Inspiration
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Inspiration can come from so many places. Sometimes a word or a picture will stir a memory.
As I trace the thread of a memory it often weaves a tapestry in my mind of vivid images, ready to be transformed into art.
A few words triggered such a moment recently when I remembered a favorite childhood book that I’d shared with my children, “Frederick” by Leo Lionni.
I went searching through the bookshelf of children’s books in our home that we'd kept even after the children had outgrown them. I found "Frederick", and began flipping through it.
Next I picked up “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle and paged through the beautiful illustrations. Sometime later I emerged from my journey through “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, and “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter.
I was flooded with ideas and inspiration for projects. The experience brought a smile to my face as I realized that the simple little story of Frederick had been an inspiration my life t ...
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Delphi associates are raving about the new Bend It Molds from Creative Paradise. The clever design makes it easy to fuse projects that stand up on their own, and the mold comes in three different sizes, Large, Medium and Small (or Baby Bend It.) The picture frame for mom (top left) was made by glass artist Denise Christmas-Gibson using the Medium Bend It Mold. 
The Father's Day golf project (at right) was also created by Denise using the Large Bend It Mold.
What would you make with this mold?
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We received so many impressive entries into the Light Up Our Blog contest, we've decided to showcase a series of them on the blog. Check back frequently, and you might just find your entry in the spotlight!
Jacqueline King has been working as a professional glass artist for four years in Australia and uses Delphi Glass as her major supplier. She has recently been recognized in many publications from the US 'Best of Worldwide Glass Artists' to Australian Art Collector Magazine. Although she's relatively new to glass and still considers herself an emerging artist, she  now teaches copper foiling and kiln-forming to other aspiring artists.
Images: These are three of Jacqueline's 'functional' pieces she makes from a wide range of art glass. The bases are made from salvaged timber and some include Australian agate, fossil ...
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It seems that Pinners can't get enough Bottle Art. (If you haven't discovered Pinterest yet, you will.)  It's a great place for artists to gather inspiring images from around the web. I started a pinboard for all of the bottle art inspiration floating around the blogosphere. Below are 7 projects I've pinned from our very own artist gallery. See more on my pinboard here. What are you making with bottles? Email me a photo or link to your project, and I'll pin it to my Bottle Art pinboard!
1. Bottle Art Necklace
2. Recycled Champagne Bottle Beads
3. ...
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As you know, many of the associates at Delphi are also talented glass artists. I recently caught up with Delphi's Internet Marketing Specialist, Stacy Daniels, who told me about a special plate she's making for her brother and his fiancée.
She is celebrating passover with the couple - it will be their first Passover together.  Passover is the Jewish holiday celebrating freedom from bondage under the Egyptian Pharaoh. It is celebrated with family dinners called seders. Passover this year is April 6-14. Stacy is creating a special seder plate for her brother and future sister-in-law, one she hopes they will use for years to come.
You can create a sedar dinner plate like Stacy's using System 96 OpalArt, fusing mold #92308, ...
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If you’re looking to share some homemade love this holiday season, but don’t have a lot of time, consider making one of these easy art glass projects. They take fewer than 3 hours to complete, and you can download the project guides for free.
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Show off your art glass creations! Here are 6 easy and inexpensive ways to incorporate art glass into your Thanksgiving dinner table décor.
| 1. Glass bottles are easy and inexpensive to use. Cut the bottoms of glass bottles of varying heights. Place over votive candles, and decorate with etching, twine, ribbon and other found objects. Download instructions on how to make the centerpiece pictured top right. I also love these amber-colored bottle hurricanes I found on Etsy (at right). They provide just the right amount of romantic ambiance for the dinner table. |
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I am often inspired by the glass work of our customers and Facebook fans. They are always thinking outside the box and using Delphi products in new and interesting ways. Recently we asked our fans to send us photos of glass art from their very own back yards. We received so many amazing projects, we decided to share a few here on our blog.
Joleen Siebert, of Magic Gardens Stained Glass, created these two beautiful stained glass Koi fish panels (top left and at right). The larger panel is made up of 120 pieces of Spectrum, Kokomo and Bullseye glass. The smaller panel is made up of 40 pieces of Spectrum and scrap glass. It is framed in copper tubing. Both are foil construction. She desi ...
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Fairytales, folklore and fantasy provide endless inspiration for garden art. With a little imagination and a few enchanting elements, you can turn your back yard into a magical playground for kids (and grown ups too!)
In researching fairy tale garden art for this blog, I ran across many inspiring images and stories. One artist created a magical garden where stone mermaids rested near a cool stream and pixies perched on trees. Another artist added tiny wooden doors and windows to the base of the trees in her garden, much to the delight of the "wee folk."
Besides wood and stone, glass is also a wonderful medium for creating magical details like toadstools, bird baths, wind chimes and more.
Create a slumped fairy house to tuck in a shady spot, or a table-top fountain to sit under the sun. Fus ...
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When planning your Christmas creations for 2011, channel seasons past. High-quality products and traditional colors (various shades of red, green, gold and silver) characterized the upcoming holiday season, according to experts at the 2011/2012 Christmasworld trade fair in Frankfurt.
Fortunately for glass artists, glass was the material of choice for tree ornaments at this year’s show. Fused, blown and stained glass ornaments will be more popular than ever! Click here for hand-picked Christmas glass.
In addition to traditional ball-shaped ornaments, make note of these five standout trends:
Nature
The biggest source of inspiration for the 2011 Christmas season is nature. Natural materials like wood, bark, wicker, as well as milled wool and felt were mixed with glass, pearls and precious stones to achieve a beautiful but organic feel.
Hearts
Classic heart-shaped ornaments in delicate shades of rose, red, gold and silver wer ...
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