The Delphi Blog

Chances are, right now, in reading this blog post, youre avoiding an overdue task . I too was avoiding a laundry list of work-related tasks in writing this. Procrastination is a part of life, and its certainly always been a part of mine. As a teenager, my parents would accuse me of putting off everything from piano practice to math homework. Id vehemently deny their charges hissing back, I work better under pressure!The truth was, I often felt overwhelmed, under-productive and anxious. Over the years, Ive been able to combat my avoidance issues using 4 tools. The trick is constantly reminding myself of these actions, because they do not come naturally to me. 1. Just Say No! I say yes to everything. Need someone to head up that event? Sure! Want me to design 12 posters for the Car Wash? No problem! Take your kid to daycare? Of course! Saying yes inevitably leads me to bite off more than I can chew. I often say yes because Im afraid if I dont, the chore wont get done, or wont get done as well. I finally realized, so what? Chances are, if it doesnt get done, or done as well, it wont be the end of the world. 2. Keep your To-Do List Short. Once you decide what you are goi

When John Falibota of Girard, Ohio, told his wife he was going to take a stained glass class, she couldn't stop laughing . John had a life-long fear of cut glass. If a glass broke in the house, he wouldn't go near it for fear of cutting himself. But over time his fear subsided, and in 1984 he and his wife, Marlene, started attending craft shows and eventually opened their very own stained glass store in 1999. Their 1,200 sg. ft. store provided classes and supplies as well as fulfilled custom orders. Seven years later, they moved to an even larger store (2,375 sq. ft.) and added imported blown glass and Russian glass animals to their inventory. Due to the tough economic climate, John and Marlene recently moved again to a smaller store (1,600 sq. ft.). They dropped the imported glass and returned to their roots-teaching, supplies and custom work. They carry tools, glass and anything else one would need for stained glass art work. They also specialize in kitchen cabinet doors. If you're interested in taking one of John's classes, book early. He limits his classes to three people, so it's a very personalized approach. Since he started teaching, John has taught close to 4

Delphi merchandiser Kayleigh McGrath recently shared some photos from her early days at Delphi. She was playing around with different colors and textures of glass and learning the hard way that there are limits to what you can do (and can't do) in fusing. The first image shows what happened when Kayleigh layered dichroic glass, coating to coating. The base is 90 COE dichroic rainbow pixi stix on black, (Delphi item: 921714) and the top is an old texture we don't carry any more (cyan red radium on clear.) The second image is of a piece Kayleigh loved so much she impatiently removed it from the kiln when it was still too hot (haven't we all done this!) As you can see, it suffered thermal shock. This was made with the same 90 COE pixi stix on black for the base and capped with Delphi item: U630090 90 COE Uroboros Souble Rolled Clear) Moral of the story? Fusing is about trial and error. Sometimes you end up with something truly amazing, and sometimes you end up with a mess. That's the fun of it! Looking for Fusing Tips?

We tell ourselves not to judge a book by its cover, but the simple truth is, we are attracted to whats attractive. On a recent hunt for a birthday present for my mother, I came across several beautiful handbags in several different boutiques. What ultimately influenced my final purchase decision was the complimentary gift-wrapping offered by one of the storeowners. The handbag itself wasnt any prettier or better quality than the others I was considering, but the packaging was beautiful. Brightly colored tissue, a big sturdy box, quality wrapping paper and an oversized hand-tied bow. No, it wasnt sealed with a kiss, rather a large gold embossed sticker with the boutique name and logo (theres nothing wrong with a little discreet self-promotion). Here are a few tips for better packaging-it might just buy you your next customer! 1. Show your customers what theyll get. The boutique I mentioned earlier had a gift box mounted on the wall near the cash register, so I knew what to expect. If youre selling online, provide a short description (or picture) of the packaging you provide. 2. Remember the details. Small items like earrings can be posted to a piece of cardstock cu

How and when did you get started in glass art? I saw an article about Kristin Frantzen-Orr along with a step by step example of how to do one of her famous floral beads. I talked about it so much my husband bought me a beginning torch set for the following Christmas. Once I got the kiln and the duel fuel torch, I just kept experimenting and growing from there. Kristin is still my idol and I keep telling myself that one day I will do nice, clean floral beads like hers! Your jewelry, vases, plates etc. are all beautiful. I especially love the geologic nature of your Copper Reactive dish, its so unique! Can you tell us a little about how you achieved that look? The base glass is Bullseye Steel Blue Opal (000146) and it reacts all on its own! I used clear stringers and broke up chunks of clear to use along the outside edge. Whatever the clear covers stays blue, and the exposed glass reacts and turns metallic. The firing temperature is the key, don't take it above 1400 F. Bullesye lists several projects with reactions on their website www.bullseyeglass.com http://www.bullseyeglass.com I understand that you teach some classes? What do you teach, and why do you enjoy it?