The Delphi Blog

How did you get started in glass? I originally just did tile mosaics and then a friend sent me info on taking a class at Delphi for fused glass mosaics taught by Christine Stewart. I was hooked and had my own kiln within a few months. Why glass? Its infinitely easier than working with ceramic tile! I like the way the fused glass lets me incorporate rounded shapes with the hard edges of cut glass. Why is recycling important to you? I always take everyones leftovers tile, glass, wire, rocks, beads because you never know what project you can use even the smallest pieces in. Then you can elaborate: my friend gave me that, my neighbor was throwing that away. Im currently working with the Michigan Chapter of the IIDA and ZeroLandfill where they divert architectural samples from the landfill for upcycling. Its a wonderful way to get free goodies! How have your other interests/hobbies/career influenced your glass designs? Ive been a graphic designer by trade for my whole working career and glass lets me get out from behind the computer and get my hands dirty again. What inspires you? Nature and its textures. What makes your work

Global Overview of Colors Theme: The spectrum of color for 2011-2012 is wide and diverse. These colors are rich saturated hues. They evoke a sense of intensity and culture. They are cheery and, in most cases, bright. Follow your own inspiration. Break a color rule or mix palettes. Remember, color is personal and can infuse vibrant emotion. Influences: Brighter colors may lift our spirits during these uncertain economic times and create a sense of optimism for the future. The palette is bright but not radical. With an eye turned towards revitalizing the economy, colors, like our thoughts about the future, are slightly more reserved, said Kate Smith of Sensational Color. Applications: Color allows us to change our environment quickly, and most times, with little effort and little expense. Choosing a new wall color and adding lighting, hard or soft accessories (table top or pillows as examples) floor or window treatments can complement your style or personal taste. A pop of color will make traditional pieces within your home feel more unique and eclectic. Globa l Blues and Greens: The current colors, blue and greens (cool-wishful colors), will rem

1-2-3 Alphabet Soup Make your style personal and creative. Use numbers and letters to personalize your home dcor. Various fonts, sizes, colors and unusual applications create striking results. Initials, monograms and words add depth and sometimes amusement to a bare wall or boring box, and will always require a second look. Numbers are also popular. A house number, significant date, anniversary or just a favorite number (mine is 16) all add a personal touch to everyday projects. Todays numbers appear clean, fresh and new again. Combining new project ideas and vintage pieces, can be show stopping when displayed together. Whatever you create, youll be #1, and get an A for your efforts. Drawer Pulls / Knobs A quick and easy project that everyone can do. When added to a piece of furniture, drawer pulls instantly give a room personality. Initials or monograms are fun and creative and will be unexpected. Another quick idea is to add the knobs to a wood board and instantly you have a creative clothes rack. Letters like B-A-T-H or W-A-S-H will liven up bathrooms and laundry areas and create an unexpected second look! Glass Magnetic Letters A quick and fun

There are several reasons why crafters might grind every piece of glass. One would be because they arent able to cut their pieces accurately with a glass cutter, or they are incredibly picky about the way their pieces fit. A more likely reason is that by touching every edge against the grinder head, it smooths all of the sharp glass edges. This removes any flared or irregular edges which means less cut fingers. Some people feel that they have better luck foiling a ground surface than a slick one. This is probably due to the edge being perpendicular after grinding more than it is to the fact that the edge has been roughed up. Keep in mind that if you run the grinder along every glass edge, you need to carefully clean each piece to remove the glass dust created by the grinder. Otherwise, the dust will keep your foil from sticking. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News . All rights reserved. Photo of Peacock Panel by AmberLyn's STG ; 2011 Art Glass Festival Entry

Carol Lancour can find beauty in just about anything. She jokes that she can look at a chunk of concrete and see potential. And while she says her friends think she's crazy, there is a greater purpose behind her vision. "For me, finding something discarded and repurposing it into something beautiful and useful is its own reward," she says. "I strive to make every project I undertake aesthetically pleasing, well-made and purposeful." Carol used to paint and draw to satiate her need to be creative, but she turned to glass when a friend showed her how to cut up stained glass for mosaics. She bought her first set of cutting tools from Delphi in 2000. "Glass comes in every beautiful color, refracts light and sparkles in the sun," she says. "I like the durability of something so fragile." Carol began creating mosaics with her cut up glass, starting with a mosaic flower pot. Her projects eventually grew to be much larger. "I don't know a lot of other people who do large-scale mosaic projects with pieces that are mostly hand cut and -inch or smaller, she says. Her favorite recycled project is an herb garden planter made from cinder blocks excavated from her back yard and

As March begins, theres almost a palpable excitement in the air at Delphi. This year will be my 13th Art Glass Festival, and somehow every year its magical almost like being a kid waiting anxiously for Christmas morning all over again. It begins earlier than you might think with conversations about the schedule of events, prizes, guest artists and more. Thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of our staff, the entire event is carefully planned and coordinated to showcase the talent of our customers and offer an opportunity to have fun. I like to dig in and take a very hands-on role in the entire process. While entries are streaming in through the Lansing Creativity Center and Online, Im busy checking in the prizes donated by dozens of generous vendors. While the Creativity Center is being transformed into a Gallery, I work with a team and coordinate the assembly of exhibitor packs, door prizes and prize packs. Its a big job, but a lot of fun can you imagine putting together goodie bags for a party of glass artists? Or picking out the best prizes for the winners that are as passionate about glass as you are? The Artists Reception is always spectacular. The Gallery is

After I finish soldering, there are little splatters of solder stuck all over my panel. How do I clean these up? Doesnt it look just terrible! You wonder if it will ever get clean. But dont worry, it really isnt as bad as it looks. Any of the splatters that are not connected to a solder seam can usually be removed with your fingernail (after the solder has cooled!) or a soft stick, like a craft stick (top left). Be careful not to use anything sharp that could scratch the glass. This includes most steel wool (except 0000). Most scrubbing pads for dishes will work, but you should try them on a piece of scrap glass. You dont want to scratch your project now! Any splatters that are connected to a solder seam will need to be refluxed and melted off. Trying to lift it off with your soldering iron will generally leave a peak, so youll have to melt it into the solder seam at that area. If the splatter is too large to melt into the seam, youll have to melt the seam and remove the excess by quickly pulling it off to the side with your soldering ion. You may notice that you get more splattering when soldering the second side of your project. Thats because the flux gets t

When Mike Hartwig and Kevin McDaniel opened Glass Works Stained Glass Studio in 1997, they made it their goal to create a place where do-it-yourselfers could feel comfortable. Whether artists came there to buy supplies, ask questions or learn something new, Mike and Kevin wanted to offer it all.Both men had more than 25 years of experience in stained glass work including design, construction, repairs as well as teaching classes and operating a stained glass retail business. They knew what artists needed to be successful. In that same vein, they constantly sought to offer their customers new and exciting products and services to keep them interested. What inspires me most is being of help to our customers, Mike said.Whether it is someone looking for a piece of leaded glass for their home or church or just looking for that certain item to complete their own project. The products we recommend are those we have tried and are familiar with. Mike and Kevin also sought feedback from their customers on new purchases, so they could ensure satisfaction and provide recommendations for others. They have helped many customers create unforgettable projects over the years. Our most me

If you delight in dichroic, consider entering Coating by Sandberg's (CBS) Dichroic by Design Contest. It's the fifth annual contest, and the entries get more impressive every year. See the dichroic guitar project by Michelle Wilcox (pictured top left) that won last year's contest. But if glass instruments aren't your strong suit, don't be discouraged. CBS accepts projects in multiple categories including blown glass, lampworked glass, fused glass, glass jewelry, glass sculpture, glass marbles, architectural and miscellanous. All of the artwork must contain at least 25 percent CBS Dichoric glass, and you can submit up to three entries. To enter, submit a photograph of your artwork to Coatings by Sandberg, Inc., ATTN: Contest Coordinator, 856 N. Commerce St., Orange, CA 92867, USA. The deadline for submissions is 9/30/11. CBS is giving away more than $5,000 in prizes, including gift certificates and glass packs. In addition, CBS features choice submissions on its Facebook page, website, marketing and advertising literature, etc. In other words, you could be famous! For more information on the contest, visit the CBS website. And if you're looking for a great deal on

Spring projects are popping up all over our artist gallery. Likewise, magazines and home d cor stores are filling up with familiar springtime subjects like butterflies, flowers, eggs, bunnies and chicks. Each of these Easter symbols has a special meaning (and since our Facebook fans have told us they love Easter), we're devoting extra effort to this colorful holiday. Butterflies Butterflies are a popular spring subject in home dcor, fashion and art ( Pier one and Artful Home have some amazing butterfly items for inspiration!) The butterfly represents change, resurrection, transformation and celebration. A butterfly brings a sense of freedom and joy to any project. Check out Delphi's new Artist Trend page to see some amazing butterfly projects from Delphi's Artist Gallery. Easter Lilies Easter Lilies are arguably the most popular Easter flower. The white blossoms represent purity and new life. Daffodils and tulips are also popular spring flowers. Their colorful blooms ar e a welcome change from the snowy winter landscape. Easter Eggs Easter Eggs became a popular Easter symbol in Medieval Europe. Eggs were forbidden during l

From fusing to stained glass, etching or mosaics, glass bottles are ready to be reused in spectacular art. Find creative ideas below from D elphi customers and artists like you, to get started. Cathedral Glassworks of BC, Canada designed the panel at right featuring a client’s favorite label by cutting a bottle in half and soldering it into a vineyard design. 2010 Online Art Glass Festival winner Pamela Buerger of Fenton,MI designed the panel, left, “Wine Anyone” with a glass bottle cut in half and incorporated into the design with a piece of red glass plated behind it to give the illusion of a bottle that’s always full. The 3-D Dragon sculpture, top left, by artist Steve Landrum of Mountain Home, AR was created from bits of bottles, paired with stained glass to create this fantastic sculpture with unique curved surfaces and contours. Artist Ramona Mauch of Exeter, CA captured our imagination with her 2010 Online Art Glass Festival 1st Place Sculpture, shown right. She created this fantastical creature from recycled bottles that were disassembled, then pieced back together to form this unique character with legs that hint at the origin of the g