New Hearts!!

Just a start on some animal themed pieces. I want to try out a fox and hedgehog next....

Copyright Steffi Glaves 2012

Pendants For Sale!!!...........Nearly........

Now that I have finished uni for the year I have a few aims for the rest of the workshop time I have left, which is to do tonnes of enamelling, set up a Paypal account and start selling somewhere on the internet. As my heart pendants were so popular during the exhibition fundraising I thought I'd better start there. With this revisit I have different embroidery and plywood sprayed with matt varnish instead of MDF. 

They look a lot better than before, but it has taken a while to get the settings right on the laser cutter because plywood gets so sooty!!!

TRIANGLES!!!! I fancied making something less girly that would hang nicely from a long chain. They might not be as popular but they're certainly a good stepping stone for developing something more appealing... 

Tomorrow I will hopefully make an etched copper version that I can enamel at some stage...wish me luck!!!

Despite that I haven't thought of a price, nor have a paypall account, email me at steffi_glaves@hotmail.co.uk if you'd like one!! Request any colour, First customer gets a free gift!!!

Copyright Steffi Glaves 2012

Enamel and Crochet Pendants

All of the enamelling I have done this year have been done with a gas kiln that looks like an invention Robot Wars with masking tape holding the glass window in place, but with this batch of pendants I got to use one of Lynne Glazzard's lovely electric ones. It's so sweet and little and red it nearly made me squeel a teeny bit, the feeling I got using it was similar to when I saw this kitten video: 

http://themetapicture.com/kitten-having-nightmares/

.......Aaaaanyway there is probably a really obvious explanation, but for some reason in this electric kiln the oxide left on the copper leaves a lovely speckled surface when teamed with flux. I have tried it with the gas kiln at uni but it turns into a black mess. I had big colour plans for them but after the first layer of flux I decided to leave them as they are. 

Copyright Steffi Glaves 2012

Studio Space

It's a bit sad putting up projects for the last time in this studio space. Luckily I've been able to spread myself over the communal table and any other surface that looked empty throughout the year without any grumbles from other students. Next year I will be based somewhere else in groups depending on my specialist area, which will hopefully be metals.

 Images above are on the exhibition project, which reminds me -  I will put up a post at some point letting everyone know how that went....

Creative Approaches Project

My Latest Sketchbook Cover

Today was my last ever deadline as a second year student and submitted my last sketchbook!!!

This one is Laser cut MDF with a crochet spine, backed with water colour paper and little enamelled inlays. Once my work gets marked I will put up a couple of images up on the work inside.

Copyright Steffi Glaves 2012

Copyright Steffi Glaves 2012

Another Random Enamelled Thing

Like my last blog post,  transparent ruby red is layered on top of white enamel, and buffed back to expose the copper wire. It's one of my new favourite samples. 

Copyright Steffi Glaves 2012

Enamel Pendant

I had a wonderful enamelling session with Lynne Glazzard I made a few pieces including this one, which is a practice piece for a larger pendant I hope to do at Uni. A mix of white and ruby lead free enamel that has buffed back for a matt finish and to reveal the copper wire. Unfortunately I got distracted by Horrible Histories on IPlayer and buffed back too much of  the top white segment so the copper blank can be seen underneath. Never mind though, It's these sort of reasons why I do test pieces.

To find out more about Lynne Glazzard's work go onto her Profile on Open Studios...

http://www.nyos.org.uk/Artist.aspx?id=117

...OR if you want to see my Mum and I in fetching aprons and some more of  Lynne's work go onto her website

http://lynne-glazzard.com/

Along with enamelling she does some gorgeous lamp work and silver clay pieces.

Copyright Steffi Glaves 2012

Door Knob

 Upon seeing the crochet door knobs I made for my wardrobe over the summer my sister wanted one for a cupboard in her own bedroom. It was a bit of a shame really because the what I was covering was gorgeous, a brass flower with an embroidered centre, but it was covered in emulsion paint that we couldn't remove. I'm really pleases with what I made for her..... sort of like it more than the ones I've done for my wardrobe now... 

COME AND SEE OUR EXHIBITION!!!!

Can't believe I didn't think of this earlier... but here's our poster!!!!

Another Exhibition final piece

This is hand pierced copper with white lead free enamel, which has turned all green and red around the edges due to over firing - but that was on purpose honest!!! it's only little, roughly 120mm 60mm 60mm cubed. The disadvantage of enamelling at uni is that the size restrictions of the kiln means that I can only do small things, but If I could I'd be making massive pointless sculptural the size of my bedroom. I have 2 more pieces similar to this, might put them up when I have some descent pics of them.