Thursday, Thursday

I`ve got Georgia on my mind, Hurricane Sheila is about to blow in from the east.
The Wendy House is still standing, watch out for the News Flash!
I`m starting to get all fired up about a phoenix, will it be a pell mell night with humming birds dashing here and there. No! Because JC will turn up and calm us all down.
Cryptic or what!!!!!!!

Evenings` End

Ruth and Tess discuss Battle Tatics and the merits of various hardware.
"You`ve not convinced me" said Ruth, " I`ll stick to my trusty old AK-47, it`s never let me down yet!"
"You`ve got to embrace new technology" said Tess, " The Cobra`s a great wee helicopter and its got a bloody great big gun in its nose!"

Lookin` Finger Likin` Good!

Michael`s, "the veggie", rather dramatic geometric panel cut and laid out on its building drawing prior to building.
This is going to be a pretty good piece of finished glass!

It`s not all Battle Theory and Line Dancing at Glasworks Studio

Glass Mistress Yvonne demonstrates the correct use of a Lathekin to open out the flanges on a lead came.
Looks of amazement ensued! "WOW!" they all muttered, "we didn`t know!"



Glass Mistress Yvonne demonstrates the correct way to hold and position a traditional lead knife on the lead came.
It was at this point that I heard Tess mutter, under her breath, " I know you`ve got sheep! And I`m going to get them!"
It struck me, immediately, that as well as an attack helicopter, she must also have a heavy lift Chinook somewhere nearby.



Glass Mistress Yvonne demonstrates the correct way to approach and execute a cut and trim through lead came with the lead knife.
Michael "the veggie" looks on intently as he is about to start building his leaded panel.

Deep Concentration

Glass Mistress Yvonne and Ruth discussing the final details of Ruth`s "Frida Kahlo" panel. In the foreground Gillian is choosing from an array of glass for her tulip and daffodil panel.
Please notice that Robette "Ruth" Macgregor is sucking the blue of her pen. She has apparently run out of "Woad". If anyone can help with fresh supplies of Battle Woad please get in touch, she has another Border Raid coming up soon.

Rummaging in the Cullet Boxes

Michael and Glass Master Joe looking for that vital piece of glass

Wee Eck

I am pleased to say that Wee Eck is now safely back under my beret where he has happily resided for many years.
Michael has now happily returned to choosing glass for his panel and assures me that he will leave Wee Eck alone in future.

Glasworks Glasgow would like to state that no Wee Eck`s were harmed in the making of this Glass Diary !

Wee Eck gets Traumatised by Michael

"But Michael! This is the best windae av ever made" Glass Master Joe exclaimed! "Ir ye sure ye want thon blue bit"
"Aye!" Hawk-eyed Michael retorted whilst making a grab for Wee Eck.

A Manicure Moment

Gillian and Bill discussing the finer points of nail trimming with a pair of template shears. When you are cutting small templates accurately with the shears a fair degree of concentration is neccessary as can be witnesed in this shot. Beautiful cutting Gillian!!!!!!

Black Hawk Down

Well landed! After a brisk walk along the riverside from her landing point at Glasgow Science Centre (she likes a dramatic arrival), Tess settles down to an evenings glass cutting. Please note her correct approach to breaking.
In the background Glass Master Joe is looking rather fetching, in a cute little above the elbow number.

Every body is getting down an` dirty

Gillian having a Ray Charles moment



Glass Mistress Yvonne has been down, an` got dirty, whilst our little Flower of Scotland, Robette "Ruth" Macgregor is gaily contemplating the Border country. Burn Baby Burn!!!!

Oh! Oh! ItsTuesday Again!!!!!!!!!

Its 5.30 PM

Ratchet, Ratchet, whirr, spring, boing, Bill`s winding up the car with its big silver key and is about to start the torturous journey into Glasgow.

I can hear in the distance the "Apocalypse Now" rotor blades of Tess`s attack helicopter as it crosses The Irish Sea , skimming the waves to avoid radar.

The two Michael twins are heavily disguising themselves in an effort to look as different from each other as possible, it never works!

Gillian has been busily despatching children to the four corners of the city prior to arriving.

And last but not least Ruth, is probably doing some ZEN meditation before cutting up Frida Kahlo. A No 3 for those eyebrows, I think.

3 of November. Its the Thursday mob

Renee and Joe discussing where her final cut lines will go in her design




Renee using template shears, to create templates for glass cutting herdesign



Sheila finalising her design prior to creating a building and layout drawing from it



Yvonne posing for the camera, whilst Sheila traces a building drawing from her design




Elaine tracing a building drawing from her design.
Apparently her window is for a Wendy House. I`ve tried telling her that the window will in all likelyhood be heavier than the wendy house, and this could lead to severe structural problems



I was completely ignored, she continued on. So folks!, watch out for the news headline,
"FRONT GABLE OF WENDY HOUSE COLLAPSES....THE THREE BEARS SERIOUSLY INJURED"



John making a jig saw pizza out of paper, he quickly remembered where he was and redesigned it into a very interesting leaded design full of symbolism



John learning how to develop a serious hump from Glassmaster Joe



John cutting the first piece of Emperors purple for his leaded panel



John making sure his cut lines are laid out economically and practically prior to cutting






Very cool and accurate glass breaking from John

1 of November, Its Tuesday again

Tonights class have been working and finalising their designs, getting building drawings and templates ready. The two Michaels (Michael the veggie and Michael the engineer) have been selecting and cutting glass for their leaded panels.
Bill( our coffin dodger) Tess (our bog faerie) and Gillian (our child herder)have been finishing of designs and cutting or are about to start cutting templates.
As usual( and as is insisted upon) great fun was had by all!


Bill our resident coffin dodger looking rather fetching in a rather snazzy royal blue overall putting the final design touches to what is going to be a very pretty poppy window.


Gillian working on her design with Michael(the engineer)in the background selecting glass for his leaded panel.
The rather tragic looking figure to the far right is Joe Boyle glassmaster and resident tutor.


Gillian with her rather fine, finished design for her flower and landscape panel, getting her building drawing and templates ready for glass cutting next week.


Tess`s finished building drawing and template drawing ready to cut.


Tess cutting and placing templates ready for cutting. She apparently helicopters across from Donegal (where she is runoured to be a rather successful sheep thief) every tuesday evening for the course, no I don`t believe the sheep bit either!!!!!


Michael with template shears cutting templates


Michael concentrating on a selection of brown glasses that will be used for the tree bark in his panel.


Michael (the veggie. As you will have noticed, the two Michaels are identical twins with the same first name, the nick names are to make life easier for the viewer)at the cutting bench starting to cut the glass he has selected for his rather interesting geometric panel.


Michael marking glass from template and in deep concentration at our glass cutting bench.


Michael working out how to maximize the number of glass shapes he will get out of the piece of glass safely and accurately.


Gillian,Tess and Michael working on templates and designs, every one has worked so well so far on both night`s courses that I have not had to make anyone cry yet.
But there`s still 5 weeks to go yet, and I await my opportunity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And finally!
Glassmaster Joe in his normal over blown heroic pose. As you can see, Gillian in the background is not at all put off or distracted by this rather handsome and flamboyant peacock!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday nights class in progress

John, Nanette, Sheila, Renee and Elaine, accurate glass cutting to template practice



Yvonne instructing John, Nanette, Sheila, Renee and Elaine, on accurate glass cutting to template.



Joe instructing on cutting practise with Ian, John, Sheila, Elaine and Karen.





Ian, John and Karen cutting glass with confidence



Sheila and Elaine cutting glass accurately to template.

Tuesday nights, class in progress

Yvonne discussing building drawings and templates with Michael



Gillian working up her design for her leaded window



Tess and Michael working on building drawings and designs




Bill working on his design