Clare Gaylard Glass 

My mother would have liked these.

.... got out and made glass sweets.

Some Roman Tomb test pieces I made on a gold leaf kick a couple of months ago. They haven't worked their way into a full story but they will, if you flamework you will see they haven't been cleaned properly yet, but just look at the colours.

'Magpie and Me' in Framlingham has a collection of 'Love Letters' by different artists. My 'Q' for Queen of Hearts and my 'E' for Eve.

Tiny planets: experiments for a commission. A scaled, night walk around our solar system, I'm only responsible for the earth, which comes in at under 1cm! More of which later.  

But I need to keep my studio ventilated, hence the gloves. Some warm colours.

Is an unexpectedly, large, light, unconventional and user-friendly gallery-space in St Helen's Street, Ipswich. Some of my glass is there alongside a wide range of multi-media art. There are new exhibitions every month and the energetic, welcoming and creative curators.

On the right he splendid and (to my eyes) pleasingly, robust crown of King Wenseslas. The acerbic Empress Maria Theresa called it a 'fool's cap'. I've been happy making some considerable handfuls of glass rings, the sort of ring a dying monarch might press into the hand of a faithfull retainer or co-conspirator. Reliquaries, heft, fading splendour, Byzantium, I was thinking. An artist friend palmed a half-dozen, rolled them around in an assessing hand and quietly murmured: 'Gaudy'.

Fairytales, Little Red Riding Hood, a Dragon's Eye ring, a Fool, some Probably Poisonous Leaves.

The last weekend of August find a sample of  my glass in the exhibition at and in aid of All Saints Church, Great Glemham.

Some of my glass, Magpie and Me in Framlingham this week.

On an appropriately weathered hand.

I'm liking art by Zachari Login.

Pulling stringers, making handmade cane and my own millefiori, then demonstrating how I incorporate them int a focal bead.

Components waiting to be assembled.

'To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wildflower'..Blake expresses beautifully the kind of miniaturism I get so caught up in. This encased, floral, focal bead contains two types of my handmade cane and is rolled in raku frit for texture and depth. Frit is roughly crushed glass and raku frit strikes different colours in the flame, giving a lovely dappled effect.

Thanks to everyone who came by, silversmiths, engineers, jewellers, students, parents, holiday makers, supportive spouses and innocent bystanders. Thanks for putting on the safety glasses, leaning in and asking questions. It was a pleasure to meet you. Three more weekends to go.

This reads like a conversation between me and my youngest regarding my beads.:

'Nymph, nymph, what are your beads?

Green glass, goblin. Why do you stare at them?

Give them me.

No.

Give them me. Give them me.

No.

Then I will howl all night in the reeds,
lie in the mud and howl for them.

Goblin, why do you love them so?

They are better than stars or water,
Better than voices of winds that sing,
Better than any man’s fair daughter,
Your green glass beads on a silver ring.

Hush, I stole them out of the moon.

Give me your beads, I want them.

No.

I will howl in a deep lagoon
For your green glass beads, I love them so.
Give them me. Give them.

No.'

HAROLD MONRO