Fife teenager's semi-colon glass pictures raising money for mental health charity

Keiara Blackwood, from Kirkcaldy, has been working with fused glass since she was eight years old. Now she’s 15 and she’s putting her creative talents to good use by designing glassworks with the semi colon design – a symbol of mental health – and selling them to help raise money for charity.

Keiara’s mum, Alicia, explained: “Keiara’s been making things from fused glass for a number of years now. She decided to make some semi colon pictures and try to raise money for charity. We posted a few pictures of the ones she had made on Facebook and people started to say they would like to buy one if she was raising money for charity too.”

Since learning how to work with fused glass Keiara has been making items alongside her gran Lorraine Wilkinson and they have sold some at craft fairs. However, this is the first time that Keiara is selling her own work to raise money for a charity that is important to her.

The Kirkcaldy High pupil will be selling some of her semi colon glasswork at Envy Tattoo Studios in Kirkcaldy this week during a flash event being held by the studio.

On Wednesday, April 5 from 10am to 6pm, Envy will be taking part in The Semi Colon Tattoo Project inviting people to have a semi colon design tattooed on their arm or leg in support of charity Suicide Awareness Prevention UK (SAP;UK).

Keiara’s creative works will be on sale during the event with £1 from every piece sold being donated to a mental health charity.

Alicia added: “Keiara is very creative and she would love to become a tattoo artist. Alan at Envy has been fantastic and when we asked if she could have a wee table selling her pictures for a mental health charity he was happy to support her.”

For more information about Envy Tattoo Studio’s Semi Colon Project event on Wednesday, April visit their Facebook page here.

To view more of Keiara’s glass work visit LDW & KGL Glass on Facebook.