Mermaid’s Tears

Tomorrow is the third ship day of our season and from Sydney the ship is heading back to Europe. Sometimes I wish I was on it with them when it’s going somewhere I haven’t been. But if there is one thing I know for sure I am a true Cape Bretoner both from birth and more importantly because it’s where I want to be.

That being said these are being readied for the ship sales tomorrow. In sea lore they are known as mermaid’s tears and that story will accompany each piece sold. Every piece has been collected from a shoreline somewhere in Cape Breton. Other than drilling holes nothing has been changed. They are the real deal. It will probably not be to many years before there will be none left. We have become more environmentally aware and most bottles have become plastic.

These have been created by many years of being tossed around in the salt waters of the Atlantic Ocean among the rocks and sand and eventually washed up on the shores usually after a rough sea. The4 genuine pieces of sea glass have a pitted surface that only the salt water and sand can produce. The fake glass is tumbled and has more of a smooth etched surface.

Flickr Tags: Sea glass,jewelry,mermaid's tears,beach glass,Cape Breton Island

February Project

I have decided to take my friend Janet up on her challenge. http://scarfaday.blogspot.com/

I will work everyday in February except for weekends either at the kiln or finishing projects from the kiln.

Hopefully this will kick start me in the right direction for the season.

So I started today and have several pieces in the kiln. One is the second firing of a panel I want to give tomorrow. Nothing like cutting it close. The worst is I usually do these in one firing and not sure why this time I decided to do it in stages. Hope it works, I slowed down the ramp up times as well as holding longer at the annealing time. Keep the fingers crossed.

Also have my first attempt at a mirror frame in the kiln. As well as 4 other pieces that are simply experimental getting ready for some frit painting.

 

As well I will shortly finish a piece I worked on yesterday. Will post a picture later.

Flickr Tags: February project,fused glass,fused glass panels,fused glass frit painting

Finally Winter and Some New Pieces

Winter finally came to Cape Breton yesterday, but really it’s the end of January. Another couple of months and it’s over. This is unbelievable for Cape Breton and scary at the same time.

Anyway I did manage to take myself to the shed and get some work done yesterday. The stars are still out there. The pieces of jewellery were a total flop but the clock base came out okay.

It is 3 layers of glass, the white is iridized with a transparent blue in the center. It is 5in x 5in so a good size for a desk clock. What you see scattered across the face of the blue is Inca gold mica powder. In person it gives it a nice effect.

I would love to tell you it was easy to put together and it should have been BUT it wasn’t. One of the screws didn’t fit right and by the time I discovered that, it was already on crocked and I ended up having to break up the clock movement. Of course the next one I picked up fit perfectly and was on in seconds.

The other new feat to allow me to make the clock was actually making myself learn to drill holes in glass. It is quite daunting sitting there with this drill and a piece of glass sitting in a container of water, all I could think of was electrocuting myself.

As you can tell that didn’t happen. Even did some pieces of beach glass (mermaid’s tears) that my Aunt Joan picked up on the shores of Cape Breton.

 

So now that I know how to do that no more excuses.

Flickr Tags: Fused glass,home decor,beach glass,fused glass clock,fused glass desk clock,Cape Breton Island