The Delphi Blog

"Quick! I need a last minute gift, and I need it now." What should I do? What should I give? I have no time left, and I will not go to the MALL one more time. Sound familiar? Is this just a repeat from past years? Do you want a simple solution? Let the Delphi Elves help you eliminate the stress, the frustration and headaches and achieve Ultimate Holiday Bliss. OK maybe, thats pushing it a little far, but we do have some awesome gift ideas that you can create in fewer than three hours in most cases. I have selected some of my favorites to give and receive.

My panels always grow, even though I use pattern shears. Should the pieces, once cut and ground, fit in the white part of the pattern leaving the black lines to represent lead or foil? That is exactly where the pieces should fit. But as you have found out, sometimes thats easier said than done. Lets take a look at all the places your pieces can grow: 1) Making a copy of your pattern for cutting out pattern pieces. First, determine if the line width on your pattern is appropriate for copper foil or lead. When tracing the pattern, try a few different felt pens until you find one that is the appropriate width for the technique you are using. The wrong width pen may cause the pattern pieces to be either too big, or too small. A good way to determine the appropriate width is to make some test cuts using your pattern shears. (There are two sizes of shears, one for lead and one for copper foil.) 2) Cutting out the pattern pieces. Using the appropriate pattern shears, remove the black line (which represents the foil or lead). If you dont use pattern shears, be sure to cut the entire black line away. 3) Tracing your pattern pieces onto the glass. Once your pattern

Looking for some easy holiday projects that you can make with the whole family? Here are a few great ideas courtesy of our friends at Diamond Tech International. There are a few great fusing projects and several simple mosaic ideas as well. Click on "Download the PDF" to print out the step-by-step project guides. Happy Crafting!

How did you get started in fused glass art? It seems that fused glass is really just one step in a progression of mediums that started while I was dabbling in ceramics. I am not formally trained in fine arts (I was a fine arts major for my freshman year in college before the fear of failure set in and I switched to communications) so all my art training has been personally pursued. A number of years later, I must have happened across a warm glass site or a book and the deal was sealed. I did a Craigslist search the next week and immediately found someone in Bangor looking to sell her glass fusing studio for $400. Everything I needed to get startedkiln, glass, glov es, shelf paper etc. It was almost eerie how easily I happened across exactly what I was looking for - especially in Midcoast Maine (which is a very rural area). I will say that it has taken me into my 30s (and no formal art training) to finally find a medium that I feel so desperately passionately aboutthat I want to stay with it for a while - years, decadesmaybe a lifetime. How would you describe your design aesthetic? Industrial Organic. What does that mean? Beats meI guess I like to think that its a bl

How did you get started in glass?  I got started in glass by taking a glass class at Delphi in the winter of 2005.   I was hooked!   I just couldn't stop, I was making glass with a friend who had a ceramic kiln when HGTV offered to come film my work in glass.   I had nine weeks to prepare, and I went to Delphi and bought a coffin kiln and glass and went to work, making pieces that made sense for my garden.   Only after the segment aired, and galleries started calling offering representation did I consider glass as a career.   Now I have had 26 gallery shows, three museum showings and three large public garden exhibitions.   I just opened my own gallery. You mentioned in the biography on your website that you have done painting, interior design, set design and floral design. How have these activities influenced your work in glass? My background in painting, interior design, landscape design and floral have all come together in my glass work. Why glass sculpture?   I make sculpture because I need the scale and dimension to express myself.   I often work with other artists to make the metal work

Bayou Sal Glassworks began in early 2005, as a backyard studio in an unused workshop 17 miles outside of Franklin LA. Owners Paul Weiss Jr. and Russ Peltier had hopes that their glass working skills could occasionally supplement their household income, but didnt have grand expectations since they lived in such a remote rural area. They first made a few windows for friends and family members, and soon people were requesting that they teach classes. They held their first class in the spring of 2006 with three students. As word got around, more students enrolled, and as more custom orders came in, the part-time hobby became their main source of income. In 2008, the studio had to be enlarged to meet their growing needs. As 2010 draws to a close, their work beautifies homes from New York to California, and from Oregon to Florida. They are currently commissioned by a church to fill all of its windows with spiritual stained glass panels. They are also planning their second expansion of the studio and have four sets of classes on a weekly schedule. Paul is Bayou Sal Glassworks' lead artist with more than 25 years experience in the stained glass field. Paul is formerly of West Pit

"Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven. Remember that phrase? Holiday 2010 is all about memories, and making special gifts with appreciation for the recipient. And nothing brings back memories at Christmas like the Gingerbread Man (now complete with an entire family). From enjoying the cinnamon aroma while baking, to decorating each one with care and arranging them just so on the plate, these cookies bring love and joy to the baker as well as the cookie eater. Recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, grandparents to great grandchildren, neighbors to neighbors and now even to strangers on Facebook. In 2010, look for the new Gingerbread Man cookie to be wrapped with precision, tradition and preservation. These beautiful golden brown cookies, with hints of red, look great on your table, as a snack or as a centerpiece. When grouped together, it makes a simple, yet elegant Holiday statement, evoking the memory of our first Gingerbread Man cookie. He makes us smile. He makes us laugh. And he makes for wonderful storytelling with our children and our childrens children. Try making a long-lasting Gingerbread Family and share a wonderful tradit

Does using a wider foil on my project make it stronger? Your project may be a little bit stronger with a wider foil since a wider solder line will tend to keep a seam from bending or flexing more than a narrower one. However, its not enough of a difference to be a major consideration in choosing a foil width for your project. The more likely reasons for choosing one foil width over another are: as a design feature. You may want wider or narrower solder lines in certain areas of your project. to account for thicker or thinner glass. Youll need to choose an appropriate width of foil to have your solder line remain a consistent width. If you think strength or structure is a problem, some reinforcing other than just a wider foil is going to be necessary. For minor reinforcing, ask your supplier for a reinforcing strip. These thin metal ribbons come on spools and can be used as an unobtrusive structural reinforcement. They are placed between foiled glass pieces before soldering. Running a bead of solder over the reinforcing strip hides it completely. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News. All rights reserved. Image pictur

As a proud Dad of an MSU grad (2008-Son is actually working in his field of study) I have to tell you about what we have developed at the Delphi Glass Studio - pre-cut glass logos and mascots of Michigan State University. They are wonderful and easy to work with. We have had many of our in-house artists create different projects using these pre-cuts. I plan on using five white "S" pre-cuts, five green S pre-cuts and five mid-size Sparty Helmets on a small evergreen tree on our foyer table for the Holidays. This will be a quick and easy way to show our Michigan spirit. (Also, I just found out, to celebrate 8 in a Row we have put all the shapes on sale!) Stock up now, while they're on sale, before the holidays. This is the perfect gift to give any Sparty Fanatic. Check them out on the Delphi website. For those of you asking for other schools, I am working on that now and hopefully soon we'll be announcing several more colleges. Keep watching and reading my blog. GO SPARTANS! Project image created by Delphi Artist Val Oswalt.

Did you know that you can "sandwich" fabric (or paper) between glass just like you do with pressed flowers? It sure opens up a lot of possibilities for creating one-of-a-kind projects! Here's how: 1 Cut two pieces of thin clear glass (ideally, single strength or thinner) to match your pattern piece. Dull the edges of each piece, if necessary, with a fine grinder bit or scythe stone. 2 Carefully clean the surfaces of these pieces that will be on the inside of the sandwich. Once you have sandwiched the fabric inside the glass, you won't be able to clean the glass again. 3 Cut a piece of fabric to match the glass pieces you cut. 4 To create your sandwich, place the fabric on the bottom piece of glass (clean side up). Add the top piece of glass (clean side down). Now hold your sandwich together with a couple of heavy-duty rubber bands. (This is why you dulled the edges of the glass…sharp edges could cut through rubber bands.) 5 Apply a piece of copper foil to both pieces of glass at the same time, removing the rubberbands as necessary. You will likely need wider than average foil, depending how thin your glass is and how thick your fabric (or pa

I may be the only person this happens to, but why does the foil sticky-back goop squish out onto the glass when I solder? Nice description. The sticky-back goop is the adhesive that holds the copper foil to the glass. The reason that it squishes out is because it is melting from getting too hot. This is a common problem for people just learning to solder. It takes practice to lay a nice bead of solder. Beginners usually need to go back over the bead several times to make it neat. In this case, the entire area that you are soldering is getting heated up which may be causing the adhesive to melt. Try letting the area cool down before you fix up the solder bead. If you are lucky enough to lay a perfect bead of solder on the first try (good for you!), the melting problem may be caused by the temperature of your soldering iron. If you are using a rheostat with your iron, turn it down a little bit. If you arent, maybe you should be. Ask your supplier to help you decide on the best approach for your type of iron. If none of this helps, you may want to try moving your iron along a little more quickly when you solder. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News. All