Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Boxes Are In

With graduations, weddings, operations and plays going on we had a few students cancel this week but we still got a lot done. First and foremost we have to take a look at Cheryl's peacock window which is now 100% complete! I knew it was going to look great with some light behind it and I wasn't wrong. This is a large window measuring in at 44" x 25". We may see another version of this window soon...

With some spare time to kill while in class Cheryl decided to make a small beveled box. I think it took her about an hour and a half to start this and then take it home at the end of the day with her. These are great quick gifts that anyone would appreciate.


Speaking of boxes, Christine continued working on the box top that she started last week but got a bit sidetracked because she needed to start another box that she's making as a graduation gift. This is the rose and it's clear background that she started last week.

And this is the graduation box that she's working on. She still needs to grind the background and then add the border but the most of the hard work is done. I suspect we'll be working on the box bottom next week and have it set to go home then.


Gerald was back again this week and he got all his pieces wrapped. Next week he'll be bringing in the door this will be set in so we can make sure it fits. with only background left to cut this large window should actually be finished fairly quickly now. All the students for day classes have been eyeing this pattern up...

And lastly we have a look at Michael's window. She cut all the remaining background pieces and even got the zinc channel on it before class was finished. Next week she'll start soldering it so we should see this finished very soon now.


That wraps it up here for the first week of May. Look for some more boxes to be started here next week.

Paul
Bayou Salé GlassWorks

Monday, May 4, 2009

Cake and Ice Cream


Our night class was a celebration of sorts complete with cake, ice cream, wine, candy etc. etc. The reason for all this festivity? It was the day before Janice's birthday! Now you may wonder if there could have been any progress made with all this partying going on. Well see for yourself.

Lea has finished the last of her cabinet door inserts! She's ready to start a newer and bigger project and we'll show you that once we have a pattern. Here's a look at one of the last 2 doors that she completed on Wednesday night.


Janice finished her second window and then moved onto cutting out the pieces for her next 2 windows using her original pattern. Alas, we couldn't find the pattern and had to trace it out again. I figured we'd find it right after it was retraced but it's been a week now and I still haven't found it. Here's her finished window:


And here are the pieces that Janice started cutting out for her next round of windows. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANICE!


Jane managed to cut out almost all of one of the smaller sections of her Fireplace Screen. She was a bit stymied as to what glass she should use for her background mountains but she's got it all squared away now.

And here's a look at the lower center (large) section of Jane's Fireplace screen. The only reason she didn't have anything completed on the second side panel was because she didn't have that part of the pattern home with her. But she has it now so I'm sure we'll see a lot of progress when she's back in.
Grace is really running through her window quickly. And I have to say that the cutting is wonderful. I think she'll have an easy time grinding this one and I suspect it won't be long until she starts grinding this. Everyone that walks in the shop comments on this window sitting there on the work table.
Denise is hard at work making her Tiger/Fluer De Lis window. She got most of the yellow glass cut out in class. She also finished her frame that she had started making last week but for some reason I can't turn up the picture that I know I took with the camera. I can't explain it but it's gone. :-(


Christine is making a flower box and got all of her rose cut and ground while she was in class. She had 2 pieces of the flower that she wasn't happy with and I must commend her for deciding to recut those pieces. When you're new at this and first start working with glass ANY piece that comes out unbroken is considered to be a good piece. But there comes a time when a student looks at the pieces she's cut and says, "This piece doesn't quite look right..."

When a student replaces a piece because the grain doesn't match perfectly I know that they've reached a new plateau. Christine is there. :-) Here's her adjusted rose.

And Cheryl has the front of her peacock completed. She's soldering the second side and I have no doubt that she'll have it finished during this next class. It already looks great but just wait until you see it with light behind it rather than a table. Check it out next week...

Although we didn't get to see Gerald this week (sorry you missed the cake, Gerald!) we did get to see a familiar but unfrequently seen face. I heard someone say, "Look who's here" and assumed it was Gerald but when I looked up a few seconds later I was pleasnatly surprized to see Mary Lynn in the shop! It was great to see her again and we hope she'll drop by again even if it's just to say hello.

That does it for this week. Come back and see us again soon!

Paul
Bayou Salé GlassWorks