The Delphi Blog

I'm always looking for ways to use my scrap, so I decided to give the round screen melt set a try. I had mixed feelings about it, because I made the mistake of not following the fusing schedule, and tried to wing it with my pre-programmed kiln. Despite the error of my ways, I ended up with some very pretty glass using two colors of opal art glass scraps. With my screen melt complete, I used a Sharpie pen to trace out my images, and began cutting them with my Taurus 3 Ring Saw . Once I finished the shapes, I put the pendants and purse hangars back in my skutt Firebox 14 kiln , for a fire polish on the slow tack fuse. Some got bails, some wire wrapping, and the others were epoxied to purse hangers . Looking back, If you follow the Delphi directions labeled as users manual in the product description on the screen melt kit, I can imagine the wonderful bowls and pieces that could be created. Learn more about Michelle Rodriquez on her website. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Delphi Glass. De

For the last few years, Dan Daniels, founder of Delphi Glass, has had his eye on China. With its rich art history and growing middle class, the country offers a new opportunity for the largest art glass retailer in America. In the United States, art glass, like woodworking or quilting, is a popular pastime. But until recently, China didnt have the luxury of pastimes. Ten or even five years ago, the Chinese didnt have the time or money to take on a hobby, Daniels said. Now thats starting to change. As a result of economic development, leisure-time activities are becoming more and more common in China. People are spending free time with their families, playing outside or visiting the mall. But there are no big box craft stores offering paper crafts, jewelry or sewing supplies in China. The craft industry as we know it in the U.S. is simply non-existent. Likewise, there are no art glass stores offering stained glass , fusing or flameworking products. Art glass as an art form, however, is not new to China. In 2000, an art professor named Zhuang Xiaowei, who studied art glass at Wolverhampton University in the U.K., opened a glass studio at Shaghai University to

The representatives in Delphi's Call Center did a little team building project today creating a fun in/out board for scheduling lunches, breaks, etc. It turned out so well, I had to share! For the board they used Diamond Tech Clear Crafting Tiles and Creative Images Color Slide. Click here to see more photos. Would you use something like this in your home or office?

You may know Judi Rusho by the Epic Kiln Carving post we shared on Facebook last week, or by one of her many jewelry pieces floating around on Pinterest. Jodi is a glass artist who is known for stacking, tacking, slumping, fusing and etching discarded glass items into tasteful, functional art. How did you get started in glass? I was originally interested in lampworking , bought a kiln and couldn't afford to buy glass or any more equipment. Not being particularly patient, I promptly rounded up some bottles and started melting them. I liked the recycled aspect, and when other artists told me that it couldn't be done, I was in for the duration. I'm nothing if not determined. I began in 1999, and have learned so much since then! Happily, I finally made my first lampwork beads last year. Why glass? If you look around your home or office right now, I bet you'll see more glass things than you expect. Glass is everywhere around us, is critical to our lifestyles, and yet, for the most part, we are only marginally aware of it. Glass can be so many things, it can be gorgeous or dangerous, decorative or functional, frequently both. I find that fascinating

2012 is looking like a banner year for art glass. To give you an idea of what your fellow artists are creating, we've compiled a list of our top 10 most popular products since January. Among the most notable trends of 2012 are fused jewelry and bottle art. In particular, artists are loving Colour de Verre's round bead molds and our wide selection holey molds . We are also seeing a growing interest in bottle art. Bottle art is everywhere on social networks and in our artist gallery . Artists have dedicated entire Pinterest pin boards to Bottle Art (Delphi included). Number one on our list is the Craig Mitchell Smith 7-Piece Floral and Foliage mold . Customers are loving its quality and versatility, and Craig is becoming quite the celebrity! Check out the list for other notable favorites. What's your favorite product so far this year? 1. Craig Mitchell Smith Floral and Foliage Mold 2. Simple Round Beads Mold/Small Ring Beads Mold 3. Safe Art Soldering Flux 4. Heart Jewelry Holey Mold 5. Wind Chimes Bottle Art Kit 6. Keepsake Box Bottle Art Kit 7. Circle Jewelry Holey Mold 8. Diamond Jewelry Holey Mold 9. Luminary Bottle

Choosing a winner for the Light Up Our Blog contest was virtually impossible . With more than 30 unbelievable entries, how could we choose just one? Ultimately this peacock gem stole our hearts. Daisy C. from Tucker, GA will receive a Flower Power premium glass pack from Uroboros . You can read her story below. We'll be featuring many other entries on our blog and in our catalogs in the future, so check back frequently and thanks to everyone who entered the contest! View other entries on Faceboo k or view a slideshow of entries. I am Daisy Comer. I leave in Tucker, GA. I have been working with Stained Glass for about 10 yrs. I started with class at Colonial Stained Glass in Marietta, GA. Donna and Susan taught me well. My shop is in my sunroom on the back of my townhouse. It is a nice setting and I love working out there. My cat Boo allows me to use a portion of his space (because from day one he made sure that the sunroom was his.) Now about my lamp. It started with a class that Susan started in November. I selected the Peacock design because it was so unique. This pattern had 200 pieces. I used the Worden Lamp System . This system included the pattern, form,

It is true. Even the best of us get bored. We work and learn and experiment with one medium or one itty piece of said medium (which, like a new love, we are infatuated with - can think of nothing else)but, after a while -things can get stale. It's normal. The beauty is to realize that all these lovely and wonderful and awe inspiring mediums do not have to live in a vacuum. When you get bored with onedo a little of what I like to call Medium Mash-Up. My latest mashups have been with my own fused glass and silver. You can only fuse so many pendants and plates before you've had enough. For me, that means it's time to move on to another process for a while. After working in silver (mostly rings) and loving itone day I found myself staring longingly at my lonely and unused kiln (I think she was jealous of my new fling, er, medium) - it was then I decided to bring my glass and silver work together and introduce them. I began taking small bits of my favorite pieces of sheet glass and fusing them into amazing little gems that I could set like stones. Using the knowledge that glass likes to naturally be around an 1/4 thick, I knew that by cutting small squares, they would bead up

The students and parents of Mrs. Johnsons first grade elementary class at Westchase elementary in Tampa, FL, recently created glass art mosaic tables to auction off for its annual fundraiser. The students used stained glass chips and venetian glass tiles to create kiwi, watermelon, orange and apple designs onto 19 wrought iron tables . The fruit designs, created by Martin Cheek , were a big hit with the kids and the parents. At the auction, the tables received the highest bids of the evening. Supplies were donated by Diamond Tech and Delphi Glass . See more photos of the students in action here.

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? Upload your bottle art to the artist gallery and you just might see it pinned to Delphi's Bottle Art pinboard! 1. Bottle Art Necklace 2. Recycled Champagne Bottle Beads 3. Soy Candle 4. Windchimes 5. Planter 6. Bottle Bird 7. Mic rowave Kiln N eckla ce

As catalogers, we send out a lot of paper. We hope that people keep our Delphi catalogs for a long time (and Ithink many do), but then what? The thought of all that paper ending up in the waste basket makes me sad. Imagine my joy to find a pinboard by Catalogs.com filled with creative uses for old catalogs! Here are some of my favorites. 1 . Star ornaments (top left) 2. Stretchy bracelet 3. Catalog button flowers 4. Envelopes from catalog pages I've repinned these ideas and others on my Pinterest pinboard here .

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 fiance. 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 , frit for decoration and Gold Firing Pen item#5175G for embellishment. See Seder Plate Molds and Judaica Fusing Supplies at Delphi. Also, see what some of our customers have made in Delphis Artist Gallery. Artist Credit: Top right, Angela Chadbourne, Fort Stewart, GA ; Jackie Sitzenstock, Carmel, NY; Shary Weisman, Millsboro, DE