Experience Required: No previous flameworking or glass blowing is required.
Type of Class: Demonstration and hands-on project
Class Description: Create custom blown glass ornaments the simple way. Making custom glass ornaments is easy with Glaskolben pre-blown clear glass cylinders with blow pipe ends. These ornaments have the look reminiscent of traditional European artisans. Students will use a Hot Head torch and MAPP gas to create several ornaments. Use 90 COE frits and stringers to customize your holiday decorations. No previous flameworking or glass blowing experience is required. All materials are included except for MAP/Pro gas.
Safety: Please do NOT wear open toed shoes or sandals. Long pants are recommended but not mandatory. Natural fiber clothes are best, cotton, linen, etc. Long hair should be tied back. Safety glasses must be worn, glasses are provided in class if needed.
Tools & Materials Included: Each student will have the use of a complete workstation, including torch, hand tools and glass. Glaskolben pre-blown clear glass cylinders Glass frit Safety glasses will be provided.
Additional Tools & Materials: Students must bring 1 tank of MAP/Pro gas - (Delphi does not sell). Available at most hardware or big box home improvement stores.
Pros : Val does a wonderful job of explaining the materials, safety procedures, process, and then circulates around the room to help people individually.
You jump right into the process -- once your torch is lit, you start heating the globes.
Each person starts with 12(?) glass tubes and most of us left with at least 10 globes.
Cons :
Other Thoughts : I was really anxious about doing this class and working with the torch but am so glad that I did it. Even if you're a bit tentative about working with a flame, DO IT.
Pros : The instructor was knowledgeable and paced the instruction so it was easy to achieve great results. She was great at demonstrating and explaining the process.
Pros : We had a great afternoon. Our instructor was thorough and patient. She had a great pace and knew how to break up the workshop with a combination of listening and doing. It was a fun time spent with colleagues creating together. I would recommend this class to any one that has ever been curious about blown glass.
Pros : Val did an amazing job explaining the process and was fun to work with. She went out of her way to make sure we had everything we needed. I had previously attempted to blow Glasskolbens on my own and had more failures than successes, but just watching Val do the process a couple of times corrected everything I was doing wrong on my own. FUN FUN FUN class.
Cons : Definitely not a “con” but this process is a bit tricky and you might not walk out with 10 perfect globes. Knowing that, just go in and have fun! Even if you leave with just a couple they are so cool. Even the odd shaped ones are awesome.
Other Thoughts : Everyone at Delphi was very kind and helpful. Nice people!
Pros : A lot of fun, great instructor and you end up with some nice ornaments.
Cons : None come to mind.
Other Thoughts : I drove for 1 hour and 45 minutes to attend the class on my only day off and it was worth every minute. I wish the blow tubes were a bit less expensive but glass of any kind isn't cheap. Small group so everyone was given plenty of time with the instructor one on one if they had issues or questions. I will take more classes for sure. Thank you, Val and Delphi!
Pros : What a great, fun class! Excellent guidance in such a comfortable setting - Delphi class instructors are amazing, hands-on, creative and truly masterful at breaking down the steps for successful learning! Thanks-
Pros : I loved the class!! I was able to take home 10 glass globes that I made. It was a very fun class and easy to understand. Now I have to just practice to get the perfect globe! LOL!!
Pros : Val was great, I have several ornaments, some even round, that I can hang on my tree.
Cons : I thought there were too many people at once — crowded by the heat of my neighbor’s torch on one side, breaking glass globes by the woman overblowing on the other side. And I think the class needs a bit more time. Felt rushed at the end, and would have liked a bit more one-on-one attention for the first couple. The one where she was standing right there and telling me when to move in the flame and when to blow came out perfectly. I think if I could have had another one or two with that kind of help I would have had a much higher success, and lower stress, rate.
Pros : Excellent instructor! You get to make 12 ornaments. It makes great gifts and looks cool on your tree.
Cons : Found out on second class that I should NOT have used same MAP gas container as it didn't burn hot enough for me to blow my ornaments properly. Will bring full one next time.
Other Thoughts : I've taken this class twice so far and am planning on it again.
Pros : We're 100% new to the art world altogether and never worked with glass before. So, this is what we observed from our non-artistic fresh eyes:
-The trainer has no worries to impose on us. Only lessons about how to handle bad techniques we encounter. He never made it about us but about the glass inability to do what we think it should.
We felt successful because we oversmarted the laws of the universe; fire, force, oxygen and mineral matter. We didn't encounter failure in this class. This is different than my workplace.
-The trainer is very happy. He smiles a lot. The furnace is "unique" and he seems to be having a long life relationship with the fire and he wants u to see it that way not like a simple fire but as an ally. He used different words but that's how it felt.
-It makes you feel like you're in another world. Much better than my common everyday life. It's very intellectually and emotionally addictive because that experience makes sense and it can be felt with all your s
Cons : -It should be a monthly membership with unlimited classes and material into packages so every time I need to oversmart the laws of nature I can run to the studio.
-Delphi should promote their students as a formal art school with sponsors and scholarships and individual premiums too, open to all ages so our levels of delinquency lowers in Lansing because busy and happy people don't hurt their neighborhoods, their friends or their families.
Other Thoughts : This is a beautiful and neutral way to experience the best version of one self without the control and oppression of political or religious affiliations. Art is not natural in some of us, as it was in Michelangelo, he claimed that training was his key tu success, not natural ability and I can see how real this is in an art studio.
Pros : Loved the class. The instructor was very knowledgeable and friendly. The class size was perfect and allowed for individual attention. The facility was awesome and allowed me to see so many different items available. I have recommended the class to a number of people.
Cons : I completely missed the need to bring a tank to class. Maybe a reminder to bring one with you?? Thankfully there was available for my use.
Pros : Got to make 12 globes! Val was a great instructor that really shared her experiences on how to blow glass successfully. The class was 4 people which enabled Val to work with each of us to make sure we all had a great experience. Good price for the value of instruction and the materials provided.
Cons : Had to bring your own tank
Other Thoughts : You could increase the price of the course to include the tank. I will not use the tank after the course and it could be used by the next glass if it belonged to the business.
Pros : Class was great, instructor was very helpful and explained everything. Had patience with everyone that didn't have a lot of experience working with a torch of glass.
Pros : I loved everything about this class. The instructor was very skilled, clear, and patient. She allowed us all plenty of time to create our glass globes and offered helpful tips and strategies for technique. The finished product was quirky, beautiful, and definitely unique. I enjoyed seeing how the colors of the ornaments changed as the glass cooled. There is also something so magical about the color and glow of molten glass and being able to work with it in a safe and protected environment. I'll treasure these ornaments and the memories of making them for years to come.
Cons : I think that it would be a great opportunity for Delphi Glass to bundle for-purchase materials for students in the class to take home to continue creating additional ornaments should they choose to do so. Since we come with our own MAP gas, the bundle could simply include another box of cylinders, a c-clamp, hothead torch, metal o-ring, carbide cutter, and assorted colors of small packages of frit. I would have certainly purchased this if it were readily available.
Other Thoughts : I'd love to see even more sessions of this class open up as the ones online are all booked. I think my sister would love this class and I'd love to do it with her.
Pros : Excellent instructor lead class. Great support and background information. Kind and very encouraging and pragmatic about setting expectations for the first class. Fun and engaging.
Cons : Wish there was more time to do more.
Other Thoughts : Looking forward to my next class on Sept 13th.
Pros : This was a pretty easy class with some very cool projects to take with you at the end of the class. It's kind of hard to judge the correct time to blow, but the ornaments turn out nice even if you don't do it at exactly the "right" time. The instructor was very helpful and patient.
Cons : Working with the flame is a little intimidating at first, but it isn't as scary as it seems at first.
Pros : Val was very informative, knowledgeable and supportive! She explained the class and the process in depth and was very open to any questions any of us may have had.
She didn't tell us what to do and drop the ball, quite the opposite! Constantly circling the room, giving advice and suggestions when needed! Just excellent!
Reassuring to us alk since none of us had done any blown glass work before!!
Cons : I wish the class could have been longer, and there were other blown glass classes with more variety.
Other Thoughts : This was my only attempt at this art form, it was quite exciting and would live to try other items if you offered a broader variety of classes. So much fun!! Thank you!!!
Pros : Val was an excellent instructor. I learned how to do something I had never done before. I learned to blow glass globes using a torch. Fun, even though I wasn't very good at it : ) I still ended up with 8.
Cons :
Other Thoughts : I definitely could improve my technique but I really liked the class! I would take this class again.
Pros : Fun class, globes are beautiful, easy to learn.
Cons : None
Other Thoughts : Val does a great job explaining the glass blowing process. She is positive and encouraging. We would definitely take this class again.
Pros : It was a fun time. We managed to get all 12 of our globes done within the time period. The instructor showed us how to do it and talked about it before we started. She admitted that she probably talked a little bit too much, just a tad as we were getting antsy to get started. ;)
Cons : Make sure we all see the bulb in its glowing red ready state up close so that we know what ours should look like. It was harder to blow them than I thought especially after re-cooperating from a respiratory infection.
Other Thoughts : Made sure to use less fritz than she tells you. If the bulb doesn't get very big, then the colors don't show up as well. We had some dark colored ones until we figured that one out.
Pros : Instructor was fun and informative. Class was extremely fun! Would recommend to anyone who has an interest in glass works or looking to try something new! Will be trying one of the other many class options soon!!
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