1/2 Day Flower Stems Workshop

Service Description

Come join us to begin exploring the wonderful heritage craft of stained glass but with a contemporary twist, and create a completely personal and unique item for yourself or as a special gift. This 4-hour workshop will introduce you to the process of the tiffany foiling method to create a small bouquet of bespoke flower and leaf stems (3 - 4 stems) in a vase for you to take home, as well as giving you the foundation skills to go on to create more pieces in the future should you wish! Suitable for both complete beginners and those already experienced working with glass, all you need to bring is yourself and an open mind! Starting with an introduction to different types of glass and design, we’ll cover how to handle and work with glass safely and show you examples of work to provide you with some inspiration if your journey to the gallery itself hasn’t provided enough already! The beauty of creating these items is they can be very free form, and don’t require a restrictive design template to follow. The stems can be inspired your own favourite flowers and by the wide selection of different coloured and textured glass supplied on the day. I will then guide you through how to cut and shape each individual piece of glass, wrap them in copper foil and then join them onto the stems, before applying a number of finishing touches such as wire, patina (darkening of the silver solder) or painted detail if it you would like. All tools, materials and safety equipment will be provided. However, due to the nature of the craft, please can you ensure you are wearing closed shoes (no sandals, crocs or sling-backs) and that long hair is tied back. If you wear reading glasses, it is also advisable to bring these for the close detail work!! As the soldering process does involve lead based products, it is not advisable for pregnant women to attend and children between the ages of 16 & 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. A little about your tutor: Kate is a professional glass artist with over 30 years of experience working with both the tiffany and leadlight techniques of stained glass. She moved to Cumbria 5 years ago, and was so inspired by the beauty and heritage of the county that she then set up her company North Lakes Stained Glass, and now sells her landscape and nature work online nationally and internationally, as well as at craft fairs and a number of art galleries around the region, including our own. Her workshop is based here in Keswick