Recycled Glass – Page 40 – Julie Frahm

Posted on October 18, 2015 by admin

#makeforgood

Have you heard about the #makeforgood campaign?

It’s being run by Etsy Australia, and it goes a bit like this:

The #makeforgood collection is a project powered by Australian Etsy sellers and in support of Plan International’s Because I Am A Girl campaign. 20% of the sale price of certain products will be donated to Plan’s Because I Am A Girl Campaign. All funds raised will go towards supporting projects that help promote the equal rights of all children, helping lift girls around the world – and their entire communities – out of poverty. To learn more about this project go to etsy.me/makeforgood.

I loved the concept of this campaign. I think it’s important for my children to understand that in 2015 we are living in a very lucky country….but not everyone in the world gets to live so easily. It’s easy to talk the talk, but I felt like I also needed to do something about it. So, I have listed 2 products in my Etsy shop that will hopefully raise some much needed money for this project.

Both items are made from a Skyy Vodka bottle. The beads have been decorated with fine silver wire, which fits with the theme of the project “Silver Linings”.

I think it’s a great cause, and I hope you have a look at all of the other wonderful products on Etsy that are also supporting it. You can simply search for “makeforgood” when you get to Etsy.

I’ve included photographs here with links to the products, if you are interested in purchasing any of them (through Etsy), 20% of the sale price will be donated to the project.

Posted on October 15, 2015 by admin

Moet Champagne Bottle Necklace

I recently had a request to make a special necklace for a 50th birthday present. The birthday lady quite liked champagne, and in particular Moet. I mentioned I could make a necklace with Moet glass. I made a couple of necklaces for her to choose from, and pictured below is the necklace that wasn’t chosen.

Now is a great time to contact me regarding custom orders for Christmas presents. They can take a little while, depending on whether or not I have the glass. It’s a bit of extra effort, but it can definitely be worth it.

Posted on October 12, 2015 by admin

On my walk this morning…

We had such a lovely time at the Port Festival this weekend! So nice to reconnect with some customers we haven’t seen for a while. Plus a chance to spend some time in Port Adelaide (where we lived for 7 years).

I can feel people are starting to think about Christmas. You can’t help but think about it with all of the decorations in the shops! It still feels way too soon for me, but I am happy to help you with any special Christmas orders you might have.

My next market will be on November 7 at Murray Bridge. More details soon.

Posted on September 14, 2015 by admin

Mansfield Art Glass Exhibition – Finalist

Today I received some exciting news in my inbox…the 2 pieces that I submitted for the Mansfield Art Glass Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition were accepted as finalists!

Here is a little bit about each of the pieces that I created, and some images:

1. Artist Statement – Harlequin Flowers

I found a set of Harlequin glasses at an op shop, they were edged with gold, and were really pretty. When I put the glass in the flame, strange things happened. Some of the colour burnt out completely, while some turned a spectacular pink. Absolutely not what I was hoping to happen, yet the surprise of it was worth it.

2. Artist Statement – Gold Beer

I specialise in creating beads from recycled glass. I think it’s important to at least think about our environment and recycling, so I love to make beads and jewellery that do make people stop and think. This necklace was made from a Coopers Sparkling Ale bottle. I have embellished some of the beads with 14K Gold Leaf.

Posted on September 11, 2015 by admin

Urban Cow Studio

I have been selling my work at Urban Cow Studio in Adelaide since 2008. Urban Cow was one of the first galleries to accept my work. It has been a great opportunity, and one that I am always learning from.

Urban Cow has a super mixture of jewellery, ceramics, glass, art, and cards for any occasion. Whether you want to buy yourself a little treat (I have bought several gorgeous rings there), or you want to buy a gift for someone, you’ll find something.

They also stock the biggest selection of my recycled glass jewellery. I love that they totally support South Australian artists.

Today I am very grateful for Urban Cow Studio!

This picture is of the artist card that they are giving to their customers when they purchase a piece from an artist. Great idea!

Posted on September 3, 2015September 3, 2015 by admin

Kirra Galleries – 2015 Flame On Exhibition

I am thrilled to be part of the Kirra Galleries Flame On exhibition for 2015. Last year was the first year that I participated in this exhibition. I’m not sure if you remember necklaces like these, made from a variety of recycled glass bottles?

This year I made some more pieces with recycled glass. This time I used a clear Banrock Station wine bottle, and I am loving the finished products. I think I will have to make some more in different colours very soon.

Flame On opens at 6.00pm on Thursday 10 September 2015, and continues through until October 11.

Posted on September 2, 2015 by admin

Colour of the Week – Banrock Station Wine Bottle

OK, so clear is probably not officially a colour, but this wine bottle makes some really spectacular beads.

This work is heading to Melbourne as part of the 2015 Kirra Galleries Flame On exhibition.

Posted on August 23, 2015 by admin

Colour of the Week – Skyy Vodka

There is something about a Skyy Vodka bottle that makes beautiful beads. Add a little bit of fine silver wire, and you get a really elegant, sparkly result. Here are some of my favourite pieces. Links to the shop.

Posted on August 12, 2015 by admin

Colour of the Week – Coopers Sparkling Ale

OK, I confess, Coopers Sparkling Ale is my favourite beer!

I love being able to use the bottles to make glass beads.

I featured jewellery made from a Coopers Ale bottle it in my Anti-Depression Glass exhibition.

In 2013 a necklace of mine, made from Coopers Sparkling Ale and 14ct Gold Leaf, was featured as a finalist in the Toowoomba Contemporary Wearables exhibition (see second photo below).

I also exhibited jewellery made from a Coopers Sparkling Ale bottle as part of the “Wear a Piece of Adelaide” Fringe exhibition held in 2013.

I love working with Coopers bottles for 2 reasons. First, they are a South Australian company. And second, they are a very environmentally conscious company. Win-win. Both things that resonate completely with my work. South Australian, eco-conscious.

Here is a small sample of work created from a Coopers Sparkling Ale bottle.

Posted on August 11, 2015 by admin

Op shopping

Every now and then I go on a mission to find a particular type of glass. It might be Green Depression Glass, or white glass (which is really hard to find by the way), or like the other day I was on a mission to find non-matching sets of glasses.

These non-matching sets of glasses are also known as Harlequin Glass. They were really popular in the 1950’s. It can be tricky to get a complete set of 6 glasses, and more often than not you’ll find at most 5 glasses left in the set.

I didn’t mind what I found. I had an idea for a necklace in my mind, and I needed the glass to make it happen!

So, I visited all of the Op Shops in Murray Bridge, and managed to find a few assorted glasses. I was really pleased with what I found, but wondered if I might be able to find some more on a trip to Mount Barker. Like I said, I was on a mission!

We tried a couple of Op Shops before I found one with THE most helpful volunteer I’ve ever found. She was more than happy to look out the back to see if she could find what I was looking for.

Success, she found a mis-matched set of 5 shot glasses. The colours were great, but the glasses were quite small. Still, it was better than nothing.

“I’ll take them,” I said. “Don’t worry too much about wrapping them.”

She was a bit taken aback with that comment. “You’re going to smash them, aren’t you?”

I smiled. “Yes, I am.”

“Well, if you like recycled glass you have to take a look at this great exhibition at the City Library that is on at the moment. It’s part of SALA. The artist has made all of these beads from recycled glass, you should see some of the colours.”

I smiled again. “That’s actually my work.”

True story!

We talked for a little bit longer, while she told me what her favourite jewellery was from the exhibition, and where all of the Op Shops were in Mount Barker!