BLOG IN A BOTTLE

We always thought that a shrub was a small bush or tree. But it turns out that it is also a Persian word for a syrup that contains citrus juice and fruit. Camper English, a cocktail and spirits blogger at Alcademics, recently took a class in creating shrubs. It turns out they are very simple and easy to make!

You just need some sealable glass jars and a selection of berries, fruit, herbs and spices to fill them. (Check out our post on herb-infused vodkas for some flavour combination ideas.). Cover the contents of the jar with warm fruit- or wine-vinegar. Leave for a week, shaking now and again to disturb the fruit and allow the liquid to circulate.

After a week you strain the mixture and discard the fruit. Return the syrup to the jar, add sugar, seal and place it in the fridge for a week. The exact amount of sugar you will need depends on the fruits you have used so remember to taste! Don’t add too much – the mix will become a little sweeter as it matures in the fridge.

After a week you have the perfect syrup base for a cordial, or you can use your shrub as a mixer in cocktails. Strawberry shrub and champagne sounds like the perfect summer treat to us! As always, we’d love to see your flavour combinations and the results, so why not share them on the Friends of Glass Facebook page?

Renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly is celebrating his 70^th birthday in 2011 with a new exhibition at the LongHouse Reserve gallery in New York state. And to celebrate the gallery’s 20^th anniversary, Chihuly will create a glass sculpture that will remain on display at the LongHouse permanently.

Chihuly started working with glass during his studies at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965 he continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He later established the glass studies programme at RISD and taught there for over ten years.

In 1968 Chihuly moved to Venice where he worked in the Venini glass factory. There he first observed the team approach to glass blowing which still influences his work today.

The current exhibition at the LongHouse continues Chihuly’s fascination for combining glass and gardens. Since 2001 he has held a number of exhibitions in botanical settings.

Over the summer we hope many of you have been gathering sea glass as you stroll along the beach. But how to display your collection? While we might not all have the patience and skills of Alison Goyette (see our story on Boston Sea Glass) to turn them into jewellery, it is easy to create a sea-glass mobile as you can see in this video from Martha Stewart.

You just need sea glass, pieces of driftwood, cement glue and some fishing line. You can also include other objects such as stones or beads.

Wrap the string around the sea glass and tie into a double knot. Secure with a dab of cement glue. Continue until you have a string of the desired length and then attach to a piece of driftwood. You can add pieces of driftwood to create branches for the mobile or just runall the lengths of sea glass off one branch.

Hang your creation in front of a window to illuminate the glass and it will also tinkle beautifully in a breeze. Don’t forget to share your creations on the Friends of Glass Facebook page!

City Cradle Designs have come up with this easy to make vanilla ice-cream kit. All you need is a flip-top storage jar, some rock salt, a small zip-lock plastic bag, milk, cream and a little sugar and vanilla powder.

Simply add the rock salt to the jar and half fill with ice. In the zip-lock bag, combine half a cup of milk and the same amount of cream with a teaspoon each of sugar and vanilla powder and seal. Half fill the jar with ice, add the milk bag, close the jar, and shake for five to eight minutes. Hey presto – ice-cream!

During the early years of the 20^th century, the city of Fort Bragg in northern California began to dispose of its waste by tipping it over a cliff. The waste fell onto a strip of shoreline below, where it was washed away or corroded by the action of the sea. Known locally as “The Dumps,” the site was utilised for all manner of garbage until it was closed in the late 1960s.

In the 40 years since, Mother Nature has reclaimed the shoreline. The action of the waves has corroded or claimed most of the metal and other debris, replacing it with a patchwork covering of sea-glass stones which glitter in the sunshine. There are sea glass pieces of all shapes and sizes, and in almost all the colours of the rainbow.

In 2003, the beach was incorporated into the MacKerricher State Park and it is now illegal to remove the sea glass. That should help ensure that Glass Beach remains beautiful for many years. But it made us wonder how many years before the waves grind the sea glass into glass sand?

A few weeks ago we featured a story on Boston Sea Glass. This collection must make Alison’s mouth water!

One of our glass ambassadors, Elaine Jones, is truly excited when it comes to crafting and designing with glass. And even more when she can show people what can be done with recycled glass!

There so many items that can be made to grace your home.  From recycling glass bottles into cheeseboards, butter dishes, tapas dishes, clocks, jewellery and much, much more.

Each piece is unique as glass slumps in many different ways and is not always predictable.  For Elaine, this is what makes working with glass so amazing. She just loves the colours and textures that come out of the kiln.

And it never ceases to amaze her that when people see their displays the most common comment is “It’s not real glass is it?” or “How do you crush the glass flat?”. People just make lovely comments on her chosen colour, texture and originality.

She shares her passion with her husband who is the “Techy” in their projects. Elaine takes the creative lead.

Elaine’s  inspiration for her creations?  They come from nature and functionality, she says:
“I love to transform a used item of glass into a thing of beauty that can be used in another form.”

Her philosphy?  Love glass and let it live on! Something we truly love to hear!

Beth at Unskinny Boppy Dreams has come up with this incredibly simple lantern for your outdoor seating area – perfect for summer entertaining. All you need is a frame (in Beth’s case an old ladder that she found at a market) and some old jars.

Hang the ladder in position, then attach the jars with wire. Add lengths of chain to the ladder so you can hang the jar lamps at different heights. Simply fill each jar with a little sand to keep the tealight candles stable, add your candle and light. Use citronella candles in some of the jars to keep the bugs at bay and you will be able to sit out under the stars all night!

As part of New York Design Week, the Japan Premium Beef store in the NoHo area of Manhatten displayed this glass sculpture by Sam Baron. Originally from France, Baron is now Creative Director at Fabrica, an international communications research centre.

The delicate installation was hung in the window of the store, combining the beauty of glass with the beauty of a good handmade sausage.

Water towers are a common feature of our built environments. But many have reached the end of their lives and new uses have to be found for the buildings. Take this example on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. Using glass, the owners have transformed this six-storey derelict tower into a fabulous home with stunning views over the Braaschaat forest. Opaque glass is used to provide privacy on the public sides of the building, while clear glass provides amazing views over the forest on the other two sides. There are more photos of the building at Inhabitat.

Do you have a glass building in your neighbourhood? Why not share it on our Facebook page?

New York artist Mark Reigelman has delved back into his childhood to recreate the living room he grew up in. The main difference though is that each piece of furniture in the new version is covered in broken glass. At first glance it looks as though each piece could be taken out of the gallery and utilised. While fun and thought provoking, we’re not sure it would be that comfortable! The exhibition is on at New York’s Heller Gallery where you can order items from the collection.