admit!
Trouble is, I was booked on an enamelling course in Ipswich this weeked. Snow has meant that it's cancelled. Had a good afternoon playing with the colours at Sue's yesterday instead. She's coming from enamelling from a different direction, but it's great to learn together. (Like picking up items that haven't been on the wire mesh a little later than the ones that been on the kiln floor...) And no, that wasn't me! I just have trouble with simpler things like opening doors. But hey, I'm an artist!!
I might re-book the course in the summer but it will mean taking a day off the market. That's why january was such a good idea. In principle, anyway! Maybe I'll just do what I normally do and learn from experience. I might try some torch firing (not got a kiln yet)when my lead-free colours arrive.
Oh look, it's starting to snow again.
AND I was going to do a car boot sale this sunday instead of the enamelling course. That's been cancelled because of the weather too!
Grrrr!

I'm not listening to any more weather forecasts...

Sorry to anyone who did make it into Cambridge today and found me not there. The markets manager took the decision to cancel the market as the snow was bad where he was.
The frustrating thing was, that where I was was bathed in sunshine! I don't take a decision to cancel lightly, especially in the last few days before Christmas and having the worst trading year since I started six years ago.
In the seventies, the snow ploughs had several feet of snow piled each side of the road and we all still got the school! Now we have half an inch and the weather forecasters warn that we shouldn't go out unless our lives depended on it. Carol Kirkwood and her kind have done so much damage to businesses like mine my sensationalizing the smallest bit of weather news. Right. Rant over.
If anyone desperately needed to buy something from me today and can't get back into town before Christmas then do e-mail me as I'll try and accommodate.I've made a lot of stock (that, funnily enough, I still have) so I can get some things sent out at the weekend.
And to anyone who also listened to the forecasters then enjoy your day off- I shall certainly try!

And whatever the weather tomorrow, you can bet that the traders will be there on the last saturday before Christmas- I'm not looking at the forecast!

Christmas!!

Hello all. I've been neglecting my blog for a little while to gear up for Christmas. I'm planning on being on All Saints from thursday 17th to thursday 24th December, excluding the sunday where I'll be on the main market, of course. Hardly worth packing away each night really- might as well sleep in the stall! Mum will be heartily sick of me as I'll be staying with her most of the week, bless her.
Christmas day I plan to be asleep in my Christmas dinner...

finally....insect amber!

Through a long drawn out battle with UPS, wrong items, wrong vans... oh it all gets too tedious...
Insect amber!



Here are the first three and I'm working on some more today.
This is a close up:

There are three insects in this one of various sorts. This particular piece is £30. Each item will be individually priced, ranging from £30 to £150.
I'll be adding some new blue amber to the main website today too so look out for those too.
Much more to come!

Back from Hols

Hi there,
Back from a very wet Wales and in need of another holiday! Ah well. My imminent delivery of insect included Dominican amber will cheer me up. That's right- I'll be making jewellery out of amber that has ancient insects trapped inside. I've been getting a lot of requests for it so watch this space...