Sif Wolthers

After finishing her BA Honours in '98, Sif relocated to the beautiful cathedral town of Salisbury in south Wiltshire. 

Here Sif spent several years as an Artist-in-Residence; first in a local school, then a factory and subsequently at the Design & Contemporary Craft Emporium Fisherton Mill. Then having successfully applied to The Prince's Trust in for a business start-up loan and grant, Sif was in January 2005 finally able to set up her own studio in new premises right in the centre of Salisbury.

Now settled in, Sif's studio designs, makes and markets exciting and original artwork in glass, silver and ceramics. There is a full and varied range of high quality items including dishes, vessels, coasters, hangings, jewellery, decorations, figures and much, much more. Plus also the fun and imaginative "Bottle Pranks" collection made from fully recycled glass bottles. Both quirky and practical!

Teign Valley Glass contemporary glass art

Teign Valley Glass was set up in Teignmouth, Devon in 1981 to make specialist hand-made marbles, aiming to reproduce the specialist techniques of Victorian glass makers. The company now makes a wide selection of beautiful glassware that is highly collectable, stylish and often functional. They employ an eclectic mix of traditional and modern techniques to produce highly individual work which brings their ideas to the forefront of UK glass design.

Wood turning is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects on a lathe. Wood turning differs from most other forms of woodworking in that the wood is moving while a stationary tool is used to cut and shape it. Many intricate shapes and designs can be made by turning wood.

There are two distinct methods of turning wood: spindle turning and faceplate turning. In spindle turning, the wood is fixed between 2 points. The spur centre digs in to the wood and is powered by a motor. The other, a hard centre or a live centre may be a point or set of points in the tail stock. In face plate turning, the wood is secured with screws to a faceplate or in a chuck or jig. the tail stock and a centre may also be used for added support on large pieces with a faceplate. Most bowls, platters and many vessels are face plate turned, while, Pens, furniture legs, spindles, and some vessels are spindle turned. The method used may differ depending on the shape of the blank and the technique of the turner, and both methods may be used on the same piece.

When wood is cut in such a way that the fibre being cut is not supported by the fibre below it, it tends to separate and tear. This "tear-out" exhibits a rough, highly damaged looking surface texture. The direction of cut is different in spindle turning and faceplate turning because cutting in the wrong direction can cause tear-out. Spindle turning cuts are made from high points toward the axis on the outside of the piece, and from the axis toward the outside when hollowing. When faceplate turning, the opposite applies.