That time I helped make a pumpkin (at Luke Adams Glass)

Having had a complete BLAST at Luke Adams Glass when my sister and I went for a fused glass jewelry class a while back, we both decided that we absolutely HAD to go for a glass-blowing class, as well. Since Luke Adams Glass appears to participate with all of the various group-buy vendors (Groupon, Living Social and Amazon Local being the ones I’ve seen), it’s a pretty easy and low-cost way to get in on a class. Our deal was $85 for two people doing a one-hour glass-blowing workshop (which typically runs $90 per person).

The only rules were to wear cotton clothing and closed-toed shoes, so even though it was one of the hotter days in early June, we strapped on the warmer clothing and left our sandals at home. We were offered the option of making any one of three items: a pumpkin, a paperweight, or an ornament. My sister immediately went for the pumpkin and I decided to go for the paperweight, having fallen in love with a really cool looking paperweight that had a flower or a tornado of color trapped inside clear glass. We were each offered dual colors – so my sister chose lime and teal (for the pumpkin and stem, respectively) and I chose blue and violet for my flower.

Some of our color options

Some of our color options

My sister went first: the initial step being that she had to get hot glass on this very long metal wand. She placed the tip of it into an exceptionally hot oven that contained nothing but glass. She then brought it out and rolled the wand on a stand that helped cool the center of the wand as she rotated it – effectively keeping the glass from cooling in an oddball shape at the far end of the wand.

Cooling off the wand

Cooling off the wand

A few dips into the lime coloring on a tray, and off she went to put the tip end of the wand into an oven that did nothing but blast HEAT onto the glass to merge the color with the glass. All the while, she’s turning, turning, turning, and feeling tremendous heat. Our instructor then briefly borrowed the wand from my sister so that she could lengthen the glass in preparation for shaping the pumpkin.

Our instructor, lengthening the glass prior to pumpkin shaping

Our instructor, lengthening the glass prior to pumpkin shaping

After a little while, the instructor and my sister upended the wand and put it, tip-first, into a mold that impressed the grooves that would help define the pumpkin shape, then my sister sat at a bench and continued to turn the wand while I blew air into the far end, giving the pumpkin the air needed to get its shape.

Shaping the pumpkin in the mold

Shaping the pumpkin in the mold

Once the pumpkin shape was fairly well set, the wand and pumpkin were moved over to a bench and my sister got to use a torch to keep the top of the pumpkin nice and warm while our instructor quickly made the stem.

The pumpkin awaits its stem

The pumpkin awaits its stem

Making the stem was basically the same process as what was done for the pumpkin except that it was done at a much higher rate of speed and she wound the stringy, grooved, teal concoction around another metal wand to create the shape of the stem. Once that was done, the gorgeous pumpkin – still glowing hot – was carefully moved to a special oven that slowly brings the glass items down from 950F to room temperature over the course of several days in order to keep them from shattering as they cool. (Without this special oven, the outside of the glass would cool while the hot inside continued to expand…and you’d end up with a lot of very pretty colored glass EVERYWHERE.)

The shaped glass for the stem is dropped onto the pumpkin...

The shaped glass for the stem is dropped onto the pumpkin…

...and quickly wound to make the trademark curl

…and quickly wound to make the trademark curl

We then went into working on my piece – and though I was initially hesitant to ask for a flower shape, the instructor explained that it’s easy (of course it is, dear), and off we went. The process started basically the same (get exceptionally hot glass onto the end of a wand), although I had a mixture of colors that I dipped my glass into before I fired it further.

Dipping the glass in blue and violet to make my flower

Dipping the glass in blue and violet to make my flower

To make the round shape I wanted for my paperweight, I got to use a wet wooden tool that basically looks like a giant soup ladle, and I held it against the hot glass while I rotated the wand. Of course, the heat from the glass gets to the point where it dries all of the water on the ladle tool, at which point you see sparks. Every time that would happen, I would need to stop, quickly dip the ladle tool into the nearby water bucket, and then continue the process of turning the glass against the wet wood.

Working the wooden ladle tool...

Working the wooden ladle tool…

At one point, when it was time to make the flower “stem”, I was given what looked essentially to be an awl and just straight-on poked a hole in the top of the glass. I also was handed a pair of pincers that I used to pinch off the top of the glass, creating enough of a break that we’d eventually be able to separate the paperweight from the wand. The shaping process all set, we moved my piece to the table where I got to work the torch on the top to seal things off a bit, and then my piece was also moved into the über-hot oven to cool off over the next few days.

...and then the pincers...

…and then the pincers…

...and then a torch!

…and then a torch!

As you can tell from these pictures, the colors don’t look a thing like what we’d asked for. This is because the glass is eleventy kajillion degrees Fahrenheit. We were assured that they’d look just as we’d requested when they were fully cooled. I also know that I skipped at least a few descriptions of “and then we put the glass back into the heat-only oven, which runs on the order of about 2000F, IIRC”, but that’s just because it’s incredibly hard to take notes while doing glass-blowing.

When I came to pick up the items a week later (most items are ready for pickup only a few days later), I was taken aback at how gorgeous both pieces were. Given that neither my sister nor I ever had any experience blowing glass and neither of us had a clue of how to make glass art, it was a revelation that – with the appropriate instruction and assistance – in less than an hour we could make these incredible pieces. Each one is a work of art in its own way, and both of us feel like that was a totally cool experience that we would ABSOLUTELY do again.

My sister's gorgeous pumpkin: lime green with a teal stem

My sister’s gorgeous pumpkin: lime green with a teal stem

My lovely paperweight - a side view of the stem

My lovely paperweight – a side view of the stem

...and a view from the top of the flower effect and a pretty bubble trapped forever

…and a view from the top of the flower effect and a pretty bubble trapped forever

A couple of observations:

1) It’s incredible to me how many of the tools and techniques probably haven’t changed in hundreds of years. The wooden ladle tool, the use of water, the metal pincers…none of these things look like they’ve changed in forever, and yet the technology appears to need no improvement.

2) I’m not a big fan of heat, so I can imagine that I’d be pretty parched after doing this for three hours (workshops come in 1hr and 3hr lengths). I suspect that having the ability to put water nearby for when I’m not actively working with glass would be a good idea for longer classes.

3) The instructors at Luke Adams Glass continue to be phenomenal. At no point did I ever feel worried for my safety or completely lost in what I was supposed to do; in the cases where the instructor felt she needed to assist to correct technique, finish off a tricky part or provide a second pair of hands, she was RIGHT THERE.

As far as having a fun, well-managed and inexpensive way to make art with friends or family, this totally fit the bill. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back to the studio again sometime in the near future so that I can have more fun playing with glass. I was impressed by how easy it was to make these gorgeous pieces, and I’m absolutely planning to go back for more.

Disclaimer: Neither Groupon nor Luke Adams Glass provided anything in exchange for this post; I wrote this on my own, under my own steam, and solely because I WANTED TO WRITE THIS TO SHOW MY SUPPORT OF A WICKED COOL LOCAL BUSINESS. The Groupon deal used to take this class was paid for 100% by me and my sister, without any additional offsetting by a third party. All opinions expressed above are my own.

All fired up: fused glass jewelry making at Luke Adams Glass

A few years ago, a friend got me into jewelry making – beading, primarily using wire and often using glass/crystal, gemstones and metal beads. There are times when I think that bracelet she helped me make that first day was just the gateway to a far larger addiction, one that I thought culminated in my filling my own bead box (or BoB – Box of Beads). My BoB is the equivalent of a chunky rolly-carryon suitcase, and it’s filled to the gills with stuff.

Even so, when a Groupon came into my inbox last year for a one-hour fused glass jewelry making class at a glass workshop not too far from my house, it seemed like a gimme. My sister agreed to come along and I bought the deal. Months later, after many months of saying “We need to use this thing before it expires!” and several emails from Groupon reminding me that this thing was sitting in my account unused, I went online to schedule. Since the workshop – Luke Adams Glass in Norwood, MA – uses the online Groupon schedule system, it was insanely easy to sign up for the class on their calendar. BIG PLUS.

Luke Adams Glass - Shop

The cozy store by the “hot shop”

And then came the class itself. We were about 8 people, all newbies looking to make a new piece of shiny-shiny for ourselves. The instructor was quite friendly and showed us around – to the area where they blow the glass (hot!) and then into a side room that functions as a storeroom and class area. At a large high-top table, plastic bins of many colors of glass sat waiting for us, along with cutting and separating tools. A board on the wall served to demonstrate how combinations and shapes change when the glass enters the kiln and gets fused. It becomes easy to see – although still incredibly hard to grasp – how square cuts turn to circles and yellows turn to reds and oranges.

Fused glass samples

Before & after samples of fused glass ideas (click to expand)

The class covered the making of a single piece: a pair of earrings, a pendant for a necklace, a ring, a focal point for a cuff bracelet or a bangle bracelet with 5 or 6 beads (depending upon required length). More pieces could be made for a nominal added cost (typically $20), and there was enough time in the hour to get instruction and make two pieces. For my part, I decided to throw in the extra $20 and make both a necklace and a six-bead bracelet. The necklaces automatically come with a silver-plated chain, and you can pay more for a sterling silver chain. You make the glass portion of the jewelry, and once it’s out of the kiln, the folks at Luke Adams take care of the gluing, mounting and other associated work required to turn the glass into something wearable.

My pendant before

Pendant – before fusing

My pendant - after

After fusing…lovely!

My bracelet - before

Bracelet components, pre-fusing

My bracelet - after

So pretty!!

I have to say, one hour isn’t nearly enough. I could’ve stayed for 3 hours. 5 hours. It was a ton of fun trying to see what combinations I could come up with, and my fauxCD was nicely challenged by the need to make precise cuts and snap things just so in order to make sure that I didn’t turn the glass into something resembling poorly scooped Jell-O. (Which I also did, by the way.) It was so much fun that when I was on Groupon the other day, buying access to MOAR STARBUCKS (yeay!), I saw a deal for a one-hour glassblowing class that yields you an ornament or paperweight. A quickly placed tweet to my sister and off I went, buying yet another hour of time at the studio.

I can’t wait. We’re heading over there in early June, and I’m sure it’s going to be fantastic. Naturally, I can’t afford to do this all the time, but I have to say that it’s terrifically fun expanding my knowledge of media and trying new ways of making jewelry. Sure, I didn’t fire the items myself (students put their pieces on a shared kiln tray and the Luke Adams folks handle it from there), but I don’t need to watch the glass fuse to know that I made original pieces that I already LOVE wearing. Even more fabulous than the compliments I get from co-workers, I have the self-satisfaction of knowing that I made what I’m wearing and I got to learn something while making it. That’s just cool on so many levels…

More examples of what they offer in their store:

Glass pumpkin patch

The shiniest pumpkin patch ever?

Glass bowl

WANT.

For anyone else interested in checking out Luke Adams Glass – they have their own store at the workshop, and you can sign up for classes through Groupon or right there in the store. They seem to offer deals through Amazon Local Deals and Living Social, or you can pay full price right through their website or by signing up at the studio.

Disclaimer: Neither Groupon nor Luke Adams Glass provided anything in exchange for this post; I wrote this on my own, under my own steam, and solely because I WANTED TO WRITE THIS TO SHOW MY SUPPORT OF A WICKED COOL LOCAL BUSINESS. The Groupon deal used to take this class was paid for 100% by me and my sister, without any additional offsetting by a third party. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Quality time at RadioBDC: Churchill “Live in the Lab” & Planking with @BeWellBoston

I realize that’s the world’s longest blog post title and I JUST DON’T EVEN CARE. I had an awesome time, and it’s totally worth sharing.

Churchill

Churchill (from L-R): Michael Morter, Joe Richmond, Tim Bruns, Tyler Rima and Bethany Kelly

 

First off, I’ve been massively in love with Churchill‘s current single, “Change”, ever since RadioBDC started to play it in heavy rotation. A folk-indie quintet hailing from Denver, CO, Churchill blends sweet melodies with sharp lyrics and soulful harmonies. I was lucky enough to score a pair of spots on the guest list for their “Live in the Lab” set at RadioBDC, and I’m just so incredibly glad I went. I’d fallen pretty hard for singer/keyboardist Bethany Kelly’s breathy voice in all those airings of “Change”, and the rest of the band – singer/guitarist/founder Tim Bruns, singer/mandolinist/founder Michael Morter, bassist Tyler Rima and drummer Joe Richmond (who was a spitting image of Dave Pirner) – were all equally fabulous. Morter’s mandolin solos – especially during their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” – were utterly brilliant, and the five-piece band managed to pack quite a lot of energy (and equipment) into the tight confines of the Lab stage. The holiday wasn’t the only reason the audience area was packed for this performance; this band really has some great chops. For those who like their alt-folk equally as smart as Death Cab for Cutie, with the sweet vocal stylings of Zero Seven, I highly recommend checking out Churchill.

 

Churchill

Morter rocks out on the mandolin solo, while Bruns does an equally fabulous job on the guitar

 

You can get a nice view of their set by going to the Live in the Lab archive on RadioBDC’s web site. Three of the four songs they played, including “Change”, are included in the archive; there’s also a brief interview with the band, as well.

If you want to hear more of Churchill for yourself, samples of tracks are available via Churchill’s web site, Reverbnation, and Myspace. Better alternatives: go to the store and buy the “Change” EP and download the RadioBDC app to your iPhone/iPad, Android device or Blackberry. Seriously, I don’t shill. They’re not paying me for this. I believe in local radio and I believe in having your music curated by people, not machines. Live in the Lab sessions and other free shows put on by RadioBDC are a public service that are worth more than their weight in gold. Support bands, support music, and for pete’s sake: Support ACTUAL local radio. Please.

OK – enough ranting. Now, I get to talk about the other fun part of my visit.

I’ve been corresponding aplenty on Twitter with boston.com senior health & wellness producer Elizabeth Comeau, aka @BeWellBoston, as she tries to convert the masses to #plankaday. She’s also in the process of running a training program for two of the Adams in her life, including RadioBDC’s Adam 12, as she gets them prepped for a 5K race scheduled for early March. A regular contributor to RadioBDC, Elizabeth is often found in the halls of their studio trying to convince RadioBDC’s Henry Santoro to do just ONE PLANK for the rest of us. (His hilarious attempts to avoid doing #plankaday, including his now-famous “standing against the wall plank”, aren’t discouraging her one bit.)

Planking at RadioBDC

Friends don’t let friends plank alone – I’m in the upper right-hand corner, with my friend next to me; Elizabeth is at the bottom of the picture

 

We promised that we’d meet up and do a plank, and so we did. After the show, we hung out for a few minutes and then grabbed some carpet space at the back of the lab and planked for 1:08. I could’ve gone a little longer, but since Elizabeth is already up in the 5-minute plank range, I knew that I’d be down on the carpet well before her. It was great getting to meet her – and getting in my plank right there in the RadioBDC lab! It was also nice to have a friend along with me who was a good enough sport to get in on the fun; of course, since she’s a spin instructor in her spare time, she also said, “I could’ve gone longer!” Now, if only we can get Henry to do one…