Hestia...completes the Stained Glass panels!

Not soldered yet, but look - it's finished!

From the bottom of the panel, looking upwards!

We always hated the big pane of 'bathroom' glass in our front door and were overjoyed to find the remnants of the original stained glass panel in a suitcase in one of the outbuildings.  The lead was a mangled mess and trying to piece back together the original pattern of the glass was proving a complete headache.

One night a couple of years ago, I opened the door to find a chap clutching a large photograph album.  He was a descendant of our home's builder, Mr Hunter, and he'd heard that I was interested in the history of the house and the family.

And although we spent a happy evening with coffee and pancakes perusing the photos, none of them gave a clear view of what the front door stained glass looked like.

Tartarus and I decided to ask a stained glass expert to give us a quote for just making up a new panel.  After I'd picked myself up off the floor and declined the quote, I decided to sign up for a stained glass course at Glasgow School of Art.  How hard could it be?!

I spent five glorious - and blood-stained - days making a small panel of a red kite in a windy sky.  I was happier than a dog with two dicks with my efforts..... One thing was for sure - it was not as easy as it looked - cutting wee bits of glass and whapping some lead around it.... But why it took another two YEARS for me to complete the stained glass for the front door, I'm not really sure.

Certainly part of it was I HAVE ONLY 5 DAYS EXPERIENCE OF THIS!!! Part of it was the fear of bloody fingers.  Part of it was the fear of making a complete arse of things.

But look.  I have done it.  Two panels for our front door!  I have even re-used some of the original glass to tie the old work and the new work together.... *stands back and waits for applause*

Am available for Bar Mitzvahs, Christenings and Funerals :-D

Hestia does Lahndahn...in numbers

 

The sitting room.  Yep, Sonshine is on-line already!

90 - the number of minutes our flight took off from Glasgow, late
90 - unfortunately, the number of minutes we got to Glasgow, early, to catch said flight.
60 - the number of minutes we tootled into central Lahndahn on the underground from Heathrow
303 - the number of our 2-bed appartment which was EXCELLENT
10 - the time I went to bed, fizzing with excitement about speaking at the UK Tarot Conference.

Where I tossed and turned all night.  Before I got into bed.

5 - of the a.m - how long I lay in bed, tossing and turning, worrying about speaking at the Conference.
8 - am - the time I left the flat to go to the Conference
8.20am - the time I arrived at the Conference centre to find, unsurprisingly, that I was a tad early
12.50 - the time my 40 minute presentation began
40 - the number, in minutes, that my finely honed presentation ran to! *high fives everyone reading*
6 - the number of additional hand-outs that I will need to e-mail to people because we DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH *high fives the reader AGAIN!!*
4 - the number of new decks that I am home with as a result of attending the Conference
eleventy-gazillion - new friends made at the Conference
1 pm - the time that we had arranged to meet blogging friends, Legend (aka Wally Bell) and Jo for lunch at the Dickens Inn on Sunday

Sonshine, Hestia and Legend.  Photo by Tartarus.  He doesn't believe in 'filling the frame'

 Sadly, think that the weather might have put off Jo (it was tipping it down) so we'll just have to organise to meet her the next time we're down!

3 - the number of hours spent in the delightful company of Legend
2 - the number of bottles of home-made wine that he brought us.
1 - the number of bottles of home-made wine that we brought all the way home
1 - the number of bottles of Wally's wine that we scarfed down on Sunday night
75 - the number of pounds required to visit Mme Toussauds in London
3 - the number of minutes spent debating whether it would be good value
3 - the number of unexpected hours that I spent in the V&A because the decision had been found not in favour of Mme Toussaud.
185 - the number of pounds spent on 3 tickets for Spamalot
1 - heart attack incurred by Tartarus when I fessed up the ticket price
2 and a bit - hours of fantastic fun that is Spamalot
8 - number of crows RAVENS (must have had a brain fart whilst typing - thanks for pointing out my error, Viv!) at the Tower of London

'Nevermore'

100 - number of smudge marks my sweaty little fingers and breath makes on the glass case as I edge my way around the State Crown admiring the jewels.  And no, you cannot get diamonds TOO big.
5,000 number of calories ingested at the Kensington Creperie.  Each.  Ice-cream to DIE for, lemme tell you.

Sonshine modelling the 'I can't eat another thing, but I'll give this a good shot'

 at Kensington Creperie!

uncountable - the number of good laughs we had in our 4 days in London
unknown - the time it will take me to save up enough to return.

I looooooove London!