The Delphi Blog

Did you know that Halloween is the second largest decorating holiday after Christmas? And October 31st will be here before you know it! Now is the time to start thinking about Halloween decorations, especially if you plan to sell your crafts. For a "boo-tiful" look for your home, office or store, we have made simple suggestions that anyone can do! This year's hottest home decorating trends are SKULLS, GHOSTS and SPIDERS. All shapes, sizes and colors, will accent your tabletop, window sun catchers, accent mosaic pieces and of course your trick or treat candy bowl. For fun and quick easy looks, we suggest: 1.) Place a square of orange or black glass in the middle of your table, and arrange pumpkins and spiders for a incredible centerpiece. 2.) Pre-cut glass shapes of various Halloween motifs can be easily made into unique and functional serving pieces, candy dishes, and one of a kind gifts. 3.) Making fused cube candle holders using simple orange and black glass with white ghosts is a fun project. 4.) For a "spooky" porch accent, try making a novelty wind chime; A great visual and audio treat. 5.) Go Green! Recycle bottles with quick and easy mosaics. Choose your

Delphi Glass has many experts on hand to help you, such as stained glass experts, fusing experts and jewelry experts. But, did you know we also have trend experts? As a Merchandise Specialist at Delphi, one of things I enjoy best is predicting color trends. With the help of Delphi's staff artists and instructors we have come up with our choices for late summer. Our choice for the top 3 colors for late summer 2010 are:

I am about to set up my new workshop. I was just wondering what you think are the most important things to include? Since every situation is different, we cant give you specific answers, but here are some things that you should give some thought to. We think that the two most important things in a workshop are safety and comfort. You obviously want everything in your workshop to be as safe as possible. Ideally, you will want to have: proper ventilation, plenty of lighting, safe storage areas for glass and chemicals (do you have children?), grounded electrical connections, no extension cords, safe disposal for glass and supplies (trash cans as opposed to plastic bags), and easy to clean surfaces (no carpet on the floor). Comfort is the next most important consideration. The height of your work surface is very important. If you arent comfortable, you wont be able to work as long as youd like. If you arent sure of the most comfortable height for you, use your house as a guide. You know whether you prefer to work standing up or sitting down. If you like to work sitting down, measure the height of the tables in your house where you like to work. If you always pay your bi

How can I tell if a piece of glass is cracked? Did you ever notice the workers in your local glass shop tapping on a sheet of glass before they move it? They do that to see if it has any cracks. Cracked glass has a very different sound when tapped than intact glass does. This will be the best way to tell if your glass is broken. However, you should try it out on some other sheets before you try it on a piece that you think may be broken. Once you have heard a cracked piece, you will know what it sounds like. Hold the sheet from the top edge with one hand. Hold it out and away from your feet, just in case. Gently tap the sheet with one of your knuckles. A solid sheet of glass with no cracks will have a solid, clear ringing sound. A sheet with a crack will have kind of a buzzing, vibrating or tinkling sound. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News . All rights reserved.

In my reading I keep seeing mentions of tinning. What is it, and how do I do it? Tinning is the term used to describe the action of putting a thin coat of solder over something else, for instance copper foil, a brass vase cap, or a soldering iron tip. One reason may be to protect the metal from the air, which is usually in reference to a soldering iron tip. The other purpose may be to color the metal underneath, which we’ll address here. You may have seen it suggested that you tin all exposed copper foil on the surface of a panel before running a solder bead. (You will need to apply flux before tinning and again before running the bead.) Some people feel that this allows them to run the final bead more easily because all of the foil edges are already covered. Other people prefer to skip this step and run the finish solder bead directly on the raw copper foil. You should try both ways to see which gives you better results. Sometimes you will be instructed to tin the outer edge of a small project, like a suncatcher. In this case, the purpose is to color the outer copper foil edges. Tinning adds no strength to speak of, so your goal is to allow the edge to accept patin

According to historian Paul Crist who wrote An Early History of Kokomo Opalescent Glass Company in 1998 , the stories behind the company sound more like the makings of a soap opera than a business plan. But despite the companys somewhat fractured past, Kokomo has upheld its reputation for exceptional glass products. Since 1888, it has been producing some of the finest glass in the world, and remains the oldest manufactory in America of its kind. Charles Edward Henry opened Kokomo Glass Factory in Kokomo, Indiana after he managed to negotiate a free factory site and cheap gas rates with community leaders. The once agriculturally based town was booming with business opportunities thanks to the discovery of natural gas. Glass production began on Nov. 13, 1888. The company specialized in colored opalescent glass, which at the time was a relatively new product. The superintendent and chemist of the company, Henrys business partner, worked tirelessly to perfect the formulas and processes needed to make the unique glass. Journal archives show that Kokomos first order was for Tiffany Glass Co. It was six cases of mixed blue and white opalescent glass. At this time glass was sold b

Step 1 Cut a piece of glass in any wild shape or size you like. (This piece was just a leftover piece of glass from a stained glass window.) Step 2 Place a drape mold in the kiln. Since the piece of glass may run down to the shelf, it is best to have a piece of Fiber Paper under the mold. (I have used a bisque fired coffee mug for my mold. The glass will melt down around this mold so be sure to pick something were the sides go straight down or flare out, or the glass will break removing it from the mold.) Step 3 Drape a thin piece of Fiber Paper over the drape mold that is about the same size as the piece of glass. Step 4 Fire the glass at cone 017. Step 5 Wash the piece using a soft brush to remove Fiber Paper. This project courtesy of Fired Arts and Crafts Magazine. For more great projects like these, consider subscribing to FAC! Materials Glass : Brand of Choice-any scrap glass Mold/Bisque: You can choose from one of these to use as your mold. 12 oz Bisque Mug Large Floral Vase Slumper Small Floral Vase Slumper Tools: Brand of Choice Glass Scorer Mosaic Nippers Glass Running Pliers Glass Grozers Soft Br

The first week in July, Delphis Executive Director, Lisa Parks, Director of Curriculum, Roy Kapp and Sales Associate, Suzanna Fung traveled to Taipei, Taiwan to teach glass fusing. Delphi Elite Dealer Anguse International hosted the group and set up a classroom for Roy and Suzanna and 15 students. Over the course of five days, the enthusiastic group created multiple projects and shared numerous tips and techniques. Suzanna, who speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English proved to be an invaluable asset to the team. Her creative abilities are exceptional and the students commented more than once on her flawless, accent-free Mandarin. As a glass artist, Suzanna not only translated for the class, but also helped with technical issues. All of the participants had a wonderful time and enjoyed sharing in the universal language of creativity. To find out about other Delphi events like this one, visit our class calendar.

I want to make some copper foil and lead projects for use outside. How do I protect them from the elements? If you construct your project using the lead technique, there isnt anything else you need to do. The cementing process weatherproofs the project. If you use the copper foil technique, you will want to make sure that there is something to prevent the copper foil from pulling away from the outer edges of the project when it gets wet. This can be accomplished by using a rigid metal channel (zinc, copper or brass) or by soldering a reinforcing wire around the perimeter of the piece. Another thing you should consider is using mosaic techniques. Either the direct or indirect methods are great for outdoor projects. Your supplier will have information on these techniques if you are unfamiliar with them. Whatever technique you choose to employ, it is best to bring your projects indoors for the winter if it gets cold enough to freeze in your area. While some projects may survive freezing, its better to be safe than sorry. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News . All rights reserved.

Most of us have the perception that great art can only be created by mastering intricate and complicated procedures. However when you listen and learn from really creative people very often you will find the most effective touches are added using straightforward and uncomplicated techniques. Master teacher Jayne Persico uses a simple technique called Notch and Fire Polish to add dramatic designs to her jewelry creations. Jayne uses a diamond wiresaw to cut notches and scroll work into her glass jewelry blanks. Then she fire polishes these scroll-notches allowing them to take on a lace-like appearance. The effect is beautiful on its own but the addition of wire wrapping and glass beads will take the work to a whole new level of sophistication. Discover how you can create masterworks like these in Jaynes jewelry book Innovative Adornments. This Randys ProTip brought to you from the book Innovative Adornments by Jayne Persico. Visit Wardell Publications .