The Delphi Blog

Thank you to everyone who entered Delphi's first-ever Christmas in July Contest . We had more than 125 amazing entries in stained glass, mosaics, flameworking, jewelry and fusing. A team of Delphi experts and artists chose the winners after much deliberation. Winners will receive a Delphi Gift card as well as the opportunity to be featured in a Delphi publication. Thanks for another great contest! View a complete list of winners here. Pictured: Second Place overall winner. This large panel by Cara DiMassimo depicts a lone polar bear exploring a snowy ice flow. It is created using Bullseye 90 COE glass.

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 designed these pieces from a spectrum pattern and adaptations of photos she found online. Mark Hall of Hallmark Glass created a whimsical birdbath (at left) using three layers of 5/16" thick boiler plate, with frit made from an old vodka bottle. Mark says he loves to create birdbaths and typically uses 1/4" plate glass rounds (cut out of the same sheet) with colored glass paint between the layers. He often uses crushed bottle chips in the center with mica flakes around the rim, so the

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. Fused flowers in brilliant colors provide year-round cheer to pots and planters. Here are some of our favorite glass Fairytale projects: Blooming Bird Bath Dragonfly Garden Stakes Slumped Fairy House Fused Flowers Fairy Wind Chimes For all garden project guides, click here. To see what other glass artists are making, visit our Artist Trend Gallery . View a

How did you get started in glass? Glass is a fascinating medium. I was living as an ex-pat in Denmark in 2001 when I had the luck of finding a fusing glass course. I fell in love with the technique immediately. I pursued further classes and a masters since, trying to achieve more. Im also a self learner, I love to study and work on my own. Since then I never stopped looking for ways to improve myself in this beautiful art. Why glass? The first time I went to Murano, Italy, back in 1986 I had the chance to visit glass studios and was astonished by the way the artists worked with the powders and heat. Due to its unique properties, glass continues to be an intriguing material that can reflect, transmit or absorb light. It creates a surprise element which brings eclectic interest to a space without becoming overbearing. In fusing, I add powders, strings , frits , metal or other inserts toslabs of glass toachieve an organic, but extraordinary design. I like to create pieces that are functional as well as decorative - bowls, platters and sculptures. They are fired to around 1500 F. The high temperatures melt the glass fragments incorporating them into a new form. In fus

Avoid the Heat with Delphi's Christmas in July Contest . It may be blazing outside, but Delphi is keeping it cool with $275 in Delphi gift cards up for grabs. In addition, the first, second and third place winners will also be featured in an upcoming Delphi Glass catalog. Simply upload your holiday-inspired project(s) to our Artist Gallery (make sure the Christmas in July box is checked) before July 30. Winners will be chosen by Delphi artists and experts. Good luck! For complete contest rules and the list of prizes, visit https://www.delphiglass.com/contest The Christmas in July contest correlates with our first-ever Christmas-in-July glass sale . So get a head start on your Christmas shopping and enter the contest! Need inspiration? Visit our Holiday Center.

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 years 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 were seen throughout Christmasworld. Stars The Christmas star is also huge for Christmas 2011. It symbolizes high hopes and ideals, which is perfectly in line with a renewed sense of optimism. Flowers/Birds Flowers and birds a

St. Pete Beach, on the west coast of Florida, has long been recognized for its beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets. Now it will have a new claim to fame - an 8' tall by 20' wide glass mosaic mural created entirely by volunteers from the surrounding communities. The mural will adorn the east side of the Suntan Art Center next door to the world-famous Don CeSar Hotel. Glass artist and instructor Pat Chase, who currently serves as the president of the Suntan Art Center, came up with the idea to create a mural out of glass. "[The Suntan Art Center] used to be a Firehouse with large windows out front. When they did the remodel, they took out the windows, leaving a large indented area that looks like a frame for the mural," Pat said. Pat approached nationally recognized artists Frank Saso and Libit Jones about a design for the mural. Together, and with input from other artists and members of the community, the two created the finished concept. The mural includes images that are meaningful to the community - dolphins at play, a large pelican, sandcastle and shovel, stunning sea turtles and more. A painting of the final design is pictured above. Since March 2011, a gr

Some were messy. Some were messier. But only one was messiest. Glass Artist Mindy Meyn was awarded $200 in organizational supplies from Delphi as the winner of Delphi's Messiest Art Glass Studio Contest. With more than 50 photo entries from art glass studios around the world, the competition was stiff. But Mindys mess received more than 70 likes on Facebook and 20 comments, (some nicer than others) making her the reigning queen of clutter. Mindys studio, which she says is at its worst, only leaves her a small space to work in a very cramped corner of the garage. The rest of her garage, she says, is filled with multiple skis, backpacks and a kayak. The contest was so close, that Delphi decided to award Robin Veverka, whose studio is also miserably cramped, a $50 gift card to Delphi. With so many wonderful (awful?) entries, Delphi is considering making this contest an annual event. Thanks to everyone who participated. We understand creativity can get messy! Want to unclutter? Read 13 tips for a Tidy Craft Space or view Favorite Organizational Products.

We scoured the web, asked our Delphi artists, questioned our fans on Facebook, and finally came up with 13 easy-to-implement tips for keeping things clutter-free! Feel free to share your own in our "comments" section below. 1. Choose an area with good lighting. If you have a window, keep the area clear, so light can flow in nicely. 2. Partition off the craft area (contain the craft creep) with a screen or furniture. 3. If you haven't used something in 2 years, consider donating it to a school or senior center, selling to a buy-back program or tossing it. 4. Label everything. 5. Consider what tools and supplies you need the most. These should be easily accessible. Store the rest in clear bins. 6. If your space is limited, go vertical! Install a slat wall for easy shelving. From our Facebook fans: 7. Scrapbooking paper shelves are also great for small scrap glass. - Amy Davis 8. I bought a $15 shoe rack/cabinet from Target to store my glass. 4" 6" x 12" cubbies and I think there are 20 spaces. - Deby Hutt Romaniw 9. My husband and I run a vinyl decal business and I use the leftover cardboard tubes that the vinyl comes on for my zinc, lead and wire

Get Fired Up with Fusing! Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 10am - 3pm ONE DAY ONLY! Hang out at Delphi for the day and watch free fusing presentations by Delphi Experts. Learn about the fundamentals of fusing, tips and tricks from Delphi's best and network with other artists! Don't Miss These Exciting Presentations: 10:00 am - Let's Start Small Learn the basics on how to fuse glass. Glass cutting and layering will be demonstrated. Take advantage of the opportunity to try new embellishing products by making a small cabochon that will be fused and ready to take home later in the afternoon. All material will be provided. 12:00 pm - Prepare and Apply It: Which kiln wash do I use? Learn what kiln wash works best on which surface and how to prepare and apply Check out the New Molds and see what they can create. 1:00 pm - Glass Vessels Sinks, Birdbaths, and Fountains Discover how to alter a firing schedule to accommodate larger and thicker vessels that can be used in different applications. Cold working, fire polishing, and drilling holes will be demonstrated. Complete assembly will be discussed. 2:00 pm - Unique Patterned Glass Murrini and damming mol

The grand art of mosaics, which has existed for thousands of years, was used by the ancient Greeks to decorate their walls, floors, tables, benches, fountains, and pools. Made from marble, ceramic tiles, semi-precious stones, and smalti, mosaics are luminous, lightproof, water and temperature resistant. They allow artists infinite possibilities to design unique and long-lasting creations in their own expressive style, from realism to abstract. This weeklong workshop guides students through the various steps needed to complete their own one-foot square mosaicfrom the cartoon drawing to the final installation. Most materials needed for the workshop are provided, but participants must bring their own tools. Please see the workshops materials list, available in the Leagues main office. Born and trained in Russia, Vladimir Aituganov immigrated to the United States in 1991. He then became an American citizen, and established his studio. He is known as a master of mosaics and of painting in the United States, Russia and France. He has had numerous solo exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe. His majestic mosaic murals for churches h