This weekend I discovered some problems with my outdoor atelier concept. Glass engraving can't be done outdoors in a thunderstorm (Saturday), or in a high wind (Sunday). But yesterday the weather was perfect, and it felt special working outdoors on my new project.
I've learned a few important things about glass engraving:
1) You need very steady hands to do precision work with a vibrating tool, so coffee is out of the question on that day.
2) The smoothness, hardness and curviness of a glass jar makes it quite a tricky surface to drill on.
3) It's not easy to maintain a firm and yet gentle hold on an object that is both curved and fragile. 
I experimented some, learning to use a range of Dremel glass bits, and trying to engrave different shapes: the trickiest one was a spiral, like a vine tendril.
Now I need to create some patterns to engrave on the 12 yogurt jars that I luckily decided not to take to the glass recycling bin a year ago: instead of becoming candle holders, as I'd originally planned, they'll become storage jars for this year's dry herbs. I also need to solve a little problem ...
The jars have no lids, because I did recycle those - you don't need a plastic lid for a candle holder, after all!
