“The light of a lamp is always stronger than the darkness around it.” Unknown
Well, I’m back at it. I loved the coffee class at Fabrikafa so much that I signed up to make a Turkish lamp! Who doesn’t love a good arts and crafts project? Plus, studies show that these types of activities reduce stress and anxiety. So make a lamp, knit some socks, paint, write, etc. if you need to chill out.
Here are a few fun facts about the Turkish lamp that I found online. You can read more interesting details, here.
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They date back to the 9th Century and are influenced by both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
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They are also known as Ottoman lamps.
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They were first made of clay and metal prior to glass.
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The colors and patterns are not random. Each design and color has a meaning, i.e. blue is to ward off evil and a tulip design symbolizes God and paradise.
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They are not only used to provide a warm light for the home but also for religious gatherings, weddings, and festivals. Someone told me that their family uses a specific lamp in the house (lit 24 hours a day) during a weeklong period after the death of a family member or friend. They said that the design of this particular lamp brings warmth, comfort, and healing to those who are grieving.❤️ Such a beautiful tradition.
Alright, let’s get down to business.
The art studio and tools.
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Glass globe for the centerpiece of the lamp.
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A sheet with suggested patterns and designs.
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Colorful glass tiles (precut).
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Colorful miniature beads.
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Syringe with glue.
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Tweezers to place the glass tiles on the globe.
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Wooden paddle to press the beads into the glue.
I persuaded Vera (from Prague) who I met on the walking tour into coming to the class and we were joined by Alex, a nice guy from Australia.
Surprisingly, it was a fairly simple process…made easier by having all the supplies ready to go at our fingertips. Beyza (our instructor) has done an amazing job of organizing the class with an easy step-by-step process. Her instructions were direct and seamless to follow – plus she was right there with us to help guide us along the way.
The most difficult part of the entire process was choosing the design and colors – so many options! Beyza provided a sheet of traditional Turkish patterns as suggestions or as she said, “The great thing about art is that you can make up your own design.”
Once you’ve decided on the pattern and the color scheme, it’s time to start laying it out on the board to make for easy assembling. I chose a traditional Turkish design and colors.
I gathered inspiration from some lamps I saw in the Hookah bar with Vera a few nights before. Beautiful, right?
In addition to the glass tiles, you can add miniature beads if you so desire. They have a ton of colors to choose from to create a beautiful mixture or a solid color if that’s more your style. Beyza was very helpful with choosing the color palette of the beads so it would blend nicely with the tiles I selected.
Once the pattern is laid out on the board in the preferred arrangement, it’s time to begin gluing the tiles onto the glass globe. I was so focused and in the moment during the assembly of my creation that I forgot to take photos along the way. Sorry (not sorry). I feel that this was a good sign that I was enjoying the process…because I was! It was like a meditation.
After the tiles are set on the globe and the placement looks symmetrical (it takes about 10 minutes for the glue to harden there is plenty of time to adjust them), gobs of glue is smeared in between the tiles to hold the beads. Next a big mess ensues as the beads are poured onto the sticky glue. Not all of them stick on the first try. The little rascals bounce and roll everywhere – including onto the floor and into your shoes. I was a little worried about causing a storm of tiny beads everywhere in the studio but Beyza encouraged us to be messy as we poured so the lamps would have more beads adding to their beauty. She is truly an art teacher at heart. The bigger the mess the more beautiful the creation.
Using the wooden paddles, we pressed the beads into the glue and if need be, used the tweezers to get them into all the little nooks and crannies between the tiles. It easy to do but time consuming. The beauty is in the details so don’t skip this process.
Once the art piece is to your liking, just pop on the bottom piece of the lamp, plug it in and …
Ta da! Let there be colorful light!
The final product turned out great! I am so pleased with how it looks…especially lit up. Beyza held it up to a piece of white cardboard to show the reflection. Gorgeous.
It looked like a kaleidoscope of colors as she spun it around.
Everyone’s lamp turned out beautifully! And it’s the perfect souvenir from Turkey.
Vera’s is on the left, mine is in the middle, and Alex’s is on the right. His is unique because he filled the majority of the globe with tiles instead of beads. The geometry of laying out all the tiles was interesting to watch. It looked difficult especially since it was on a round object but he made it all fit!
While we waited for the lamps to dry (15-20 minutes with the light on for heat), we hung out in the coffee shop area of Fabrikafa. It’s super cute and trendy…and open to the public. No class is required.
This experience was so enjoyable that I might have found a new hobby. And given the current global news, I could use an artsy activity to reduce my stress and anxiety and to shine more light…it’s the only way to drown out the darkness.
More to come from Istanbul…
Good Things List
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Making a mess and being encouraged to do so!
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Arts & crafts.
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Beyza for being a wonderful teacher.
Much love & gratitude. Namaste 🙏
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More traffic mirrors! For those of you who are new to the blog, I have a love of, okay, an obsession with traffic mirrors from my days walking the El Camino de Santiago. There is not a lot happening while walking at a snails pace across a country and seeing a traffic mirror and taking goofy photos becomes a highlight.
As a former advertising student, these advertisements on the wall of the studio made me laugh. So retro chic. The hairstyles. The clothes. The gold metal frame. Amazing.
