The Delphi Blog

As 2017 fast approaches, you’re probably thinking of what resolutions you’re going to make (and hopefully stick to) in the New Year. Perhaps it’s getting more exercise or eating more healthfully, the two most common resolutions people make every year. Those are great resolutions to make, but it’s also good to think outside the box when making your resolutions. Here are some suggestions for glass art resolutions to make.   1. Organize your creative space By taking a little time to organize and arrange your art glass tools and supplies, you’ll be saving yourself time in the long run. That means you’ll have more time to focus on what really matters: being creative. Plus, when you keep things organized, you’ll know what supplies you need to stock up on. Nothing is more frustrating than being in the middle of a project only to realize you’re out of something you need.   2. Try something new So you’re amazing when it comes to fusing glass, but why not give another type of glass art a try? You can attempt a mosaic or even try a new technique in fusing that you’ve never tried before. At Delphi, there are

‘Tis the season for shopping. Have you found something for everyone on your list? If not, we’ve got some fantastic suggestions for gifts they’ll be sure to love! Michigan Cast Iron Skillet For the chef that lives in and loves Michigan, there’s no better cookware than a cast iron skillet shaped just like the mitten state! But fear not if you’re not gifting to someone in Michigan. They make skillets in the shapes of other states like Texas and New York. There’s also one in the shape of America for the ultimate patriot. Karaoke Party Light-Up Music Ball This Bluetooth-controlled karaoke ball is loads of fun for anyone who is the life of the party. Light up the living room and belt out your favorite tunes. It works with all music players too. Foodie Dice If you know someone who always has trouble figuring out what to cook for dinner, these Foodie Dice are just the solution. With a roll of the dice, it will really shake up their cooking routine and help them break out of their mealtime rut. Pocket Wine Aerator For your favorite wine enthusiast, this pocket wine aerator can decant any glass of wine on the g

There are only 52 days left until Christmas! Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If not, Delphi has you covered with some bright and shiny ideas for the stained glass artist in your life. Here are some we think will be very well received if you tuck them under your tree!   1. Stained Glass A stained glass artist can never have too much glass to work with. We carry a huge selection of stained glass . Why not order some new and exciting colors for your favorite stained glass artist? Try something different like the Van Gogh glass that is almost too pretty to cut. Plus with glass packs and sample sets, your recipient will get a gorgeous array of glass to work with in one fabulous package.   2. Studio Pro Caddy If you’re stained glass artist has tools all over the place in their studio, perhaps a Studio Pro Caddy will be useful. It keeps all essential tools within easy reach and has them ready to use. Plus, the bottle holder and the iron stand keep chemicals and the hot iron safe.   3. Finishing Compound For the stained glass artist, that has everything, finishing compound is always a nice gift because it’s something tha

There are only 52 days left until Christmas! Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If not, Delphi has you covered with some bright and shiny ideas for the stained glass artist in your life. Here are some we think will be very well received if you tuck them under your tree!   1. Stained Glass A stained glass artist can never have too much glass to work with. We carry a huge selection of stained glass . Why not order some new and exciting colors for your favorite stained glass artist? Try something different like the Van Gogh glass that is almost too pretty to cut. Plus with glass packs and sample sets, your recipient will get a gorgeous array of glass to work with in one fabulous package.   2. Studio Pro Caddy If you’re stained glass artist has tools all over the place in their studio, perhaps a Studio Pro Caddy will be useful. It keeps all essential tools within easy reach and has them ready to use. Plus, the bottle holder and the iron stand keep chemicals and the hot iron safe.   3. Finishing Compound For the stained glass artist, that has everything, finishing compound is always a nice gift because it’s something tha

At Delphi, we often get messages on Facebook and through customer service about package tracking. We’re always so happy to help assist you, though we hope this little tip will help you find the package you’re looking for.   It’s very easy to locate your package using our Order Tracker. To find it, you can look at the bottom of our home page, where it says Track Your Order . Once you click on that, it will ask you to fill in your order number or your confirmation number. Next, simply click the button to the right of it that says “get tracking.”   You also have the option of viewing a list of your orders placed online. However you choose to use the Order Tracker feature, it should help you to determine when your packages will arrive.   What if there’s a problem or your number is not found? If you run into any problems at all, you can visit our Customer Service page. There you can find more information including how to contact us . There’s a quick answer reference there too where you can check to see if there’s an easy answer to your question.   If you don’t find what you’re looking for

Something better than pumpkin spice is coming…Michael Dupille will soon be at Delphi’s Lansing location for a 3-day class on frit fusing . Micahel Dupille, making Seattle frit and fabulous since the 1970s, brings with him his expertise, charmingly referring to his technique of painting with glass from crushed glass bits or frit as we know them along with firing methods as fritography.   Considered a pioneer in the field of kiln-formed glass, Michael’s sold out class will be held for those who seek to garner his wisdom at any level from beginner to pro. The 3-day event will begin with a class on Beginning Fritography. Those in attendance will get the special chance to learn and explore new techniques that will help them design on a completely new level and add more sophistication to their pieces.   Michael will also show how to create distinct shapes, give surfaces unusual finishes, the proper firing schedules, and how to make murals. A variety of frit sizes will be incorporated, resulting in unbelievable effects.   Spending 3 days with Michael is a treat for many new and avid glass artists. He’ll be sharing his thoughts on color

It’s official. Everywhere across the country, millions of young adults have flown the nest with bags packed, ready to begin a new adventure at college. It’s a great time for them to learn more about their studies, the world and themselves.   College is also a place to make friends and develop a lifelong loyalty to a mascot that they will likely pay homage to in many ways. Some of those ways might not be so creative, like shouting out the window to a neighboring car with stickers from the same school. Or worse, shouting at someone from a rival university.   Team spirit ignites such a passion in all of us who have attended school. Even many years later, you probably still cheer for your team. Passion is what fuels creativity. One of the best ways to express creativity is to use art as your outlet. Stained glass projects, mosaic patterns, fused glass projects, and even glass jewelry are all great mediums for which to show your support for your favorite college team.   Take a look over in the Delphi artist gallery to get some creative inspiration for making your own team-inspired works of art. When it comes time for game day, you can proudly dis

Brace yourselves…fall is coming. And so are about a million different memes about pumpkin spice lattes and apple everything. So why not use that to fuel your fall inspirations with stained glass projects, glass fusing, mosaic designs, and glass jewelry?   Fall leaves are one of the most spectacular sights to behold. As the leaves change from green to red, orange, yellow and brown, why not use that as your next stained glass design? Or create a fused glass bowl that looks like a fall leaf? It could be the perfect centerpiece for your coffee table. Be sure to fill it up with some apple or pumpkin spice-flavored candy of course!   Cooler temperatures are coming as well. How about making some cool fused glass jewelry to go with your new sweater? Whatever fall glass art project you’re designing, we’ve got the supplies you need . Fall inspirations are all around you, even in our own Delphi artist gallery . Add yours to our gallery with the tag “fall.”   And let’s not forget that one of the best holidays will soon be upon us…Halloween! See if you can totally outdo the neighbors this year by making some spooktacular c

Header image courtesy of Chihuly Collection - St. Petersburg, Florida As glass artists, fueling our own imagination comes from being inspired by the creativity of others. Observing the beauty of glass art pieces that have been unleashed from another artist’s dreams, means we are that much closer to displaying our own for the world to see.   Visiting museums with glass art displays can give us more insight into what we can skillfully create and drive our dreams of becoming beloved artists. It can also be a beautiful way to spend a day. Here are some of the best museums in America to view stunning glass art collections and become inspired.   Macklowe Gallery – New York, New York You don’t need to travel the world to see the very best glass art because this gallery displays some of the finest pieces from all over the globe. You’ll find Tiffany lamps and Tiffany glass, French cameo glass by Argy-Rousseau, and much more.   Museum of Glass   (MOG) – Tacoma, Washington Founded in 2002, this museum commits itself to celebrating the movement of studio glass art. While it often features special collections, amon

If you love making stained glass projects, then you’ll love the cool effects that painting on stained glass can have. It gives you more of a chance to be creative, allowing for more of a flow of ideas without having to worry about cutting or other processes that need your complete accuracy to ensure a beautiful outcome.   The paints used for stained glass painting are made by taking ground glass and mixing it with a variety of colored pigments and a flux. They can be applied in any number of ways and then they get permanently affixed by being fired in a kiln. These paints may be transparent or opaque, and you can mix them together though it is advised that you stick to the same manufacturer when mixing paints for consistency reasons.   While stained glass painting is a wonderful way to experiment with a broad range of vibrant colors, you’ll need to make sure you keep exact records of your paint color tests to see what you mixed and what temperatures you used or it will all be for nothing.   When you buy paints for stained glass painting, you’ll need to find out which ones are low or high firing. Low firing paint is better suited to stain

Kaleidoscopes are a fun tool to use to enjoy optical illusions. With some mirrors, glass and colorful tidbits, you can create your own kaleidoscope that takes you to a world of beautiful images thanks to the items inside of it rotating along with the light coming in from the opposite end. The result is magical and can awe both children and adults.   Glass kaleidoscopes are particularly beautiful. They often look impressive on the outside as well. Magic on the inside and out, glass kaleidoscopes are an ideal summer stained glass project. Here’s how to make one of your own!   In addition to all your glass cutting tools, you’ll need: clear glass colored glass in the colors of your choosing copper foil brass rod solder (to use in your soldering iron) flux mirror kit disc kit faceted beads decorative copper or brass elements for adornments and leg supports patina solution felt circles Instructions: 1. First, line up your colored glass with your straightedge to make three strips that are 1x8 inches and mark them with a permanent marker.   2. Score the marked lines using your glass cutter, mak