Thought I'd let everyone in on my super duper Black Friday through Cyber Monday SALE over at my Etsy shop!
"BlackFriday" is the coupon code for 30% off your entire order!!
-OR-
If you input "CGGEHolidaySale" into the notes to seller before checking out, you will be able to Buy 2, Get one FREE!!!! With this option, simply load up your cart, check out, then wait for a revised invoice to be sent to your email. (NOTE: Filling out shipping on Etsy for me is kind of tricky, so if you see some outrageous price for shipping, be aware that I will adjust the shipping as necessary and include that amount in your revised invoice!"
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
How to Make Layered Dichroic Jewelry - Part 1
Tonight, I'll be giving a quick demonstration of some of the upcoming classes I'll be teaching at Architectural Glass Arts (1 block South of 48th and Prescott) here in Lincoln, Nebraska. In particular, there's been a lot of interest in the Dichroic Tile for Jewelry class. It's a great way to make a bunch of gifts all in one go, because you start by making a 4" x 4" layered dichroic tile and end up with 10-20 pieces for jewelry (depending upon how large or small the pieces are that you decide to cut the tile into).
So, without further ado, here's part one (in the kiln prepping for part 2 as we speak)!
First, you'll need to gather your supplies:
You'll need your cutting tools (glass cutter, running pliers, mosaic nippers), a pair of tweezers come in handy for moving small pieces around, 5" x 5" piece of ThinFire paper (if you're not building directly on the kiln shelf like I did) on a sturdy piece of cardboard, your favorite brand of fusing glue (I'm using No Days Liquid Fusing Adhesive), cleaning supplies (I use Sparkle brand glass cleaner and microfiber cloths), and of course, glass.
You'll need a variety of dichroic bits on black and clear. You can actually purchase sample kits or assortment bags from several dichroic suppliers, and I've found this to be the best way to build up a variety of different dichroics at a good price.
Lastly, you'll need either: 4" x 4" piece of thin black (or whatever color you want to be the base layer) AND 4" x 4" piece of thin clear, OR a 4" x 4" piece of clear. If you're using thins, just follow the steps below verbatim. Otherwise, you'll need to start by laying out your ThinFire on cardboard and drawing a 4" x 4" square on the paper with a pen or pencil. This square is where you'll start layering your pieces.
Now, it's time to assemble the layers:
Begin by placing your thin black on the kiln shelf. (Alternately, you may use ThinFire paper setting atop of a sturdy piece of cardboard. After the glue has dried, it is easy to scoot the paper off of the cardboard and into the kiln. DO NOT FIRE THE CARDBOARD!!!
I included a wavy stick of dichro and some flameworked twisty stringers. The only thing I would not recommend is to use plain old glass. I've tried it once and it overpowered the dichro. It's a mistake I will not try again!
You can see bits of my base glass that are naked. They will likely show up in the final piece, depending upon how well I cover those bits with clear dichroic in the next step.
If you haven't used a base layer of glass, then you need to use more dichroic than I did. You should not be able to see the kiln shelf or ThinFire.
At this point, I also dropped a bit of glue in the seams, especially along the edges of the glass. Even though the glass is placed fairly randomly, it takes some time to do. I don't want my nicely stacked piece to shift around before I get it in the kiln!
Now, you start layering clear dichroic on top of your opaque dichroic. A word of warning! The metal oxides that make that beautiful dichroic coating do not stick to each other when fired. What does this mean? It means that when placing the transparent dichroic glass on top of your opaque dichroic, you need to carefully examine each piece to make sure the dichroic coating is up and not down. I do this by holding my piece of glass to a light and trying to catch the reflection of the light on the dichro coating. If your dichro coating is face up, the light it reflects will run all the way to the edge of the glass. If your dichro coating is down, you will see a slight "shadow," kind of like when you stand really close to the bathroom mirror and look at the edge. (Anyone besides me ever done this?)
Make sure you have plenty of transparent dichroic on top of your base layer, but it's okay with this layer to go a little lighter than you did with the opaque layer. AND, some transparent dichroics will completely obscure the layer underneath them. So, don't get too crazy! (Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?)
As I laid each piece of transparent dichro down, I put a tiny bit of adhesive on the bottom side. Like I said earlier, I use No Days Liquid Fusing Adhesive. It's got a pleasant orange aroma that helps to cover up the garage smell in my studio. It's also really tacky, so when it dries, my pieces are more stable than if I were to use different fusing glues. (Did I tell you how long it takes to put this piece together? Just long enough to make it really frustrating when pieces move before they are in the kiln!)
Tada!!! Made it to the kiln, and now all that's left is to cap it! Dichro is nice and sparkly, but when you put the clear layer of glass on top, it adds a really nice dimensionality to the metal coating. This is where I gently add the 4" x 4" piece of thin, clear glass on top before firing up the kiln. [NOTE: If using standard thickness glass, you didn't have a base layer. However, you definitely want a clear cap. So, this is where you would add a 4" x 4" piece of clear to your lovely stack.
Load the kiln and fire!
The firing schedule will vary from kiln to kiln. But, for my small Paragon Caldera kiln, this is the schedule I used:
So, without further ado, here's part one (in the kiln prepping for part 2 as we speak)!
First, you'll need to gather your supplies:
You'll need your cutting tools (glass cutter, running pliers, mosaic nippers), a pair of tweezers come in handy for moving small pieces around, 5" x 5" piece of ThinFire paper (if you're not building directly on the kiln shelf like I did) on a sturdy piece of cardboard, your favorite brand of fusing glue (I'm using No Days Liquid Fusing Adhesive), cleaning supplies (I use Sparkle brand glass cleaner and microfiber cloths), and of course, glass.
You'll need a variety of dichroic bits on black and clear. You can actually purchase sample kits or assortment bags from several dichroic suppliers, and I've found this to be the best way to build up a variety of different dichroics at a good price.
Lastly, you'll need either: 4" x 4" piece of thin black (or whatever color you want to be the base layer) AND 4" x 4" piece of thin clear, OR a 4" x 4" piece of clear. If you're using thins, just follow the steps below verbatim. Otherwise, you'll need to start by laying out your ThinFire on cardboard and drawing a 4" x 4" square on the paper with a pen or pencil. This square is where you'll start layering your pieces.
Now, it's time to assemble the layers:
Begin by placing your thin black on the kiln shelf. (Alternately, you may use ThinFire paper setting atop of a sturdy piece of cardboard. After the glue has dried, it is easy to scoot the paper off of the cardboard and into the kiln. DO NOT FIRE THE CARDBOARD!!!
[Note: If using standard thickness (1/8") glass, then you should not have a base layer. Instead, mark your kiln shelf with a 4" x 4" square (lightly use a pencil to mark the primed shelf), or draw a 4" x 4" square on a piece of ThinFire paper on sturdy cardboard. You will not use a base layer of glass. Your base layer will be your dichroic on black pieces.]Now it's time to play with dichro!!! First, you'll be laying down bits of opaque dichroic glass. (Dichroic glass comes on black thin glass or on clear thin glass.) Cut the dichroic pieces into random shapes, squares, triangles, strips...whatever you feel! Trust me, as long as you load the dichro up, you'll be pleased with how this turns out.
I included a wavy stick of dichro and some flameworked twisty stringers. The only thing I would not recommend is to use plain old glass. I've tried it once and it overpowered the dichro. It's a mistake I will not try again!
You can see bits of my base glass that are naked. They will likely show up in the final piece, depending upon how well I cover those bits with clear dichroic in the next step.
If you haven't used a base layer of glass, then you need to use more dichroic than I did. You should not be able to see the kiln shelf or ThinFire.
At this point, I also dropped a bit of glue in the seams, especially along the edges of the glass. Even though the glass is placed fairly randomly, it takes some time to do. I don't want my nicely stacked piece to shift around before I get it in the kiln!
Now, you start layering clear dichroic on top of your opaque dichroic. A word of warning! The metal oxides that make that beautiful dichroic coating do not stick to each other when fired. What does this mean? It means that when placing the transparent dichroic glass on top of your opaque dichroic, you need to carefully examine each piece to make sure the dichroic coating is up and not down. I do this by holding my piece of glass to a light and trying to catch the reflection of the light on the dichro coating. If your dichro coating is face up, the light it reflects will run all the way to the edge of the glass. If your dichro coating is down, you will see a slight "shadow," kind of like when you stand really close to the bathroom mirror and look at the edge. (Anyone besides me ever done this?)Make sure you have plenty of transparent dichroic on top of your base layer, but it's okay with this layer to go a little lighter than you did with the opaque layer. AND, some transparent dichroics will completely obscure the layer underneath them. So, don't get too crazy! (Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?)
As I laid each piece of transparent dichro down, I put a tiny bit of adhesive on the bottom side. Like I said earlier, I use No Days Liquid Fusing Adhesive. It's got a pleasant orange aroma that helps to cover up the garage smell in my studio. It's also really tacky, so when it dries, my pieces are more stable than if I were to use different fusing glues. (Did I tell you how long it takes to put this piece together? Just long enough to make it really frustrating when pieces move before they are in the kiln!)
Tada!!! Made it to the kiln, and now all that's left is to cap it! Dichro is nice and sparkly, but when you put the clear layer of glass on top, it adds a really nice dimensionality to the metal coating. This is where I gently add the 4" x 4" piece of thin, clear glass on top before firing up the kiln. [NOTE: If using standard thickness glass, you didn't have a base layer. However, you definitely want a clear cap. So, this is where you would add a 4" x 4" piece of clear to your lovely stack.
Load the kiln and fire!
The firing schedule will vary from kiln to kiln. But, for my small Paragon Caldera kiln, this is the schedule I used:
500 degrees per hour to 600 degrees and hold for 15 minutes
(I didn't let my glue thoroughly set and dry. The No Days adhesive starts to set within 3 minutes, but can take much longer to dry - even overnight. This step helps to dry and burn off moisture, so make sure the kiln is vented. I simply place 2 stacked squares of 1/8" thick fiber paper in two corners of my kiln and leave it vented the whole time.)
500 - 1000 - 5
The binders in the ThinFire and the glue will burn off completely during this stage. The kiln still needs to be vented...full - 1250 - 10
This stage heats up to slump temperatures and let the layers fall together, squeezing out air bubbles and beginning to tack.
full- 1480 - 15
All the layers should now fuse together fully.full - 900 - 20
Annealing temperature. My bitty kiln holds its heat well, and with small pieces like this one, it doesn't need any further annealing.
0000Part Two will cover cutting the tile into smaller pieces, rounding off the sharp edges and attaching a bail.
The end.Make sure you DO NOT open the kiln even to peek once the kiln is below 1000 degrees! You're just asking for trouble if you do. Don't want to put all that work into making this nice piece and then stress out your glass and make it shatter!!!
No, No, No!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Fused Glass Coasters with a Quilting Theme
The holidays are around the corner and I've been busy listing my "quilted" fused glass coasters on Etsy. It's such a long process from start of a project to the final listing...I thought I'd share the whole process with you!
The very first step is choosing a quilt block pattern and colors for the block. But, seldom have I ever used a solid fabric in any quilt I've ever sewn. I'm drawn to patterns, usually large floral, colorful and bright designs. However, for this particular example below, I was aiming for mimicking earthy, woven-textile inspired "fabrics." So, in order to turn this:
into this:
I got out my enamel paints, glass powders and tools. For the pattern on the turquoise, orange and brown glass, I first went over them with a light wash of watered down enamel paints (I used Glassline paints, and I think it was a blend of paints from my used paint palette.). Once the light coating dried, I was able to scrape design lines into the paint, with a sgraffito-like technique. Then, I added gold paint highlights and splatters. On the french vanilla piece of glass, I used glass powders exclusively for my design, sifting through plastic needlepoint canvases in different shapes. To add a wavy texture on one side, I dragged a triangular wood-graining tool across the sifted powder.
After patterning my "fabric" glass, it needs to go in the kiln to a low temperature of around 1380-1400 F, just so the paints and powders adhere to the glass. Then, after the glass has cooled back down to room temperature, I can cut it into the pieces needed for constructing my quilt blocks.
Each of these coasters used small squares and triangles pieced together and capped with clear glass. I love cutting all these small pieces! But, because of the number of pieces and the fact that I like a nice, straight, clean edge...I have to fire the pieces in the kiln twice more before they come out like this:
The in-between stage involves lots of grinding (cold working) with a diamond coated bit and water to get rid of lumps and bumps on the edges of the pieces. They look so much nicer for the extra bit of work, though!
Next, come the rubber bumpers on the bottom corners to protect your furniture and make the glass coasters nicely stack-able.
And for the final touch, I tie a ribbon of rafia around the coasters and attach one of my hand carved and printed lino-cut cards with the name of the quilt block:
Voila! Now, all I have to do is photograph the pieces, photoshop the photos, write the listing description, upload my photos, tag the listing with keywords, calculate shipping costs and the cost of the product... Whew!
Simple, really...No? ;)
The very first step is choosing a quilt block pattern and colors for the block. But, seldom have I ever used a solid fabric in any quilt I've ever sewn. I'm drawn to patterns, usually large floral, colorful and bright designs. However, for this particular example below, I was aiming for mimicking earthy, woven-textile inspired "fabrics." So, in order to turn this:
into this:
I got out my enamel paints, glass powders and tools. For the pattern on the turquoise, orange and brown glass, I first went over them with a light wash of watered down enamel paints (I used Glassline paints, and I think it was a blend of paints from my used paint palette.). Once the light coating dried, I was able to scrape design lines into the paint, with a sgraffito-like technique. Then, I added gold paint highlights and splatters. On the french vanilla piece of glass, I used glass powders exclusively for my design, sifting through plastic needlepoint canvases in different shapes. To add a wavy texture on one side, I dragged a triangular wood-graining tool across the sifted powder.After patterning my "fabric" glass, it needs to go in the kiln to a low temperature of around 1380-1400 F, just so the paints and powders adhere to the glass. Then, after the glass has cooled back down to room temperature, I can cut it into the pieces needed for constructing my quilt blocks.
Each of these coasters used small squares and triangles pieced together and capped with clear glass. I love cutting all these small pieces! But, because of the number of pieces and the fact that I like a nice, straight, clean edge...I have to fire the pieces in the kiln twice more before they come out like this:
The in-between stage involves lots of grinding (cold working) with a diamond coated bit and water to get rid of lumps and bumps on the edges of the pieces. They look so much nicer for the extra bit of work, though!Next, come the rubber bumpers on the bottom corners to protect your furniture and make the glass coasters nicely stack-able.
And for the final touch, I tie a ribbon of rafia around the coasters and attach one of my hand carved and printed lino-cut cards with the name of the quilt block:
Voila! Now, all I have to do is photograph the pieces, photoshop the photos, write the listing description, upload my photos, tag the listing with keywords, calculate shipping costs and the cost of the product... Whew!Simple, really...No? ;)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
September Newsletter - Calyx Glass
 *Nebraska-Home on the... | Calyx Glass “What’s in the Kiln?” September 2010 Newsletter |  *...Shooting Range? |
Upcoming Events Saturday, September 25 from 10am – 6pm Sunday, September 26 from 10am – 5pm South Pointe Pavillions(27th & Pine Lake Road) Come by to say hi, and check out the new pieces I’ve been working on specifically for this show! There will be live music, art and artists from around the country, children’s activities, food and raffle prizes.  “Nature’s Bounty” Noyes Art Gallery (in the focus gallery) 119 South 9th St., Lincoln, NE 68508 Opening Reception: October 1, 2010 6:30- 8:00 p.m. (gallery open until 9 p.m) I’ve been invited to participate in a show at the Noyes Art Gallery for the month of October along with artists: Jan Pippitt (Mixed Media), Connie Backus-Yoder (Fabric Art), Julie Lemons (Pastels), and Donna Pozehl (Gourd Vases). Parking is available in the garage North of the gallery, and there will be refreshments. I’m so excited to finally unveil my Tree of Life in Four Seasons series. I’ve been attempting to make this pattern for the last few years with unhappy surprises sneaking out of the kiln. But, the series has finally come together and I’m so happy with how they turned out! Saturday, October 2 from 1pm - 9pm Sprague/Martell Community Center 17490 SW 14th Street • Martell, Nebraska (12 minutes South of Lincoln, Nebraska) Along with artist and craft vendors, there will be songwriting and guitar picking workshops, poetry readings, and LIVE music!!I’m excited to hang out for the day and listen to folk music by musicians from Nebraska, as well as Peru, Ithaca, NY, Tennesse and more! |
Classes offered at Architectural Glass Arts beginning in January, 2011:
 *Dichroic Glass Tile for Jewelry Making |  *Fused Glass Block Painting |  *Kiln Cast Glass Sculpture |  *Quilting with Glass |
Still reading, huh? You probably want to know what’s the deal with me and the gun? Oh, well, okay...
So, my husband had never shot a gun before until just very recently. That’s not because my dad hasn’t been trying to make it happen (but that’s a whole ‘nother story involving a trip to Canada in the RV with a .357 gun under the bed). Well, we were finally able to make it out to the shooting range and shot off more guns and bullets than I ever thought I would. I capped a metal chicken at least twice! I look so in charge with the gun, though, don’t I? ;)
Well, I hope to see some of you this weekend at the Lincoln Arts Festival. I’m still finishing up a few pieces that are in the kiln as I write. Hope you’ve had a great summer!
Thanks for reading and feel free to forward this to your friends!
Carrie Strope
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Fused Glass Sampler Platter Class
The LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska is beginning a kiln forming glass (or fused glass) program this fall beginning with a Fused Glass Sampler Platter Class, which touches upon glass terminology, basic glass cutting skills, techniques and materials used in glass fusing, programming kilns for firing, firing schedules, and more. The Sampler Platter class begins September 21st and will be held Tuesday nights from 6:30pm to 9:00pm until November 2nd (no class on October 19th). The class will explore different materials used in glass fusing including dichroic glass, glass paints, fusible paper, glass powders, frits, stringers, dichroic slide, as well as different techniques for adding texture and working with torches and candles to manipulate glass. The class will meet for 6 two-and-a-half hour sessions to create sample tiles of different materials and techniques. Then, for the final session, the successful tiles are incorporated to make an 8" x 8" platter to be fired and slumped. The Sampler Platter class is suitable for beginners to glass fusing, but also presents materials and techniques for the intermediate glass artist, as well. To register, call Natalie Nelson, Education Director for the LUX at 402.466.8692 or online at http://www.luxcenter.org.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
deLUX Art Gala auction preview
Click the picture to see the whole album of donated art on Picasa.
The 2010 deLUX Art Gala benefit dinner and art auction is right around the corner! Check out all the great pieces donated by local artists to support the LUX Center for the Arts. Grab your tickets on the LUX's website, or call 402.466.8692.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
August Newsletter
 *Lincoln Arts Fest Preview | Calyx Glass “What’s in the Kiln?” August 2010 Newsletter | deLUX Gala piece in progress |
Upcoming Classes (Refer a friend and receive a 10% discount on classes offered in my studio. Make sure your friend mentions your name when they sign up! - offer not available for classes offered at the LUX Center for the Arts.)
| Upcoming Events Saturday, September 25 from 10am – 6pm Sunday, September 26 from 10am – 5pm South Pointe Pavillions(27th & Pine Lake Road) Come by to say hi, and check out the new pieces I’ve been working on specifically for this show! There will be live music, art and artists from around the country, children’s activities, food and raffle prizes.  August 22 - September 6 I’m anxious to see what kind of glass Nebraskans are showing at the fair! I’ll be showing my Nebraska Prairie Stained Glass Window along with a bunch of fused and kiln cast glass. Check it out!  deLUX Art Gala September 19, 4:30 pm Grand Manse (129 North 10th Street) See my auction piece in the flesh and support the arts in Lincoln at the LUX’s benefit dinner catered by Venue and art auction. |
*
*
*Remember Me?
“Patchwork Platter,” 9.25" x 5.5"
Yea! I won third place!
My other piece, has yet to be properly photographed, but I can now unveil it for you here:
This piece was inspired by the fused glass artwork of Kim Brills and as such was a dedication to her. I interpreted the bottom fused plate as an aerial view of a city map of Austin, TX. So, I decided to reflect it upwards into an image of the skyline of Austin, separating the flat fused plates by a cast glass wave representing Lady Bird Lake ( a reservoir of the Colorado River in downtown Austin). The finishing touches of this piece butted right up against the deadline for dropping it off at A to Z Printing for hanging!
The show continues for the remainder of August. So there’s still time to swing by and see the Lincoln Artists’ Guild 90th Anniversary show, if you haven’t had the chance yet.
Well, I need to take a shower and get packed for Sturgis, SD! It’s going to be a busy couple of months; find me on facebook to keep up with my travels!
Thanks for reading and feel free to forward this on to your friends!
Carrie Strope
Recently created sun catchers from classes
Sale for this month: Receive a 10% discount on any purchase from my Etsy shop. Purchase the item making sure to mention “August Newsletter” in notes to seller. Then, wait to receive a revised invoice by email. Pay as usual (through PayPal), and I will send your item as soon as payment posts! |
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
What is Dichroic Glass?
dichrotic...dichronic...dichro...dichroic glass...
People are fascinated by sparkly, and if it's glass, then dichroic is your mega sparkle!But, there's a lot of confusion about what dichroic glass is...
Some pins I have created with dichroic accents.
Some pins I have created with dichroic accents.
My first encounter with dichro was on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley. Small town girl from Nebraska visiting the craziness of Berkeley in the mid-90s. There was so much to see, but I was transfixed when my eyes caught the reflections off of some glittering dichroic rings. I carefully chose two, a green and orange combo and a blue and pink combo. When I asked what is was, I was given two answers..."It depends on what you want to believe. It's either the fire from a dragon's eye, or the metallic coating they use on spaceships."
Those rings are no longer with me. (Did I tell you that people are fascinated with sparkly?) During a summer at one of my most eclectic friends house, a dance troupe from Benin, West Africa visited. While discussing food, music, and then jewelry (in snippets of the French I learned in high school) with the two women dancers that had made the trek to Middle America, we decided to trade baubles. I gave them each one of the rings that sparkled; they had never seen anything like it before. I, in turn, received beads from Africa that I've incorporated into several of my jewelry designs.
But, back to dichro... What is it exactly?
Cabinet hardware with dichroic accents.
Cabinet hardware with dichroic accents.SAVOY dichroic has a nice little blurb about it...
Dichroic is a high-tech optical coating that selectively reflects certain wavelengths (colors) of light and allows the remaining wavelengths to transmit through. This same effect is seen in nature in peacock feathers and opals. The word "dichroic" means two colors, which refers to transmitted color and reflected color. The coating process is done in a high vacuum chamber that has several pieces of specialized equipment to control and monitor the coating process.Coatings by Sandberg elaborates a bit more about the process...
Dichroic Glass is a multi layer coating placed on glass by using a highly technical vacuum deposition process. Quartz Crystal and Metal Oxides are Vaporized with an electron beam gun in an airless vacuum chamber and the vapor then floats upward and attaches then condenses on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure. Our colors have as many as 30 layers of these materials yet the thickness of the total coating is approximately 35 millionths of an inch. The coating that is created is very similar to a gemstone and by careful control in thickness, different colors are obtained. Thus, all our coatings are created using the same exact materials. Originally created for the Aerospace industry, Dichroic Glass is now made available to the artist community through Coatings By Sandberg, Inc. CBS Dichroic Glass is specifically designed to be hotworked in any way but can also be used in its raw form. The main characteristic of Dichroic Glass is that it has a transmitted color and a completely different reflective color. Furthermore, these two colors shift depending on angle of view. With the play of light together with its vibrant color, Dichroic Glass is a prime tool used to add interest to any piece of work or project.I also discovered here that the "spaceship theory" from Telegraph Ave. was a bit closer to the truth. CBS talks about the more technical uses of dichroic, "Dichroic Glass was originally created for the Aerospace industry for Satellite mirrors, but it now has many technical uses including: Lighting, Fiber Optics, Infrared Lazers, Motion Picture Equipment, Sun Glasses, and more."
Any glass artist who has tried to photograph their pieces, especially dichroic pieces, knows that it is incredibly difficult to catch the nuances and beauty of dichroic glass. But, CBS has some beautiful close up shots of dichroic glass on their home page.
Disclaimer....I get NO compensation for linking to any outside sites. Though, wouldn't that be nice?!?
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Fused Glass Sun Catcher this Sunday!
There's still time to sign up if you're interested! Know a young person you'd like to come with? Niece, nephew, grandchild, neighbor kids? Bring them over and we'll create some wonderful, one-of-a-kind sun catchers!
Fused Glass Sun Catcher for Kids and Parents - This is a perfect class for kids to make a personalized gift, or just to learn to (carefully) play with glass while spending some quality time with mom or dad. We will create and then assemble a beautiful suncatcher. Class meets for one 2 to 2-1/2 hour session and then a short 30 minute session by arrangement to assemble the sun catcher. Sun catchers will be ready for pick up and assembly 3-5 days after the first session. Class fee: $40 for one child and one adult (includes materials for sun catcher and assembly, and firing) Upcoming class: Sunday, July 25th 10am-12pm
Monday, June 21, 2010
June Newsletter...
 * | Calyx Glass “What’s in the Kiln?” June 2010 Newsletter | Headed back to the hot shop! |
Upcoming Classes (Refer a friend and receive a 10% discount on classes offered in my studio. Make sure your friend mentions your name when they sign up!)
| Upcoming Exhibition A to Z Printing Show Here’s a little preview of what I’ve got in store...  “Patchwork Platter,” 9.25" x 5.5" This is a fused glass plate that I’ve just recently put together, but I’ve had the parts for quite awhile. There’s a lot of texture and color going on in this one and you’ll have to come to see it to truly appreciate it! “Ode to Kim Peters Brill,” detail There are so many talented glass artists out there and one in particular was the inspiration for this in-progress piece. Check out Kim Peters Brill’s website and see why I was so inspired!I’m still adding a few elements to this piece to make it truly my own. So, it will be unveiled at the show opening! |
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*Don’t know if you noticed that little picture of me smiling and happy in beautiful Napa, California in my hot glass gear up at the top of this newsletter, but...
I’m headed back to the hot shop! Or rather, the Hot Shops Art Center up in Omaha. I’m going to be playing with hot glass again!!!! It’s been months since I’ve been able to travel to a studio with a glory hole and all the equipment necessary to blow glass. It’s an expensive art form, but it’s so worth it!
If you ever get an itch to try it, check out the classes Ed Fennel offers at the Crystal Forge.
Cooking up some Bourbon in the Maker’s Mark kitchen!
My husband and I just got back from a week long trip to Kentucky! We had a great time sight seeing, checking out the Bourbon Trail (and learning the proper way to taste Bourbon), and enjoying the local restaurants. BUT, the reason we went was for the 2010 Glass Art Society conference. It did not disappoint!
I have never been before, and on a whim I signed up when I saw a call for more conference volunteers on Facebook. With the reduced conference fee that work exchange offered, I was actually able to consider the trip, and thus was born our spontaneous trip to Lousiville!
Louisville is home of Churchill Downs,
thus their public art pieces are horses.
The conference organizers did a fabulous job of getting the town on track for hosting an international glass convention as all the museums and galleries in town highlighted glass art. There was no way I was able to see all that there was on offer, but what I did see was incredible! Three different hot glass centers with renowned glass artists such as Lino Tagliapietra (Italian master blower), Paul Stankard (instantly recognizable flowerscapes), Amy Rueffert (gorgeous hot glass “collages”), and too many more to even begin to name hosted demos. The lectures at the conference center were informative and engaging (Who knew you could bond glass at room temperature with no glue?!?). As a bonus, I even made a bunch of new contacts and friends! I’ve decided that I will be going to this conference every year!
Downtown Louisville is incredibly charming with public art dotting the scenery everywhere! I’ll leave you with this spattering of public art bike racks...
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Thanks for reading and feel free to forward this on to your friends!
Carrie Strope
Sale for this month: Receive a 10% discount on any purchase from my Etsy shop. Purchase the item making sure to mention “June Newsletter” in notes to seller. Then, wait to receive a revised invoice by email. Pay as usual (through PayPal), and I will send your item as soon as payment posts! |
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