Clare Gaylard Glass 

Three of us are just back from two days spent mostly driving in order to see Mathew Bourne's 'Red Shoes' on the last leg of its debut tour - in the lovely old Empire in Liverpool. We are still processing - it was a whirlwind, heart-wrenching, comedic, artistic love-letter to ballet of the first half of the last century. My dear, late, dad would have LOVED it, we did.

...and I become aware when I export my photos to a larger format (my website or Facebook page) it looks as though I have just been digging for it. I have usually just finished cleaning my glass (not my hands) and take a one-handed photo on my mobile phone.

It's been a thorough pleasure as usual - thank you to explorers, artists, crafters and customers. Now I'm working towards the Suffolk Craft Society Summer Exhibition (15th July - 18th August)  - it's always good to have an excuse to go to Aldeburgh.....

In need of rescue every day at the moment, usually a variety of overheated bees, today a tiny dragonfly.

Play - some of the demonstration pieces I did for the students..... 

No editing or filters.

Finding my studio once in Yew Tree Court has been a thing- as you leave the main road, look left and you will see these barns on your far left. Follow the drive left and you will end up between my studio and the main road. Good Luck!

Four artists from our 'Art Around Framlingham Trail' opened our studios to groups of secondary school students yesterday. It's the age group I used to teach and rather miss - when enthusiasm or inspiration takes hold it's a blast.

These are hot days to sit at a torch, next to a kiln..... we are calling it suffering for art. Some lovely long stringers from a confident hand in a starter class.

I didn't know what this was but Folks on Facebook tell me: Tragopogon pratensis aka Goats beard or Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon. I will probably settle for Goatsbeard and feel quite clever that I got it home in one piece, I'm seeing stars.

I've taught two starter workshops in the last Open Studio week (amongst other things) and enjoyed them very much. I have a strong preference for teaching flamework one-to-one because it requires so much focus. I also really enjoy how different characters and approaches yield such personal work from the outset. Thanks to Gayle for this photo of her glass.

Family jokes usually have obscure origins. When asked what I want, I frequently (& possibly annoyingly?) say: 'The head of John the Baptist on a silver platter'. So a daughter made me one for my birthday and here he is - a  wonderful, work in progress - now what shall I ask for?

I'm mesmerised by this 'Shoreline' ring which manages to be both too small AND too large for me.....

Some people recoil when they notice the skulls in my vanitas/ghost king jewellery - not the lady who was drawn into the gallery in Aldeburgh by my ink & watercolour sketch. Before I could explain, she told me that she recognised 'A Warning to the Curious', that it was her favourite ghost story, and that she had brought it to read while in Aldeburgh - it is set in Aldeburgh thinly disguised as 'Seaburgh'. She happily picked herself some vanitas earrings.

You can find full details of our trail on the SOS website,  Lorette, Jayne, Robin and I are open all four weekends 11am-5pm.

I shall miss the route to work....

The weather is on our side again - I'm at Aldeburgh Gallery until the end of Wednesday 18th May - fabulous fish&chip shops on either side and the seafront through an arch on the other side of the road.

Making a ring for the petite daughter who inherited a different set of  genes.... I'm not going to call it an ugly sister moment.

My third time exhibiting at The Quay has just finished and it was a pleasure. Snape Maltings has its very own atmosphere of sublte, expansive, beauty. This is the first time I have seen The Cygnet under sail, looking appropriately sculptural in the company of works by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.