Bex by Design

29/08/2026

Absolutely thrilled to have beeen awarded the Patron’s Prize in the Contemporary Glass Society’s Cabinet Of Curiosities exhibition for my Miniature Cabinet of Curiosities! What a way to start the weekend!

Mark Holford's Patron's Prize was awarded to Becky Harris Cowley for her piece "Glass Curiosities" - well done Beckie!

“Glass Curiosities is a miniature cabinet of curiosities containing some of my favourite designs, sandblasted to bring the light deep into the glass and the edges reflect the objects as if they are in a glass cabinet.”

We invited our members to create a piece of glass with the theme Cabinet of Curiosities embracing curiosity, experimentation, process-led exploration and storytelling – whether factual or imaginatively fictional for display at the International Festival of Glass held at The World of Glass St Helens. With over 100 artefacts now exhibited in our cabinet, our members most certainly embraced the theme, with a plethora of pieces using a wide variety of techniques from blowing to casting, fusing, stained glass and lampworking, and many others too. (You can see the full show online and purchase your favourites from Monday 31st 10am BST)

13/08/2026

My shy little camouflage ghost just disappeared a little bit more… I decided to sandblast the leaves deeply on the back of the glass first and overlaid the ghost so that you can see the leaves through them, absolutely loving the two stage approach and its effect, what do you think?!

17/07/2026

Remember when I made something for an exhibition and it turned out I hadn’t read the size requirements? Well here it is! I’ve always been a bit obsessed with miniatures so it’s a joy to be able to sandblast some of my own in this Cabinet of Curiosities. Which is your favourite design?

09/07/2026

Absolutely chuffed that my mini Cabinet of Curiosities block has been selected for the Contemporary Glass Society exhibition at The International Festival of Glass in St Helen’s! Can’t wait to see my work amongst the incredible talent that the Contemporary Glass Society nurtures.

Contemporary Glass Society

02/07/2026

I’m delighted to be able to show you these special tealight holders that I did as a wedding gift recently. The great grandad of the giver and the recipient sent a postcard home from the WWI trenches with the words ‘Just like the ivy I’ll cling to you’ and so I sandblasted them across the two tealight holders along with an ivy design and the wedding date on the base. Such a privilege to commemorate someone’s big day with such a poignant gift.

24/06/2026

Before I had foot surgery I worked hard to finish an entry for an exhibition on the theme of Cabinet of Curiosities, unfortunately I didn’t read the size restrictions and so my piece was too big! I revised the design for a glass block 10cm x 7.5cm and here it is, mostly done in my studio with my foot up and the sandblasting was done in five minute bursts, an absolute labour of love and stupidity!

05/06/2026

I’m laid up again after foot surgery but I managed to get this special commission under the wire before I had to stop, can’t show you the whole thing before it’s been given but so pleased that I was able to get it done in time!

27/05/2026

Proof, as if you needed it, that I have the best customers. Last November a returning customer asked me to do her a vase in memory of her mother, sandblasted with roses and butterflies. We agreed a design, and then I broke my wrist. I thought I’d be out of action for a couple of months maximum but complications meant that it took much longer. This lady has been more than generous with her patience and understanding and I was so happy when I was finally able to finish such an important commission, thank you Barbara!

19/05/2026

Just playing around with some ideas and this one came out exactly the way I wanted it to, just posting pawn on Facebook…

13/05/2026

A very much loved dog and neighbour, only one way for me to commemorate him. RIP Reggie, run free ###