Birmingham Comic-Con

Well, I am back! The Etsy shop is half re-opened, I'm still tried, but still buzzing with ideas after this weekends MCM Expo at Birmingham's NEC. Instead of too much waffling I'm posting lots of photo's here that will hopefully give you a taste of the event, and the always amazing costumes that so many people put together for these Expos that transform them into such colourful events. Ellie has a smart new camera and even managed to get a video clip ( You Tube Video ) of one of the 'parades' of characters - everyone from Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, Xena, to 'Top Gears' The Stig!!! There was even a stall of an R2D2 builders club, with lots of R2D2's wandering around the venue!

A very large and very empty NEC

Home for the next two days, the last set of tables on the end of this row
 

Of course, after a three hour drive the first bit of transformation needed was the hall itself! We got there by 2pm on Friday, ready to unload and put everything together, and transform some unexciting wooden tables into our stall.


A short video of The Parade

R2D2's from the builders club, note the massing Star Wars Stormtroopers at the top right of the picture

Another R2D2, this one hiding in a corner

Fight! Fight! Plenty of chances for some mock posed super-hero/villian fights!

An unlikely group!

In the Press & Big Marbles

I am seriously letting my on line life down lately, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day, and I still never seem to get enough done! Although I do seem to empty the tea caddy quicket than I used to, so I suspect that I need to decrease my tea breaks and increase the time between them!

A few weeks ago I got a small mention in the Evening Standard. I had originally hoped they would be using a picture of one of my stoppers, as they had asked for high-res images, but sadly not and the mention was quite small - I even hot footed it to London to pick up a copy, so at £23 a ticket so rather an expensive clipping for five words! (One of those was 'and'!) I've highlighted the area in the picture.

Thanks to the weather and most of the DLR being closed things have been rather quiet at the market, so instead of making new pendants to refill stocks it has given me time to go back to some serious marble making. I've been trying to get the sizes up, at the moment I seem to be hitting a 'wall' at 40mm; although I am still playing with ideas to get up to the magic 50mm/2inch mark without having to invest in new equiment. Despite that I am really pleased with some of the new ones, especially a big 40mm galaxy spiral, which has a multicoloured galaxy floating in the centre. Even the back came out well, with lots of metallic blues!

Here are a few pictures of some of the new marbles, including some Lattachino vortex marbles. I have been approached about the possiablity of using one of my larger marbles as part of a public art statue, which is giving me even more reason to get some large marbles made!

The trolley saga updated

Last week I was describing the nightmare of getting through trolleys every few weeks as I move my stuff from Essex to Greenwich market, all via public transport. I ordered parts to make a new, longer lasting trolley, but the results were both mixed, and now unnecessary!

The first problem I had was finding a board wide enough to fit the bearings I bought, so had to make a platform out of two bits bolted and glued together; a very inelegant solution. By Friday though the metal for axle had still failed to arrive, so I had to improvise, using a length of clear 20mm acrylic tubing I'd bought to make marble display stands, with a rod of steel tube though the middle. I knew it wouldn't last, and hoped it would survive long enough to see me through the weekend.

Pictured here is the basic set up, as I headed into London on the 6.46 train. By now I had found that it was just all too heavy, and the handle on the original bag (which locks in place) was now too long. Getting to the station had turned into hard work again, as I either had to balance it as I pushed it forward to keep the centre of gravity just so, or drag it like a dead weight. Pushing it forward was more comfortable, but now it made the rucksack feel more uncomfortable and heavier! By the time I got to the end of Saturday the acrylic was cracking and the axle was sliding back and forth, and I was running out of ideas how to transport my equipment.

Then on Sunday I finally got the news I was waiting for! I have storage! There are engineering works yet again this weekend, so to avoid the replacement coach bit I will be doing an extra day on Friday at Greenwich. I'll be quite loaded on the way there, using yet another trolley I have which I doubt would survive a normal weekend, but which will get me and my two storage crates to Greenwich where they can now live!

This doesn't seem like grand news, but in fact it'll do three things for me. Firstly it'll give me back Mondays, as I am usually wiped out from all the heavy moving. It will also allow me to take more and a wider range of stock, and lastly it means I can now concentrate again on a new display. I've wanted to revamp and change some of the equipment, some of which is getting pretty tired and battered now from the constant travelling, so if you see me sketching behind the stall on Friday that's what I'll be working out!

The Trouble with Trolleys

All my equipment, on the 'robust' trolley, ready to go.

And this is what it looks like when it's all unpacked!

Each week I need to lug a lot of stuff back and forth from SteamPunk Glass HQ to Greenwich. It really is a lot. I can get it into one giant wheeled holdall, which is about 3ft tall, and 16inch square, but experience showed it to be just too heavy to lift on and off busses and trains, and I don't want to overload it. (I don't drive, I never got around to learning, so it's public transport for me.) I now have it down to the trolley, and a large rucksack. The rucksack has stock (and a couple of overnight things) and the large trolley mostly has my display equipment and any heavy things like marbles.

Eventually, I might get some storage at the market, but it's very limited and there is a very long waiting list. I normally travel to London early Saturday morning with all this, which involves a bit of a walk to the station, then a train and DLR. After a day at Greenwich I pack up, and another DLR trip and bus ride later to where I will crash for the night, ready to bus and DLR back early Sunday morning.

Now why am I telling you this? For sympathy? No, to explain the amount of changes and moving around I do, and how I am currently getting through trolleys at an alarming rate! The original holdall I use are idea size, but it didn't take long to break the little wheels on them. Buying a new one seemed like a good idea, but that lasted two weeks before ball bearings trickled out of the bearings at Liverpool street station! I invested in a very robust metal trolley, with chunky wheels, and strapped the holdall onto that. A wheel broke after a week, so I assumed it was shoddy workmanship and got a replacement. All good for many weeks, until once again a wheel broke off.

So, enough is enough! Monday morning I ordered these 260mm/10inch Pneumatic tyres, a length of 20mm (one inch) stainless steel rod for the axle, and a pair of industrial bearings. The result won't be pretty, but I hope it will be tough. I am going to use the holdall as the carcass, and do away with the heavy metal trolley which will also reduce weight too. I've got a sturdy hardwood base already built which will bolt through the canvas and plastic; the only weak link might be the holdall, fingers crossed by the time they go (as I have a second as backup!) I might finally have local storage. In the meantime I'll post photos when the new trolley is ready to roll!

Bottom upwards; orginal holdall wheel, robust but broken metal and rubber wheel from latest trolley, and top the new monster 10inch wheels!

Craft and Design Month - come play marbles!

As part of Craft & Design month, http://www.craftanddesignmonth.net I will be at Greenwich market this Friday to help promote the amazing range on offer there. This Friday 13th the focus is on stationary, toys and gifts, and as part of that I've dug out a large bag of my handmade marbles to play with!

Yes, come along that day and you can play with my marbles! Of course they might not be my best marbles, they will stay on the stand too oogle at, but I have a nice lot of seconds and test marbles that I don't mind being thrown around! I've even been featured in press releases for the market, which is amazing as I still feel like 'new boy' there! Hopefully there will be lots of interest, and I'll try to get some pictures too if I can! More info at http://www.craftanddesignmonth.net/events/?pc=SE10+9LS&r=4

The two Fridays after that there will also be events, on the 20th the focus will be jewellery and fashion, and on 27th May it will be interiors and home. I probably won't be there on those dates, but will be around on Saturdays and Sundays unless something major crops up, you can always check my Facebook page for any last minute news.

On the trials of new designs

Making new designs takes time, and time isn't something I always have. However it's interesting to see how some designs seem to organically grow from old techniques and new ideas, whilst the really hard ones to work are the ones I design backwards from knowing how I want something to look, to then figuring out how to make it!

Today I've once again been battling with shaving brushes. For those who don't know, the 'old' style had a metal finial which the brush (or 'knot' which is the correct term apparently) fitted into, then the glass handle fitted onto that. The problem is I cannot get anymore of these, as they are no longer made. I spent a few weeks, and a can of expensive silicone mould resin, trying out casting them in pewter, but I really wasn't happy with either the results or the look. The ideal thing would be making an entirely glass handle and fitting the knot directly into that, making a more seamless look, and removing the potentially troublesome metal to glass bond.

Easier said than done! Today I've made only 4 handles, and one failed lump. The best one being the first, which then cracked. Thinking I was on to the right idea I carried on, and I think the last one is nearly right. Realising it would be a bit of a slog I stopped using colour, and have been working with just clear as I work out the shapes and process, and thats been quite a happy idea as they look really good with just a touch of colour.

At the opposite end of designing are the happy organic pieces that grow out of existing techniques used in new ways, rather than the hard designing of having the finishing product in mind and working backwards. One of these was from a chat on the stall with a chap buying a calligraphy pen, who suggested chop stick holders to match would be great, as he used them to rest pens on. I made a few rectangular style ones, but coaxing glass into in-organic squares isn't ideal, so I tried a leaf design. I like making leaves, they are very free form, and each one is always different.

As I made more I found that some rocked, and I liked the way they seemed to 'tremble' like leaves on a tree, so I've been making them all like that. As they are all boro, I think they'd be ideal for tableware too! I'll try and list some on etsy soon!

Monday is the new Sunday

Where have the weeks gone? It seems like a million years since I've had time to update the blog or add new items for sale. Greenwich market has been keeping me very busy, even when it's a quiet weekend I still seem to have run out of something and need to make more!

Monday has now turned into the new Sunday for me, I drag a huge case on a trolley and rucksack to and from the market every weekend, and it's quite a load. So far I've managed to break two trolleys and one wheel! Monday morning I'm left somewhat battered, bruised (from lifting the trolley up and down onto trains and buses as I don't drive), and more than a little tired. However I've never been fitter!

This Sunday I decided to take a much needed break; it was marathon day and I expected the market to be quieter as the route goes around the market, blocking entrance from nearby Cuty Sark DLR station. It's actually taken me a couple of days to feel ok, just ready for a very long four day weekend! I plan to be at Greenwich for Good Friday to Bank Holiday Monday, hopefully I might see some of you there!

I'm trying to make lots of new razors and bottle stoppers ready, and feeling a bit rested today I've even found a little time to polish a few new ideas that I've had on the back burner. I'll try to get some photos taken! In the meantime here are some of the new razors I've been making, plus a new 'publicity' photo of me melting glass.+

I'm at Greenwich!

Last week was momentous! After a lot of work, I have been accepted to trade on weekends at Greenwich Craft and art market, so it's all systems go! I'd have blogged sooner, but I've been in Greenwich nearly the entire week until now!

Wednesday was a chance to test out some new stall displays, and get feedback from the market managers. I was delighted (and somewhat pleasantly stunned) when they said I could come back and trade any day! I returned on Friday, there were a lot more stalls, however it was bitterly cold and instead of making some much needed cash I spent loads on hot drink and food instead!

Saturday was the big day, the sun came out and I was delighted to be rushed off my feet. I had such great reactions from customers to my stall, and near the end of the day started running low on some stock which I really didn't expect. It was quite a relief to be so busy after so many lean weeks, and as I've had to spend a lot on new equipment for the stall too. Sunday wasn't as busy for me, there were a few minor problems, but not enough to mar an incredible start to trading at Greenwich. It's quite an effort to haul all the display equipment as well as enough glass, I seem to be breaking a trolley every week! The new heavy duty one I got Thursday broke on Sunday morning, so I'll be glad when I can get storage space near the market.

I will certainly be back next weekend, and as many after that as I can manage. In the meantime I've still got some tweeks to do to the stall, plus I need to melt some glass! I've barely made any glass for the past two weeks as I've been so busy trimming material and making display stands, so I want to make lots of new stuff for this weekend. I will be a little slack on posting new items on line until I get settled in, but once I have I will start filling my Etsy and Folksy shops with new glass!

Selling Happy

This Saturday I dragged my increasingly battered case up to Highgate for a new-ish fair in North London. As I'd booked last minute was put outside, which turned out to be great as the sun came out, and the tables were bigger! It was in a pub, and setting up on one of those beer-garden tables with seats was a bit odd, but I seemed to make a fairly good job of it (unlike the photo I took which didn't save!)

To be honest, it wasn't really as busy as I'd expected, however I did ok, and really quite enjoyed it after a slow start. I've met and seen a lot of different stall and stall holders lately, and I am really surprised the amount of different ways they approach selling. Personally, I just turn up and waffle to anyone how wants to listen about glass!

I've certainly seen a few people struggling too, and I've been there too. However tonight on my way home I compared it to my 'old life' where I was selling electrical engineering stuff that people had to buy, and how little joy there was in that. People were buying it to fix problems, but now I feel like I am selling people a little bit of happy.

Today there was a lovely lady who really liked the pendants but was torn between two, until her husband offered to buy both, which made her really happy! The funny thing is I've done the same thing, because treating my other half makes her happy, which makes me feel happy. Does that make sense? I am not making something that people have to have - like cornflakes, or soap - but something they like which is going to make them feel good when they wear it, or something they are going to give as a gift which they hope is going to make the recipient smile too.

So when I am struggling with a broken wheeled trolley, ends are quite meeting, or I'm standing on a packed commuter train after standing all day behind a stall, I can at least try to remember why I am now doing this, because when I think of it in this way how can I not think how lucky I am to have such a great job!

Out and about!

A bit short notice, but I am out and about with 'stuff' including lots of new marbles too! Wednesday I am (fingers crossed) at Greenwich market, the covered main market, as I am doing a trial day there from first thing to close, which will probably be about 4-5pm.

Saturday is even more exciting as I am attending a new market in Highbury that is running about there times a month. It's 12-5.30 at 'The Boogaloo' bar at 312 Archway Road in Highgate, London. More info at http://www.facebook.com/wonderhillhigh I will be there with lots of new pendants, marbles, stoppers, and all manor of glassy 'stuff!'

Decisions, decisions

It's been another tough week, I normally am quite good at making decisions and then going and getting on with things, but not this week as I try to decide 'where next.'

I've been hoping to take a semi-permanent stall somewhere, but as with everything it's all about the location. I wasn't really happy with Spittlefields market, although the people are nice I did feel like my stall must have been touched by the plague as no one really wanted to come and look, and they don't run a Saturday market. Camden was 'interesting' but I was so tired out from doing Spittlefields (plus the nightmare tube breakdown at the start of the day) I had to cancel the Sunday.

I'd really like to be at a dedicated crafts and art market, this week I went to chat to the Greenwich market manager. I am due to do a trial day on Wednesday, but they have a 'no more jewellery' policy which means I'd might not be able to sell my pendants there. That might make it unviable, I am hoping they will see how unique and unusual they are and let them in. If not, I guess it'll probably back to Camden for now, but it's tough trying to sell hand made goods next to cheap imports. As I planned to be at a permanent location I've recklessly turned down a couple of one day fairs, and wondering about trying to book up some now just in case.

In the meantime I'm melting glass like a manic, and it's become a creative time for me again as I re-explore marbles. I've been experimenting with some new design ideas, again based on sci-fi and space themes. I've got no photos yet, they still need some baking to really bring the colours out, but I'll try to post some photos here or on my Facebook page within a few days. If anything fiddling around with stalls and making display equipment is really cutting into time I prefer to be creating. In the meantime I am trying to list at least one new thing a day in my Etsy and/or Folksy shop. I am using the Facebook page a lot more now when I do, so if you haven't found it yet it's on https://www.facebook.com/SteamPunkGlass

That was the weekend that wasn't

This weekend's assault on London's fairs turned into a fairly bleak affair, and has left me battered and bruised.

Friday I was at Spittlefields market, which was indoors so at least I didn't have the weather to worry about. I did get a quick snap of the stall on my mobile (so quality is a little poor as I forgot my camera) . Despite the clothing stalls near me doing slow but steady trade, it was pretty quiet. I'd hoped the nearby office workers might be around, the weather was a nice crisp spring day too, but I did very badly. By the end of the day I'd only sold one pendant, and that was to the stall holder next to me, which didn't go near covering my costs of the stall and travel.

I had better hopes for the next day, when I took myself off to Camden to take a place at the craft/fair-trade market. Despite leaving extra early I was scuppered by London Tubes. After carrying my huge case- it's about 4ft tall and 16inch square - which contains all my stock, stand, and covers, down various stairs in Moorgate station I found there were signal problems. After ten minutes the tube moved to the next stop, which then stayed there with no idea of how long it would take. I needed to be at Camden before 9, and at 8.30 I lugged my case back up to the surface (more stairs!) One bus to Camden turned up, but it was packed, so I tried looking for a cab - but there were none. About to give up and walk back to the train station to return home I spotted a cab and was on my way. At 9.05 and £15 lighter I got to the meeting point, and was lucky enough to get a stall, and it was indoors!

I tweeked the stall layout, putting up a bright purple cloth backdrop to hide the wall and piller behind me, and had plenty of people looking, but the rain and cold kept alot of people away, although I did get to chat to some nice people who liked what I did. At the end of a very long day I had just covered my stall and travel expenses (but not the extra £15 cab fare!) I didn't get home till 9.30, and originally had planned to do Sunday as well, but by this point two days of standing and then carrying a huge weight had done me in. I may well try Camden again in a few weeks when it's more 'in season' but for now it's some Radox and deep heat for me! And then looking at cases or trolleys with bigger 'stair-friendly' wheels!

Snakes, Gin bottles, and a busy week!

New snakes with the eyes painted on, waiting for them to dry. The bright orange ones are a lovely soft glass called 'Clockwork' that I couldn't resist making some non-glow ones in too.

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Well it's hardly been a quiet week, amongst everything else I need to do I've been filling up the kiln to bursting point!

I got a quick photo of some of the latest batch, excuse the wobbly photo as I had to peak through the kiln door to get this shot and I don't think the auto focus liked it much!

One of these new things I've been making are some glow-in-the-dark glass snakes. I got a batch of unknown glass rods a little while ago, and they don't seem to be compatible with any glass that I have. Rather than waste it I found that the glow-in-the-park pigment that I have (non-toxic non-radioactive I am pleased to say!) mixes very well into it. I ended up doing a separate kiln load just for these. Normally I would dot on some eyes with a different colour, but since they might crack and fall off I've used some bake on olive green glass paint. They glow really well, the pigment remains much stronger than when I tried mixing it into boro, and work especially well under UV blacklights too!

Before having the eyes added, in normal daylight (the blue one and leaves are from the Bombay Saphirre bottle)

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Exposed to UV light, even with a little shade in daylight these little fellows really glow!

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At the same time I decided to make use of a Bombay Sapphire gin bottle that's been laying around the workshop for ages. (I didn't drink any of it either, the bottle came from a friend!) If you've not seen it, the bottle is made of a stunning pale blue glass. Almost all the lampworkers I know covet these bottles, and often make them into earrings and beads. However I didn't realise how tough the glass was!

I wrapped the bottle in a plastic bag, and gave it a sharp tap with a hammer. Nothing happened expect a shrill perfect note that left my ears ringing! A finger in one ear, I tried again a little harder. Same result, and when the ringing in my ear had stopped I tired again. After a few attempts, tinnitus, and the worry I was going to damage my hearing I stopped and wondered about putting a call out on he Frit Happens glass forum to see how other people tackled this indestructible bottle! I then thought of glass cutters, and put a pair on the opening of the bottle, and within seconds had turned it into nice tidy shards of glass!

It wasn't too bad to work, and made a few test leaves and a nice snake out of some of the shards, I'll certainly get around to melting down the rest of the bottle now. Ontop of all of this I've even been working on a new display stand. This one has solid shelves rather than the fiddly dowel ones that people had trouble putting boxes back onto, and also takes a lot more boxes. I'm still not 100% sure where I'll be, but I hope to be at large in London next weekend if all goes well. In the meantime I'll be filling and emptying the kiln as much as I can ready!

The Value of The Dry Run

One of the limitations on doing fairs for me is that I can't drive. In all these years I just never got around to learning. Living for so many years in London didn't help, as it's easier there to hop on a bus, tube or train than sit in a jam too. I figured whatever I would have spent running a car I'd spend on tube and occasional Taxi fares.

It does make getting to fairs tricky, especially if I want to take plenty of stuff with me. For the upcoming Dark Mills festival I wanted to improve my stall layout, a lot of other crafters have mentioned adding height to their stalls too. If I was a car driver no doubt I'd invest in some nice glass display units, but I had to come up with something light I could flat-pack.

My solution is this simple stand which is designed to take the new boxes I am now using. It starts as two thin planks, two flat panels, and a bundle of wooden dowels. Four bolts lock the corners together, which isn't that strong until all the dowels are pushed into place, then the whole box becomes much more rigid. The jewellery boxes are then laid onto the dowels which holds them up at a nice angle, with two holding the back and another acts as a register to support the bottom edge - the new boxes even have a lip which helps with this. When I first tested it out I found I could fit 60 of the large sized boxes in this, on a table space I'd originally have got less than half that onto. They look pretty good too, as each pendant is framed by the white foam they are on. Also the inside area will act as a neat storage area for lids and spare stock - much better than a suitcase on the floor which is what I used before for storage!

I set up a dry run of this in my living room, which turned out to be invaluable. Since first making it I'd added runners so I could slip a black card down to hide the storage area, but they now stopped me getting the bolts on! Plus the paint now clogged up the holes so the dowels now didn't fit! So glad I found that out when I could rush to my shed for tools rather than at 7am on site! Once that was done I tried laying out the other side of the table with the busts and new bottle stopper display (a funky new acrylic holder I've made too.) It took a while of moving bits around, but got it looking 'ok,' but it wasn't quite right still. As this was a dry run it meant I could leave it and come back to it, and move things around at leisure. That was invaluable as it took just moving one thing to go 'ah ha!' Not only had I got a layout I liked, but realised that I could use one of the busts to fill in space when (thinking positively here!) the ribbon necklaces sell out! I just need to make a device to hold the little world stud boxes next.

One of the extra things I realised from the test setup was the digital picture frame looked lost, and took up valuable space on the free side of the stall. I picked it up and lent it on the main stand meaning to shuffle things around, and suddenly saw that was actually the best place for it! Out with the drill, a few extra mounting holes (stab myself with a stanley knife, typical!) and it's now at eye-level! I just hope the rechargeable batteries last all day!

Now as it gets nearer the time I am starting to get nervous, I've spent a lot on bits for the stall so I really hope it does well! At least with this dry run out of the way I now know how the stall will look and have got some daft problems resolved in advance. Fingers crossed the weather stays fine now!