More Flowers for the Commission

Okay, I've a bird, and 2 peonies foiled. We won't mention that the bird actually belongs in another window. I'm getting there.

I've also just figured out how to make one piece hearts. This was a happy accident as I had a scrap of green swirled glass of about the right dimensions. Now to figure out what to do with it!

Building a New Piece

I've received an interesting commission. The client has approved the rough thumbnail sketch and the major glass selections- but she's leaving the details up to me. Phew! The design meets her requirements that this window provide privacy from her neighbors, let in light, and add to a spacious feel in the room.

Since these are South facing windows, I don't have to worry about making the room dark if I use a lot of very saturated color. It's an issue in smaller for North facing windows. The bright and rich colors will give her all the privacy she craves.

By designing a landscape, the window will visually expand the space rather than close it off as a more Victorian design would do.

Fianlly, the right way to make a window is to have a complete cartoon of the design on the table , cut and fit all the peices and the assemble the entire panel at once. I'm not doing that. Since I have free rein, I'm building the fun elements first: the peonies, the birds, the other animals. After I've arranged them in the most pleasing way, I'll fit in the back round. This gives me the ability to tweak the design until the last moment, and fosters last- minute inspiration.

So for the next few weeks( did I mention that this needs to be finished fast) I'll be blogging about this piece and how it is progressing.

Back in the Saddle Again

It's been a while again since I posted , mostly because I'm still working on that house for my nephew. Kitchen is done, he had a barbecue for the 4th, porch is looking good. So it's time to focus on glass again.

I recently posted some glass hearts on ETSY, the craft market site. I still prefer to show our larger panels at shows since one really has to see the pieces to get the full impact- A photo does not do justice to the glass. But for the smaller pieces, where we just really are playing with pretty colors, well, it's okay in a photo.

I make these when I really really really get bogged down with a piece. Right now I'm still drafting the design for a custom window that should have daffodils, a brown cat, peonies, a peaceful landscape and a cherry tree . Okay. It is a large window and the fee will be very nice, but oh it's a big project. So I make these to encourage myself and to have a project done!

Whee, it has been a while

Oh no glass to make, other than repairing 10 lights in small paned windows at my nephew's house.
Since last I posted, the house has gotten new floors upstairs, new drywall , paint and outlets in the children's rooms, ditto in the master bedroom.

Nephew found a shelter that was gutting its kitchen and sending the almost new cabinets to the dump. He salvaged those, as well as a fridge and a vintage gas stove. So his kitchen now has those in it. Of course, before we could install the cabinets, we had to level the floor for the 18 inch tiles we also installed.

We replaced the front and side doors with antique ones.

So what's left to do? Install a pocket door, build out the wall for the pocket door, drywall 3 walls that are in terrible shape, sand and refinish a nice hardwood floor and install new flooring. Whew, I can hardly wait until this is over.

I have spent so much time picking up and returning items to Home Depot that I think they should name a cashier lane after me! I'm on excellent terms with the county dump.

My daughter has not seen me in weeks and my cats refuse to notice me. It is sad. But the house is turning out well.

Busy Little Painting Beaver That I Am

My nephew bought a house in January and we are all helping him fix it up. So when we finally got nice weather, it was Man the Tools and get to work for everyone. For some reason, I get tasked with cleanup and paint scraping duties. Which in a house with 10 old divided windows is a big job.

So that's why no glass and no blogs for a few days and likely to continue.

On the other hand, I'm getting to know the folks at the dump pretty well. It's a standard joke in the family that I always come back form the dump with something new. This time it was a 2 X 10 board. You never know when you might need one!

MacIntosh Rose Fused Project

There's been a few days of catch up at ye olde homestead, with one chicken trying to brood a batch of unfertilized eggs, a strawberry patch the needs weeding, and a studio that is a mess and a half. We're fooling the broody hen with bright pink plastic Easter eggs. She can keep those warm and we can steal all the others under her for breakfast.

The strawberry patch got weeded and 6 rhubarb plants set in. Strawberry and rhubarb pie may just be one of heaven's gifts to mortals. Yum.

As for the studio... well.... Not so much. I did manage to make this very small fused McIntosh Rose sample . I've roses on the brain these days so I experimenting. Sometime later next month I'm going to try molding something, but this is the first step.

Back From the Show

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKq-OoFOBxh_svRYf8CNZhje8wO6JrQtVGPErcdJQTsZU1yuIQ8xSXj460Pkv4tjT-mMG4acVE8VgO2wkgx0lo7QiBrbf6lXTCn6ia9f2_ryn3hIxcc3gvy9SO8lUXC6NzClYznsOISP-u/s1600-h/100_0316.JPG This link is to a previously uploaded photo, which TA TA I managed to sell at the show last Sunday.

Returned yesterday from out show at Malvern Blooms, in Malvern PA. It was a lovely day, the town is cute, the main street was closed for the fair and a good time had by all. I'd joined Di at her studio on Saturday and she showed me some wonderful new pieces she's worked up: a 2 foot in diameter Mariner's Compass, a new version of Maryland Block and a 10 pointed star in a decagon frame she designed herself. She promised to post photos on our web site , but it may take her a couple of weeks. http://www.glassonthrsquare.com/

I'm tired from the drive, got lost in Baltimore on my way to a lecture last night and generally, I need to get my act together before Wednesday.

The photo is of a 7 inch square trial piece inspired by the blue glass. It looked like the orbit of planets, so I added a sun and rays to it. Not too sure I'll make many, but I like to make things occasionally that are different form my usual pieces.

Wretched Class and Too Much Glass

Spent the day in class learning how to create web sites in Dreamweaver. Taught by a very nice, very knowledgeable man who ought to have taught an advanced class, not one for newbies. Way to long, way to in depth for complex ideas that were interesting but beyond the scope of the class. The 12 hour course is half over and we only got through chapter 1 of 7!

And when I got home, this is what awaited me: too much undone stuff.

I'm for a quick cup of tea and some bad TV.

Hearts To Go

I'm busy gearing up for the new show this weekend in Malvern, PA. We've never been to this show before so I don't know what to expect.
Di has most of the stock up at her place in Pennsylvania, so I'm just puttering around making a couple of new patterns and some hearts.
Last year before Wine in the Woods, a Maryland show, I got heartily sick of making Tumbling Block panels, so I cut up scrap into wacky, freehand hearts. They sold very well. In fact , we sold enough to cover the booth fees and travelling expenses. So since then, before every show, I check out my glass scrap stash and get to work.

I'm sure someday I'll get sick of these too, but so far, so good!