The two month catch up!

If you haven't seen what's been going on with Diomo Glass on the Facebook page, then here's a round up!

There's the new kiln to play with:

Which means there's a whole load of new items like these fused glass tea light coasters like these:

Some naughts & crosses:

Some pendants and brooches:

And there are these sweet little wedding favours / friendship tokens which can be personalised too:

So now it's on to some larger fused and painted pieces, there will be some coasters soon and a few completely new products too.
In the meantime though there's been some stocking up on the favourites such as these which all seem to have been doing well on the website as well as the craft fairs:

And this month there's some stock to make for a shop (half is ready!), a large panel (designed and some of the glass has been cut for it) a smaller commission to do, work on a design with a friend and add more new stock to the website shop. You'll find most of the above on the website HERE is it's still in stock :)
Then... June = the Christmas stock making starts! Eek!

More new stock...

... and hopefully with a summer feel.
There are some flowers:

Some butterflies:

And some new coasters too:

All will be at the next Rye Arts and Craft fair this Saturday (Conduit Hill, Rye 11am to 5pm) or are / will be available on my website soon!

Moving stock around...

...and I do believe I am nearly there!
A number of new items have now been posted on my website such as these:

And some items have moved over to Etsy such as these:

Hopefully no one item will appear on both sites so if you can't find it one place, you can find it in the other!
The website has expanding categories. The tea light coasters range is growing:

And there's a 'By the Sea' category:

And a 'For the Home' category:

Click on the picture to be taken to the item. Now I'm off to make more stock!

In the middle of the snow...

(Besides always being able to spot the dog!) I have been adding some colour in the form of these bright flowers...

Now available on my website.

Handmade vs machine.

As a stained glass artist I have studied stained glass and was lucky enough to work for several years with another artist who taught me how to cut glass in a quick and efficient way. I've worked on large stained glass  jobs for cruise ships, sculptures for private yachts and restorations. By hand. With just a glass cutter. And that's exactly what I wanted to do. Make my work by hand as far as was humanly possible.

It has meant lots of practice cutting lots of glass. (And a few plasters over the years!) It also means to me that even if a window or smaller piece is repeated that no matter how good you are at cutting glass, there will be slight differences. And I like this. Not machine made, mass produced and all looking the same. Personal, unique, quirky if you like.

And I admire the work of other stained glass artists that do just the same. I like the fact that they too might make more than one of something and you can spot little differences.

But someone recently let something slip. And my estimation of them has crashed to rock bottom. They 'picked up' a few books, bought the tools and equipment and got practising. And then making. And, of course, selling. And they do well too. I was pleased for them for having taught themselves what can be quite difficult to grasp. I just thought this person 'had the knack'.

Apparently not though. Because it appears they don't (as far as I'm concerned) cut the glass by hand. No glass cutter.

A band saw.

A machine that you push the glass under and it cuts exactly where you want. It doesn't see those little bubbles in the glass, the sort that make you consider how to use the glass to it's best. It doesn't create happy accidents. You don't get to understand the feel of the glass either. Different types of glass need to be handled slightly differently to get the best out of it. Glass has a personality. A machine doesn't do individual. It doesn't care how some types of glass lend themselves to some jobs better than others. How can it? It's a machine. It follows the lines you push into it. Everything comes out the same.

So. Am I the only one that thinks that using a band saw for all of your glass cutting is killing the spirit of stained glass? I appreciate that we have to use things like an electric grinder. Seriously, trying to do it by hand would take forever and I'd never sell another item again because of the cost.

But I do use the most handmade methods possible at every level of what I do.

But if you knew who it was that very openly states 'handmade' but is using such a 'tool', would you still buy from them? Are you now wondering what other short-cuts they take like I am? Am I being over-sensitive and really a band saw is no different to a sewing machine? (Don't wish to offend people that use sewing machines - I am quite clueless to the skill involved in using one!) But do you get my point? You couldn't sew everything by hand hence the machine (like my grinder) but I'm sure you can all sew. What if they can't use a glass cutter? Have they essentially missed the points about stained glass and handmade?

It's just annoyed me that after all their hype about having just 'picked it up' quickly that I now find out that they didn't do it like that after all. All that practice? What practice? I've tried a band saw. It took me 10 seconds to start cutting fancy curves. It takes a lot longer to perfect your glass cutting with a cutter.

I'll shut up now. I need a cuppa. And here's one I cut this morning... by hand... with a glass cutter!