Craft TIP : clean your iron :)

Many of us use an iron while crafting. With the unpleasant result that it gets all sorts of nasty "stuff" stuck on the bottom.

 Why not turn cleaning it off into a refreshing experience? Use a dab of eucalyptus oil ...it smells wonderfull and cleans your iron at the same time .

Europe Trivia: Dublin

The Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban public park in Europe. Measuring 712 hectares, it has a walled circumference of 16km and has been home to a herd of wild Fallow deer since the seventeenth century.

The world's longest row of Georgian houses, running from the corner of Merrion Square down to Lesson Street Bridge, was sliced in two by the decision of in the early 1960s to demolish part of the row and replace it with a modern office block.

Dublin boasts the first purpose built Parliament building on College Green now the Bank of Ireland.

Founded in 1830, it is the fourth oldest scientific zoo in the world. “Slats” the first lion used for the newly-formed MGM studio was born at Dublin Zoo, Ireland on March 20th, 1919.

Phoenix Cricket Club, founded in 1830, is the oldest club in Ireland and the second oldest in the world after Mitcham Cricket Club, in Surrey England.

The All Ireland Polo Club, Phoenix Park, Dublin was founded in 1873 by Horace Rochfort of Clogrenane, which makes it the oldest polo club in Europe.

O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. One of Europe's widest streets, it measures 49m (160ft) in width at its southern end, 46m (150ft) at the north, and is 500m (1650ft) in length.

In 1759 Arthur Guinness signed a 9000 year lease on a disused brewery at St. James’s Gate. Now 10 million glasses of Guinness are enjoyed every day in over 150 countries worldwide.

Saint Valentine is most likely a composite figure similar to Saint Patrick. However, his remains are in a cask in White Friar Street Church, Dublin.

George Bernard Shaw bequeathed the royalties of his play "Pygmalion" (upon which "My Fair Lady" is based) to the National Gallery of Ireland. He is also the only person in the world to have a Nobel Prize (for Literature) and an Oscar.

Meet Susanne from Babs Beads & Design

Please introduce us to who you are.
I’m a part time lampworker who lives in Sweden with my husband and two children. This January I turned 41. I found lampworking during a long period of illness two years ago, and I never want to stop melting that glass again!


Where in the world are you and what is the best thing about where you live?
I live in Uppsala, the fourth biggest town in Sweden. It’s about 80 kilometers from Stockholm. I’ve lived here since 1988 when I came to study at the university (Swedens oldest). I still haven’t left…

Uppsala is just the place where I happen to live. I'd like to move from here one day but I would probably never leave Sweden to live in another country. Although the winters are cold and dark, the spring- and summertime is fantastic! I love all the unspoiled nature we have in Sweden. The big forests, the sea, the lakes…



Tell us a little about your craft and why you love it.
Lampwork – the noble art of melting glass by an open flame – is fantastic! I’m a creative person who does all kinds of craft, but this is the one that really makes me happy. I’ve always been interested in the forming of glass, but until recently I believed that you had to become a glassblower to get to do that. And then I by accident found out about lampwork.


I love it because the glass is so beautiful in so many colours. I love the three dimensional aspect of it. I love the concentration it takes. And last, but not least, I love the endless possibilities the glass offers.


What is the most expensive supply you have purchased for your craft?
The most expensive investment is the kiln. It’s a kind of oven where I put my beads when they’re finished. The kiln has a digital control that’s programmed to slowly cool off the beads. This is to prevent them from cracking and no lampworker should sell beads that are not kiln annealed. It’s a code of honour. :-)

The second most expensive investment is the torch. I’ve got one that runs on propane and oxygen.

Me in the studio with both the kiln and the torch showing. And my pretty, pretty safety glasses!

Could you please tell us about a person in your life that has inspired you?
I’m inspired by anyone who follows her heart and is not intimidated by “what society thinks”. It’s hard to go your own way, breaking conventions. There are always people there, ready to tell you it will never work.

People who defy that are inspirering.

Quote of the day

O, how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away.

How right William Shakespeare was when he wrote that ;-)

A great April Sunday to all of you!

Inside Europe

This weeks glance at a few items produced by members of our guild! Enjoy!

I wish I could make something like that!

Often as you go through the Artfire galleries you come across a piece that is just so cute, or fun, or clever or just so beautifully made that you say "I wish I could make something like that"

However not all of us can be jewelry makers or spinners or dyers or the host of other specialist skills that are so well represented on Artfire. That's why we have the chance to buy amazing handmade products at very reasonable prices. The thing I love is that you can even see how much time an artisan has put into their piece. Some things, at first glance, may seem expensive but once you realize how much time, skill and thought goes into each item, you see that the prices are really fabulous.

This is my choice for today (I love so many pieces that it is so hard to choose)

Look at this amazing pink flower edging necklace from Babsbeadsanddesign from Sweden. Superb work. Look at all the swirly colours inside the main bicone and those adorable flowers. I think this would go with anything from casual to very formal wear indeed! Most important these days where money is tight is making sure that we spend what we have on high quality goods that are going to last and give real wearability.

So what would it take to make something like this? Well, your own kiln for a start; and that's a big investment, then all kinds of supplies and suppliers. Also a few years of experimentation and practice mixed in with the patience of a saint to hone your skills to make raw materials into a piece of art and beauty!

You really need to take a look at the list of shops on the right hand side of this page. You will find something in each gallery of high quality that will make you say "I wish I could make something like that!"