Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Glass Blowing in Sunderland

Yesterday I told you all about the National Glass Centre in Sunderland that Gina and I visited.
But, I left out the most exciting bit!  We got to make our very own baubles!!

Bauble.  I love that word.  Bauble.  Bauble. Bauble.
Here's how it's done.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

First you get a demonstration from the pros.
Then you squeal with excitement and hope nobody hears you.
(This was a bucket list moment for me.)

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

Then you put on safety goggles and enter the hot workspace.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

Everything is explained step by step with an emphasis on safety.
Obviously, this liquid glass is like molten lava.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

You pick out the colors for your bauble.  I selected swirly blue and green because they're the colors of England to me.  The color chips are laid out on the table.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

The blowpipe is dipped into the furnace to gather up the molten glass like honey on the end of a stick.
Then you roll it on the table to pick up the colored bits being careful where you place your hands.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

Then the blow pipe is placed into the glory hole where the glass is reheated.
This is where you decide if you want swirls or spots.  I picked swirls.
With some continuous twirling the colors are all incorporated.
Then the blowing part of glass blowing comes in.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

I simply contributed the hot air to the project, this guy did all of the work.
Not that the blowing part is easy.  The pipe is twirling the whole time and you have to blow really hard.
Hence, the unattractive neck strain.  

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

The bauble goes back into a second furnace for a reheat and then more blowing, twirling and shaping.
 
National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

Eventually, you have a perfectly round, swirly, hot bauble.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

It's carefully released from the blowpipe onto a bed of sawdust.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

With a quick flick of the blowpipe a swirl of hot glass is added to the top for a hook
and a flash with a blowtorch rounds off any sharp edges.  

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

After an overnight in a third furnace that allows the glass to cool off slowly,
it was carefully wrapped up and shipped to me.
I might have squealed again when the package arrived.

National Glass Centre Sunderland UK

Ta-da!   My very own glass blown bauble full of my very own breaths.
It's a most treasured possession and will be kept out year round.

Have you ever been glass blowing?



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  *As a participant in Traverse 14 and in partnership with NewcastleGateshead Initiative,
I was a guest of National Glass Centre.   All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

13 comments:

  1. Pretty baubles! That really looks like fun!

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  2. This look like funl! What a great souvenir!

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  3. Your bauble is beautiful!! A local glass studio here in Phoenix offers glass blowing classes and I went in for a very similar experience (also a bucket list moment so I understand the slight squeals as I may have succumbed to one or two myself :) ) I couldn't believe just how much work it actually takes - they make it look so easy! But it is definitely fun!

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  4. Love this post!!! You just made me add something to *my* bucket list!!

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  5. I have never glass blown myself, but there is a very similar little place to this in Cirencester, Gloucestershire - fascinating!

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  6. I wish I lived closer, I'd love to try it again.

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  7. It was a bit scarey, too, with all of that hot glass and those furnaces! I wish I lived closer. :D

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  8. Somehow we thought we would get to take them home that day. lol We were so sad then they put them away and said they'd ship them to us. It was a fun mail day when it arrived!

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  9. Jennifer!! :D How are you doing? I miss you so much. When are you guys coming to this side of the pond for a visit. Would so love to see you!!

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  10. You should go!! It was so much fun.

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  11. This post only just showed up in my feed, and I got really excited haha. There's a glass blowing museum near where I'm from that I've been to several times, and we blew glass pumpkins. I agree, it's so cool to have these little glass things that you've made. Your bauble turned out great!

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