Stained Glass Story

Get In The Truck Scout

2012-01-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

Last January we received a Duluth Trading Company catalog in the mail. I was glass-struck (which is like dumbstruck but different) with the cover. What a happy dog. Wouldn't he look great in glass?
So I did a little digging and found the artist. Rick Kollath was very gracious in giving me permission to recreate "Scout" in glass. I saved the email and got distracted by our construction project.
Now that the house is done and we're in, I finally had time to get back into glass projects. The transom was the first priority, while "Scout" waited patiently.

Really, once I started, it didn't take long. And sometimes the piece looks better and more clearly defined before it's foiled and soldered. But then it wouldn't hang in a window that way, would it? I'll get a frame built for it to set it off.
This is one of those things that called to me to be made. I don't have a place for it, nor do I have a yellow labrador. Hopefully I'll find a good home for "Scout".

The Eagle Has Landed

2011-12-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

Cleaning up after a project always presents a dilemma. Which scrap do I keep and what do I throw away? It kills me to throw any of it away, but what do I do with it? How small is too small? I'm thinking of getting a rock vibrator....like a rock tumbler, but different. I can throw the scrap into it to make nuggets for mosaics. I could also put sand in it with the glass and make beach glass.

Last week, I finished the eagle transom. Ed cut some wood stops to set it in place, and started the installation. I have to admit it made me nervous to have him hammering brads so near to the glass surface. I should know by now that he knows what he's doing.

We've been building this home for the last two years, and I've had this transom on my mind for longer than that. I was a little nervous that we'd get it up and then wouldn't like it, but I'm happy with it. The front door is on the north side of the house, however, and has a deep front porch. This limits the amount of sunlight that comes through these windows. My original plan was to make coordinated sidelights, but now that the transom is up, I think sidelight stained glass would cut out too much light into the foyer. I'll think about it.

The Glass Diet

2011-12-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

After a very long glass drought, caused by construction and moving, I am finally able to get back at it. I have a whole basket full of ideas for projects. They'll have to wait just a bit longer, because the first project is for the new house.
I wanted to do a window for the front door transom. We have bald eagles here. No matter how many times I see them, they give me a thrill. I designed the transom and sidelights to include the Columbia River and a GST soaring eagle bevel cluster.
Our new home has a designated craft room, which is wonderful, but during the final phase of construction it had become the receptacle for every tool, extra plumbing fittings, jars of screws, paint buckets...you get the picture.
With a look of dread, Ed asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Shopping is not an activity he enjoys.
"I'd like my craft room." I suggested. He beamed! That was something he could easily do. It took almost a whole day to move out the tools and construction debris, but it's mine!

In between errands, Thanksgiving and life in general I managed to get on one more solid day of glass cutting. Since I hadn't done any for a long time, there were a few bandaids associated with the memory curve. The glass for the gray mountains in the background and brown mountains in the foreground is Uroboros granite, which is textured. That means I have to reverse the pattern pieces, trace them with a silver magic marker, and cut them. There may be a better way to do that but I don't know what it is. Uroboros is rich, delicious glass, but it seems to me that it's also grainier, and a bit thicker than some other brands. All that makes it harder for me to cut.

But I did have a good glass day. When I get in the glass groove, I forget about everything else. The fire dies out, the dog is ignored. I forget to eat, which for me is a big deal. It's all about cutting just one more piece before I stop for the evening. It really does feel good to be back to cutting glass. And now I have a beautiful room to do it in. Once this project is up off the board, we will order stainless steel countertops and I can get organized.

Jasmine and Ivy

2011-04-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Trimming ivy is usually done with clippers. The ivy transom however was about 1.5 inches too long, partly because I didn't realize the window casing wasn't in and partly because I didn't measure it myself. Lessons learned. I wanted to avoid taking the completed work apart, and took a chance in using another method. Ed and I pulled out the trusty tile saw and used a test piece. Success!
So with bated breath, we ran the ends of the transom through with an equally satisfactory result. I probably wouldn't use this method with a larger panel, but the cut was only 8" long. By the time we had the cuts complete I was a nervous wreck.

Finally came the moment of truth. We went over to George and Carol's for the installation and a glass or two of wine. Glass first, then wine.
Carol and I stood down and chewed our fingernails while George and Ed set the window and shot nails into the trim pieces. I have to say...having a nail gun that close to the stained glass window was a scary moment.

The window fit, the nails missed the glass, so let the celebration begin. Thank you George and Carol for my first commissioned piece.

   Last year while visiting friends in Montana, their little chihuahua, Jasmine, was injured. Sadly, she didn't survive.

   I promised to make a memorial panel for them, but only just finished it recently.  I used black glass nuggets for her eyes and nose, and I made little foil overlays for the toes. I know Jasmine waits for Dave and Sharon at the gates of heaven.

   We're still working on completing our new home, so I'm not sure what my next glass project will be.

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

2011-01-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

   I've been unable to work on glass for some time. I interrupted Ed's work on the house to get him to build my glass storage shelves, set up shop in the garage, then for a million reasons not listed here, haven't done much with it.
   But fate has a way of taking you where you need to go. I received a request from a friend for an interior transom in their home. It feels good to be back doing what I love.
   Carol is a Master Gardener and George makes his own wines, so they decided on grape leaves. I went out into my back yard, hacked off a branch of an old, unproductive vine, and dragged it inside for a model. After staring at it for some time and combing the internet for botanical input, I came up with a pattern .
I thought about adding wire embellishment tendrils, but since this is a transom and up high, we decided they would become dustcatchers and left them out.
   The measurements were a little tricky because their house is 100 years old, and the transom isn't plumb or square. I tried to be pretty careful with the measurements, but I forgot one little thing. I didn't ask if they had finished trimming out the interior of the transom, so I made the glass 3" too long. Lesson learned for the next window!
   This weekend, I'll adjust the size, and hopefully next week I'll get it installed.

Mother S'kaana

2010-08-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

   The Friends of Skamokawa have a wine tasting and auction every September. They maintain the Riverlife Interpretive Center http://redmenhall.blogspot.com/ . It's a spirited (sorry about the pun) event each year.
   The last several years I've donated stained glass and decided to try something new this year. I've been playing around with polymer clay, which is like playdough only more permanent.
   I wanted something to reflect the Northwest but with a shift. The first piece started out well, but began to lose definition as it progressed, and by the time it was done it resembled a badly done kindergarten project. I did like the little tiny whale embryo piece in her belly, but the rest looked like a bad night in San Francisco.

So I started over, decided to tone it down a little and make it more three dimensional. Finally, after one or two false starts, I had my piece. I incorporated some glass waves, just because it felt right, and mounted it in a beautiful driftwood burl.

Mother S'kaana in the Northwest Tradition

A Little Side Trip On The Glass Road

2010-07-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

My granddaughter and I took a trip up to the Tacoma Museum of Glass. This is a museum that highlights hot glass. They have a huge hot shop with a gallery. The gallery affords a close up view of the entire process.

It was difficult to get clear photos because the crew
and the glass were in constant motion.
This piece was designed by Marvin Oliver, right in blue print shirt, and facilitated by Richard Royal, left in plaid shirt. They had a crew of about five assistants, all working like crazy.

This is a similar piece by Marvin Oliver. It shows the petroglyphs applied in frit in the inside layer of glass, and raven appliqués on the outside layer of glass. It was an amazing process.

From the inside to the outside of the museum, we went across the David Chihuly Bridge of Glass.

A picture is worth..well you know..

This is the ceiling. No, really...

The open air atrium at the Tacoma Art Museum allows shadow to constantly alter this Chihuly piece.

It is my fondest hope that Elicia saw something, anything, on this trip that sparked an urge to explore. That she will allow the beauty in her soul to flourish and flow.
Or, maybe she just had a fun trip with Nana. That's ok too.

What A Day For A Daydream

2010-05-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Construction on our house is in full swing, and I am only now unpacking my glass supplies. They've been in the loft of the barn since September and today I carried them all to their temporary home. Up the stairs to the loft (was that a chest pain or a gas bubble?) Down the stairs (did I do 8 steps or nine..yet) Back up the stairs. Down the stairs again. Load up the Gator with glass separated by cardboard. Drive over the dirt road filled with broken cinder blocks verry verrrry slowly. Carry the glass inside without bumping into any of the construction debris. Back down to the barn. Repeat.

This winter, Ed temped in a craft room in the garage. Since we're living in close quarters while the house is being built, it doubles as some extra space when family comes to visit. The cats think it's for them, and why crush their delusion?

Ed took a few hours yesterday and built shelves for the glass. They may not be pretty, but they are strong, functional, and temporary. Once the house is finished, I'll have the Taj Mahal of craft rooms!
Now my fingers are starting to itch. The glass whispers to me, and I'm daydreaming about patterns. In no time, I'll be immersed in a project. I can hardly wait.

Kaiser Permanente-Survive..er..Thrive

2010-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Life's road is uphill. This time it is not only uphill but full of switchbacks and rockslides. I've been out of state for the last six weeks helping my sister take care of Mom. At 88, Mom is usually an energetic, independent woman. With one misdiagnoses after another, she has been through a very tough time. We hope to get her home this week and back on her very busy two feet.
For now, glass will have to wait. Thank you, everyone for your prayers and patience.

Show Me!

2009-10-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Our lives have been turned upside down by our construction project, and I'm getting very little done in the glass world. I find I miss it terribly. Hopefully by The Yule, I will be able to start a few new projects.

In the meantime, our local historical society is putting together a small show of local artists. I was suprised and humbled when they asked me if I would like to participate. Many of the my best panels have gone to auctions, or gifts to friends and family. But I brought together six to show.

One of them is already displayed in the building. It went to a fundraising auction and the woman who bought it generously donated it back to the museum, The River Life Center.

The Portrait of Francoise is an interpretation of a Picasso drawing. I painted the eye detail on white glass, and used copper wire to define the lips.

Raven Steals the Sun is one of my favorites. I love the Northwest Native Peoples ' ledgund. It has aspects of the universal theme of the Virgin birth, and son/sun bringing light into the world.

Last year I took a photo of Mt Ste Helens from the highway that runs the Columbia River. It's very difficult to make trees look real, but then stained glass is an impressionist media for the most part. I love looking at the broad river, the rock face rising off the beach, and the towering trees above.

Mary, Clothed In The Sun is a little different, and won't appeal to everyone, but I wanted to try to capture the flowing robe. I also wanted to try painting on the glass, which was a limited success, but each panel is a learning experience. Besides the background glass is delicious! She has a crystal crown and Sacred Heart.

And finally, Schooner Moon, which is such a romantic image.

Until I started working with stained glass, I never thought of myself as a creative person. Now I readily try different creative processes, and I am not afraid to fail. What a liberating feeling!

Taj Magarage Glass

2009-09-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Ed and I are in the process of building a new home. We're in Phase I, which is the apartment above the garage, to be followed by Phase II, The House. I don't even want to think about Phase III. Who knows what's next. At the moment, we're working on the Taj Magarage.

What this means to my glasswork is that the cozy little room in our current living quarters will soon be no more. My choices were...1: in the barn; no heat, no air, no insulation, a long walk in the winter weather, or 2: downstairs in the garage; insulated, possibly heat, large doors for air, and a very short commute. After carting all my glass down to the barn, I decided to go with curtain #2.

Last week, I carted my worktable, most of my tools, accumulated Important Stuff, along with way too much Needless Junk into the garage. See that way cool sign up on the wall? That was a birthday present from my friend, Kim. It's perfect!

It's all very neat and tidy for the moment. Give me a week...I can mess it up bigtime.

The stove? Oh that, my friends is a butter yellow Magic Chef 1000, made in the 1920s. It has 6 burners, two ovens, a broiler and a warming drawer. It cooks like Denny's on steroids, and is going into the new Big House. That is a story you can watch at http://www.washnewoldhouse.blogspot.com/ .

While all this moving and packing and building and painting was going on, I got a call from the folks at a local historical society asking if I could donate a piece of glass for this year's auction. It is so hard to say no. Actually, I did say no, then I felt so guilty I called them back.

It's a design I have done before, but one that I knew would look nice and that I could do quickly.

Hip Hip Hooray!

2009-08-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since I had my hip roto-rootered, and I'm due for my final post-op appointment in a few weeks. The orthopedic surgeon that did the surgery is a kick. She specializes in women's sports injuries and hips, so I thought....hmmm..well it's a little goofy but why not? OHSU is a teaching hospital and she always comes in with an intern or two, so it's always a circus. Hopefully none of the cut lines will look like fractures.

Home At Last

2009-08-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ne Obliviscaris is complete and on the road to it's new home. I have been planning this project for several years, and it is hard to describe how I feel about it.

Every day police officers and firefighters go to work knowing that it could be their last. But that isn't what is on the forefront of their minds. They think about the regular stuff..family, bills, friends. Did they remember to feed the dog before they left for work? But the constant hum in the background is the other side... staying safe, getting sued, active shooters, hazmat spills...terrorists.

Emergency services dispatching, which is what I did, is exacting work, with no margin for error. It can eat you alive. It also gives you the opportunity, every day, to change the outcome of a potentially horrible situation. Shots fired, officer down, helicopter crash, childbirth, pursuits, lost kids, found kids. It was a great job and I loved it.

After 20+ years, Ed retires from law enforcement this week. After being shot at, run over, attacked by lunatics and generally having a great time, I will be thankful to finally get him home in one piece. It is only job that I can think of (besides active military and firefighting) that you have to put on body armor every day to go to work. It was a great job and he loved it.

We have been so blessed.

It's Hard To Resist

2009-08-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

The sandblasting was a success! It was a totally new thing and I was really afraid I would mess up the whole project, but I am really happy with how it turned out.

So here is how it went: I printed out the script on the computer. For the Lady Liberty motto, I chose a font that I felt was appropriate for the statue. For the badge, I just used a photo of the badge and enlarged it to the proper size. Then I taped the pieces with the words to the back of the glass. This is probably not the best way to do it because the thickness of the glass distorts the print, but I was careful to look directly down through the glass when cutting out the resist.

Resist is a clear plastic made specifically for sandblasting which can be cut with a craft knife. It adheres to the glass and won't get blown away in the blasting process. After burnishing it onto the glass, I used an electric stencil cutter (like a tiny hot needle) and cut out the letters. After peeling off the parts that I didn't want, I cleaned up any rough edges with an exacto knife, and carefully burnished off any burrs. This part was tricky because you don't want to displace any little pieces that are supposed to remain, or the whole thing is ruined and you have to start over.

Then I put resist on the back of the pieces so that any flying blasting medium wouldn't cloud the glass.

I borrowed a small siphon sandblaster from Ruth Doumit, a very talented glass and ceramics artist who advised me on this part of the project. I made a temporary sandblasting cabinet from a large plastic storage bin. I put the glass down at the bottom inside of the bin, covered the edges of the bin with pieces of wood and just reached in and blasted away.

Definitely low tech, and I'm sure there is a lot of snickering and eye-rolling going on someplace, but that's ok. I'll be the first to stand up and say I have no clue what I'm doing. There is some stunning sandblast art going on out there, and this isn't it. This is just fundamental script. When I win the lottery I might get some real sandblasting equipment, but I just needed something simple for this project.

I wish I had a picture of me in my sandblasting outfit cause it was quite the fashion statement. I had a bandanna tied over my hair "Lucy" style. I had safety glasses, dust mask, longsleeved shirt buttoned at the neck and sleeves, and gloves. It wasn't enough. Next time I'll get a sandblasting hood.

The banner is on the Lady Liberty.

The badge number here has been replaced with a tribute to September 11, 2001.

So here it is in rough form. I still have to put zinc u-came around each one. Ed is building a cedar frame for the finished piece. I'll probably spend hours cleaning and polishing the glass before it is mounted.

We'll probably get it all together next weekend. Ed will drive down for his last week at work and take it with him. I've had this project on my mind for several years and it feels good to actually put it together.

It'll Be A Blast!

2009-07-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

The largest part of the Lady Liberty for Ne Obliviscaris is soldered and ready for the sandblasted banner on the bottom.

After staring back and forth between pieces of glass, I decided to make the banner piece out of clear glass instead of the blue glass. With the motto etched on I think it will look better against the blue glass in the second panel.

The second panel is cut out and foiled, but since some of the pieces in the body of the panel are to be sandblasted also, I have to wait until they are done before soldering it. The lettering here shows through from the pattern cartoon, but it gives a good version of how it looks, pre-foil. All of that black background... will be gone. I used Spectrum artique for the border and blue gluechip for the badge field.

I took the cut pieces of blue glass, taped copies of the script to the back and then put the resist on the top of the glass. I used an electric stencil cutter (like a hot craft knife) and cut out the letters. Then after removing the unwanted pieces, I used a craft knife to clean up the edges. I had lots of solid advise from other glassers about how to cut these out. Of course, I didn't follow any of that advise, but this seemed to work best for me. We'll see what happens when they get blasted.

I met with a very talented glass artist nearby, Ruth Doumit, who will be very generously helping me with the sandblasting. Hopefully she will have time to help me with that this week.

Never Forget

2009-07-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

Ne Obliviscaris is the motto for the Campbell Clan, and is also the title for this piece. A two panel piece, this will be constructed similarly to a plated piece. The two panels will not be leaded together, but rather framed together.

For the front panel, I have modified a Glass Crafters pattern by removing their background, leaving Lady Liberty. Here, the background is clear glass. The statue is white wispy and white wispy/opal, with amber pieces for the flame and lights in the crown. At this point the piece is cut and foiled, awaiting the motto banner at the bottom.

The motto will be sandblasted onto blue glass. I've laid the blue across the unfinished piece to get a feel for the finished look of the first panel.
I still have to cut the script into the resist. I've not done this before, but I think I will put the resist on the glass, then a layer of carbon paper, then a copy of the script. I'll trace the script, remove the carbon paper, and cut out the letters into the resist.

Caduceus In Burl

2009-07-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm still in the process of packing up the house, entertaining my granddaughter, weeding the garden, dismantling the deck around the house for the construction project, and various sundry chores and projects.

In the meantime I needed to do a "Glass Challenge" project for a glass gift exchange. It needed to be about 8", 15 pieces, and mailed to the recipient by mid-August. I had limited information about the recipient other than their occupation was in nursing, and they just painted their house green.

So I decided to make a caduceus and mount it on a piece of alder. I used some ripped out electrical wire from the construction project,twisted it with the screwgun, then mounted a glass glob in the top loop. I then drilled a hole in the burl and it's done!

Same problem though....it seems like I've stalled out on the soldering skills. Had I been able to set the piece in hobby came around the edge, I would have been much happier. But I have only tried to do that once time before and didn't seem to get the knack of it.

I'm also working on a two panel project that I will start posting soon.

Sounds Fishy To Me

2009-07-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

While splitting wood for the winter, I kept seeing pieces of alder with beautiful grain around knots. Every time I put one in the stack of wood, I'd think, "Gosh, it's a shame to burn something so pretty." Next thing I knew I was throwing some of them into a pile. I knew I wanted to do something with them, but what? So I posted a picture of some of them on the glass forum I frequent, Artisans of Glass http://www.artisansofglass.com/ . In response, one of the folks there posted a picture of a beautiful pine knot they had used as a stand for a stained glass fish. What a great idea! I wish my brain worked like that!

Is there such a thing as coincidence? That same week, I received an e-mail from a friend asking if I would make a stained glass fish for his boss for a birthday gift..not too big. Yeah, I can do that! So I started hunting for a fish pattern. Spectrum Glass has many free patterns that they post for use, and they had the perfect fish...but waaaaiiiiit a minute..that fish looked familiar. Darned if it wasn't the same fish! Damn! That feels really close to copying. So after see sawing back and forth, I decided that since I was pressed for time, I'd just use the Spectrum pattern and had Ed route out a piece of the alder that I had. I glued felt on the bottom so it wouldn't be scratchy, and in the mail it went. I hereby issue a public bow to my forum-mates for their good taste and superior work, and thank them for their inspiration.

Schooner Moon

2009-06-10T09:14:00.001-07:00

Schooner Moon

A schooner moon has lit the night,
It's wonderous glow a glorious sight.
The smell of salt, the kiss of breeze
The rock of tide on gentle seas.
Take me, O love, this starry night
In arms of sail on windfilled flight.

All Hands On Deck II

2009-06-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

A thousand things on the to-do list, and I spent the day cutting glass. But I cut like a demon all day, to get it done. There are a few pieces of cloud that I may change out, then I'll foil tomorrow evening, and hopefully solder on Saturday. There are plenty of pleasure boaters coming into town this time of year, and I'd like to get it into the store asap.

All Hands On Deck

2009-05-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ed made a great frame for the Mt St Helens piece. It is rough cedar and fits the outdoor scene perfectly. I'll be taking this piece down to the store this afternoon.

Anne, glass artist in Canada and a very generous lady, sent me her spare controller for my soldering iron, among other things. I will be going up to Inspirations Glass in Chinook later this week to buy a new Hakko soldering iron. Between the new iron and the new controller, I'm hoping to see further improvement in my soldering. The soldering in this piece is much improved over prior projects, but I still need to work on that particular skill.

The next piece will be Schooner Moon. I drew this one out after seeing a beautiful sailboat down on the river. I should inventory my glass before I drive over to Chinook....

Glassing will have to take a back seat shortly. Summer means all hands on deck for construction. My granddaughter is coming for the summer. I wonder if she's old enough to run a nailing gun. Actually, I'd like to take my glass scraps, run them through a rock tumbler (have to get one) and we can make mosaics together. We'll see..

Mt St Helens From The Columbia River

2009-04-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

I finished soldering the Mt St Helens piece and my soldering is getting a little better. I'm thinking that my Weller 80 just isn't what I need, and may splurge for a Hakko 456 soldering iron. Also my temperature regulator is inadequate, but Anne, a glasser in Canada, had one she wasn't using and has very kindly sent it to me. Thank you, Anne!

I want to put this one in a frame and take it down to the gallery. Ed is swamped with things to do, and I hate asking him to stop and make me another frame! I tried to learn how to make them myself, but it was pathetic.

I also just finished a new pattern of a schooner backlit by a big moon, but I don't know when I'll be able to start it. Things are really starting to move with the house construction (www.washnewoldhouse.blogspot.com) and I don't know how much glassing time I'll be able to get in the next few months. First things first, and we need to get the studio over the garage done before next fall.

What I Did On My Solder Vacation

2009-04-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

I had my soldering class, and I enjoyed it very much. Let me start by saying that I waited two months for this class, only to have round two of the flu for the soldering class. The day before, I had to get my weekly trip to town out of the way, to come home to a very cheerful message on my machine saying to bring an un-foiled project, cut and ground, about 10" . Well that lets out Mt St Helens. So quickly, a relative term, I threw together a 10" project, which took about three hours to draw out, find glass, and cut out. Not the thing I wanted to do after shopping with the flu, but I really wanted to be at this class. Then I decided to play to the message again before taking a large dose of Nyquil and going to bed. UH-OH. I wasn't listening...she actually said..a 10 PIECE project. Mine had about 20 pieces. Now I'm thinking I'll wind up being the student from Hell who can't follow directions.

Some of the class was review..how to clean the glass prior to foiling, how put foil on so that it actually sticks, using a fid, etc. Review of the basics is always good. Then she got to the tricky stuff..the stuff that's hard to describe..is your iron too hot, too cold, too dirty..Are you using enough flux, too little, paste, liquid, gell? I have recently been dipping my solder in the flux, kind of wiping off the excess on the lip of the flux bottle. She uses a 1 1/2" square of standard kitchen sponge that she keeps in an (empty) yogurt container. She puts it on the lid, squirts flux on the sponge, uses that instead of a flux brush. I found I had better control with this than a brush. Then she leaves it out and used the sponge piece to wipe flux onto the solder as she goes. It worked very well. Then when she's done for the day she just pops the sponge into the plastic container and puts the lid on. The sponge stays good for a few months before it starts to dissolve from the acids.

I was putting my iron tip on the foil right at the seam, where the two pieces of glass meet, and wound up with flat seams, and I was too stingy with solder. She had me try putting the tip right where the glass and foil meet, on one side of the seam, at a 45' angle, and leaned toward the foil, slow down, and apply the solder. Holy Cow! A bead! It's a miracle! Well..sort of..every new thing I learn takes practice.

I used a geode in the center of my piece, and the edge is ..rocklike.. so she showed me a decorative solder technique where you apply a bead at the seam, then go back with a damp but not dripping wet sponge on the non dominant hand, and iron in the dominant hand. Heat the bead and while it's hot, dab it with the wet sponge. It makes a very rough spatter bead. At first I wasn't fond of it, but for certain applications, it looks good.

Mostly I need to get a better handle on my particular iron, be more generous with the solder and SLOW DOWN. All in all it was a good class, and I'm glad I went. I was hoping for a miracle pill for my soldering technique, and just like my diet, there isn't one. It made a significant improvement in my soldering, but I need practice practice practice.

Sky Pilot

2009-04-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a soldering class this Saturday. Soldering is my weakest point, so hopefully I will improve. We needed to have a project foiled and ready to go for the class, so I decided to make a pattern using took a photo I had recently taken of Mt St Helens. This photo is from the Columbia River, about 15 miles west of Longview. On a very very clear day, you can see Mt Hood behind it as well.

I used my Rapid Resizer program to print out a picture about 20x12 then drew out a pattern, but two things just didn't sit right. #1 is the pattern of the water. Too many pieces, so I squiggled (is that a word?) some of them out. #2 is the sky...there just isn't a good way to do sky that looks natural. Sky has no dividing lines. I finally went with adding some clouds, although I'm not much happier with that than I am the original plan.

Tonight and tomorrow I'll get it foiled, then take it to the soldering class on Saturday.

Tranquility Falls for Healing Animals

2009-03-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

The foiling and soldering are all done for "Tranquility Falls" for the Nan Pipestem Wildlife Rehabilitation Center's annual dinner auction. Ed will work on the cedar frame this week and I'll get it in the mail for the auction on the 21st of this month. Dare I say it.... so far....I've had no problems in mailing glass.

Thank you again to Focal Point Glassworks for a great design.

Creature Comforts

2009-02-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

Since high school, my daughter, Ellen has volunteered at the Nan Pipestem Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Tres Pinos, California. Each year they have a fundraising auction and dinner as their primary fund event, which will be this month. You can view more information at http://www.npwrc.org/events2009dinnerauction.html . This rehabilition center is a third generation effort, with no governmental funding, and to say it runs on a shoestring is a serious overstatement. If love and commitment could be burned as fuel, these folks have a power plant.

I will be making a stained glass panel for the auction. I have two more weeks to finish cutting the glass, foil, solder, frame in cedar, and mail to California. Piece of cake. The design, used with very kind permission of Focal Point Glassworks http://www.focalpointglassworks.blogspot.com/ is a lovely waterfall landscape.

You will note that I'm saving cutting out the glass for the green part of the tree almost until last. That's because it's the glass from Hell. It's Uroboros granite ripple, emerald green, and it is absolutely beautiful glass. Probably because of my inexperience, but handling that stuff is like putting my fingers in a food processor...on purpose.

Hopefully I'll get it all cut out today, and start foiling tomorrow. It's supposed to rain all this week, which is great glass weather. I can work on it all day and not feel guilty about staying inside.

Ok well, flash forward a few hours...the glass is all cut. I managed to not flay the meat off my fingers. Actually..the glass isn't too bad if you're careful. The last time I handled any was about a year ago, so maybe I'm just more at ease.

Tomorrow...foil!

Mary, Clothed in the Sun

2009-02-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

I decided to replace the background pieces that I wasn't happy with. On Monday, Debbie from Inspirations Glass was driving this way and brought me a piece. That was wonderful, because it saved me a two hour round trip to pick it up. Thank you Debbie!

Today I soldered the whole thing together. I'm nursing a miserable cold. The good news is I can't smell the burning flux. The bad news is..I can't smell the burning flux, so I probably inhaled way too much. In the winter, all I use is the ceiling fan to blow stuff around. I should probably re-think that part.

You'll recall from last posting that I had a tough time painting the face. I finally went with the third try, which was painted on the front and back. I also re-arranged her hair a little bit. Once it was all soldered together and in the sun, I realized that the coloration on the face was all wrong..the two coats made it too different than the hands and neck. So I took some steel wool to the baked paint on the back of the face and took it off, leaving the detail on the front of the face only. The painting technique is primative, but I still like it.

I'm also pretty happy with how the crown of stars and Sacred Heart came out. It's very pretty in the sun. I decided not to put bevels at the corners and border.

The Three Marys

2009-02-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

I have all the pieces foiled, and am happy with the piece overall. The solder lines will add definition to the drape lines in the clothing. The background glass swirls so much that some of it looks off-grain, and I'm hoping that in the light that effect will be deminished. The background glass was so expensive that I can't bring myself to replace it.

I was having a tough time with the detail pieces. face, hands and foot. The first time, I used a champagne GNA piece and just painted line detail. Of course I got the expression on the face just like I wanted it, but when it was held up to the light it was all wrong because it was transparent. I tried painting the back of the glass, but it just wasn't right. I re-cut the face piece and painted the front with a neutral base, then tried to shade and line paint the detail. The face was all wrong, and the glass didn't fit as well as I wanted. So I cut piece #3, painted the front and back with the neutral color, added some shading to the front, and line painted the detail. It's not perfect, but I'm no artist. Because I used a brush for the base, it's streaky up close, but I think it will be ok in the light. This afternoon, after everything was painted and baked, I bought a cheapie air brush, but I don't have all the stuff I need to learn to paint with it, so this will have to do for this project.

Peace Be With You

2009-02-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Across Silicon Valley, freeways, expressways and roadways criss-cross like a giant piece of chicken wire. With a thousand things pressing on their minds, people drive to work in an angry harried haze. Go ahead, take the Great America Parkway ramp off Hy 101, just north of Hy 880. And there, on a road that leads to an amusement park, overlooking those freeways, stands a beacon of serene compassion.

At 32', the Our Lady of Peace statue can easily be seen from the freeway. Whether or not you are a believer that Mary is the mother of God, surely you can believe that a mother's love for her child holds a mighty power in of itself.

I decided to try to draw a pattern of this statue for glass. In order to get the detail that I want, I've had to make it a sizable panel, 30.5"x20.5". It's not huge, but it's a decorative panel, not a church window. My biggest concern is her face and hands. I think I will paint detail on those, but I've not done that before. Do I use oven-cured paint or kiln-fired? Can I make it look like I envision? Can I find a kiln to use, since I don't own one?

The pattern I drew shows cut lines for glass pieces for her face. I will probably ignore those, cut the glass for the face as one piece and paint it. The detail will make or break (a little glass joke) the integrity of the panel.
I've never done this before, so I'm a little nervous.

I went to a glass store last week, Inspirations Glass, to see what was available. She carries a beautiful selection of glass, primarily Uroboros. After reading various descriptions of Marian visions, one hit the mark for me. It described Mary as standing on the moon, clothed in the sun. So, the colors I chose for this piece will not be the traditional blue and white.

The Sisterhood

2009-01-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

There were two incidents that inspired this piece. One was being present as my daughter gave birth to my granddaughter. The attending doctor and nurses were all women. There was a time-stood-still moment as the baby emerged where I was very much aware of the fabric of time, of all the women in my family before me, and all those to come.

The other was when my dad was terminally ill. Four generations of women were there to make sure he was as comfortable as we could make him.

The women in my family are all different, but each a thread in the fabric. I love them all.

Rantin' and Raven

2009-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

The raven is all done. I'm pretty happy with it, although as I stand back, I can see that it might benefit from some glass framing. Maybe next time.

I tried dipping my solder into flux as I went this time. It made the soldering go much faster, and smoother too.

Soldering is still a skill-in-progress and practice makes perfect, so I guess I'd better choose the next project.

The Raven Has Hatched

2009-01-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

The train to Arkansas took off yesterday in the mail. My brother should get it just in time for his birthday.

Since the snow is still everywhere, the kids are gone, and Ed won't be home until tonight, I started the Raven Steals The Sun. The pattern was already set on the board and traced on the fasson paper, so I started cutting glass yesterday. Six hours yesterday and five hours today..my eyes are a little buggy, and my hip is barking at me, but I'm really happy with the results so far. The center of the sun and the inside of the raven's beak is a deep garnet red..almost a black. I'm going to use a hematite bead for his eye. Most of the colors don't show true when the piece is flat..those that look kind of orange will be much brighter red with the sun through them.

This of course, is prior to foiling. I should get that done by Monday, and soldered on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to putting it in the light. The raven will be more transparent, and the seeded streaky Weissmach should be spectacular. I'm hoping the garnet will make his beak look like it's glowing with the heat of the sun.

This piece will probably be my first consignment piece to go in the local craft store, Made In Wahkiakum, I'll probably take in the MacKintosh Roses, and an abstract piece with a geode in the center.

Right On Track

2008-12-30T14:36:00.001-08:00

After fighting the snow for two weeks, things are going back their their rainy normalness. Thank goodness!

I managed to get the train soldered before Christmas company.I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll get it in the mail this week. The photo is up against a window, with lots of snow outside, so the white wispy for that first plume of smoke and the clear globs for the lights show up white. My guess is, I'll make this one again and put it in the local craft store.

Next is the Raven Steals the Sun. I'm pretty excited about that one!

Yule Never Know Until You Try

2008-12-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

At the last minute, I heard about a local craft show. I thought..well why not. I may not sell a thing, but I'll be participating. It's a very small community and if folks don't participate, it doesn't happen. There were about 9 vendors. The economy here has been worse than many areas. Lumber prices are down, and the local logging firm just shut down for several months. Salmon fishing has been restricted. That pretty much puts a chokehold on the local economy. Many folks come out just for something to do. The weather was predicted to be awful and it was that in full force. Did I mention there was no heat in the hall where we were? It was a bit nippy.

I quickly made a bunch of little stained glass Christmas Tree ornaments, two painted candles, a few painted glass ball ornaments. I also took three of my medium sized stained glass panels. I didn't expect to sell any, but it was interesting to watch folks as they looked at the stuff. Never having done a craft show, it was all a new experience. The experienced crafters there were very encouraging. I don't know that I'd do it all that often, but it was fun to try. I sold three stained glass ornaments, which is about as good as anyone else did.

I'll be starting the stained glass train next week. It's been snowing here all week, and I've been doing the Christmas baking and jam making. 10 pts of strawberry and 10 pts of raspberry. Yum. Next is pecan brittle and cookies!

On The Right Track

2008-12-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at a gazillion train pictures. Steam trains, skunk trains, narrow guage trains, diesel trains, bullet trains. I even found some very cool stained glass trains. I contacted Steph Harper from Harper stained glass http://www.harperstainedglass.com/ to see if she sells her patterns because I really really liked her trains. But at this point, they're not available. Rats! If they become available and I can afford them, I'd still buy them in a heartbeat.
I went back to the photos and narrowed it down to two, and tried to make patterns from both. One is much more complicated and would have over 200 pieces, and the second would have about 85. Guess which one I picked.

Yeah...I'm a wimp. I'll go with the train on the trestle. I'm not sure what glass I'll use. Straight black won't let any light through. I go to the glass store tomorrow and I'll see what my options are.

A Training Exercise

2008-11-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

I went down to see my kids and granddaughter last week, and worked at a fundraiser this last weekend, so not much glassing got done. And before I get started on the new project, let me just run a little plug here.

We just had a Holiday Bazaar Arts and Crafts Fair for the St James Family Center. The center's primary function is a non-denominational day care center. But wait..there's more.. In a very poor county, this is the only licenced day care. The fee schedule is on a sliding scale, and many of the children here are "scholarshipped". They have balanced meals, breakfast and lunch, ECEAP programs (early childhood education..similar to Headstart) Their parents know they are in a safe, clean enviornment, with trained caretakers. If you've been a working parent dropping your kids off at daycare, you know what a concern that is. The SJFC has a bus that takes the children to and from the elementary school. But they also do free nutrition classes for the community as well as parenting classes, childhood health care seminars, children's safety jamborees. They run the only Domestic Violence shelter here, and sexual assualt crisis intervention. For a very small community, and with very little funding, this center has broad shoulders, and carries a very heavy load. You can learn more at http://www.stjamesfamilycenter.org/index.htm . Funding is always difficult and any donation, no matter how small, is a great blessing to us.

And now back to our program.

I think the next project will be a train for my brother, specifically a steam engine. There are a few patterns out there, most of them pretty complicated. I tried to find some pictures on the internet, and there are a few possibilities.

I'm not sure I have the skills to turn these into patterns, but I can try..the worst that can happen is that I decide to buy a pattern from someone more talented than I, or use a free one. I don't know that it's possible to have a simple pattern that doesn't look like a cartoon. Stay tuned...film at 11.

Doh!

2008-11-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

I decided to finally do a project for me. We're building an Arts and Crafts style house. The first step is to build an apartment over the garage, and that's the step we're currently on. I wanted to do a transom insert for the door. Since we are in the Northwest, it didn't make any sense to do a prairie style window, although they are beautiful. I couldn't find one that I liked so I decided to try to draw another pattern. It would help if I had an imagination. I like the look of the MacKintosh roses, so after staring at several in a variety of forms, I put pencil to paper. After the fact (of course) I learned that the roses can be cut from one piece of glass if done properly. Heck, I was having a tough enough time cutting those curves. I did get to use my strip cutter for the first time. After making several ghastly measuring mistakes, I came up with a method that worked for me.

I used Spectrum rough rolled/Champagne for the background, and muffle glass for the flowers, leaves and stems. I hadn't used muffle glass before, and I like it, especially for stylized patterns. I have to say, that stylized patterns aren't my favorite, and geometric designs are much harder than those that are more free-flowing. It demands more accuracy, and so far, that's not my strong point. One other thing I didn't think of at the time and that is , the transom window in the door has 6 panels, and I made this window with 12. Things that make you go ..doh! But it was fun, quick, and I learn something with each one.

Super Solder

2008-11-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning, I headed out to Chinook to the Inspiration Glass store to pick up more background glass. It's a stunning hour drive, even in a mild rain. While I was there, they were teaching a beginner class. Well, these women were doing beautiful soldering. No lumps, bumps, pills, spikes,,none of the things that plague my solder. So I was very careful to observe just how they were holding the soldering iron and the solder in relation to the glass and each other. Sup rise!! I was doing it all wrong. It's a tiny shop but they teach a variety of classes there, including decorative soldering and a class they call Super Solder..that's the one I want.

In the winter it gets to be a little scary. The arctic storms roar through the Columbia River mouth, sometimes at 90 mph. Trees crash across the road and rain pounds so hard you just can't see to drive. So classes will have to wait until spring. I managed to get out of the store without too much credit card debt and drove back home.

Sunday I finished cutting glass, and foiled Monday night in front of the TV.

I finally had some time yesterday morning to solder. It definitely went more smoothly (no pun intended) using the new method. I still get too much solder going, and I'm not really happy with the way the iron fluctuates temperature, but as I've read, "It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools." I'll just have to make more projects so I can practice more. Oh darn!

I had never used lead came to wrap a project before so I was a little nervous about doing that correctly. I was worried about securing it properly to the glass, and about attaching the chain in a way that was secure. So I very carefully measured the diameter..21" just like I planned, and multiplied by pi. OK so I cheated and used a calculator, but hey, I wanted it to be accurate. Then just to be sure I added a 1/4 of an inch, thinking if it were too long, I could always trim it shorter, but if it was too short, I was in hot water. I'll e darned if it wasn't 1/4" too short anyway! I apparently didn't figure in the occasional irregularity in my "round" project. I wrapped the lead from bottom to top, thinking that the weight would be cradled instead of pushing on the seam, made a patch, and soldered the thing in there as best as I could.

Then began what I refer to as....The Chain Fiasco. I wanted to keep the handy hanger attachments for the chain away from any seams, on the glass and on the exterior lead came, so I put them at about 2:30 and 9:30. That seemed really secure, only to discover we would not have been able to hang the darned thing without the chain cutting across the glass..even if hung by two hooks (which I plan to do). So back off it came, and I re-did the chain. Learn something every day. I'll get it boxed and shipped off this week, with hanging instructions for the maintenance folks at the apartment building.

Blame It On The Rain

2008-10-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

Remember that nice neat, new work space from a couple of weeks ago? It's toast. I started Mom's Callas today, and I have stuff everywhere. When I get going on glass, everything else grinds to a halt (a little glass humor there). Dishes sit in the sink, vacuuming doesn't get done, dog is on her own.

I began this morning by tracing the pattern onto the fasson paper. That was at about 11:00. I started cutting glass right after that. At 3:30 this afternoon I decided I should probably eat something. It's the Famous Glass Diet..you don't eat glass, you just don't eat. I get so darned wrapped up in what I'm doing, I forget to eat. Well, I don't exactly forget..I was hungry. I just didn't want to stop. I'll eat right after this one piece.

So at 4:00 I had a banana and a yogurt and called it good.

By 5:00 my hip was complaining, and the cats were squeaking about dinner, so I called it quits for today. The sun is setting, and if I didn't live a gazillion miles from everywhere, I'd expect some trick-or-treaters. I figure I got about a third of the glass cut today. Like an idiot, I didn't buy enough of the Spectrum Clear Rain Water for the background, and will have to take three hours tomorrow morning and make a round trip to the nearest glass store. I hate that! On the other hand it is an excuse to browse through the glass bins and see what I can't live without.

Mom's Callas

2008-10-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Wow..two posts in one day!

I'm back from visiting Mom this weekend. She lives in an Independent Living retirement center there, and has a 22" hexagon window in her dining room that needs a piece of stained glass, so this morning I got out a pencil and piece of paper and started drawing. She doesn't like things that are too fussy, and her furniture is taupe, brown, beige, and green.

She loved to garden and always had a back yard full of flowers,so I'm hoping she'll like this.

Yea, Ok, so I took the picture a little crooked...we'll all live anyway. It's not a hexagon (duh!), but it'll work.

We're expecting clear weather all this week (rains here all the time), so I probably won't start this until it does start to rain.

A Little Sidetrip

2008-10-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

OK so this isn't about stained glass, but hey, it's my blog and I guess if I want to wander off for a minute, I can!

My granddaughter, Elicia is 10, and two states away, so when she asked if I would make her a Halloween costume, well..I'm a sucker, so naturally I said "yes". That's what Nanas are for, isn't it? Anyway my daughter took her pattern shopping. Se came home with a Colonial Lady pattern (McCall's 5414). Not exactly what I expected, but Elicia said she wanted to look like an elegant lady, and that one pretty much fits the bill.

I thought I'd try to put it in a historical frame of reference for her (too much info, by the way), so I said to her, "Elicia..this pattern is like the clothes that ladies wore during the time of George and Martha Washington. That's 250 years ago."

There was a long pause on the phone and she says, "Nana, I'm only 10."

So much for turning it into a history lesson.

So off to the fabric store I went. By the way, at what point did fabric stores stop selling fabric? If I'd wanted scrapbook stuff, or modeling clay or I dunno..decorations for my baseball cap, I'd go to Michael's. Sure wasn't much of a choice of fabrics at the fabric store. I gave up at JoAnns Fabrics and , oddly enough, found something at Walmart! Go figure.

Then I got a little carried away..huge petticoat, lace gloves, lace parasol, lace fan. But an elegant lady isn't complete without the proper accessories.

One of the neighbor kids just happens to be the same size, and was very gracious about being a pincushion..I mean..model for me.

So after not having sewn anything but a popped seam in about 10 years, it took me a week to make the darned thing. That old 1947 Singer sewing machine still goes like a champ!

I finished it time for my trip south to see my mom, and we all met up at her place. Elicia loved it, and doesn't she just look too cute!?

If I don't sew anything again until next Halloween. that'll be ok, but it was worth it to see her little face light up.

Defeated By Peacock Vanity

2008-10-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

I often read a website for glassers, Stainedglassville (http://www.stainedglassville.com/) Most of the folks there are miles ahead of me on the skill, talent and experience scale, but I love to see what they are doing.

They have a monthly exercise where a member presents a design element or idea, and other members try to come up with an original adaptation of that element. So, like a teenager deciding that a good place to learn to drive is at the Indy 500, I drove on in.... only to find out.... I can't get the (*&^%$ picture to post because the photo file is too big. And because I'm a cyber-idiot, I have no idea how to shrink it or zip it or whatever it is that needs to be done to go.

Here's the design element, an original by one of the board members, Ingava.

So after dinner last night I started doodling. Now keep in mind that my artistic talents are dormant at best and grimly funny at worst. I was told as a kid that art classes are a waste of time and won't get me through college. Neither did all that science and humanities, but that's another story.

All I know about peacocks is that they make an awful screaming noise, they poop tons, and if they chase you, they're alot bigger than a chicken. So I put him up a tree, with really big leaves. What kind of tree? Umm...one with really big leaves. Then this afternoon, after dinking with it a while, I did a finish copy.

I really wish I had one of those programs that takes your photos and turns it into patterns, or even one that helps me draw patterns, or one that does that different-color thing. But I don't, and so far, I'm a little nervous about buying one because I'm a computer idiot. But back to the Peacock Challange...

I logged on the website, I typed up my comment, and tried to attach my picture. Hold on there, Francine! Your file is too big! Well....*&^%$ ..how do I make it smaller? I have no idea.

So I'll just post it here. If anyone can figure out how to pluck it out of here and put it over there, please feel free, cause I haven't a clue.

Here is my finished product. I would like to put more detail in the tail feathers, but I figured this bird was already too vain, and with the right glass it'll look fine. I also didn't like putting that second leaf behind his head and beak..I think it's distracting.. but I didn't know how to resolve the cut lines for the beak and the comb otherwise,without looking like stick-type lines. Anyone?

A Neat Desk Is The Sign Of A Sick Mind

2008-10-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

I promised to make my granddaughter Elicia's Halloween costume, so I won't be doing any glass for a week or so. But that didn't stop me from spending money on glass anyway!

Ed and I took a rainy day trip to Portland last Tuesday, and went through the Ikea store. That was our first time. We should have brought a lunch, or hiking boots, maybe a tent..at the very least we should have left a trail of breadcrumbs to find our way back out. Who knew? Of course we couldn't just go in without buying something. We found a table-top with an inset opaque panel that will make a great little lightbox, and the legs are adjustable for height and tilt.

I began setting up my new glass table by unburying my current table and piling stuff on the kitchen floor. Then I decided to move the plants around. Well you can't just pick up a plant and move it. Gosh, it needs to be repotted...look...the roots are growing out the bottom. Now I know I have a bigger pot here somewhere. Dang, now I need more potting soil. Hey..here's that pattern book I lost. Next thing I know I'm on the floor thumbing through it.

Eventually I managed to uncover the table, relocate the plants, throw the dead plants away, clean the cobwebs off the window sill , and get the old dining table out to the barn.

The new table is essentially two elaborate sawhorses that are adjustable for height and tilt, and a flat table top that lays on top. The top has a lip on the back to keep the top from sliding off when the table is tilted.

Look quick, while it's still pristine. Ed will build a light box under that glass panel, but until then, I have a gooseneck lamp that I can just shine up from the floor.

Here it is all back together. I have it set at 34" which is good for standing and working. If I want to use the chair, I'll just lower the table. And yes, I roll up the rug when I'm working on a project. This table is the same size as the one I had here, but I'm hoping to learn to light, trace and cut the pattern pieces more accurately this way.

Curses! Foiled Again!

2008-10-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

I finished foiling late last night, and got the piece soldered today, but it's not the best soldering job I've ever done. Course that's not saying much because I've only been doing this for a little over a year.

Actually the problem started with the foil. I was tired and didn't have my (granny) glasses. The foiling wasn't as neat as it should have been. Also I used foil with a copper backing, and I don't like how it looks on the clear glass. I'm not sure what color backing is best for clear glass. Black? I was pretty happy with how the pieces fit together after they were all foiled though. To my stunned amazement, I didn't have to re-cut any of them!

Soldering is not my strong point. I'm not sure what my strong point is...but never mind that. The soldering doesn't have a pretty bead on top, it's flat in places. My only consolation is that I know where it will be hung, and the clerestory window is high enough up that nobody will be able to tell. I know...practice...practice...practice.

Ed will make a cedar frame for it and I'll get is mailed this week. It may be a few days late for the birthday, but hey..I can blame it on the Post Office! Happy Birthday Gene!

Cutting Is Done

2008-09-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

I finished cutting the glass this afternoon and will probably foil tomorrow evening. Once that is done, I'll re-check for fit. If the past is any measure, I'll probably have one or maybe two of the smaller pieces that I could cut more precisely, that won't show their nasty heads until all the foiling is done. This is the first piece that I've done that uses alot of clear (no color) glass, and I found it was harder to see my mistakes right away. Hopefully I will have time to solder it Wednesday or Thursday. Then Ed can make a frame for it next weekend and I can wrap it and get it shipped.

Slow And Steady

2008-09-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

After several weeks off, I'm back at it today. The only problem is that I can't stand for long periods, and the foot-to-foot that happens from project board (left) to cutting board (middle) to grinder (right) is really tough on the hip.

Needless to say, nothing is happening in a hurry. I cut a few pieces, and go sit down. Cut a few more and stretch out...like that.. anyway, I did add a few pieces today, and hope to get all the glass cut by this weekend. Then I can sit and foil in an evening.

Too Hip!

2008-09-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I go in this morning to have my hip roto-rootered, so glass is going to be on hold for a month or so. I tried to get all of the glass cut for Gene's piece before this morning, but that didn't happen. It just hurt too much to stand at the counter. Here's what I have done so far:

The clear baroque glass as the background looks a little limp laying flat, but I think once it is done and up into the light it'll be good. The glass for the swords doesn't even begin to show itself off until the light is in it. One good day of glass cutting is all I need to finish, then an evening of foiling. I've tried cutting glass sitting down, but it just doesn't work for me. Depending on how long I'm on crutches will determine when I can get started again...maybe a month. See you then!

People Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout My Best Friend

2008-09-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to my best glass friends. Mr. and Mrs. Dustpan, and Ms. Safetyglasses. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be cutting a piece of glass and have it make that tiny horrible popping sound as you cut, because you've been too lazy to sweep after that last cut...and now...you've just busted your new piece in half on some microscopic shard. I have said some very bad words...some of them out loud..when doing this. Now I sweep after every cut. And yes, I tried those grid things..not working for me.

The safety glasses? Never NEVER never never never ...ever.. cut or grind without them. Not even a little. From here, it's an hour to the nearest medical aid. I don't think I want to try to drive with one eye, while the other eye has glass razor blades in it. Nope, just don't want to.

So back to the project: I sure hope I can phrase this so that it makes sense!

The pattern is drawn on the fasson paper, and the original pattern is pinned and squared. Ready? Stop. Look. Look at your pattern and pick a side, preferably with a larger edge piece. This pattern doesn't really illustrate that because all the sides are more or less the same, but I decided to start with the left side. I like to work from top down or left to right, partly because I want my world to be symmetrical, and if little things are off balance (like crooked pictures on the wall etc) then the world starts wobbling on it's axis. Eventually the Earth wobbles so hard it spins out of it's orbit and goes spinning into space and we all get into God knows what kind of trouble. Sorry..I wandered off.. In any case, on this piece, I cut out the outermost piece on the left of the pattern. I slip it under the block plates so that the right edge of the fasson pattern piece lines up with the pinned pattern, then using a fine-line pen, I trace the inside edge of the block plate. Double click on the pictures to enlarge them, if it helps.

Trim away the excess, peel the backing off the fasson paper, stick the template on your glass and cut the glass. Check the fit on your pinned working pattern, adjust if necessary. I use the grinder to knock off any killer edges, and make any adjustments.

From there I've decided to get a good solid corner going, so I pretty much do the same thing again, only from now on I slip the fasson piece under existing glass edges.

I trace along the edge, trim off the excess, and cut the glass. Now the folks that I learned this method from use push pins between every piece of glass to leave space for the foil. I found if I do that, there is too much space and my pieces don't fit well. My guess is that has more to do with my inexpert glass cutting, rather than their method being faulty. So what I do is put pins in where it looks like it needs it, about every third line. Scientifically and mathematically querulous, I know.

After several pieces, it begins to look like this:

By the time all the pieces are cut, you'll have a good sense of how it all fits, and if there is one piece that barks at you, or just looks wrong, take it out, slip a piece of fasson paper underneath and trace out a new template. I dunno..it's working well for me. The only serious frustration is when I cut a fasson piece off the master, then forget to trace it against the existing glass pieces before I cut the piece out of the glass. Darn!

Here's the deal...

Yes, this method is slower than others.

No, I know that's not how the pros do it.

Yes, it works for me.

No, I can't guarantee it will work for you.

Yes, I probably forgot something important.

No, I don't remember what it is.

If you mess up, nobody dies!

On Your Mark . . .

2008-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

Caveat:

I am not a teacher, instructor, mentor, or any other..or. The only thing I am is a rank beginner, and frankly, I expect I'll confuse the heck out of most of you.

I'd like to try to demonstrate the pattern making technique that seems to work for me. I may evolve to a more accurate and refined skill later, but this is working so much better than what I was doing first, that I'm pretty happy for now. I've heard that using a template is a beginner technique..well.. that would be me!

First of all, I use a large sheet of Avery fasson paper. I'm not sure I can describe this stuff, except to say that it comes in big sheets (27"x38"), and it's like contact paper except it stays by pressure rather than stickiness. I hang mine up on the wall ala pushpins, because if you roll it up or lay it around, it comes separated from the backing. I've tried without success to find a source on the internet, and get mine from The Glass Lady store in Vancouver, Wa. If they ever stop carrying it, I'm toast.

This project is for my brother-in-law who is in the St. Andrews Highland History Guild, which is a 16th century re-enactment of the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. He also has an ancestral interest in Norse history. Thus...Chantal Pare's pattern of Norse war helmet and swords.

I take my regular computer generated copy (8 1/2"x11") down to the local copy store and have them enlarge it to the size that I want, in this case 17 1/2"x20 1/2". I'm not worried about the size of the pattern lines. That will resolve itself.

I put the fasson paper on my work surface. I use a piece of sheetrock. It's (usually) flat, it's cheap, and I already had a piece. I put my fasson paper down (backing and all), then a layer of carbon paper. Remember that? Who knew we'd ever need it after high school typing class. Oops..they probably don't even teach typing in high school any more..or shorthand.

Ok so, fasson paper, carbon paper, then take the copy of the pattern, and put it on top of everything. Check your alignment, making sure the carbon paper has stayed in place and the fasson paper and top pattern are lined up, and secure it with push pins.

Now you trace every line, using a ball point pen, pressing heavily enough to give yourself a temporary case of carpal tunnel. Every time I make a pattern like this I think. "Gosh, I should buy a red pen so I can easily see which lines I've traced and which ones I haven't." Have I bought the red ball point pen yet? Um......no. But it's a good idea! Remember, it's just like signing for a speeding citation...press hard, three copies. To be sure I've gotten every line, I run over the whole pattern with my fingertips. You can feel an impression in the pattern from the pen, sort of like braille in reverse. Once you're sure you've gotten all the lines, unpin everything, take off the paper pattern, put away the carbon paper, and lift your fasson paper.

As you can see..or not..the fasson paper, being a plastic rather than paper surface, it's not a strong carbon mark, but it does take the pressure of the pen. Between the carbon marks and the pressure marks, though, you can see the pattern pieces. If you double click on the picture you can see better from the enlargement.

After I hang the fasson piece (usually on the wall with pushpins) I put the paper pattern on the sheetrock, and get out my layout blocks, push pins and my square.
Boys and girls, this is one of those places in your life where it is definitely hip to be square. I monkey with this thing until every corner is absolutely and perfectly square. Then I flip my square over and check it again. After I'm sure it is really really square, I go have a diet Coke, make a pit stop, come back and check it again, just in case the glass elves came in and messed with it while I was gone. Go ahead...laugh. It's been known to happen.

In the next blog entry, I'll show how to begin with the fasson pattern pieces. Tune in next time.

The Herstory of Glass

2008-08-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

So, when I retired at 53...yeah...I'm lucky...I wanted to be sure I didn't just up and rot, especially after moving into a new community, and away from everything I was familiar with. I wanted a hobby that would be emotionally rewarding and that would occupy my time in a positive way. I had never been artistic, but I had never explored that aspect either.

Glass in various forms has always drawn me. I knew I didn't have the room or the equipment to blow glass..something I didn't want to try to learn by myself, and I didn't know much about fusing or slumping glass. For that matter I didn't know much about stained glass either.

So, like so many, I bought a few books, a few tools, a little glass, and tried to put together a little project. I was so proud. I gave it to my friend, Kim, and she smiled and said "thank you" like a true friend should. Truth is... it was awful.

After that I decided to take a class, so I signed up for a project class in Astoria. I enjoyed it very much and learned a lot, but the distance (60 miles each way) and the winter weather and road conditions made it difficult get to. So I kept doing projects with only mediocre satisfaction. I just couldn't get the pattern pieces to transfer true to the glass. The pattern shears seemed very inaccurate, but if I used regular scissors, my project grew and grew in size.

I decided to make a surprise for Ed. Many years prior, he made a stained glass mirror, that he reluctantly sold when he had a commercial glass business. He had fondly kept the pattern, which I discovered in a box. "Hey.." I thought, " I'll make this for Christmas and surprise him with it." And I'll be darned if it didn't come out ok..not good...but ok. Breaking the strips was a nightmare, and prayers were said at every snap. The solder is a mess. But Ed was very gracious, and built the cedar frame for it and hung it up.

After that, I found a pattern that was similar to the barn we were building, so I tweeked the pattern a bit and did that one. As most things, practice helps, so the barn came out better. Ed says "You didn't put on the cupola or the dormer windows." I just gave him The Look.

And again, he made a beautiful frame out of old cedar fence boards that work perfectly.

But I was still having the same problem with having the project grow, filling in badly fitting spots with solder, and the pieces just not fitting together right. I wasn't happy with how the pattern shears cut out the pattern pieces.
There are several early projects that I don't have photos of. I made that "Angry Bluebird" for my daughter Ellen. That one is pretty rough! And an angel that I made for my daughter Aimee. I also made a Chantal Pare celtic thistle circle for my sister. I've slowly learned to take photos of each piece, even if it's just to show the learning curve.

I started looking around for another place to take classes. Maybe if I learned a different way of cutting out the patterns, the projects would go together more smoothly.

I thought I would try a glass shop in Vancouver for supplies. The Glass Lady http://www.theglasslady.biz/ is owned by a very nice lady, Lori Alwine, who showed me a completely new way to cut pattern pieces for more accurate glass pieces. I won't go into it here except to say that it involves fasson paper and cutting out one pattern piece at a time, instead of cutting them all out at once, and uses regular scissors rather than pattern sheers. I chose this simple pattern for a class, since it had long narrow cuts as well as round ones. It has made the difference between glass being a frustrating experience to becoming a consuming joyful hobby. I'll give more detail during my next project, but if you live in the Portland/Vancouver area (it's 90 minutes for me) go check out her shop and maybe sign up for a class. They're wonderful folks.

With renewed confidence, I wanted to make our friend Dave, who is a SCUBA diver, a birthday present. And what better present for a diver than a shark? So after an internet search for the appropriate subject, I found a tiger shark that I liked and went to work. (Tiger shark, great white..what do I know?) Plus, this was the first pattern that I made myself... I was pretty stoked. See that tan glass at the bottom that makes the sand? Well if you double click on the photo you can see the detail (don't look too close.) The back of that glass is wavy, and when you cut it... that edge is like a serrated bread knife. I had bandaids everywhere. But it made perfect sand. Once again Ed stopped his other projects and made a frame for me, and we sent it to Dave.

After than I started a project for my granddaughter, Elicia. She will be moving into a house soon from an apartment, and I wanted to make her something for her room. Now Elicia is very...pink..everything..pink..so the glass had to be pink too. But I also wanted her to remember that she's never alone, even when she feels lonely, so .. here it is. The dove was taken from a beautiful work by Olimpia Perez. You can see more of her glass at www.glassbyolimpia.com. And while I'm at it, I should mention, that I now know it's very bad glass manners to use someone else's pattern without purchase or permission.

We have a Dollars for Scholars Sturgeon Derby and Rods and Reels car show here each year to raise scholarship money for local kids. I've volunteered the last several years and had a really good time. Nice folks run it and nice people show up. They raffle off items and have an auction. This year I thought I'd do a stained glass piece and donate it to the car show fundraising effort. It was raffled off and did relatively well. I think next year I'll also do a fish-themed piece as well and donate it for the auction side. I was pretty happy with how this turned out. My soldering is getting better, although some days are better than others. I used wire to make the steering wheel and door handle.

Finally I had a lull. I was looking at a magazine and saw a picture of Picasso's "Portrait of Francoise". Well it was gorgeous. Ordinarily I'm not a big Picasso fan, but the drawing was just striking. Maybe it was the beauty of the young woman. Maybe because my daughters have hair just like hers. All I could think about was doing that portrait in glass. So I started tracing. I'm no artist, and I'm still a beginner in glass, but I was driven to do this project. Now it's my favorite.

We had friends come up for July 4th this year. They were married last October in Carmel on the beach under a monterey cypress tree. Well, I though, maybe I could find a picture of the beach... I'm finding that making my own patterns is very rewarding. There are so many things that I can't make patterns of, and so many talented glass artists that make beautiful patterns and share them, Chantal Pare, for example. But when I can, I enjoy making glass projects from my own patterns.

The most recent is also for a fundraiser. The River Life Interpretive Center is a very small local museum. It used to be a school, and a meeting hall. The community works hard to keep the building in shape, and the Interpretive Center hosts many art and historic displays each year. They have an annual Wine Tasting and Auction. So, I found a good photo of the Center.

Yeah, thats me. The auction is in September, and I'm hoping it does well for them. I think the next project is going to be for my brother-in-law, Gene. His birthday is in October. I've got to give it all away..I'm out of windows!