Half way there!!

Half way.

Half way?

Half way towards a ticket to Scotland!!!

I am so pleased to tell you that my pozzible project has just ticked over the half way mark. Can you believe it? This means 14 kind hearted, generous individuals have pledged support in dollars towards my project. To me this means 14 people have taken the time to check out what I am doing. 14 people have donated their hard earned dollars towards an artistic pursuit. 

14 people believe in me and my work.

Thank you.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am overwhelmed by the love! We are now over the half way mark. Now for the hard part, to reach the end. So if you were thinking about donating or you know someone else who may be interested please do! Or even if you can share the page thats just as good. 

Just go here  to see what all the fuss is about!

In the meantime I have been blowing up a storm!! In 40 degree weather!!! Snakes alive was that a challenge. Big ups to my awesome crew of Danielle Rickaby and Jaan Poldaas who worked so tirelessly to help me get through. I love my team, it's always such a pleasure to work with them. They are both just powerhouses on the floor. It makes such a difference working with these two. They are both such skilled blowers but they also know how to have a good time. We have an absolute blast working together. I had not blown glass for just over 2 months i think, but stepping back in with these guys is just like riding a bike. (a flamey hot bike) I don't think I could work so hard or have such a high success rate without these two clowns. I sure do love em.

Let me try and set the scene for you.....

Blowing glass on a 20 degree day is hot. Blowing glass on a 40 plus degree day is an inferno. So we had 4 holes blazing and two furnaces cranking. We have a couple of fans on for circulation and we try and drink copius amounts of water but sometimes you drink so much you just can't stomach water anymore. Enter my saviour; berocca. Berocca you saucy, salty minx how I love you! This is how it goes down:

Jaan picks up the colour , heats it and pops a bubble in it.

He then takes a gather of glass and blows it up a little.

Cool.

Then takes another gather and shapes it a little.

Now he passes it off to me where I shape it and get Dani to puff it up for me.

Dani take a 'jack' heat for me so I can cut a line in with my jacks so we can knock it off and transfer it to a 'punty'.

We heat the bottom with a hot torch to flatten the bottom.

Dani brings the punty and we knock it off to transfer it to the punty.

Now we have an opening in the piece.

I heat it and pull out the neck then puff out the shoulder.

By this time Jaan has the next piece ready and we pass over pieces at the bech.

He takes the finished piece and puts it in the annealer.

I continue on with the next.

Now repeat about 20 times in the next 4 hours.

There are no breaks.

It is relentless.

It is fast paced.

There is salty sweat dripping down my face. 

Smoke gets in my eyes as I paper it.

My hands start to hurt a bit.

My back starts screaming at me as I twist around alot and stretch to get to the torch.

(Heres a good one, my boobs get radiation heat burns as I lean over the big pieces to work!)

But you know what?

I freaking love it!!

We listen to great tunes, we laugh, we work like little demons.

So I think in 3 days we made around 55 bonsai. All these guys are my way of fundraising my way to Scotland. I have a couple of suppliers who want more work and a nice little commission up my sleeve. Every penny counts!! 

And you know what my reward was for working in ridiculous hot weather?....

this:

Bliss.

Help a little bird fly to Scotland

It's here! It's live! The cat is out of the bag!

 Welcome to my Pozzible Project. Pozzible is the amazing concept of crowd funding. If you have a good idea but don't have the clams to make it happen you can put your project up for the public to take a gander at and hopefully pledge you some money. Some amazing success stories come out of Pozzible. It really is a sweet concept. You should check it out.

As you all may know I am headed to Scotland this April to make some glass. I have put together my project to ask for some help in getting me there. $2000 actually to go towards getting me there. You can pledge as little as $10 or go large and kick it all the way up to $1000! So whats in it for me you ask? Rewards!! Sweet, sweet rewards!!

At each level of donation there is a thank you present from me because I want you to know just how amazing I think you are and how grateful I am for your support. These range from a shout out on facebook, a postcard from Scotland to even some of my glass works!! Thats right friend, a donation from you could secure yourself one of my works for you to keep!!! You remember these guys right?:

And how about.....these?!!!!:

Thats right, you could secure yourself a radish. A radish!! To my top pledger I would like to reward them with one of the very pieces I will be creating in Scotland. These are one of a kind and yet to be exhibited anywhere. (Plus I think they are pretty sweet.)

So there are 30 days for me to reach my target of $2000 and if in the end of that time the total is not reached I get nothing. Nada, zip, zero, the pledgers that have donated will get their money back. This project is so important to me. It is the most ambitious project I am yet to attempt and I believe it has the potential to act as a crucial stepping stone for my professional practice and could be the beginning of big things to come for me and my work.

So if you would like to support me and my big Scottish dream please head on over to my pozzible site 

here.

Even a small donation of $10 is a BIG deal to me. And if you can't afford to chip in, sharing my site is just as good! Tell your friends, put it up on facebook! Maybe there is someone out there who really likes glass radishes?.... Wish me luck! 

30 days, $2000 clams

BIG NEWS!

BIG news coming! BIG BIG news!!

Check back in with me tomorrow for the big reveal.

Are you pumped? Are you excited? Are you so excited you might not be able to sleep tonight?!

Soon, soon my pretties.....

Pat the cat for the 30th time

Up at the crack of dawn? Check.
On the bike and to the pool? Check.
Delicious breakfast? Check.
Grant proposal drafted out? Check.
Commission quoted and sent? Check.
Procrastinating playing with the Cat?.....Check.

Oh and flight to London booked?...Check-a-roonie!

So maybe it is ok to play with the cat? Just for a little bit. Ughhh! I really gotta submit that proposal its due tomorrow!!! Ok, here is the game plan, write blog post, pat cat, make iced tea, pat cat, hunker down to check proposal, pat cat, submit proposal, celebrate by hugging the cat and with more tea. Seamless right? Riiiiiiiiiiight.

But who can resist this face?!!!!!

Its even worse when he flops like this!!!

Agh! Get back to work! 

More sweet shots

l mother of cheese! Hooley Dooley! 2013 is turning out to be FULL ON! And its only January!!! Maybe this is what you get for only just beginning to piece your working year together....

Late last year I had a sweet lady by the name of RebeccaVitartas contact me wanting to borrow a couple of bonsai for a shoot. The shoot happened to be for her boyfriend Nick Pearce. He designs and makes rad furniture. I just wanted to share them with you. I think they are quite lovely.

And just quietly, I wouldn't mind having that couch in my house...

Shoots and prop hire is an avenue I never really thought of but I have had a couple of inquiries lately, one of which I'm hoping could have the potential to be amazing!! It's a bit secret squirrel but as soon as I can let the cat out of the bag I will. Meow.

It just goes to show you really want to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. You never know where it might lead you. That being said I am now in the midst of planning my year and already it feels frantic! Who said yes to these things?!!

Design Files Pictures

Good evening chaps! It is late and my little eyes feel like sand paper but I couldn't sleep a wink til I show you some snaps. I wanted to post these ages ago but my computer had a freak out and said 'no'.

Lets hope she is in a better mood this time....

These are from the Design Files Open House late last year.

Look! It's me!

super rad shot of all the fun things going on in the house.

The beautiful living room filled with all sorts of amazing things.

A very beautiful paper chandelier by the talented Miss Emily Green.

A super fantastic terrarium by Miniscapes.

Crazy Kids room!

This year I was really happy with my colour choices for my own work. I felt that they fit so lovely with all the other bright loveliness going on. Good job Amanda, you did good kid. (for once....)

And thats it! Good night my little muffins! xoxox

Nessie? I'm a coming for ye.

So whats all this talk of big news you say? Well as it turns out I will be undertaking a residency at Northlands glass in Scotland this year!!! Can you freaking believe it because for the life of me I can't!!! Me! It's me that got picked!!! Of course I am both terrified and beside myself with excitement. At the moment I am mostly terrified. I said to myself last year that I didnt want to travel by myself anymore and now look at me, just a quick jaunt. Over the other side of the world. No big deal.......gulp!

It is for six whole weeks and there are three other artists attending. From what I can gather we live, eat, sleep and work together on our own works and assist each other. I think its quit isolated so really it is an amazing opportunity to focus on your work. Like I said, I'm terrified. I don't know what it is with me, but I do like to set myself these ridiculous challenges that have the potential to break me. Not one for the easy path thats for sure. I don't know if that is monumentally stupid or a glimpse of something great. Hard to say.

I am going to use this time to continue with the work I started on in Pilchuck, radishes and beets! I'm really excited and need to start laying the ground work, ie, the research materials, sketches, colours, images in check so I can hit the ground running.

The other thing I am pretty excited about is a show in the beautiful front window of Craft Victoria. I am super excited about the potential for a small installation. So there is a alot going on and I really have to start getting on top of it. Like booking a ticket or finding my passport....

Wish me luck!