FESTIVE SPIRITS

There is a town in Germany called Lauscha which is linked to lampworked glass Christmas ornaments. Plenty of information on the internet such as homesandantiques.com That’s my type of glass working. Manipulating glass tubing and rod in the flame. Not only to make Christmas ornaments though. Most of my work is not linked to that celebration yet on reflection I have and still do make glass items for many festive occasions. Glass Easter eggs spring to mind and I have made the odd bunny. If you have seen them, you will know exactly just how odd they are!

Last Christmas I found hanging highland coos were popular and joined my range of hanging puffins for customers to fix on their Christmas trees. I found that these ornaments also looked great being hung in a window where they captured natural light and in direct sunlight cast weird and wonderful shadows on windowsills and walls. This seems a long way removed from the more traditional Christmas ornaments of baubles. I have made plenty of those in my times and even taught visitors to my studio on how to make them. People could at a reasonable charge make their own under my supervision.

Then came Covid which gave me a fun chance to explore the design of the virus and lo behold I could make hanging decorations in the shape of this ‘horrible virus. Soon they were being snapped up by staff in the NHS in a kind of black humour approach.

There is a link between the words “festive” and “spirits” which most think are obvious and yep, you’ve guessed it. Drink! I make angels for hanging around the necks of whisky bottles to celebrate the “Angels Share” but also, I make angels to hang on Christmas trees, so the connection is impossible to ignore. I have also made miniature whisky bottles to hang on trees but as yet not mastered the technique to make whisky!

My favourite Christmas ornaments for making are iceless and love making them longer and longer. Many years ago, I was working for a glass company that received a request for glass icicles from Pinewood Studios. At the time, the new Star Wars film was being made there and in one scenes icicle were featured. The heat from the lighting meant real ice could not be used so glass was seen as the perfect alternative. I made quite a few up to four feet in length. All hollow and filled with water. I haven’t made any so large since then but who’s to say I won’t tomorrow?

Moving away from Christmas then as mentioned before Easter deserves glass decorative ornaments such as glass eggs. They wont melt, last forever but taste horrible! I have made eggs within eggs and many coloured eggs with glass-coloured dots equally sprinkled over the surfaces. I have for reasons that escape me sealed a toy elephant in an egg. Also returning to my glass covid designs made an egg resembling the Covid virus. Needless to say, no one bought this.

What about other festivals? Well Valentines is an easy target with so many designs to choose from. Obvious we have hearts, so I have made them singular and double, even with three hearts entwined for couple with broad imagination and plenty of energy. Writing names in glass is also popular and names of boyfriends/girlfriends often get requested. However, on more than one occasion I have got into trouble by agreeing to write a name in glass of a loved one only to be informed by the customer that they have just split up and they now have a new lover!

Following on from making hearts for Valentines Day then the same can be used for Mother’s Day. Fathers Day doesn’t seem to be as demanding for me since no one has so far asked me for a heart to give to their dad. Too macho maybe? Mums like flowers and they love glass flowers since they last forever much like the love, they receive form their children! Ahhhhh.