Glass by Adelina

Buttons.....

2010-08-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Buttons! While digging through a plastic shoebox filled with findings, jack chain, beads and tools looking for ear wires - I came across two little baggies filled with button shanks. I recently make a few bracelets and some (okay, a lot) of the cabs were a bit too big for the bracelets pads. I was pretty bummed out but figured that I will use them for something.

Both sets are pretty, the dichroic glass was from a dichroic grab bag that I bought in Columbus, OH when we went there in April. The first one you can really tell that it is pretty silvery blue color. The second one is a bit funny. Before it was fused, it had a blue dichroic swirl pattern. After it was fused it is not as bright, but is much more subtle and subdued. But if you look closely, you can see a swirl.

Hopefully if I have time sometime today I will list both sets on my etsy site. http://www.glassbyadelina.etsy.com/

Finished Pot Melts....

2010-08-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

I finally got off my butt and finished two pot melts. Quite proud if I do say so myself! The first one is a large one and I am hoping to make a few pendants and a barrette from it. So far cutting it is a challenge - this one might have to be taken to the saw.

The smaller of the two is so cute! This one will be used for pendants as well.

Both were made with Spectrum 96. Once again it seems like a great way to use up scraps. I will be making a few more. I just bought a ring mold from LB Art Glass. This will be way better than using a terra cotta saucer. The saucers don't seem to hold up too well with high heat and it is difficult to remove the glass even with many coats of wash.

Pot melts....

2010-07-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

I pulled out some old Bullseyey 90 coe glass I have stored away in a box. I recently switched over to 96 coe because of the price and the ease of cutting. Not to mention all the cool patterns and colors. I think I will finally give pot melts a try. Of course I will not be going all out on this pot melt craze, first trial will be small. Possibly in the mini kiln where I can control the temp better.

There is lots of items on the market for pot melts. High priced bowls, dams, ect. Of course I could always use a terra cotta pot too. Might be the cheaper way to go.

Lampshade of Roses....

2010-06-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness it is finally done. This past year I have been working on a lampshade and nothing else (except fused glass). Yesterday afternoon I finally finished it and became the proud owner of a beautiful stained glass lampshade. Of course I still have yet to purchase the lamp base, but that will get done sometime in the near future. I seem to enjoy making the lampshades, but not buying the bases.

This lampshade was my biggest project yet. I am proud that I didn't stray from it and that I completed it within the year. There were some bumps in the road though. The lampshade is constructed in three sections. One of the sections sort of didn't meet the edges of the other two sections. It was fixed but I keep wondering why it happened. Maybe the next time (bwhahaha) I do a lampshade it will be on a whole form instead of a section form.

Now that it is done, I can keep up with postings, glasswork, and enjoying my summer!

Glassbyadelina.etsy.com

2010-01-27T11:57:00.001-08:00

New items listed at www.glassbyadelina.etsy.com.

Plenty of sale items as well. I am hoping to list new pieces in the next few days!

Holidays at Glass By Adelina.....

2009-12-02T04:43:00.000-08:00

Come check out my etsy site for your holiday gifts and treasures.

www.glassbyadelina.etsy.com

I restocked with stained glass ornaments, plates, and jewelry.

Magnetic Wall Pockets... and a sale!!!

2009-11-04T05:36:00.000-08:00

Do you have a cute little child who loves to pick you flowers? But you don't have a small enough vessel to put your freshly picked flowers in? Look no further.............

These are so darling I couldn't resist making a whole bunch. Perfect for using those too small pieces of glass that you don't want to cut up into jewelry size. They are water tight too. I will be selling these at the next craft fair and then maybe on my etsy site.

Speaking of etsy, go by and check out my sale items. I am trying to clear out some inventory to make way for the holiday plates and more ornaments!

Busy time of the year....

2009-11-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

Fall is one of my busiest times of the year. In addition to the holidays, I have craft fairs to work, beautiful glass pieces to create, costumes for halloween to sew, holiday meals to plan, ect.

My kiln has been working overtime. I recently bought a cool bowl mold that I put to good use and created a Millifiori Ruffled Bowl. This one did sell, but I have another one similar to it. I should have more items to post later or tomorrow.

Pendants....

2009-08-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

I bought some wonderful sepia print decals from BeaderyDestash on Etsy. I have been trying forever to get my hands on some and I certainly wasn't going to pay out my nose for shipping that the big glass suppliers charge. So I kept searching and found them on Etsy. I have to say that BeaderyDestash has the best selection, best price, and wonderfully fast shipping.

Here are some of the pendants I have created using those decals. These are currently for sale on my Etsy site http://www.glassbyadelina.etsy.com/

Back to glass.....

2009-08-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly time is going by. We certainly had quite a few HOT summer days lately, but that didn't stop me from working with the kiln. I am really trying to get a few more pieces of jewelry done before life gets hectic once again with the back to school stuff. Here is the latest bracelet I completed. It is a request from a customer. Remember folks, I can also do commissioned work!

Bamboo...

2009-06-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

It has been a couple of hectic months. No time for glass, no time for crocheting or yarn. Finally with school coming to an end, I am finding time to work on glass.

Last week I got my hands on Spectrum's newest colors! Terracotta and Persimmon. This plate is done with the terracotta, pot white, and amazon green. I love the bamboo design.

Stay tuned for more exciting pieces.

Sale at Glass By Adelina

2009-05-15T08:13:00.001-07:00

Yup, spring has sprung and I need to clear out some inventory that has taken over my dinning room table. Stop by www.glassbyadelina.etsy.com and start your shopping! Hopefully in the next week or so I will be putting more items up in the sale catagory. Enjoy!

Retro style plate set.....

2009-03-31T05:48:00.000-07:00

In the mist of slumping bottles I was able to create a plate set. I had enough trial and error (so much error) in the past few months that I needed to go back to what made me happy. It is simple but at the same time it keeps my attention. There is no reason for the color choices and the placement of the squares. I forgot how much I enjoyed this style. Be sure to look out for more like it! Still deciding if I want to sell it. I figured out that both pieces together would go for $27. Not a bad price for a 2 piece set. :)

Everything is Spectrum 96 coe. Colors are Spring Green, Ivory, and Turquoise Blue. The blue was a 1/2 hobby sized sheet and the rest was a full hobby sized sheet. Both pieces were tac fused and then slumped into square molds.

Pineapple.....

2009-03-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to get this done. It is out of the South Beach Light pattern book. Originally it was going to be put in the light fixture, but I really liked it just the way it was. The natural sunlight looks way better than artifical light.

The pineapple is Spectrum, the pineapple top and all green is Bullseye, the rest was in the sale bin at the local stained glass store with no name. It took about 3 days to complete it - I really had to use a saw on some of the pieces.

DIY - Sock yarn dyeing

2009-03-20T11:24:00.001-07:00

I have been itching to dye my own yarn for a while now. Considering how inexpensive the bare yarn costs in comparison to the fancy shamcy boutique yarn, its a no brainer. So yesterday I got the kids in the kitchen and we dyed one skein of wool sock yarn with Kool-Aid.

We don't drink that garbage, only dye with it!

Lacey shawl....

2009-02-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

A family birthday is approaching quickly and I needed to make a gift that is not only pretty but pretty functional too. I searched for shawl patterns and found this one. It is called Eva's Shawl. It is an great pattern and so easy for me to follow. I use 100% alpaca, cobweb weight- the brand is J.Knits and I believe the color is called New Jersey.

Working with lead....

2009-02-02T06:23:00.000-08:00

I decided I needed to expand my knowledge of working with glass and signed up for a class using lead. Eight hours later I walked out not only knowing how to use lead, but also with a completed project as well. Yes, it was hard work, you definately need upper body strength which I lack. And your fingers get lots of cuts (at least mine did), but it was a tremendous experience. In fact I think I enjoy it a bit more than doing copper foil.

The glass I used was a mixture of English Muffle and Spectrum. I choose both those manufactors because of the ease of cutting. Spectrum cuts like butter. I almost never screw up the cutting and breaking off the pieces is easy. Also it cuts well with curves. The English Muffle is probably my favorite. They have wonderful colors and textures and their glass cuts nice as well. The very best part of it, is that none of the glass leaves behind those nasty jagged pieces that you can't see until they slice your hand. A clean cutting glass.

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

I put aside everything I was working on to take a look at what I wanted to accomplish this year. I hate the term New Years Resolutions. I would rather call it Accomplishments in the Year 2009.

So here they go.....
1. Expand my recycled glass line of items. Everyone I talk to loves the idea of recycling the wine bottles. I love making cheese boards out of slumped wine bottles, but I need more of a challenge. There may be some possible decorating with paint in the near future. Also some etching may be involved as well.

2. Picture frames. I love the look of glass picture frames. As soon as get my hands on some frame backings, I will post the results.

3. More drapes. Whether it is a candle holder or possibly a lamp shade. I promise to do more drapes.

4. Think of all the possiblities and not be afraid to make a mistake. I don't actually have many "mistake" pieces. That is because I don't take the chance - I play too safe.

5. Expand the jewelry selection. I am actually working on it right now! Currently I am working on a dichroic piece and a few understated pendants.

6. Promote my Etsy shop.

7. Would like to produce my own patterns for stained glass that I can sell.

8. Put to good use my stash of glass. The stained glass is slowly taking over the garage workspace. Not as bad as last year, but still it is a bit out of hand.

9. More beads! Get working on making beads for earring, pens, and pendants.

10. Mosaics. I have the ideas on paper, got to put them into real life!

11. Wall pockets at a better price. Last year I did medium to large pockets. I would like to make ones a bit smaller for a better price. It can be done - just need to think it through

12. To still enjoy what I am doing. If you can't have fun, then why do it?

Happy Holidays.....

2008-12-24T05:10:00.000-08:00

I have been working, mostly on stuff for me. I finally finished my stained glass old world santa suncatcher and he is proudly hanging on my front door. I got the pattern from Spectrum's free handout (got to love great patterns for free.). And since I don't have holiday themed glass, I thought I would treat myself to something nice.

The overall size is about 8 inches tall. I did make this with glass I already owned - I have been trying very hard to use up my stash of hoarded glass. The holly cluster on the hat is fused - the original pattern called for a foiled/solder cluster, but I certainly didn't have the paitence for that. Anyway I like the combined style of fused glass with stained glass.

Happy Holidays!

Back to work....

2008-12-19T04:47:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we had an ice storm that basically knocked out our power for about 6 days. We spent are days in the house with the fireplace on and our nights in a hotel. Of course I wasn't able to work on any glass related project. Bummer. Here is a picture of what the side yard of my property. All ice!

Glass by Adelina is now at Etsy.....

2008-12-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

It is time to buckle down and sell my items. I set up a shop at Etsy today and listed close to 15 items. Mostly bracelets and pendants. There are a couple of ornaments in there as well. If it goes well, I will update the store with more items and some really differant items as well.

If you want to check it out, go to GlassbyAdelina.etsy.com

Hopefully it will take you right there! Hope to see you there!

More socks....

2008-12-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not my kids did ask me to make socks for them. I told them I would as soon as I had time. They haven't seen me working on them (I did one pair in just two days) so they would have a nice warm surprise for Christmas. All of it cost me under $10. Either it was leftovers from the skeins of yarn I used for my husbands socks or my socks and one of them was on sale for $3.

Back from my mini vacation.....

2008-12-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Nope, I didn't go anywhere. I took a break from glass working since the last craft fair on November 22. If I ever do another craft fair, I want it to be just like this past one. Last year at the same fair I did somewhere around $470. This year I did about twice as much (maybe a bit more actually). I showed up with 36 bottles, left with 2. Went with 10 small plates, left with 5. Went in wiht about 12 stained glass panels and ornaments and left with 6. Yea, it was very good to me. Lots of people were happy to see my items again, and I was happy to see alot of the same faces too. I did decide that this year I will expand and do a bit more with recycling glass bottles. It has been great to offer the cheese trays, and it reuses glass so why not make other items with the glass from the bottles.

I still have lots of other items for sale - basically I need to get an online store together and sell some of it. However if there is something you need or have seen, drop me an email and let me know. I can ship it out quickly and you can have it before the holidays!

Craft Fairs and the Economy....

2008-11-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

I am not going to cry or complain. I will put this out there though - are the craft fairs going to suffer because of the economy? Just last week I did a small yet busy craft fair. Certainly I did not make the same as last year at the same fair. But I covered my cost and made a little extra. Next week I have another craft fair. I am wondering how this one will go.

Vintage inspired ornaments...

2008-10-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

I love vintage handcrafted items. So much that I wanted to get vintage holiday postcards and sandwich them inbetween glass and use them as ornaments. I searched for inexpensive postcards, but the cheapest I found was $8 per card. Honestly, no one is going to buy an ornament for $12-$15. So after a bit of searching, I found a site that has stickers and other scrapbook items for great prices (and the send you candy with every order - how could I not use them?!) http://www.addictedtoscrapbooking.com/ has wonderful holiday vintage inspired stickers. All I did was stick them to acid free paper and sandwich it between extremely thin glass (think it is the same size as they use for medical slides). I foiled it and soldered using mirror flux so there wouldn't be any seepage. Solder on a small ring, wash off the flux and there you have it - a pretty ornament.

These will hopefully sell for $6 a piece.

Mini panels, suncatchers, ornaments....

2008-10-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

I am not too sure what to call these. Mini panels? Ornaments? Suncatchers? Anyway....

I visited my scrap glass bin which consists of 4+ years of stained glass. I made a 4 x 4 glass frame, soldered, added jump rings, and zinc came. In the center I attached a metal casting I purchased at http://www.warner-criv.com/ (more on them in a moment). These are so cute in person. I hope they sell well at the craft fairs.

The casting is lead free which makes me happy. They have oodles of casting and filagrees for terrific prices. In fact all their items are priced well and they ship very quickly and even that is priced fairly. I recently did a few ornaments with their brass filagrees. They came out lovely.

One day soon, I will make a list of all the companies I buy from. I am a picky shopper. To make my list you have to be good.

South Beach Pattern Sans Fixture

2008-10-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

My latest pride and joy. A couple of months ago I won a door prize at my local stained glass shop. It was the South Beach pattern book and fixture. I have been wanting to try this for the longest time but I couldn't afford to buy both. I picked the palm pattern, but I wasn't too keen on using green. I wanted COLOR! So I searched (for about 2 hours) until I found the perfect color. It matches the sumac trees in my backyard so well, so I renamed the piece Sumac.

I used Youghiogheny glass for everything (It is now on my list of favorite glass to use). They have beautiful colors and the texture is wonderful. I am already eyeing a piece with yellows and greens for the pineapple pattern. Hopefully I will be able to save up before it is sold.

I bought a 12 x 12 piece and prayed that it would cut easy and not break. Thankfully it didn't and it was plenty for the panel. From start to finish it took about 3 hours and that includes, cutting, cleaning, foiling, soldering, patina, and polishing.

Pendants....

2008-10-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Pendants are all finished. I try to keep my jewelry all one COE. Less confusion that way. I designed a few myself and the rest are dichroic coated icons/celtic/pinwheels/ holiday images by CBS. Most backgrounds are black - seems to sell better. The ones I designed are on iridized black glass. Gives them a nice shimmer and looks great with the silver bails. I also etched a few myself. Easy enough to do, and once again I used the CBS dichroic glass. However, there are a few in there that are not dichroic. The red pendant in the middle - has a 22kt gold dragonfly on it. One towards the top is a slide pendant with pink black accents. And I made a tear drop shaped milifiori pendant with silver pinch bail.

Prices on these will vary also. Something like the smaller dichroic pendants will go for about $15 and the larger pendants (dragonfly and milifiori) will be around $20. I am still thinking about how I will display these. I have about 40 made - so yes, displaying them will be a challenge.

Earrings....

2008-10-14T05:25:00.001-07:00

Wow! I have been busy with the postings lately. Here are my latest group.....earrings. This year I tried many differant styles. All are dichroic, but some are two layers of glass, and some are one layer fire polished. I did a few posts, mostly french wires with the bails, and a couple of hoops with czech glass beads. The one layer glass earring are a whole lot easier when it comes to designing. They are just a bit harder to drill. Maybe I need a new bit on the dremel. I am still working out the pricing on these. They will probably fall somewhere between $6 to $15.

Beads.....

2008-10-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

A while ago a received a package of lovely glass rods (104 coe and in amazing colors), mandrels, raku frit, silver leaf and flux (the flux was for my stained glass) from a lovely woman on a message board I frequent. I was expecting the flux, but not that other items. So I was excited because that meant I would have an excuse to go make beads. The last time I did any bead work was about a year and a half ago in the bead making class I took at my local glass shop.

So I got started and turned out four lovely beads with the raku frit, I have two others that will never every see the light of day because they are UGLY. These took me about 2 hours to finish and I still have to anneal them - most likely will be done tonight. Because I had such a nice time with the torch and glass, I will be doing more beads in the future. I just have to make time...

Keychains...

2008-10-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Dichroic key chains and stamped key chains. These are new this year. Still trying to find a way to display them. The stamped ones are done with either 22k gold or pearl mica powder. Price will be $12 each. Before you could even think about asking if it will hold up, let me tell you that I have been testing one out for a few months. It has been dropped, banged around, gone through hell and back. Guess what, it is still in awesome condition. No chips, scratches, and the glue held up.

Bracelets.....

2008-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

These are not my favorite to make..... I like to make them and design them, but it is the glue that bothers me. I am not a fan of glueing. But I do make sure the glass isn't going anywhere - I glue that stuff down very well.

19 Dichroic bracelets all ready for craft fairs. These do sell quickly. I use to sell these for $15 a piece. Because the cost of glass going up, especially dichroic glass, I am going to have to bump up the price. Probably to $16 or $18 each.

Dichroic Bobbie Pins..

2008-10-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pieces to make. Also great for using up scrap dichroic glass. Dichroic glass looks differant in daylight versus household light. The colors it reflects are brillant. When you see an unfired piece of glass, it will be one color. After it is fired, it changes. Amazing stuff to work with. I usually buy my findings at either Glass Art Patterns or Rings N Things. I will tell you this much - dichroic is hard to photograph. Too much glare.

For the up comming craft fair season I have made over 70 bobbie pins. Plenty of colors and designs. I sell these for $7 each.

Millis....

2008-10-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

Lots and lots of millifioris. This is about it for my millis. I think I have some more stashed away, but until I search for them, this is it. Not pictured is another 11 inch plate and a 7 inch candle holder. The millis are tack fused and then the whole piece is slumped or draped.

I love the look of these, each one is differant yet pretty much the same. Also like the openness of the clear glass with the millis scattered.

Comming soon.....Jewelry!

Pie time......

2008-10-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

I remember when I picked up the latest issue of The Score, from the Spectrum glass company, I was so excited because for once I really (truely) wanted to do a pattern that they posted without altering it. For some reason I love the pie in the window. Gives off a feeling of a fall day in the country. I used the pattern as is - 7 inches by 7 inches. All the glass was scrap glass I had at home in my scrap bins. The one thing I am disappointed in, is that you can't see the texture of the glass I used for the curtains. It is a beautiful white krinkle glass by Spectrum. The camera just wasn't able to pick it up. I did add the glass apple because it is an apple pie after all.

This had to be my favorite (and most fun) pattern I had done in a while. Most of the time I am working on floral panels. This is the first time I have done something that doesn't have a dragonfly or flower in it. I am also digging the fantastic job I did on the soldering!

Stitch Markers......

2008-09-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

I made stitch markers a while ago, I even think I posted them here....

Anyway, these are not going to be in the craft fairs. I just don't think that there will be a big market for them. Most people buy cheese trays and jewelry. However if anyone is interested in them or the ones I made a while ago that may be posted, feel free to contact me. The price of the set of 3 are $10 and the set of 4 is $12. The other one is a set of four and since those are on sterling silver with knitting charm the price will be $15.

Wine Glass Charms....

2008-09-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I turn I see kitschy wine glass charms. Well, I made some out of dichroic glass and iridized beads. However mine are not kitschy. Just differant. I will be making a few more sets of these for the up comming craft fairs. I am hoping to have 4 sets total. Still working out the price details, but they will be under $20.

Millifiori......

2008-09-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Recently in the past year millifiori has been available in 90 coe. I use to just see it in 104 coe. I use glass that has a 90 or 96 coe (although not together). So when I first saw it, I HAD to have it. This plate is about 7 inches square with purple millis tack fused on top. Then slumped into the mold. Since it came out, I have been hoarding (for lack of a better word) as many packs of millis as I can get.

Flat Panel Lamp...

2008-09-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

I have started to really enjoy making lamps. Here is a dragonfly flat panel lamp with filligree. I did go on my own with the color choices - the pattern suggested browns and greens, I went with colors I don't normally choose. Lately I have been playing it safe with color choices. When I do that I don't have the excitment that I use to have while making items. This time I figured it was a good idea to go venture away from my "safe" colors and just have fun picking out new colors. I think it worked. I am so happy with the finished product. Now I have to find a spot for it.

Draping glass..

2008-09-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I tried to drape art glass. I have oodles of stained glass that was just sitting there in my workshop collecting dust. I figured that I would drape some of those pieces and make candle shelters and small vases. Well, it didn't work. The pieces cracked and some shattered. Many times art glass cannot be draped or slumped. Sometimes it does work out, but many times it doesn't.

I picked up the pieces and tried again but this time I used fusible glass. The orange piece is System 96. It is big enough to be a small vase, but works much better as a votive holder. I will be making more of these in other colors and selling them for about $8-10. The smaller ones are Bullseye 90 coe with milifioris. These will sell for $7 -10 depending on the amount of milifiori that is added.

Kiln is sick.....

2008-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finally had the energy to cut some glass and pop it into the kiln. I turned on the kiln and nothing. I tried again, and nothing. So I paced for a few hours, and tried again. Of course nothing happened. I call the company (Jen-Ken) who makes the kiln and once again they were very helpful. Honestly, I wish all companies were like this one. Not only do you actually get a human on the other end of the phone, but they are understanding, nice, and helpful.

So I guess until I get the part and install it, I will have to use my table top kiln. Maybe by tomorrow I will have a pretty picture to show.

Final pair of socks for now.....

2008-08-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

It is offical. I am done with the crocheting socks for a while. I have completed four pairs in two months. I still have a few more to crochet before the holidays, but those can wait. Here is the latest pair made with Red Heart sock yarn. Yeah, I know I swore off that nasty brand, but believe it or not, it is a blend of wool and nylon. It doesn't smell like their acrylic stuff nor does it have that nasty scratchy texture. So yes, I will use their line of sock yarns, but don't expect me to actually use the other yarn that they produce. I like wool too much to use acrylic.

Now that the weather is starting to cool down a bit, I will be back at the kiln cooking glass. Hopefully tomorrow I will have some pictures of my milifiori experiments!

Cleaning out and cleaning up!

2008-07-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am almost there! I have used up most of my yarn stash. I will leave the sock yarn, the bamboo yarn and the crochet thread (unopened) alone for now. I did clear out most of the stuff and in the process I did a felted doorknob hanger for my keys, a duster cover for my big push duster, and a bookmark. So I ended up using my Cascade 220, my dishcloth yarn, and the remains of some open thread. As I said I never had a big stash to begin with - but I certainly don't want it to get big. I have enough problems keeping my glass organized......until now!

Now for the really exciting news. I clean up my glass area! I wasn't going to do it, but it was starting to grate on my nerves. In fact I couldn't stand looking at the stuff. So I took off all the glass, molds, and boxes of tools and dusted everything off. I went through the scrap glass and used up what was in there for some small projects and put the pieces that weren't used back in the correct marked box. I didn't want to mix up the COE's. Everything is now spotless and in it's place. Of course I found a few pieces of glass I didn't know I had - so now I don't need to buy any more for a while. I did order a couple of bags of 90 COE millifiori and was playing with that yesterday after all the work was done. I should have a picture of it as soon as everything is done.

Glass plate and matching coasters.....

2008-07-28T05:27:00.000-07:00

Finally I have finished this plate and set of matching coasters. This has been in the process for a while, but between the heat and a really bad week of storms, I just wasn't able to get it completed.

I used the System 96 pebbles and placed them on the edges of the glass, tack fused and then slumped. What was so nice, was that the pebbles didn't stretch or lose their shape during the slumping process. The coasters are one layer of clear and the bottom is covered in pebbles. They lay nice and flat - I was worried about that in the beginning. I didn't want them to be wobbly, then they wouldn't hold a glass or cup nice and steady.

As much as I love these, I will be selling this set. Hopefully it will go to a nice home!

More socks.....

2008-07-28T05:23:00.001-07:00

Crocheted another pair of socks! These are also done toe up. Merino wool, brand Happy Feet, color blue! And yes, my footsies are quite happy in these. They actually feel silky. I am very pleased and hope I can get to the store to get more yarn for another pair. So far I am done three pairs in the month of July. It is not a bad project to do during the summer. Easy and lightweight. Great to carry with you and it fits in a small bag.

Another pair of socks......

2008-07-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

I finished another pair of socks last week sometime but it has been busy here and I never found the time to post them. I actually finished them while camping - most of the work was done when the kids were swimming. Before we left the campground I started a new pair made with Happy Feet yarn. It is possibly the YUMMIEST stuff I have ever used. Of course I over bought 2 skeins of it so I guess I will be making another pair of socks. Maybe I will find another home for it - cost me $8.50 each. The socks in the picture are crocheted with OnLine Hiking - color 972.

Of course there hasn't been any pictures of finished glass projects. Why? Most are half done, fused but not slumped. We have been getting some nasty thunder storms and instead of taking a risk and possibly breaking a plate during the annealling cycle because of a power outage, I decided not to do it. When the weather clears up I will be back to my glass. I do have a few stained glass projects on the way (yeah, more half done stuff)- I am taking a small break from that until August. Even I need a break sometimes. Granted if it was for someone who needed it, they would have been done long ago.

Warm socks for winter....

2008-07-09T16:17:00.001-07:00

I am into socks. Especially when it is winter and my toes get cold. Since the prices of fuel have gone up, we try to keep our heating costs down and that means lots of layers. So here are my warm wooly socks. I joined a KAL-CAL and one of the choices is socks. Perfect for me. I will hopefully start another pair sometime this weekend. Just have to find a good pattern.

I bought the wool at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival the past May (reminder to self - get more yarn next time because this yarn is sooo nice. It was going to be used for mittens and a hat, but I changed my mind. I am happy with them but I wish my legs didn't look so darn fat in this picture. :)

Worden Lamp - Apple Blossoms...

2008-07-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yay! It is finally done. I actually finished it a while ago but became frustrated when the vase cap wasn't sitting on it right. After working on it from time to time I got it so I was happy with the results and once again put it to the side. Today I purchased more patina (I ran out) and went right home to put it on the soldered parts. Looks wonderful to me. In fact I am quite happy with it. I still need to get the right size lamp for it, but for now it will sit. I am hoping that in the next year I can start another lampshade.

Doily (still needs to be blocked)...and destashing...

2008-07-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, here it is! My first doily. Pretty darn proud of myself - in all my years I never thought I could crochet a doily. Now I am on a thread and string finding mission. Still having an issue with color choices. When I buy the thread, I really like the color, as I am working on it I start to despise the color. Even though I did crochet it, I really am too lazy to block it. What I just might do is finish a few more doilies and then block them all at the same time.

Now for the destashing. I made a promise to myself when I first started to crochet. Never ever have too much yarn and never ever have more than more project going at the same time. I have collected some yarns over the past few months but nothing major. I want to have something in my basket. But what I really don't like is the odds and ends of leftover skeins. I will use them all up by August. That is my promise to myself.

I don't want my yarn habit to get out of control like my glass habit. I just hoard glass. Maybe I should make promises to myself about the glass collecting. Hmmmm.

Completed.....

2008-06-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Finally after a month of Monday nights, I finally finished restoring my tulip panel. Never again will I want to fix another piece, however if I have to I will. Repairing takes a lot more time, but it is interesting to see how everything is put together (either it is done well or badly). Apparently I put panels together very well. Yay!

Am I scared of repairs? Nope, not in the least. Am I scared of the time it takes? Sort of. All that time and anxiety made me upset because I wouldn't get to do other projects. It ate up my time and I haven't been able to really fire up the kiln as much as I would have liked. But hey, it got done. And now I can move on to new projects.

Now that I have finished it, I feel bad for the other projects ( lampshape and suncatcher) that never got "finished". Sure they are soldered but they do not have any patina on them. So that will be next once I get the darn black patina. And of course with the lampshade I will need to buy a lamp base. I don't even want to know how much that will cost.

Woven tea light holder....

2008-06-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Back to the glass working! Here is another weave I did with larger strips of glass. When I finished the weave, I realized the piece was a bit too big for the molds I had so I pulled out a floral former and draped over that.

The great part about the finished product is that you can see the light flicker through the holes in the weave and even though the glass is a bit dark, it still lights up nicely.

Crochet bookmark...

2008-06-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Finally took the plunge and tried my hand at using thread to crochet a pretty bookmark for a teacher gift. Seems a bit easier to use thread than yarn. Maybe I will see things differantly as I progress into doilies. We shall see....

Flapper hat and scarf with a glass button...

2008-06-13T05:00:00.001-07:00

I was able to combined glass with fiber in one piece. Sure the stitch markers were one thing, but these are together!

I bought this beautifully soft yarn (50% wool/50% llama) at the lys. The yarn was made right here in NH on the seacoast. I believe it is called Seacoast Yarns. The color is Acorn. I started on Tuesday with rolling the yarn into a ball and then I found a pattern for a ruffley scarf. I finished the scarf and was about to start on mittens when I found a flapper hat pattern. So instead of mittens I went with the hat and of course I had leftover so I made a flower to go onto the hat. Still needed something extra....Ooooo, I glass button! Perfect!

Now who will this go to? I am thinking of making this a Christmas gift for a friend. She wears alot of these colors so this might just be the thing for her.

Flower dish..

2008-06-13T04:54:00.000-07:00

A nice light taupe colored glass with blue and orange flowers. Everything is System 96. Nice and simple with a bright burst of colors. Still can't decide if I want to keep it or sell it at the craft fairs.

Maybe if it doesn't sell I will keep it? Hmmm, now that is a good plan. I rarely ever keep anything I make. I have the intention to keep it, but then someone will tell me that they want it and off it goes. I hate to tell someone "no you can't have it" when they are really into it.

Still working on it...

2008-06-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

And I have about 8 pieces to replace. I work on it once a week (because it is for me - if I was getting paid, then it would everyday until done) for three hours. So far three pieces have been replaced and they are waiting to be soldered.

On a more exciting topic, I finally fired up the kiln today. Past few days were hotter then heck - I certainly don't need extra heat in the house. Poor central air unit was working over time, it didn't need to do any more than necessary! Picture will follow in a few days!

Repair time.....

2008-06-04T03:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been awhile since I posted anything, but it doesn't mean I haven't been a busy person. I finally finished the stash of empty wine bottles. As of right now I have over 30 squished bottles waiting for decorations.

Now the big thing I have been dealing with. Earlier in May I hung up a beautiful panel of tulips. The edges are done with bevels, the tulips were a pretty orange/yellow/pink color. Two days later I hear a huge bang and look everywhere to see what the devil happened. It was my panel. The links broke on my chain and the whole piece came crashing down. It made a huge dent into the window sill. Well, since it cracked right in half and all the bevels are fine (thank goodness the bevels didn't crack) I figured after crying for an hour that I would have to fix it. So right now I am in the process of learning how to have paitence and how to fix a 16 inch by 20 inch panel. But if one more person in class comes over to me and says "Wow, that looks hard, are you sure you want to fix it?" I will run away screaming. :)

New socks....

2008-05-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Pretty stripey socks! I got the yarn on sale for $5. This stuff is regularly around $16. A nice wool blend that took about a week to finish. Aren't they pretty?! I have another ball of the same brand - differant color that are just waiting to be crocheted. That was on sale too.

Felted bag with flower

2008-05-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sometime ago I made myself a large felted bag. Of course it isn't finished yet, but I made another bag for someone else. Here is the bag in the colors they wanted. I used Cascade 220. Perfect for felting and doesn't cost an arm and a leg either.

Took about two weeks from start to finish. Not too shabby, eh?

Wall pockets....

2008-05-15T04:05:00.000-07:00

The end of preschool is upon us and my daughter needs to give gifts to her wonderful teachers. I tried to go the non-glass route, but couldn't come up with anything. Then after a brief discussion on a glass related board, I thought that wall pockets would be a nice item to try (again).

In the past I have failed miserably when making these. Either the pocket would be too thin or the glass would fire and little sharp pointy things would emerge on the edges. That is not a good thing. So this time with a careful eye, I watched the firing process and stopped it before the pokey things emerged. I also used about four layers of 1/8 inch fiber paper. That made the pocket nice and big.

The dragonflies are done with a pearl mica powder and the glass is Spectrum 96. The hanger is fused to the back and out of sight.

Dragonflies...in gold

2008-05-09T15:01:00.001-07:00

I played with some gold decals. They came out rather nice, understated, not too gaudy ( I hate the word "Bling" - gak). I would love to do a few of these and sell them. I usually sell my dichroic pendants at $15. Since these have the gold in them, they will probably go for $17. I really try to keep my costs down - I can't honestly see people spending $45 and up on a pendant. Why? I know what goes into these things, yeah, it is work and the materials cost $$, but I am not about to jack up my prices and take someones $$. I would rather sell them for that price and then they are able to buy more or maybe something differant or even save their money for gas.

So my prices may be less than others but it is the same quality. I know that people like pretty things and I am not about to alienate someone because of what they can afford.

Stamping on glass....

2008-05-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

By using Glassline Paints and a rubber stamp I was able to stamp the images of dragonflies onto the glass, bring to a full fuse and then slump. One problem I do see is getting the paint onto the stamp without wasting any. Still working on that, but the end product is still really cool. When it is all done, the paint looks like it is the glass. Doesn't look like paint at all..

Glassblowing...

2008-05-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago the family went back to Wheaton Village in Millville, NJ to support me in my quest for learning more about glassblowing. What I came back with was this fantastic bowl. It is about 5 inches tall by 7 inches wide. The color is pine green, but really it looks more teal to me. Either way I am extremely happy with it.

Still looking for a nice place to put it. I could place it with my other glassblowing creation - my handmade paperweight. But that shelf is starting to get a bit crowded with the kiddos pictures and glass. Can't really leave it out in the open because of the one particular kitty. So, it is hanging out in the dinning room china cabinet until I find it a nice safe place to sit.

Bottle...Cheese plate

2008-05-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ah, finally I can show off a slumped bottle/cheese plate. These are so nice and make perfect gifts. The last two craft fairs I did, these sold out within the first hour and a half. So this year I will have twice as many. I sell them for $12 each and that includes the cheese spreader. I get the bottles from myself, friends, dumpster diving, ect. Last year someone wanted tequila bottles slumped for cutting lemons and limes on. Came out perfect! You should see the Absolute bottles - now those look great!

Stitch markers

2008-04-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to putting these together. Everything was just sitting in a box while I kept saying to myself, "I will get to it soon" over and over. Finally I got it together and took out some pliers and finished them. Now to figure out the packaging and prices.

Soon I will get the crochet stitch markers done. Soon..... I will get to it soon.....

Sorry the picture is crappy. Hard to get the detail.

One down and one to go

2008-04-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

I finished one scarf for the group of Mother's Day gifts. I have one more to go. Easy pattern to follow and the results are wonderful. The next one is going to be in that pretty crimson color.

Maybe I should change this from a site primarily about glass to one about crocheting. I have got to get some new glass work done! It is not like I am not working on it, but right now I have oodles of wine bottles that need to be slumped for up comming craft fairs in the fall. Showing pictures of squished bottles sans decoration is sort of boring to look at. I guess it is time to decorate one and show it off.

New slippers....

2008-04-28T04:02:00.000-07:00

I needed new slippers. Really needed new ones. I usually get a pair every other year of halflingers felted clogs. Warm and cozy. This year I couldn't find a pair in my size on sale. I am not paying full price for slippers. So I found this pattern online and bought it - Felted ballerina slippers. I finished the slippers last week while I was visiting family in NJ.

The wool is Cascade 220. Heather Rose is the color I believe. I still have to attach the strap to the side with elastic, but they are done and felted. Pretty darn proud of this accomplishment. I use to not be able to focus on anything for more than 10 min at a time. Lately I can sit and do one thing for a long time and not get all impaitent.

As soon as I can I will start posting more pics of finished glass pieces. I have been in a creative slump since my trip. Hopefully soon I will have my free form glass bowl I made at Wheaton Arts Village.

Weaves

2008-04-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post pics of my weavings. No, not fiber weavings, but glass weavings.

Spirited away......

2008-04-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Spirit Glass. Need I say more?

I just love this glass.

Yeah, it isn't glass but I still have to show it off.

2008-04-16T03:23:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I was out looking for a crochet hook. Unfortunately the store didn't have that size so I ended up getting lost in the fabric section. I was looking at some beautiful fabric with lots of nice patterns and got a great idea. I will MAKE myself a new handbag. Since I love my fabric one I got at my daughter's school craft fair, I was going to try to make my own. I bought two lovely pieces and went home to wash them.

About three hours later (that includes pattern making, cutting, piecing together and sewing) I came out with this beautiful bag. Will I make more? Possibly. Do I still like Vera Bradley bags? Very much so. Do I like my other hand made bag that I got at a craft fair? Yes, of course. Is making it myself a heck of alot cheaper? Yes indeed!

In fact I will be heading out to the fabric store today to pick up a bit more fabric. Thinking about it now, I should have taken a picture of the inside. It is the same as the outside pocket - that pretty paisly pattern.

Coasters!

2008-04-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

I am working on coasters. These range in size from 3 inches square to 4 inches square. Fun to make and easy to fuse. I have about three more to make. Aren't they pretty? And a great way to use up scrap glass. All about the recyling!

A gift for my mother

2008-04-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finally done - I just added the chain and started to pack it up for the trip to its new home. A while ago I asked my mother what she would like for a stained glass piece for Mother's Day/her birthday. She told me a yellow iris would be fine. Well, I finished it two months ahead of schedule so I could personally bring it down to her.

This piece is 16 inches by 16 inches. The pattern came from Flower Power by Terra Parma. Most of the cutting was done on my ring saw (too many curves to count). The cutting took about 4 hours. In all, I think it took me about 6 hours to do this.

Not glass but.....

2008-04-14T05:09:00.001-07:00

I use to crochet when I was in college. Not much, but I could do a small throws with simple designs. Well, I picked up the hook again after New Years Eve and made myself relearn everything. So after making a few more afghans and a whole bunch of discloths, I decided it was time to really test my skills and make SOCKS! Here are the said socks. I found the pattern (not a real pattern, but instructions) on Ravelry. I heart Ravelry!

What is nice, is that I still have some yarn left over for a pair (a small pair) of sock. Maybe one of my kids will like it for Christmas next year.

Finally starting to get it together......

2008-04-10T04:31:00.001-07:00

I honestly don't know if anyone will read this, but at least I will have some pictures online. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with posting and not forget about it like before.

Here are a few panels to look at!

Starting out on a blog

2007-08-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am starting to get interested working at craft shows. I have lots of great ideas floating around my head, but getting them down on paper is another story. Also time is a big factor. With two kids at home timing is everyting!

Right now I have some items completed.

There are plenty more pendants done. This is an example of only one.