Sorry it has been so long! I have been a busy bee, working away all summer with different jobs!
I have now moved into my new work shop and have been forging all day to get back into the swing of things! My Fly press is now fixed an operational! I have named her Sandra Sweeny!

Shooting off down to Hereford on Friday to set up for the Hereford Open Young! Very excited for this and it will be nice to see a few old faces! If you are around in the area, pop in!

Today, I have decided to take advantage of the sunshine and sort out all my toolage. (The picture above is only a small sample). I have made, bought, and have been given lots and I am always on the look out for bargains!
I am currently waiting to move location which is bigger and better than my present one. I will also be able to start playing with my ridiculously huge flypress.
I have also sorted out my anvil with a new face as the bic had a large gash in and had seen better days, and the face itself was slightly uneven. Need to now think of names for my Anvil (an Alldays and onions make) and my fly press (cant remember the make but will get back to you....) Any ideas?

Giving this old lady a new face!

Finally made time to give some love and attention to my love. The face is not as bad as I first thought. The bic is better than it was. From this picture you can see from the shiny edge that it curves inwards towards the middle of the anvil. The anvil is hand forged. The make is Alldays and Onions, an English automobile manufacturer from 1898 - 1918. I have a little piece of history in my workshop! 

......Ebay.....

Just snapped this up! It's not for me but  for 2 very good friends of mine. Rather jealous!

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Coffee & cake!

Today, I met up with my old tutor / good mate, Mr Kris Grainger! I have always loved his photography skills and today we teamed up to take some photographs of my work.
Anywhooo, here are some finals! I have encouraged interaction within my pieces by supplying different weighted balls. It's really therapeutic and hypnotizing to just roll them around the vessel and listening to the different sounds. I also encourage the visitor to touch and feel my pieces as they are textured.
For anyone wishing to buy my work, I charge £65 for the small vessels, and £500 for the larger ones. For more information, please don't hesitate in contacting me.

Railing restoration

Again, I seem to have abandoned this blog as I have been a busy bee, for that I apologise!

This last month I have been able to sell some work through galleries. May I just say a huge thank you to anyone who has bought my work / shown an interest! It really does mean the world!

I have also been restoring an old water pump on the farm which is by a veggie patch! It's such a shame it hasn't been used in over 40 years! :(

I have also got work on to restore an old cattle grid at Somerford Hall, a beautiful venue suitable for weddings & celebrations! http://www.somerfordhall.co.uk/

I have decided to save craft shows till next year and unfortunately I had to turn down the Ludlow Fringe market, but I will be there next year!

I have many plans for the rest of the year, so watch this space!

I would like to say thank you to...

All you guys! I have reached my 3000 page views! With 26 of them being yesterday. Thank you for all your support.

Yesterday, I picked up my most favourite possession to date, my anvil with Steeve Cooper, a former blacksmith and a lovely chap who has helped me out in the last few weeks. (Massive thank you)
He informed me that my anvil was around the 100 year old mark and was hand forged, not cast! I was amazed that something that heavy (Around 250 kilos) was hand forged!
Some work needs doing on the face but it will be as good as new in about a week or so!

I also visited Hereford Galvanizers.

LinkedIn

I have had this for a while but have only started using it, so it any of you have it let's get connected! Bare with me, i'm still a newbie!

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/fiona-henderson/54/a72/66

ANOTHER Ebay buy.

I think it is time for my addiction to stop maybe?? But again, it was a bargain price that I could not refuse! And it's in Hereford, so it gives me a good excuse to visit the Barrels!

The model is an Alldays & Onion Ltd Makers. 

Birmingham & London. 

Productive few weeks!

Where do I begin? So, I managed to get some gallery work in Lichfield as it was stated somewhere in a previous blog. Just as I was making all my work, my plasma cutter decided to pop its cloggs! Not ideal! All is good now though and a few days later I was back, making away. So on Monday, I am delivering all my work to the gallery.
This week, I have been down in London, where I fell in love with the place. (I was never a fan before). I had an interview with a company called Nisbett and George. I was chuffed when they offered me an interview slot! It appears that New Designers was a good idea after all! So I was glad to take their offer in promoting my work!
Whilst being down south, I visited The Light Show at the Hayward Gallery. WOW! JUST WOW! If you ever get the chance, do so! But hurry as it ends on the 6th of May.

Just a quick update! Amanda and Janette, owners of the Emporium Art Gallery in Lichfield, emailed me 3 weeks ago and showed interest in my vessels that I produced in my second year. Since then I have been able to steal time from my old college and plan to slump some more glass. I have produced 4 vessels and will be delivering the vessels to the gallery sometime next week. If you are ever in the area, the gallery is beautiful and well worth a visit! 

Article from BABA magazine

A few days ago I found out that the Titanic exhibition that I took part in late last year had an Article in the BABA magazine. I was chuffed to bits! I just want to say a huge thank you to Jonathan Ball, Michael Calnan, Katherine Gardiner, IABA members and BABA.

Another Ebay buy.

So this morning I found myself on Ebay again and bought myself this lovely leg vice for one whole shiny pound! Wouldn't find that in Poundland! 

The man painted it and fully restored it! I feel guilty that it was so cheap! However I am in need of one as the one I have at the moment lays in bits on my forge floor and needs some tender loving care! 

This morning, I also received an email to meet 2 lovely ladies who own a gallery in Lichfield on Thursday to discuss my work as they want to sell it in their gallery called The Emporium Art Gallery. It has totally boosted up my confidence as they contacted me first. I wonder where they found me from? Can't wait to get making! 

I also contacted the wonderful Cinny, my foundation teacher at Stafford College. I am going to charm her round and see if I could possibly use the colleges glass kiln to experiment more with glass slumping. It's all finally taking place! Hurray! 

New forge / workshop location.

The picture below will be my new forge location! It is so much more spacious than my garage and I will hopefully be in there around summertime! Here's hoping! The very last image is a saw mill next door. All the workers went off to World War 2 and never returned and it hasn't been touched since. It is now currently derelict. It's such a shame because it is a fantastic building that is probably now beyond repair. 

Today, I drove 30 miles to Burton on Trent to pick up my pillar drill! It is now fully installed in my workshop with my new Plasma cutter. Happy Birthday to me!! I also found a box full of old drill bits under the work bench!

Early morning Ebay bidding!

This morning, I bought myself an early birthday present, a pillar drill! It was a bargin and something I just could not ignore! The owner had only used it twice so it was  in pretty good condition! SCORE! So sometime next week I am going to pick it up from Burton on Trent, a 30 minute drive from my current location.

The National Memorial Arboretum is on my route to Burton, So I feel that this beautiful place is worth a visit as it has been on my to do list for a long time! I think it would also look beautiful in the snow if it hasn't all melted away! 

SIP Pillar drill                                                                    Model No. B16-16                                                                    16 speeds                                                                    16mm drill capacity                                                                    Spindle taper MT2                                                                    3/4 HP motor                                                                     230v 50Hz                                                                    That'll do nicely!

I am sorry I have neglected this for a while! I have injured my neck and back and is currently making it impossible for me to forge. I have successfully set up my forge and gave it a bash a few days ago! I can say I have missed the smell and taste of sulphur! I have also found a great supplier of coke in Wolverhampton! £12 for a 25KG bag.... actual bargin! 

Whilst been off I have contacted Galleries in the West Midlands. If you want to supply my forged work in the near future please do not hesitate in contacting me!  I can offer a portfolio. I also need to get into gear and sort out an online portfolio on my website www.fionahendersonartistblacksmith.co.uk. Looking forward to start making again! My ideas just keep on flowing and I can wait to mess around with glass and holes! 

To do list:

Sort out website.

Sort out blog.

Get more friendly with coke suppliers! 

Put business cards EVERYWHERE

Get better.

Practice technical.

MAKE MAKE MAKE. 

Find someone who had a big glass kilm.

I hate not being a student! The simplest tasks then are the hardest ones now! 

Wish I didn't take it all for granted. 

Christening of my forge!

So next week, I have my lovely friend Katie paying me a visit and we are going to fire up my forge that I currently have in a garage back home. (It's only a temporary set up). It is depressing that I haven't picked up a hammer since I graduated in July last year, but this is all about to change!! Happy girlies.