The Delphi Blog

I was 22 weeks pregnant and already humongous , if that's not too much information. I boarded the plane hoping that I would have a somewhat comfortable flight from Tampa to Flint. After getting settled, I make a To-Do list for my trip. 1. Try not to knock over anything breakable with enormous belly. 2. Try to keep emotional outbursts to a minimum even if first few lampworking beads are lumpy piles of goo. 3. Remember to wear protective clothing so as not to light body parts on fire. 4. Arrive a novice, leave an expert.

We each have our own unique style of presentation and interaction with our attending students. That being said, I believe that there is a set of principles relating to the teaching process that might be useful to review and clarify so that they are readily available for future reference. Advance Planning You and your students will benefit if you ask them to bring either images or actual samples of their work. You will need to identify the point where each one is in his or her career so that you can work to move them forward from that point. Each will be different, and the more informed you are, the better youll be able to serve their needs. Do this as early in the class as possible, if not before. I also find it helpful to communicate via e-mail prior to starting the class with an encouraging note. Check the class listing in the catalogueit is common for the host to miss something or misstate something. You can give a bit more information in the e-mail. Be sure to mention what it is that you want them to bring to the classsamples of work, images, objects to work from, specific questions, or projects to work on. Decide in advance what the focus of the class is goin

By : Rita Levine Skill Level : 2 (Adult 1-5: 1 being the easiest, 5 being most difficult) Time to Complete : 45 Minutes Materials: Fuseworks Kiln Fuseworks Kiln Paper Fuseworks Glass Cutter Wheeled Glass Nippers Ruler Westrim pearl assortment Sterling Silver Plated Square Cabochon Mini Links - Delphi 85435 2 hat pins Earring wires Scrap fusing glass 90 COE Chain-nose pliers Round-nose pliers Instructions: 1. Place white glass on a clean flat cutting surface with the smooth side of the glass facing towards you. 2. Start on an edge of the glass holding the cutter firmly in one hand. Keep the cutter perpendicular to the glass. Push the cutter gently and evenly across the glass. Decrease pressure slightly as you reach the opposite edge of the glass; lift the cutter off the glass at the end. 3. Breaking the score line can be done with breaking pliers. Hold the glass in one hand, with the score facing up. With the other hand, center the score line in the jaws of the breaking pliers about a half inch onto the glass surface. Apply pressure to the handles; you will hear a “pop” and the score will run, breaking the glas

I love my glass grinder. In fact, I have a couple of them. But I dont grind every piece of glass that I cut. For me, its not necessary. If you can cut accurately, and by accurately I mean no bigger or smaller than your pattern, you may be able to cut down on your projects time by trying out a tool that Ive come to love and rely upon, my grinding stone. A grinding stone, or abrasive stone harks to an earlier day in the history of glass cutting, but still has its value when used in conjunction with good solid, glass scoring and breaking technique. In the pre-grinder days, these stones were de rigueur for the well equipped glazier and to put it simply, they got the job done. Learning to use the stone will take about thirty seconds of training; implementing it can save you hours. Step One: Get Stoned Most stained glass suppliers carry abrasive stones. They are not expensive. Get one, you wont regret it. Step Two: Use It An abrasive stone cannot shape your glass pieces the way a glass grinder can, but it can get rid of those nasty little edges on your freshly cut pieces of glass. Instead of taking your glass to the grinder to clean your edges, just run the surface

Every summer around the Fourth of July, I can't help but get nostalgic about all things Americana- apple pie, front porch swings, popsicles, and cuddling up in one of grandma's quilts after a long day in the sun. There's something so comforting about the colors and smells of the summer season. When I first saw this pattern, it brought back even more red, white and blue memories, and I thought it was worth sharing. Here's the patriotic pattern courtesy of our creativity partners at Glass Patterns Quarterly. Enjoy your summer! Design by Pat Stanley. Fabrication by Dave Burnett. Visit www.GlassPatterns.com to order a back issue, or subscribe to their magazine to get their latest designs sent right to your door!

The Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) is currently hosting Tiffany Lamps: Articles of Utility, Objects of Art - a celebration of Louis Comfort Tiffany's artistic contributions. According to the FIA website, the exhibition offers more than 40 stunning objects in an array of colors, sizes and decorative styles featured in five sections exploring themes of fabrication, design inspiration and changing lighting technologies. The show also includes tools, materials and photographs demonstrating how objects were designed and made. Tiffany is known for his stained glass windows and lamps, but he also created glass mosaics, blown glass pieces, ceramics, jewelry and metalwork. The first Tiffany Glass Company was incorporated 1885, which later became known as Tiffany Studios. His company concentrated on stained glass windows and lamps, but designed a myriad of other interior decorations. Tiffany Lamps: Articles of Utility, Objects of Art Johnson and Rabiah Galleries 5.23.10 - 8.15.10 www.flintarts.org Community leaders founded the Flint Institute of Arts in 1928 as a place for art classes and exhibitions. The FIA is located in the Flint Cultural Center and is known as one of

This season will showcase a greater emphasis on blues and greens . This is a clear and clean pallet that embodies a sensation of open spaces. It suggests a new beginning, symbolizing growth and a feeling of hope. Here are the shades to watch for: Pale Blue: A clean and clear blue, suggesting sky, air and energy. It feels pure, breathable and induces a feeling of contentment. True Green: A symobl of growth; a fresh color that goes with anything, just look outside at the grass. A flexible color. Works well with existing "2000's" colors, and can be treated as classic or contemporary. A very balanced and restful shade. Turq Green: A soothing and calming color. A hint of spark and invigoration to the eye. A "wow" color that can make you feel like you're escaping to a beautiful tropical destination. Pale Blue Green: A light watercolor. Very airy; gives a feeling of openness and can be used to "expand" a space's size. Taupe: A classic color that has become a basic neutral. A green undertone makes blues and greens pop. When paired with white, this shade becomes part of the new 2010 classics. Pale Gray: This is a warm, mellow gray compared to the past harsh graph

Imagine creating waterfalls that actually shimmer or night stars that really twinkle. Delphi is bringing in guest instructor Janet Schrader to show students at the Lansing Creativity Center how to do just that. Janet will show students how to achieve different textures, colors and effects with mica powder. Mica can be used to liven up Christmas ornaments, jewelry, mixed media projects and more. Each student will make a pendant and several samples to take home. Class will be held Thursday, Jun 24th from  6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Glass Artist Janet Schrader lives outside Olympia WA where she has been doing glass since 1979. She has won both local and national competitions for her stained glass and jewelry designs. Always wanting to find something exciting and different to do with glass kept Janet creating and developing new designs and one-of-a-kind works of art. The same desire for something new has lead her to write 11 art glass design and instructional books that are distributed by CKE publications. More about Lansing Creativity Center Classes

Foiling and crimping. Most glass people either hate it or love it. Its one of those jobs that just has to get done one way or the other. Foiling glass is a no brainer, and the technique can be mastered in a matter of minutes, but crimpingwell , lets just say that it has its variations. One method that I picked up from the productions shop I first worked in has always proved to be the quickest and most efficient: Finger fids. Whats a finger fid? What youll need: 1. Masking tape 2. Your fingers Step One: Extend the thumb, index and middle fingers of the hand you usually crimp your foil with; or if you use a fid, the hand you usually hold your fid with. Step Two: Cut about ten short strips of masking tape approximately 3 long. Step Three: Beginning with any one of your fingers, wrap the tape over the tip of your finger and press it onto the sides. Wrap a second strip over your finger tip at a right angle to the first. Finally wrap a third strip of tape around your finger covering the two tape ends. Step Four: Repeat for your middle finger and thumb (Suggestion: you might want to put an extra layer of tape on your thumb since that finger usuall

1. Make sure that your pieces are clean and dry. Cut a piece of clear contact paper, remove the backing and lay it sticky-side-up over the pattern. 2. This is a perfect way to hold cut glass, globs, jewels, or marbles in place for tack soldering. As you can see in the photo, you can even move the sheet around and, if you are careful, you shouldn’t disturb the glass at all. 3. Tack solder the pieces to each other as you normally would. Then, remove the contact paper and finish soldering the front before turning the project over and soldering the back. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News. All rights reserved.

I admit it. Im a fake. When Delphi hired me to be the Social Media/PR Specialist, I was looking for a reprieve from my graphic design job at a small local magazine. I longed for a more creative outlet. A place where I could learn new things, write about them and interact with others. Delphi was a perfect fit. Only problem was I didnt know a thing about art glass. Id witnessed my mother, a botanical illustrator and painter, create a few large-scale stained glass patterns for her friend (a real stained glass artist), and that was the extent of my experience with the craft. I knew nothing of fusing or sandblasting or lampworking. My experience with mosaics extended no further than my fifth-grade Tessellation project. I felt worthless. I started researching online, talking to Delphi experts and interacting with artists on Facebook and Twitter. I was learning a lot, but I still felt like a phony among glass geniuses. What I needed was complete immersion. That finally came in the form of a trip to the Delphi Creativity Center in Lansing. And herein begins my journey. Stay tuned for Part II...