Our last blog before Christmas

Our Last Blog Before Christmas

In today's blog I was going to write about stained glass windows and the modern alternatives available that we offer.

On reflection, I have changed my mind, instead I want to talk about 2015 for gekoglass.

Anyone that has their own business will know that you always have ups and downs. The financial climate makes it very difficult for independent businesses to survive, but we are still here! We have had some knock backs, ups and downs but overall it has been a really positive year for gekoglass and we are very very proud of our achievements. 

We have fitted a plethora of splashbacks in blues, reds, purples, pinks, greens, blacks and whites with and without sparkles and cobweb effect. In 2016 we are hoping people in the Scarborough area get a little braver. We would love to see some splashbacks with digital images on them, maybe a scene of Scarborough harbour.

Stunning blue cooker splashback 

Red sink splashback

  

We have had many overlay lead commissions in 2015 including internal windows, external windows, light boxes and doors. These have featured owls, outdoor scenes, flowers, geckos and butterflies. Below are two internal door panels we have fitted this year. There are also three images below of internal windows we have created and original stained glass which we have restored and encapsulated into double glazed windows. .

 

  

Our glass boutique has seen many many new introductions including a lovely orange wall, our very own marble run 'The Tree Trunk Trundle' and loads of new crafters introducing their products to Scarborough. All year we have created new products including dichroic glass necklaces, glass bunting, glass hangers, glass tile favours and some stunning vases. 

   

The following video is one of our Dome Runs. This is a marble run for you to take away with you. Ideal for anyone looking for their marbles!

Our biggest achievements in 2015 were being nominated for 'Best new Business' from two different awarding bodies, CBYC Business Awards and The Scarborough News Awards. We would like to thank everyone involved with both of these ceremonies for the acknowledgement. It has really given us confidence in all our products and services. 

 

Our Glass Boutique is open right up to 23rd December for any last minute gift buying. We are then having a bit of a rest and will re-open on 5th January 2016. Thank you to all of you for joining us on our journey. We look forward to developing many new products in 2016 and sharing them with you.

Finally we at gekoglass would like to wish everyone we know, and everyone we don't know a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year 2016. 

#blog
#gekoglass
#handmade
#scarborough 
#uk

Fused glass... a little bit of history

Glass fusing

I hope to write a blog once a week. I want to write about different things that interest me, relating to Gekoglass in some way. I hope that you, my readers also enjoy what I’m writing. In today’s blog I want to talk about glass fusing, what it is and where it comes from. Also what we make using this glass technique.

A close up of an orange fused glass bowl.

The glass fusing process is where a selection of glass pieces are joined together by melting them in a kiln.  Pieces of compatible glass are chosen, cut and then placed in the kiln. A kiln is an oven which reaches temperatures of around 800°C to create the ideal circumstances for melting the glass. The glass heats up slowly and then faster; the glass softens, becomes hotter and more fluid, it then sticks together. Eventually the kiln cools slowly allowing the glass to be solid. The kiln we have takes around twelve hours to perform this process.

This is a view into our kiln while at 600°C.

While the precise origins of glass fusing techniques are not known with certainty, the first fusing and kiln casting that can be formally identified were produced by the ancient Mesopotamians in the 2nd millennium B.C. These processes evolved from ceramic and metal working techniques and glass was considered a precious material alongside silver and gold during this time. The Ancient Egyptians also developed the process. By the latter half of the second millennium they became proficient in fusing the other glass techniques. Greeks and Romans continued to improve the techniques.

Unfortunately the developments of kiln formed techniques were short lived due to the emergence of a new practise, glass blowing. This became popular as it could be repeated easily and was considered more efficient and cheaper. It became the prevalent practice for glass workers and spread throughout the Roman Empire.

By the 2nd and 3rd Century AD the warm glass techniques were almost forgotten. They were re-discovered in Europe, predominantly in France in the 19th century. Fusing began to regain popularity further in the early part of the 20th century, particularly in the U.S. during the 1960s. Bullseye Glass Co. was formed in Oregon in America in 1974 and has developed glass fusing techniques further. They were the leaders in research and developed compatible glass especially for fusing in recent times.

Modern glass fusing is a widespread hobby but the technique is also gaining popularity in the world of fine art. If you are interested in this have a look on https://www.pinterest.com as they have many example of fused glass art. Gekoglass began working with the kiln as a hobby. In April 2014 we decided to turn a hobby into a career.

We work with many different types of glass to create some unique items. We make jewellery with diachronic glass which creates many different effects. 

£18.00 each, available in our glass boutique.

Our scenes are often made using powdered glass and frit. Layers are done one at a time. They have to be tack fired in the kiln to create flowers and landscapes over two or three firings. This one (California Sunset) was done in two firings. The first was the background using powdered glass. The second firing used frit on top to create depth in the picture. 

'California Sunset' £35.00, available in our glass boutique.

We also encapsulate copper into glass. We have created bowls, vases and favour tiles, We have a range of hanging items including glass bunting, chain letters and Christmas hangers. Everything that we make can be personalised.

In the future we would love to offer glass making classes as we really enjoy what we create and would love to teach the art to many other people.

I hope you have enjoyed reading today's blog. If you have any questions or comments please get in touch. 

Visit Hanover Road, Scarborough

Hanover Road, Scarborough, UK

Gekoglass has been based on Hanover Road in Scarborough since August 2014. When we first moved onto the street, there were a lot of empty units. the unit we moved into had been empty for 16 years!!

One of the problems we faced when first moving here was the fact so many places around us were run down or derelict. Victoria Road had a lot of empty units with to/let and for sale as well as four other units on Hanover Road. 

Educating the general public that we were here was very tough as Hanover Road was 'just a cut through' to get to the train station or to head into the town centre. 

We are delighted to say that 16 months later it is a totally different story. On the street there is an array of places to visit. Here are one or two of my thoughts:

Sanctuary, hair, health and beauty offer a range of treatment rooms as well as some great stylists working in this hairdressers. A chatty group of ladies who are really focused on creating the right look for anyone. They are really good at making my hair stay in place!

Hanover Road Fish and Chip shop. A new (ish) unit on the street. This little gem also makes fantastic pickled onion rings, ideal accompaniment for their homemade fishcakes. A team of brothers who know  how to make good fish and chips.

There are two charity shops. Scarborough Samaritans and Scarborough Hospital League of Friends. Both shops have recently been renovated. The staff, who are all volunteers are happy to have a chat and help anyone who asks. They are always looking for donations and I took in a massive bag today!

The sewing alteration shop has expanded in recent years. They have altered one or two of my items in the past and workmanship is brilliant. 

The Art Science Gallery is a new edition to Hanover Road. They update their gallery once every three to four weeks. Items are for sale and when they are not open, you can still see all the wonderful artwork.

Violet Lux is a home haberdashery store selling all sort of trinkets and gifts, as well as childrens tents. New to Hanover Road this week, so welcome and we hope you enjoy being on this street.

Anna's sandwich shop has been around for a fair few years. they make your sandwich while you wait to take away. Ideal for a sneaky bacon sandwich for elevenses. 

The pet shop, Steve's Aquatic Emporium, has a plethora of pets needing that forever home. I have gone in to buy pet food and left with a pet snake... TWICE!! Steve has a lot of knowledge and breeds a lot of animals himself. Pop in if you need a bit of advice. 

Eat Me Social is the second venture for the Eat Me Cafe team. This is Asian inspired street food with all the vibes from Eat Me. well worth a visit, check the web site for opening days and times.

C'est La Vie is another new arrival to Hanover Road in August this year. They sell an array of antique items from tiny little jugs to big radiators and rocking horses. 

Gekoglass, that's us!! You should know by now that we have a great glass boutique selling hand made fused glass, jewellery, vases, trinkets, gifts for all budgets. Don't forget we have marbles for anyone that has lost theirs and you could have your own marble run to take home.

Andrea Willis designs has been established for quite a few years on Hanover Road. She can hand craft a card for you for any occasion. She also has some really lovely gift ideas. 

The barbers, are exactly that. Two chairs, take a seat and wait to be seen. Mr Gekoglass goes here to get his hair cut. They are a really friendly bunch and have been on Hanover Road for many years. 

Hanover Studios is yet another new addition to Hanover Road. these lovely ladies display all their art work. There are often workshops that you can get involved with so get in touch with them!

https://www.facebook.com/Hanover-Studios-586187094859134/

Last but by no means least is Eat Me Cafe. This is a cafe that offers more than cafe food. They are a fantastic bunch of people serving culinary delights. The hot chocolate and root beer are our favourites. 

The point of my blog today is to demonstrate you don't need to just visit the multi national conglomerate businesses in Scarborough. All the shops on Hanover Road are independent businesses. We would all love to see you visit our shops to say hello, have a bite to eat, a hair cut, makeover and buy one or two unique gifts form these fantastic businesses. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you visit Hanover Road really soon.

#hanoverroad #scarborough #uk #gekoglass #local #smallbusinesssaturday

Christmas and beyond....

https://www.facebook.com/gekoglass/?ref=hl

At gekoglass, we have a wide range of gift items ideal for that unique gift.  We hand make a wide range of kiln fused glass. This includes bowls, coaster sets, glass bunting, wall hangers, box frames, gift cards and jewellery. We currently have Christmas hangers just £4 each, limited stock available. Our 4eva range has been designed specifically for occasions such as weddings, christenings and anniversaries. Various items can be tailor-made. We also decorate vases and mirrors with RegaLead colour film and overlay lead. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google +,  Check out our items for sale on Etsy and Folksy... 

We are currently looking for holiday companies such as The Bay Filey, Haven and Cayton Bay Holiday Park to get in touch with us to discuss our decorative glass items. Have they considered something a little unique for their shop or visitors centre? We could design a range of glass items specifically for any business to incorporate the seaside theme (Scarborough area), which we feel would appeal to the general public. Alternatively our 4eva range may be suitable for any outlet. We can offer wholesale prices for bulk orders. 

 

We would appreciate positive networking to find suitable outlets for the unique range of products we make and sell. 

Any questions or enquiries, please just ask.

Nominated for 'Best New Business 2015'....

       

#Aprilfoolsday

It has been very bust at gekoglass HQ over the past month,

so much so that we haven't even had time to blog!

 

As you all know, today is April fools day.

We had no pranks pulled on us and we didn't have time to set any up!

 

Paul has been fitting #kitchens in Pickering, North Yorkshire in March and I have been working at gekoglass, glass boutique. Have you seen either of us on your travels?

 

This is Paul hard grafting!!

 

This month I have been researching all the wonderful products available out there! We want to stay with our glass theme so please watch this space for new marbles, new glass gift sets and loads of editions to our 4eva range.

 

We have donated some prizes to an event happening at The Nelson Pub, Scarborough, tonight

(1st April). All for a good cause, a very brave young lady is shaving her head for charity and holding a raffle. We have donated various prizes so to be in with a chance of winning get down there tonight from 7pm.   

 

 

This is a wonderful milk bottle which we personalised for a customer.

It has an S on it and 30 all in purple. Our customer was really pleased with it so I hope the person receiving it as a gift was also really happy.

 

Well I better get on choosing some new stock, hope to see you all in our boutique really soon

Lindsay

xxx 

 

 

Marble madness...

#blogging #marbles #spring

Been a few days since I last wrote a blog. We have been out fitting kitchens, measuring up for #splashbacks, cutting a #mirror down for a customer and talking #stainedglasswindows with some customers too!

But the best thing has been ordering some new marbles! We are known locally as the marble shop, is it any wonder with these great new editions...

This is called a bumblebee! It is fantastic and I don't really want to sell these, 

I'd like to keep them all! 

I think this one is a trex....

Next week we will get more new marbles, 

#handmade marbles so watch out for these new editions to our glass boutique....

gekoglass blog beginnings: milo milo milo

gekoglass blog beginnings: milo milo milo: #blogging I don't want our blog to just be about work. Our company is very important to us, but, home life is equally important. Last ...

milo milo milo

#blogging

I don't want our blog to just be about work. Our company is very important to us, but, home life is equally important. Last year we decided we would like to add an addition to our family. With two step children, a cat, a rabbit, a snake and some fish the obvious choice was to get nothing else! But after a long discussion we decided to look for a puppy.
This is no easy task! There are a lot of con artists out there pretending they have puppies and pretending to have pedigree litters so you must be very very careful. Someone was so keen for our money that they were willing to travel from Scotland to bring us a puppy, as long as we paid in advance! We realised this was a con!
We did a lot of research and ended up with a patterdale terrier cross with a boarder terrier...

Milo is now 17 weeks old. He can sit, stay, walk on a lead and poo outside. Wee is a completely different matter. He goes constantly! When you get home he greets you with a shower, if he gets too giddy he sprinkles, if he is scared of something and even if he just can't be bothered to do anything else he just wees! 

I want to know if there is any advice out there? I really want to train him to not jump up, to not run away if taken of the lead. Sensible things. I just don't really know the best way forward, how do I train his behaviour? I know now is a crucial time in his development and I don't want to miss the opportunity to train him to be a brilliant dog. 

He is also barking a lot, when we leave him, any advice on this too? 

He is overall a lovely dog, full of energy, if I can just sort out these minor faults then I think he will settle into life with family geko. 

Thank you for reading and we hope to see you all very soon 

Shop hours changing

#blogging

It's 3rd March already! Christmas is a distant memory and sunny #scarborough is looking forward to spring sunshine. This morning while I was walking my dog, Milo we actually got snowed on. I'm hoping the snow doesn't stick around!

I wanted to share with you all the great polished concrete worktop that I mentioned in my last #blog. 

As you can see from the close up it has our marbles encapsulated in it. We are really pleased with it and we can now take orders for this product. If you want something encapsulating into it, come in to chat with us to see if it can be done.

Our opening hours are changing from today. Moving forward we will be closed on a Monday and Tuesday until further notice. Wednesday's we hope to be open 10am until 2pm. Thursday's, Friday's and Saturdays we will be open 10am until 5ish!!

Any problems or enquiries, you can still contact us on facebook and Twitter. You can email us at sales@gekoglass.co.uk you can telephone us on 07594319805 or 07504207554. Or buy products from ebay, etsy and folksy. Or be old fashioned and come into the shop!!

Well that's enough from me today, thanks for reading
Lindsay
Gekoglass

The last day of February 2015!

#blogging

Well it's the last day of February 2015. I am happy to see the back of this month really!! It's been a tough old month here at gekoglass HQ. There have been staff changes and all sorts of qoutes being placed.
Moving into March 2015 we would love for these quotes to turn into orders. Fingers crossed!!

Today we have been setting up on line selling on Folksy.com. Below is a link, please try it out and see if it works.

Our new online selling area

We have put one or two of our items from the 4eva range on there to see what response we get. Your feedback would be great.

Today our new polished concrete worktop arrived. Encapsulated within this masterpiece is some of our very own marbles. Head over to our facebook page to see the photos!!
Orders for this unique worktop can now be taken.

The only other thing today is to wish my baby brother a happy birthday. I think he is 23 today!! So happy birthday and enjoy the rugby.
Xxx

A busy last week in February....

#blogging 

This week....

I really can't believe its Friday already. It has been manic at gekoglass HQ this week and will still have the weekend to go! On Sunday 22nd February we attended a great #wedding fair at The Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough. We met some brides to be, mother in laws and some grooms too. The afternoon tea which was provided to all stall holders was also brilliant. We really hope we have something a little different that we can offer for a wedding, or any other occasion. 

We also have some new stock which was shown off at the #wedding fair. 

These are fantastic wedding favours. Starting at £3.50 each

This is a box frame £30.00 each and they can be personalised with names and dates.

This is s bowl with heart inclusions. It could be a gift or used as a table centre piece. We have a wide range of items in our glass boutique, so please pop in. 

In the next week we will have some days when the shop won't be open for the whole day. From the second week in March 2015 our shop opening times will also change. This is due to a change in staff!! Paul who is usually in the shop will be out on site for the forseable future so I  will be holding the fort three days a week. 

We will keep you all as upto date with gekoglass news as we can. 

Thanks for reading and do feel free to leave us your comments. 

New fused glass coasters

#blogging

Continuing with our new range, 4eva, we have this morning taken out of the kiln this lovely set of coasters.

These are a set of four French Vanilla coasters with two copper heart inclusions. They can be found in our shop for just £33.00. 

If you were looking for something special we can also custom make items. 

We also offer a range of jewellery to accompany the 4eva range. Necklaces, earrings and cufflinks are  also available, made in our kiln with our meticulous eye for detail. 

Thanks for reading and feel free to leave us your comments :)

4eva range

Good morning to the blogging masses.
Today I just wanted to let you all know about our new product range 4eva©. This range of products can be customised to suit a variety of occasions. We are focussing on weddings, christenings, birthdays and anniversaries.
We have available favours, gift cards, box frames, bowls, coasters, wall hangings and jewellery. All these items are lovingly handmade in our workshop. If you don't see what you are looking for, you can discuss your needs with us and we can help create the perfect item.
Why not pop into our gift boutique, 5 Hanover Road, Scarborough?

We are also happy to announce today that we will be doing our first wedding fair this Sunday 22nd February 2015 at The Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough. We will be there from 12noon until 3pm and we hope to see you all there.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch.