Glass artists have the unique opportunity to celebrate holidays by creating art to honor traditions. Passover is no exception. This eight day festival is celebrated in spring, commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The highlight of celebration is the Seder, a 15-step family tradition and ritual-infused feast that is served on a special Seder Plate. Designing a custom Seder Plate is a perfect way to honor the tradition. Incorporate favorite colors, create a modern square version, or add dazzling dichroic accents to dress up your design. Shop Seder Plate Molds to get started creating your own. Below are some beautiful variations on Seder Plates from glass artists that are fantastic examples of some of the ways you can personalize projects. This modern take on the Seder Plate features iridized glass and hand painted gold lettering, by Art Glass. Glassdesign dresses up the traditional round Seder Plate shape with dichroic accents. Yafit Glass brings a lively color pallet to this Seder Plate with vibrant transparent glass and gold hand-lettering. Artist Kerry Silver of Silver Fusion Art Glass uses vibrant color a

This Spring Delphi is excited to host two amazing glass artists at the Delphi Creativity Center in Lansing, MI. Mosaic artist Carol Shelkin and master of beveling, Kent Lauer, will both be teaching this Spring at Delphi. Each artist brings their own unique skill set and techniques that any student from beginner to professional artist would enjoy. Get to know each artist and their work, then see which class is right for you! Class sizes are limited so register now to ensure your opportunity to work with these amazing artists. Carol Shelkin Carol Shelkin creates contemporary fine art and intricate mosaic designs that feature eminent care and attention to detail using hand-cut, high-quality stained glass. Her life-long passion for art has been honed through studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and under the tutelage of mosaic masters in Italy. Her one-of-a-kind works can be found in galleries, community centers, libraries and private collections. Explore Carol's work on our Pinterest board or on her website .

Like all glass artists, I love color. Any color, every color but one color in particular. Purple. So, when Radiant Orchid was named the 2014 Color of the Year in the spring Pantone color report, I will admit I was pretty excited. Radiant Orchid manages to combine the luxurious richness of purple with the light-hearted fun of pink. Drawing from both the purple and pink color families, orchid elicits feelings of passion and energy it is associated with insight, mystery, magic and ambition as well as hope, peace and good judgement. Plus, being in the purple family, it is considered a royal color; who doesn't love that? From flowers to dusky sky scenes, this surprising shade can really make a project pop! Explore Passionate Purple projects on our Pinterest board . Artist: Cheryl Smith, from Delphi's Artist Gallery Artist: W.K. van't Land, from Delphi's Artist Gallery Artist: Kevin Saxo, from Delphi's Artist Gallery Shop glass in Radian

Here's our list of 5 Favorite New Items from the November 2013 edition of Stained Glass News. In addition to information packed articles, every issue of Stained Glass News features the newest items for glass artists. Read on to learn more about these exciting supplies. 1. Papyros Kiln Shelf Release Paper in Precut 13" Rounds Time seems to be in short supply these days, especially during the busy holiday season. Save time and say goodbye to wasted shelf paper with Papyros Precuts. The convenient 13" round pieces are die-cut to fit your 14" 16 kiln, so you'll never be stuck trimming shelf paper when you'd rather be cutting glass and creating. Each piece offers the full benefits of this favorite kiln liner it holds up, often for several firings, and clean up is a snap! At Delphi, you can find Papyros Precuts in 4 convenient pack sizes, so you'll always have the right amount on hand choose single pieces, a pack of 25, 50, or 100. 2. Studio Pro Tools The Studio Pro Tool Caddy offe

2013 Has been a banner year for fusers with the introduction of so many new molds . It's almost impossible not to be giddy about all the fantastic ways your glass art can take shape. From large to small, there are molds to fit every kiln size and artist's style on offer. Make exciting home decor, jewelry, and unforgettable gifts. The only hard part is deciding which new molds to add to your collection first. Highlighted here are just a handful of our favorite new molds: 1. Bottle Molds The Spoon Rest Bottle Sagger offers up a fresh way to turn trash to treasure by turning discarded bottles into functional art. Create a stylish and useful spoon rest to keep your stovetop or dining table tidy. Browse all new Bottle Molds 2. Texture Molds Designing a show-stopping serving plate or centerpiece for the holiday season is easier than ever with

Here's our list of 5 Favorite New Items from the September 2013 edition of Stained Glass News: As always we look forward to receiving our quarterly issue of Stained Glass News. It is always packed with inspiration and highlights of the newest items available for art glass creations. Let us walk you through these exciting new items and see how they can add new dimension and style to your work today! 1. Dichroic Extract It's like glitter, all grown up! Add dichroic to your projects in ways you've previously only dreamed of with this fantastic new product. It's all the dazzle of dichroic, without a backing to limit your applications. With no COE, you can paint it on, sprinkle it, even pick it up in flameworked and blown glass projects. Dichroic Extract is available in all your favorite colors, plus fun sample sets to get started. 2. Fuseworks Gift Findings for Glass Creating fun, thoughtful gifts or glass accents you'll love to use is a breeze with these fantastic flat Fuseworks Gift Findings . Each comes with simple instructions to make finishing your projects easy. The perfect way to display your glass art cre

August 26th might just be another Dog Day of Summer for some people, but here at Delphi we are looking forward to this day. Why you ask....well because it is National Dog Day. This year we have decided to do something special to celebrate not just dogs, but all our favorite furry, feathered and scaly friends. For the remainder of August, we're putting our favorite pet inspired glass art supplies on sale. Delphi will be donating 5% of the proceeds on all sale items to the Humane Society to help pets in need. We encourage everyone who loves animals or just loves using them as inspiration for their art to join us in supporting a good cause, now through August 31st. Here are some of our favorite supplies: Cat Designs Pattern Book Paw Bail Fat Cats Color Enamel Decals Pre-cut Paw Prints Available in 90 96 COE In previous years, we've hosted The Animal Creations Contest to shine a spotlight on fantastic projects depicting the creatures large and small that ste

National Book Lover's Day is a lesser known holiday - much to my disappointment. It's celebrated on August 9th every year. I love books. I love books so much that in my house, every day is Book Lover's Day. I'm hoping you'll join me in celebrating for this one day at least though. "A book is a gift you can open again and again." Garrison Keillor A home without books is like a room without windows. Horace Mann Books have always held a special place in my heart. They open up a world of new possibilities to me. Each time I come back to a book, I bring fresh experiences and perspective to it, which lets me take something new away from it. Art books are no different. In addition to the bones of the process, the invaluable instruction that they present, they offer an opportunity to dream and create. The project ideas and instruction allow me to gain a greater understanding of the process, and how to use the process as part of the art. I get a new jumping-off point for creativity. I believe that books are as fundamental to an artists' workshop as the raw materials they'll use to complete a project. Without one or the other, no artistic vision can be executed successful

Art Glass Festival is the most anticipated event of the year at Delphi, and it's no secret why. We get a chance to see all the fantastic glass art that talented artists like you have been making! We would like to say thank you to everyone that participated in Art Glass Festival 2013 - and a special thanks to our contributors , their generous support makes this event a success. Our contributors provide all of the amazing prizes that are handed out to the winners of both the store contest as well as online. During the month of April, the Lansing Creativity Center comes alive with inspiring art as it plays host to the Art Glass Festival gallery. The exhibit opens with an Artists' Reception where artists from near and far share their discoveries and achievements in glass art. Check out all of the exciting photos from this year's reception on Facebook. May brings the inevitable end of the Art Glass Festival exhibit at the Lansing Creativity Center, but it also gives us the much anticipated results of the People's Choice Award voting. We would like to congratulate this years' winner, Carol Santoro, shown here with her winning Blue Heron mosaic entry. Ar

This spring, both System 96 and Bullseye have announced the expansion of their color palettes, and both have offered up some inspired (and inspiring) new hues for your glass art. The colors capture some of the more subtle shades that appear in nature when the lighting is just right - those magic moments when the world takes your breath away. They are also the colors that appear in tremendous works of art, from memorable paintings to your next project. Let these fresh colors inspire your designs. We're proud to introduce the latest hues here: NEW System 96 Blue Topaz Transparent Apple Jade Opal Hydrangea Opal Chambray Opal Payne's Gray Opal Blue Topaz Transparent mimics both the clarity and color of its namesake gemstone. Rounding out the selection between Sky Blue and Deep Aqua, this color blends beautifully with all the blues you already love. In addition,

Here's our list of the 5 hottest new and featured items from the March 2013 of Stained Glass News: 1. Creator's Premium Bottle Cutter What can the makers of the popular Cutter's Mate and Beetle Bits Cutting Systems do with a bottle cutter? It turns out - A LOT! They have designed a premium, top-of-the-line bottle cutter that is sturdy, easy to use and gives superior results. We love the special features on the Creator's Bottle Cutter, especially the aluminum slide bar ruler which makes cutting precise sizes a cinch, and the adjustable carbide cutting wheel so getting perfect pressure for an even score is a breeze. Want to learn more? See how it works with step-by-step photos and instruction . 2. Once You Try an Electric Mandrel Spinner , You Will Wonder How You Ever Created Beads Without One! With the Electric Mandrel Spinner, you will free yourself from arm and shoulder strain while creating beads faster and more consistently. The trick? This ingenious tool provides continuous rotation to your mandrel, so winding glass evenly is easier, heat is dispersed throughout the bead, and you can focus on the creative details. In a nut shell - it's an a

Extra! Extra! Read All About It Stained Glass News has Extended the Deadline to Enter the 25th Anniversary Contest Creating glass art is rewarding. Designing glass art that is stylish and functional is even better. What could make it even more amazing? Winning huge prizes just for sharing your project! Stained Glass News has just announced that the entry deadline for their 25th Anniversary Contest has been extended through February 28th, 2013. You get 8 incredible extra weeks to dream up new designs and send your submissions! Get more details about this contest in our Contest Announcement blog post, or get the contest rules and entry form to enter today.

If you're like most fusing artists, you like to try new things all the time. Pot melts fantastic! Raking amazing! Boiled glass stunning! Wait....what's boiled glass? Boiled glass is the hottest new way to get a stunning organic looking design in your fused art. Each piece will be completely unique, and is effortless to achieve. 1. Select several (3-4) pieces of tested compatible fusible glass to use. Both 90 COE and System 96 work well. We recommend using strong, contrasting colors with a layer of white or clear to help keep colors bright. 2. Cut glass pieces to size. Important note: Glass likes to be thick when fused. Because your project will be stacked more than thick, it will spread out during firing. Either dam the glass to prevent it from reaching the edges of your shelf, or cut glass small enough to ensure a safe fit. 3. On a kiln shelf lined with shelf paper, position the bottom layer of glass. Spoon Bubble Powder onto the surface of the glass and spread it out. 4. Stack additional layers of glass onto the base. Depending on the intensity of bubbles and boiled results desired, you can opt to simply add the glass, or to alternate l

Giving an incredible handmade gift can be easy, and doesn't have to take much time from your busy holiday schedule. This season, design a keepsake plate and take advantage of the firing time to whip up some cookies in the kitchen for a special gift that will last beyond the last scrumptious bite. 5 tips for creating quick plates: 1. Apply wash to your mold before getting started on your fused design. This will allow plenty of time for multiple coats to dry before it is time to slump. 2. Using two pre-cut circles (available in 90 COE or 96 COE ) as the base of your plate makes it the right thickness for a full fuse, so you can focus on adding details instead of cutting glass. 3. Fusible pre-cut shapes (available in 90 COE or 96 COE ) and millefiori (available in 90 COE or 96 COE ) make creating fast. Fun designs will add color and personality; all you have to do is arrange them! Note: Don't forget to match your COE. 4. Add details or holiday greetings with Glassline Pens. Looking for an easier way to apply it? Write your message on paper with black marker; place your base glass on top and trace. If it's hard to see, a light box can

In 1979, a journey began. That's the year Janet Schrader began working with glass, and she was immediately hooked. "Color is a very important part of who I am, so finding all the properties of changing color in glass has held my interest for many years. I love how glass changes color depending not only on the light source but also that it changes from morning to night as the light quality changes." Around 1988, Janet encountered dichroic glass for the first time, and fusing became the new focus of her glass art launching her successful line of handmade jewelry which she sold nation-wide. Janet's one-of-a-kind stained glass, jewelry and fused art have been met with enthusiasm, and winning awards including 1st and 2nd prize in the professional artist category for Fusion/Cast/Kiln work at the 2012 Glass Craft and Bead Expo in Las Vegas. Her love of learning and trying new things has kept her engaged in creating with glass as a medium. She is continuously seeking out opportunities to study new techniques. Janet shares this wealth of learning and experimentation in the many warm glass classes sh

The Holiday Season offers the perfect opportunity to create custom glass art celebrating traditions. Unique decorations and dishware featuring iconic designs are sure to become favorite centerpieces of your holiday decorations. Hanukkah is no exception - the Festival of Lights immediately conjures up images of dreidels and Hanukkah menorahs. Find a fresh take on the menorah and design your own in fused glass following step-by-step instructions courtesy of Aanraku Glass Studios, or make festive gift tags, plates or candle ornaments for Hanukkah with Free Project Guides. Looking for more ideas to create glass art projects for Hanukkah? Browse glass art Judaica supplies.

Here at Delphi, we love a good reason to celebrate. With the Holiday Season still looming weeks away, we were feeling anxious for a bit of excitement now. The good news? There are lots of lesser known holidays scattered throughout the year if you only look for them. (September includes a favorite of ours; National Talk Like a Pirate Day.) We needed another zany mood boost to get us through Thats how we found this gem: Its National Pet Peeve Week! In honor of this holiday we thought long and hard about what really gets under our skin and pushes our buttons while working on projects. Check out our top glass art pet peeves, and the simple solutions sure to put a smile back on your face! Pet Peeve : Disappearing Marker Lines Solution: Mark Stay II saves the day! Just wipe a little over marker lines for stay-put patterns while grinding or using a saw. Pet Peeve: All Tangled Up Solution: A Foil Dispenser keeps rolls tidy and ready to use. No more fighting with unruly rolls!

Amy Ferber from Bullseye Glass visited Delphi last week, and the Reactions were fantastic! She was here to give a free presentation about using Bullseye Reactive Glass. The two hour interactive presentation included a video, and a chance to look at samples of reactions that were created using a variety of techniques and different materials and what class would be complete without a pop quiz? Attendees were asked to review the samples and identify what was used to make them. Everyone had a fantastic time. After the presentations I was able to sit down with Amy for a few minutes and talk. Here are a few of the questions I managed to sneak into her whirlwind vist: Q: What is the COE of Bullseye? A: Although many people like to categorize glass neatly by a COE number, compatibility is actually more complex than that. Bullseye kiln glass is around 90 COE, and is Bullseye Compatible, meaning that it is all extensively tested for reliability within the Bullseye product line. What this means for the user is that youll consistently get good results when fusing Bullseye products together. Bullseye TechNotes 3 has more information about compatibility if youd like to read

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 Id shared with my children, Frederick by Leo Lionni. I went searching through the bookshelf of childrens 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 through. Much like Frederick, Ive always labored to collect colors and imagery, things that arent always tangible but have a value all the same. What things from your me