Christmas is nearly done.   I spent a few feverish weeks creating festive themed stained glass goodies. 

I'm Marina.  This is my blog.   After nearly twenty long years away from cutting myself to ribbons making stained glass,  I had the insane compulsion to take it up again. So here I am.   Several weeks into creating and my hands look as though I'd never stopped scoring, grozing, snapping and being injured.  Soldering irons can be beasts.  They don't look hot, so fool you into forgetting how lethal they are.  Glass comes in many guises.  Brittle, snappy, vicious, psychotic.  It has a mind of its own, and each type behaves differently.  Glass lurks. Slivers hide in nooks and crannies, twinkling incongruously just waiting for you to forget your footwear.   No matter now much you brush and vacuum there's always one rogue piece, microscopic with a bite like a shark.   It demands respect, and God help a glass artist who forgets this fundamental law.

My cupboards are full of plasters.   My fingertips feel like sandpaper.  My nails are short and ruined.  My pain threshold is up to full whack.   But when you get it right...when you and the glass finally come to an understanding, stop fighting, and work together...the results can be breathtaking. 

I work from home, with limited space, but a vastness of enthusiasm.   I believe that artisan craft makers are a rare breed.  Devoted. Creative. Dogged. Talented. Special.   We offer something unique, something precious and handmade; things of beauty that should last forever.   Take a moment to consider all the love that goes into our work.  We don't mass produce.   We produce quality work.   We bend over backwards to keep our clients happy.   

 Every time I have a gift to give, or Christmas to think about, I try to purchase from an artisan crafter, rather than trolling round the big stores buying what everyone buys.    Give it a go.  You'll be surprised what treasures you'll discover!

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