Well here it is again .... snow. I'm meant to be at the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow helping to man the Enamel Guild Stand.  It has been snowing since about 7 o clock this evening so unless it turns to rain I might not get out of the house tomorrow.  I live in hope and look forward to seeing some of you at the NEC if you make it.
 

I can't believe it's that long since I blogged, times passes so quickly.  I have had very few days at the studio compared to last year.  Workshops had to be cancelled due to floods, snow and no lights but thankfully I survived.  Here are some pics of recent work.  I've also been getting new boxes which I love.

 

Beginners workshop at the studio today with Felicity, Jane and Ursula.  Huge thank you again to Linda who came along to help out.

Felicity filing her copper to remove a burr, Jane wet packing her design

Linda explaining capiliary action to Felicity after wet laying enamel onto her design

Ursula seeing if the wires fit onto her design

Jane coiling wire ready to go onto her design

Felicity sifting flux onto the front of her piece of copper

Linda looking on as Jane is about to take out her piece of enamel

Linda giving a helping hand, it looks hot

Ursula steadying her hand to put her piece of copper in the kiln

Using carborundum stone to clean the copper design

The final result - finished pendants
Everyone did brilliantly

 

Guild of Enamellers Region 4 meeting this month was a workshop with Gillie Hoyt Byrom doing sponge painting.  It was a fab day and you can see from the photos everyone was engrossed in what they were doing.  Gillie was an excellent teacher and gave us lots of encouragement and help and made the process really enjoyable.

 

I will be holding workshops in the studio on the following dates

Enamelling for beginners
Day  -  £65.00
10.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.

Saturday 11th August - full
Saturday 8th September - full
Saturday 15th September 2012 - 3 spaces available
Saturday 29th September, 2012
Saturday 20th October 2012
Saturdaty 10th November 2012
Saturday 1st December 2012

Honeycombs Enamel Workshop

Fab day in the studio today, only second time in for 3 weeks as I haven't been well but great workshop with some lovely ladies.  A huge thank you to Linda who came along to give me a hand.
The workshop was for beginners and we used copper blanks to enamel onto.  The ladies made various pendants sifting the enamel colours onto the copper then firing in the kiln at temperatures around 750-800 deg C.  They used enamel threads to decorate and did some wire work, scragfitto and just had fun.

Jenny and Sarah

 Janet and Angela

 Everyone fired their first pieces really well

 Janet and Angela finding sifting the enamels very therapeutic

Sarah receiving a helping hand from Linda

The only thing I forgot to do was take photographs of the finished results but everyone said they enjoyed the day.

Another great day at the Guild of Enamellers, Region 4.  We had a superb day with Janet Notman making enamelled beads.  I loved every minute of it.  It took a while for us all to get used to working with 2 mandrels and having to rotate them while keeping an eye on the bead.  I'm used to doing it when making a glass bead but it was different rotating them for enamelled beads.  Here are a few pics taken at the workshop.

Me attempting my first bead with Linda looking on

 Linda- intense concentration as she starts to work on her first bead

 Janet showing us the ropes on how to de-enamel a bead if it had gone wrong, then taking a hammer to it to get the remainder of the enamel off.

 Maureen obviously having a great time - she's an expert at making beads out of copper shim

 Melissa, her first workshop and thoroughly enjoying the bead making

 Melissa mum Penny thinking it's not as easy as it looks but making a good job of her beads

 Melissa's sister Ella having a good time making one of the smaller beads

Linda concentrating on making her first bead - not sure why but the video doesn't seem to be working, however,it did workfor me when I clicked onto the hare or tortoise!!