He’s a pretty special guy…..an Ironman….Celtman…..BG and more.
He particularly loves his bike.
Penny commissioned me to make this as a gift for Tom.
I took my inspiration from this……..
……..and created this……….
(…And despite Penny and I fumbling around in the carpark at last Tuesday night’s run I think we even managed to keep it a secret until Christmas Day!)
My neighbour Peter, asked me to make this as a surprise for his wife Valerie……and even better, I got it made just in time for Christmas!
You can’t really see too well on the photo’s, but I mounted this in layers to create a 3D effect with the wall and trees set in front of the house; with the house also being set off from the mount. 
This piece will hang on a wall and will maybe even cast a few interesting shadows in the right light.
Painted with vitreous enamel paints on bullseye glass and tatra handmade glass.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,300 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.
Just kidding – I love Winter but thought I would share my latest commissions that have just been fitted this week. 
My clients wanted a sylvan inspired theme based on their woodland garden. The two windows are upstairs on a landing; did not need to match but light was important as well as “not ‘wishy-washy’ colours”. So, it was decided to go with a ‘Spring’ and ‘Autumn’ theme because of the beautiful colourways that they would present.
Much doodling was then carried out……the spring window would be all about un-furling and springing to life with fresh greens. And the Autumn window; long shadows, falling leaves and golden shades of amber. The designs would be similar in that both would feature tree shapes with plenty of soft curves and some overlapping colours from the chosen palette….
Here is how they went together……
Glass cutting……….
leading and nailing…….
soldering…………
polishing………..
and of course, fitting…by Richard the smiley Joiner!
And Richard up a ladder….
And the finished pair…
“A Robin is for life not just for Christmas”…. (and thank fully lots of other people think so too!)
And the humble Robin does remain my Christmas favourite.
Here is how the wee Robin has evolved for me….
My First One…and a truly classic pose….that comes in many compositions!!
My Cute One….. a nice ‘dangly’ for your tree.
The Family came next and so my addition; the big important Cock Robin, with his chest puffed out ready to burst into song, (or maybe he’s just keeping warm?)
And this year..? Well I had to have a go, didn’t I, after all this fuss about loving the painting. So here they are, my new Hand-painted Robins….and all slightly different with quirks and characteristics all of their own.
(I could go into the technicalities of making these….and the four levels of paint…and the trick of firing..but not just now….)
So Merry Christmas Everyone…if you would like to snatch a Robin, or any other of my Christmas goodies then maybe see you at the weekend, my final Craft Stall for this year, (phew!).
I will be upstairs in the Village Hall at ‘The Hawkshead Christmas Fair’... A huge festive affair with street performers, roast chestnuts….a lantern parade….and of course beautiful arts and crafts for sale!
Saurday 6th December 10am – 7pm and Sunday 7th 10am – 4pm.
Also open Friday the 27th as previously listed, 11am – 4pm.
Here is a preview of my cute wee hand-painted Robin’s. (Beaks and legs to come…….!)
Potter friend Claire came to me wanting a wedding gift for her daughter……… something personal she thought, “with crows and roses, oh, and I need it in 2 weeks and the wedding is in Hawaii”.
Ummm, thought I, I have done crows before but Claire was thinking strung up to form a garland/bunting perhaps?! (She loved the garland I had created around my sheep skull for ‘The Curious mouse’). She sent across a photo of the inspiration, her beautiful daughters tattoo of crows and hibiscus, (not roses!….my mistake.)
Ummmmmm, how am I going to do this?
I staggered in to my shed for inspiration and on the way stumbled across this stick!
A-ha, ‘S’ is for ‘stick’ ……and ‘Sally’, (Claire’s daughter).
Can you see the ‘S’ at the end of the stick! It was ‘S’ is for ‘sign’ for sure!!
And the rest was easy……….(???!!)
Using a wonderful Arthur Rackham sketch as my inspiration for the Crows I drew up a template and cut them out in stunning streaky dark violet glass. I applied a matt of black paint and scraped the feathery design in to it, then off to the kiln.
The hibiscus flowers were going to be experimental…..how to make them look 3D? I painted some 2D flowers on to my favourite hand-made pink glass and popped these in the kiln too with my fingers crossed.
But hey – result! They came out looking stunning. I leaded up the crows and added legs for mounting. I foiled the flowers and cut out some leaves. Then with a bit of clever wiring I created some 3D blooms.
Assembling went like a dream as the weight of the birds balanced out the fragile wiggly, wee stick perfectly. (I had thought I might have to mount the stick on a base board but was glad I didn’t need to.)
So what do you think? I love it….these flower embellishments are just perfect and I like the way they look so delicate but are surprisingly durable and poseable too……..(plenty of scope for future designs and ideas!!…..)
And hallelujah, the Crows and Claire have landed safely in Hawaii and Sally and Eldon loved them too apparently.
(Claire sent me the wedding video link, oh my, how stunning…….lots of beautiful people on an understated beach with gentle waves rolling in – in Hawaii!! It was like watching a really cool American movie with an absolutely superb soundtrack……..)
Snap out of it Deb!
So, meanwhile back in ‘Shed world’ where we are not swimming with turtles (unlike Claire who is out there for weeks yet!), I am knuckling down for Chrimbo, next weeks Craft fair, the following Friday’s ‘Open Studio’……. And my current big job……3 windows!!
Will let you know how they are going……….busy, busy.
Tis the busy season starting again. I am off to Rheged on Sunday for the C-Art Afforadable Art Fair. It is open from 10am – 4pm in the exhibition rooms.
I will list other Fairs in my ‘Events’ but here are some piccies to whet your appetite….
He’s sniffing the air……………
What has he found?
Curious and curiouser!
Are you curious?
Then come and see my latest pieces at The SACCT Pop Up Gallery, Venue 87 of the C-Art Trail, Leeds Childrens Holiday Centre, Cove Road, Silverdale, LA5 0SJ.
Open Saturdays and Sundays in September, 13th/14th, 20th/21st, 27th/28th, 11am -4pm
Preview, Friday 12th September, 7pm-9pm
As in, “Barbara Woodhouse”. You know, the famous dog whisperer.
Have just finished an intense 2 weeks of baptism by ‘Pepper’, the 9 month old springer spaniel who holidayed with me here in Silverdale.
We now have a shortage of sausages, a glut of apples, I have one arm longer than the other and an hour glass waistline!?? 
Picture me with super long lead tied firmly around my waist trying to appear in control whilst walking (…..I really mean being walked by..!) Pepper, through rabbit-y meadows and squirrell-y woods – yeah, the waistline got a little stretched and constricted.
Oh, but we had a great time. The footpaths around Silverdale are an absolute delight. We did a different trog every day – new sights and new smells; you can guess how excited Pepper was. 
Lambert’s meadow was the best….the sludgy beck and the long, long grass full of butterflies – Pepper Heaven!
Followed by a clean up in the spring at Woodwell.
Oh and then Thursday was a case of when ‘Pepper met Eddie’. They reeeeeally liked each other.
A little tooooo much.
Sister Lucy was a little distressed to hear that wee Pepper-Eds might be on the way. But what was most disturbing was how much of a laugh my mate Sal and I got out of watching them “trying” in my back garden – honestly two middle aged women wetting themselves – we should know better!!!!
Orrrr, they would be cute though. What would they be called?…. a springer spaniel /cairn-schnauser cocktail!!!????
Not quite so popular with Lightning though!
I really had a ball over the fortnight and became quite attached to the wee pooch. Especially when she whimpered when I left the room, licked my legs to get the moisturizer off and plopped on my lap to share my chair. I even impressed myself by being a model owner in getting her to (almost) walk to heel through the Village Centre and managing to comb her ears to get the sticky buds off.
But all too soon the 14 days were up. The ‘imposter’ was seconded. (That would be me!!) And the mistress had returned!
(Now she really does have a gift.)
Here they are, the happy family re-united. (Just hope it isn’t a ‘growing’ family – oooops).
So with time on my hands again…..I have re-arranged my driftwood pile
in search of inspiration for the forthcoming C-Art exhibition……. and I am liking this floodlight casing that I found on the beach on an early morning walk with Pepper.
Ummmmm……a light-bulb moment (pardon the pun!) coming up!!
d c stained glass :: debbie's shed 