Blowing hot and cold .....

I had a very unexpected day last Friday, as the previous evening a friend rang, asking if I would like to take a spare place on a glass blowing taster session.

I'm always up for trying new things, so that is why I found myself blowing a glass bauble on a Friday, when I should have been doing Tai Chi!

The session was held at Adam Aaronson's glass studio in West Horsley (website is here).

After a cup of tea and a safety briefing, Adam demonstrated what we would be doing.

Adam with his assistant, who pinches the molten glass to form the neck of the bauble.

We each chose our bauble colour from a selection of ground glass mixes.

Me at one of the "glory holes" where the iron (rod) and glass is reheated. The main furnace, which holds the molten glass, is on the extreme right.











The heat from the glory hole is amazing, but does not compare to the heat from the main furnace (with a huge pool of molten glass)  when its door is open - it literally takes your breath away - not very useful when you need to blow down a long tube!

There is a technique to this, which at first I didn't get, and I was blowing most of the air outside the tube, but eventually I got it!!!

Ta daa!

I chose white with a bit of lime green and blue.

We then had mulled wine and a mince pie - yum!
















After all that hot air, and with impeccable timing, I've now gone down with a cold - hey ho! Or should that be ho ho ho!

Merry to Christmas to everyone, and hope that 2015 brings all you wish for.

A photo of my lit up bay tree, with white and blue lights (naturally!).