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.

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.)

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

Everything is explained step by step with an emphasis on safety.

Obviously, this liquid glass is like molten lava.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

The bauble goes back into a second furnace for a reheat and then more blowing, twirling and shaping.

 

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

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

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.  

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.

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.