Post Card from Italy: Italian Glass

Last year, my husband and I spent a week in Italy attending an Italian cooking school in the province of Rome and a week touring the Amalfi Coast.  We used to live in Europe but it's been some time since we've been back.

Above are a few photos that I took that look like they could be from or book or postcard. Of course, the food was phenomenal and plentiful, especially at the cooking school, and the views were fabulous.  At the school, we became friends with a great group of people with whom we're still in contact.

And, as a glass enthusiast, I couldn't help but notice the Italian glass although there were not the same quality and quantity of glass shops like there are in Venice and its surroundings.  Interestingly though, much of the glass was found in our hotels!  Here's a sampling of some of the glass we saw.

Having looked at a wide array of light fixtures for our remodel, I notice that we don't have a lot of similar glass lighting options in the U.S. -- perhaps this is what makes seeing these so special.  Although these aren't our style, I still admire them for their design and think it would be pretty amazing to live in a place where you can appreciate them daily.

Ciao!

Fresh Start to Fusing in 2015

For those of you following my blog, you know that I typically post about my goals at the beginning of the year.  As usual, I plan to focus on creative ways to use up my excess scrap glass.  One of these ways will be to focus on drop vases (see image below from Bullseye glass to give you an example).  These are the closest looking items to blown glass and are made from dropping a fused piece through a ring and then coldworking.  I may also play with deep slumping, which can give a similar effect although done through a different technique.  I'll be experimenting with a new kiln that will allow me to work larger and deeper.

On the flip side, I still plan to also work small and play with new jewelry designs.  So, watch my blog for new items -- some of which have been "designed" in my head for over a year.  In addition, I plan to play around a little with casting.

As you may know, I've taken a hiatus from my blog and fusing -- my last post was in May.  We sold our house during that month and all my fusing equipment has been in storage.  Well, we're finally moving into our new place later this month, so I hope to get back to creating in the near future, once we're settled in.  I have a lot of ideas and the break was good for me -- very rejuvenating!

Until then, I have a couple of glass-related posts to keep you occupied such as the glass I saw in Italy on vacation and the glass tiles we've used in our new place -- of course, how could I not take advantage of glass tiles!

Wishing all of you a happy start to a great new year!