The Delphi Blog

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

Summer is a great time to unleash your creativity. It’s also a great time to grab a KraftyBlok or two from Delphi and bring your ideas to life. KraftyBlok is a multifaceted glass block that you can turn into pretty much anything you can dream up. Think of it as a blank canvas in glass block form .   Its smooth and clear surface is the perfect base for mosaics, etching, painting and plenty more. Plus, it has an opening where you can easily add embellishments or even lights to really make your KraftyBlok project shine. You can purchase KraftyBlok stands to display your KraftyBlok creation too.   There are endless possibilities to bring your KraftyBlok project to life on so many levels. Turn it into a piggy bank for your children or grandchildren. Make it into a stunning vase to hold your fresh-cut flowers. Night lights, picture boxes, bookends and more can all be easily made by using a KraftyBlok.   If you still need inspiration, get our free KraftyBlok eBook . There are step-by-step instructions and templates so you can recreate the projects featured in it. This free 48-page eBook brings you ideas for every season too, so you can find some in

Summer is a great time to unleash your creativity. It’s also a great time to grab a KraftyBlok or two from Delphi and bring your ideas to life. KraftyBlok is a multifaceted glass block that you can turn into pretty much anything you can dream up. Think of it as a blank canvas in glass block form .   Its smooth and clear surface is the perfect base for mosaics, etching, painting and plenty more. Plus, it has an opening where you can easily add embellishments or even lights to really make your KraftyBlok project shine. You can purchase KraftyBlok stands to display your KraftyBlok creation too.   There are endless possibilities to bring your KraftyBlok project to life on so many levels. Turn it into a piggy bank for your children or grandchildren. Make it into a stunning vase to hold your fresh-cut flowers. Night lights, picture boxes, bookends and more can all be easily made by using a KraftyBlok.   If you still need inspiration, get our free KraftyBlok eBook . There are step-by-step instructions and templates so you can recreate the projects featured in it. This free 48-page eBook brings you ideas for every season too, so you can find some in

With Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day coming up (May 21st and May 30th, respectively), Delphi Glass has those who have served our great country on our mind. Everyone knows someone who has served, whether it’s a grandparent, parent, sibling, spouse or friend. Being part of the armed forces takes a lot of dedication and leaves an indelible mark on those that serve forever.   Our veterans have learned powerful lessons in their lives that have shaped the way they are, but they also have to cope with the negative aspects of their experiences. Some of these brave men and women have seen things more horrible than we could ever fathom. Our veterans looked after us and kept our country safe. Now it’s time for us to return the favor and look after them.   If you’re looking for ways to support our great veterans, first and foremost, thank a veteran for their hard work when you pass them in the aisle at the supermarket or are waiting on line at the post office or bank. Secondly, try to find ways to give back and honor these courageous patriots. At Delphi Glass, we contribute to Operation Family Fund (OFF) an organization that was started by relations

The biggest names in glass are coming to Delphi Glass and you don’t want to miss out on joining a class!   As glass artists, we’re always looking for ways to improve our techniques. Every day that we create something, we learn something new. But when we’re presented with an incredible opportunity to work with award-winning artists, we’ve just got to get in on it before our chance to learn from one of the greats is gone.   This summer, Delphi Glass is excited to present you with the opportunity to join in on classes from some very special guest instructors. You don’t want to miss your chance to sign up with these talented folks. Class space is limited to ensure you have the best and most intimate learning experience.   Coming up in June, there’s still some room left to join in on Joseph Cavalieri’s class for stained glass painting. If you’re not familiar with Cavalieri’s work , he owns and runs the CAVAglass Studios in New York City. His projects are amazing, showcasing his expertise in hand-painted, silk-screened and airbrushed stained glass. It’s amazingly unique and if you sign up now, you&rsq

The biggest names in glass are coming to Delphi Glass and you don’t want to miss out on joining a class!   As glass artists, we’re always looking for ways to improve our techniques. Every day that we create something, we learn something new. But when we’re presented with an incredible opportunity to work with award-winning artists, we’ve just got to get in on it before our chance to learn from one of the greats is gone.   This summer, Delphi Glass is excited to present you with the opportunity to join in on classes from some very special guest instructors. You don’t want to miss your chance to sign up with these talented folks. Class space is limited to ensure you have the best and most intimate learning experience.   Coming up in June, there’s still some room left to join in on Joseph Cavalieri’s class for stained glass painting. If you’re not familiar with Cavalieri’s work , he owns and runs the CAVAglass Studios in New York City. His projects are amazing, showcasing his expertise in hand-painted, silk-screened and airbrushed stained glass. It’s amazingly unique and if you sign up now, you&rsq

Saws are great for cutting glass, but sometimes, it’s a more precise cut we need for an obscurely-shaped piece. When you want to make circles with glass or cut out unusual shapes for your stained glass project, what should you use?   Many glass artists loathe cutting circles because it is so difficult to make it just right. Fortunately, you don’t need to scrap any glass project that contains circles anymore because the Silberschnitt Pro Circle Cutter is just what you need.   This German-engineered product uses a strong suction cup to hold onto the glass. You’ll need to make sure the glass is stationary on your cutting area so that it doesn’t move. Then you can set the Silberschnitt Pro Circle Cutter to the width of your desires.   To make that perfect circle, you’ll need to apply continuous pressure as you cut. The 6-wheel cutting turret is designed to make flawless scores. You can avoid dullness by rotating the wheels. The cutting ruler on the Silberschnitt Pro Circle Cutter can measure in inches and centimeters too. It’s ideal for any project that requires circles in sizes of 2 ½ inches on up to 24 inches in di