Pony Up!

I promised you last week that your razor knife had one more secret that I'd share with you and here it is.  Hold the back end of your cutter (the blue arrow is pointing exactly where you should hold on) and carefully pull the back end of the cutter off in the direction of the green arrow.  (Make sure your blade is retracted so you don't accidentally get cut on the exposed blade.)

 

 

Depending on the razor knife you'll see a tab tucked away under the cover you just pulled off (or maybe you won't-- it all depends on the brand of knife you have).  Gently pull that in the same direction that you pulled the back end off and you'll find extra blades!  Yep, tucked away inside your cutter are replacement blades.  If you don't see a tab just tip the razor knife backwards and the hidden blades will slide out.

 

 

 

To replace the blade just pull the thumb slider all the way out of the back end, remove the blade from it, and replace it with a new one.  Reverse the process that you used to disassemble your razor knife and you have what is essentially a brand new knife! 

 

So then, Kerry finished up the work on his Mardi Gras Fleur De Lis and ended his night with a completed window alas, with a break in it.  :-(  There's nothing worse than getting ready to wash your window and discovered a crack.   Luckily even though it was a large piece (the top part of the FDL) it was a simple fix.  In the end no one will ever suspect that there was a problem because it was repaired seamlessly.

 

  

 

Let's Santa Face Window came together wonderfully and even though this is her first real project with us (after the butterfly suncatcher) she already has a firm grasp of the skills and techniques needed to make stained glass.   She's about to being cutting glass for a Dragon Fly Window next week and to be honest I don't think it can turn out any better than her Santa Claus did!

 

 

 

Linda F's colorful Fish window will get inserted into a metal frame and then be displayed proudly.   This started out as a suncatcher and then Linda Added some background glass to it and determined where to add lead lines to make the glass possible to cut.You've got to love her colorful creations which always manage to turn heads!

 

 

Cindy turned up in class with a large, completed Peacock Suncatcher that she worked on during the week while at home.  One of my favorite patterns, I've found that these sell almost as fast as you can make them and I know that this isn't Cindy's first Peacock so she surely knows that already.

 

 

 

One down and two to go.  Cheryl's Wedding invitation has been 'boxized' and is now ready to be gifted as the best possible kind of keepsake-- a practical one!   This not only preserves the invitation but also provides storage for just about anything.  In other words, it's the perfect gift for a perfect couple.

 

 

 

Susan R completed her first Mardi Gras Mask which she'll decorate further with green, gold and purple ribbons hanging from hooks that have been mounted in the corner edges of the mask.  She's finished this in plenty of time for the holiday and will have a second one completed when she comes back in next week.

 

  

 

 

Betty finishes off the last of our completed projects this week and her circular Fleur De Lis is stunning.  Everything lines up just right in this and next week we'll provide you with a tip so that any FDL's that you make can easily look as good as Betty's is.  

   

 

Annette has begun work on a new project and it's a big one.  This Monogrammed Transom Insert  features six roses, two buds and is brought to you by the letter 'M'.  So many of our students have noticed the pattern while in class this week and now that there's some glass cut and placed into position those students will now get even a better feel for just how exquisite this window will look when Annette finishes it.

 

 

 

Next we have another pattern that has been gathering a lot of attention.  Ann's Lady Of Guadalupe  incorporated some pieces that none of us were sure of.  The pattern came from a pattern book and since I had a few questions about the image I did a little research and may now want to touch up a few details on the bottom.  I'll know for sure once I see the full sized pattern again and then I'll discus it with Ann.

  

 

 

As promised, here's a look at all of the glass that makes up Mary's Butterfly and Morning Glory Window.  It's a sweeping, graceful design that Mary has complimented by using Baroque glass, which is a swirling, textured semi transparent glass) for the background.  She got it all ground this week and she's already begun wrapping her pieces in foil.  Perhaps she'll get a border put on this when she returns (if she wants one).

 

  

 

 

Shelley's decided to put together another Mermaid Window and although the uncolored pattern was hard to see now that there are colors involved it all makes perfect sense.  I will say this though: That mottled blue glass is a nightmare to cut when you're dealing with thin pieces involving deep inner curves.   We had to haul out the glass saw so we wouldn't waste any more of this expensive but beautiful glass.

 

  

 

 

Now this is going to be as cute as a button.   Betty's three birds already look fantastic just sitting here on their wire but wait until you see the twist that will occur when these are soldered into position.  Be sure to come back in 2 weeks (Betty won't be here next week) to see just what that twist is!

 

  

 

 

There's a holiday on the horizon and Linda L has had to stop working on her three Beach Scene Windows so that she could get this Bunny with Eggs out the door in time for  Easter.  She got it all cut out and ground in just one class with plenty of time to spare so I have no doubt that this will be finished on time.

  

 

Linda F's Stained Glass Cross Heart was also completely ground by the end of the class day and now she's going to wrap and tack this together before cutting the trim. This will make the grinding and fitting of the trim go far easier since she'll only be dealing with one large piece rather than a lot of small pieces that can easily shift all over the place.

 

  

 

 

With everything ground save for the propeller assembly on her Plane Window, June has made incredible progress.  She's a natural at grinding who quickly understood the importance of tracing one piece of glass atop another to achieve a perfect fit.   When June comes back in we'll make a few more cuts to form the struts of the plane and then she'll begin wrapping her pieces in copper foil.

 

  

 

 

Meanwhile on the table next to June, Cindy was working on this amazing looking Nautical Themed Tray.  There's really only the beveled edge left to attach to this and then Cindy will be able to wash and finish it all off.  Outstanding! Now mind you, this platter is decorative, not functional.  As our students know, we never hold a window like a platter because the weight of the glass alone can be enough to cause the glass to bow and then break.  Putting any weight on top of this and carrying it horizontally would be disastrous.

 

 

 

Barbara really did a top notch job cutting out her Abstract Art piece.  In fact, she did such a good job following the lines with her cutter than this was entirely ground in well under an hour. This is proof that you can actually save time by taking more time when cutting.  Barbara has taken this home to wrap so it may very well be finished when we see it again.

  

 

 

After getting the yellow, green and brown cut out for the actual flower portion of her Sunflower Window, Judy then swung on over to the grinder where she began fitting everything together.  It already looks like a sunflower which means that her cutting is very good.  It won't be long before Judy starts wrapping each of these pieces in copper foil.

 

  

 

 

After completing her Wedding Box Cheryl began working on the borders that surround two Mr. Bingle cards which will be the tops of two more boxes.  These are two different sizes so she can't  just cut two of everything to fit.  Still, these should go together fairly quickly. Perhaps we'll see one go out the door next week.

    

  

 

Sheri's Mardi Gras Masks aren't the kind to just cover the eyes--they're complete faces and she's forging along absolutely wonderfully with these. It's hard to believe that these aren't ground yet because everything already fits together so nicely. Once again this is further proof that if you take your time you save time. This is going to be a wonderful window.  Of that I'm completely sure.

  

 

 

Linda L got as far as she could with her Easter Bunny (she forgot to bring her foil along with her) so she witched projects and resumed working on her Beach Scene Windows by grinding away that the pieces that she'd already cut.  Next up for this project she'll begin cutting out the three different greens that will make up the fronds of the palm tree.  Mixed but similar colors work so well together in trees and flowers (and skies, and water, and ground, etc. etc.)

 

 

With the background cut and ground for her Peacock Window, Mary Grace has a huge decision to make involving the curved top of her window.  We'll go more into detail about that next week when we see just what she decides to do.

 

 

Even while experiencing numbness in her arm and hands, Melissa managed to get this decorative Fleur De Lis suncatcher cut out and ground.  Once this is tacked together she'll set it into a circular piece of glass to make it absolutely rock solid which is something that this Fleur De Lis would NOT be if she were to leave it like this without any background glass.

 

 

 

I jumped the gun last week when I told you that Mimi was finished grinding her latest Hexalong Window.   She was close but it wasn't entirely ground yet.  This week I can safely say that it IS completely ground and that she has also started wrapping her pieces.   She plans on having all of it wrapped when she comes back in and if so that means we'll most likely see this get some channel attached.

 

 

 

Here we look at the six Flower Angels that Susan D is working on.  Three of them are now completely ground leaving only three left to go before Susan begins foiling and then soldering them all together. Actually, now that I  think about it Susan said that these would be hang the other direction  so they would be more flower than Angel.  I do believe that I've posted the picture upside down!!

 

 

 

Lastly we have the second of the pair of Mardi Gras Masks that Susan R is working on.  It's all cut, ground, and wrapped in copper foil which means that this will surely be completed shortly after Susan returns to class.

 

Things are picking up again as more and more people return.   We're expecting to see Martha and Jan back in action next week so the shop will REALLY be full!

Paul 

Bayou Salé GlassWorks

 

 

 

It's Done When It's Done

It's come to my attention that a lot of our students don't realize that you can 'sharpen' your standard razor knife (or box cutter).  For trimming foil I've found that a cheap dollar store variety of razor knives works just fine.  The one thing you need to realize is that the blade MUST be extremely sharp or it will tear your foil rather than cutting it.  I change my blade just about each day that I use it.  Sounds expensive right?  Nope, not at all.  If your blade is extendable (as 99.99% of dollar store razor knives are) then you have multiple tips on each blade.  In the picture below I've extended the blade revealing  diagonal lines that allow you to break off a section leaving you with a new (and sharp) tip.  Before I go further along I need to say that the first rule of these simple instructions is:

1) NEVER snap your blade without wearing safety glasses.

 

 

2) To break off the bad point simply extend the blade so that the first line is past the edge of the blade guard.  The picture below shows exactly where that first line should be.  That 'line' is actually a perforation of sorts.  

 

 

3) Take a pair of pliers and line them up so that the edge of the pliers don't cross the line on the blade.

 

 

4) You should be holding the razor knife in one hand and the pliers in your other hand. Making sure that you are wearing eye protection hold the knife firmly while applying controlled pressure in a downward twist with the pliers. Do not make sudden snapping moves, just exert continuing pressure until the blade breaks off cleanly. If by chance it won't break try bending it back and forth (up and down) until it snaps off.

And that's all there is to it.   Once you've done this a few times you'll find that you don't need a pair of pliers because most razor knives come with a built in tool for the job.  We'll cover that and one other razor knife tip in our next post.  If you thought this was amazing, wait until you see what we show you what secrets your razor knife hold when we return next week.

Okay then, it's time to address the fact that Susan R's Wine Hoop puts everyone who looks at it on Cloud Wine.  I knew it was going to look great but all of that twisted wire work really put this over the top.  This is what a Hoop Project is all about-- large wide open areas that would have to be cut into smaller sections with lead lines running all throughout if you were to fill the background with glass.  Now that all of her work on this has been completed perhaps Susan will stop and smell the rosé!

 

Next we have Susan D's Cardinal Branch Decoration which is another stunning piece of art. Susan  went for broke on this and had her bird and leaves attached to the branch before I even knew she was ready for that final step.  And it was only when I went to take the picture when I saw that she even added little glass berries to the branch as well.  Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit because this turned out perfectly!!

 

Betty was as busy as can be and came in with four large Suncatchers ready to be soldered.   She's made one of the Mardi Gras Masks that I haven't seen made for a least 5 or 6 years now.  That said, later on in this post you'll see someone else working on Mardi Gras masks.  Before we get to that I really want to point out how perfectly Betty's Knot Cross came out.   Everything lines up so perfectly and the curves are all very fluid and graceful.

 

 

 

 

Now Cindy had this Pelican Suncatcher completed along with all of the other suncatchers she had finished last week but while we were getting it ready for a hook we discovered a break in the neck.   So she took it home and back came in this week with it repaired and looking fine.  We added a hook and Cindy has taken this bird to market!

 

  

 

 

Cindy also worked on her Nautical Themed Tray by getting the background cut and ground on the left side of the piece. By the time she left the Seahorse and the Life Preserver/Anchor were all tacked together. That leaves just the background of the dolphin on the and then a beveled border that frames it all.  I have to say that the colors she's chosen are perfect all around!

 

  

 

 

June finished cutting all of the glass for her Plane Window save for the sun itself but that should take less than one minute to cut.  She's got her water all ground and fitting together nicely and is working her way up from the bottom.  Even though it isn't ground yet you can clearly see what the plane looks like.  In other words, this is looking good!

 

  

 

 

Linda F began this beautiful multicolored Stained Glass Cross and I have a feeling that it's going to be very popular.   Not only is it gorgeous- it's also a GREAT way to use up some of that scrap glass that piles up in everyone's workshop!

 

  

 

Steve is working on a Cheshire Cat that doesn't have a face so much as big expressive features.  Yep, what you see is what you get.  It's a great design and the gold tooth that he's added gives this grinning cat even MORE character (if that's possible).  

 

  

 

Judy appears to be working from the outside inward on her Sunflower Window.   She cut out both her blue sky and her Root Beer Brown border this week which means that the blank flower sections will be filled in with green and yellow when she comes back into class.

 

 

 

Susan R not only completed the wire work on her Wine Hoop but she also  managed to get two Mardi Gras Masks cut out as well.  She's already grinding the first one to get a perfect fit and I doubt these will take her long at all.

 

  

 

Barbara's got a nice little abstract Panel going on which is a stained glass rendition of a drawing that her brother's grand daughter came up with. When this is finished I'll give you a side by side comparison of the window and the drawing.

  

 

 

Once Susan D finished her Cardinal on a Branch she set herself to work on this pair of Flower Angels.  I know she has two of them cut out but I also see two more heads in the picture which suggests to me that she may be making at least one other pair of these.

 

  

 

Lara had her Beach Sunset Window all ground and wrapped in foil when she walked in the door.  She didn't have any borders cut yet but that was done during class as you can see in the picture below.  Her colors are perfection and this window is now ready to be soldered.  Pass me a Tequila Sunrise, please!

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Lisa's orange sky and red sun reminds me of Lara's window up above!  The trees that are featured in this pair of windows are completely different and although they are both very calming, they achieve their effect in different ways.  Instead of an alcoholic beverage, Lisa's circular Matsu Tree scene makes me think of meditation, Tai chi, and massages complete with aromatherapy.  Alas,  Lisa was possibly feeling a little stressed when dealing with all of those tiny pieces because what you really can't see is the fact that this tranquil scene is only 12 inches in diameter.

 

  

 

 

Let came in and got her borders cut and ground and then even managed to tack everything together.   She's already begun soldering and really only has only the back of this left to go before she can take it home.  She already has her next pattern in mind and that's a good thing because she'll be starting it next week after she finishes her Santa.

 

 

 

Is MiMi on a roll or what?  Her newest Hexa-long Window Insert is all ground and ready to be foiled.  That entertainment room is coming together quickly now!

 

  

 

 

Linda F also worked on her Fish Panel of which the front side is completely soldered already.   I have no doubt that the back of this will be completed when Linda comes back in and that we'll be looking at this with some back lighting behind it when you see it in our next post.

 

 

 

Mary Grace's Peacock Window is well underway now that everything has been tacked together.  She's traced out the pattern pieces for her background glass and I'm pretty sure that will all get cut out upon her return because there really isn't all that much background glass to cut.  

  

 

 

Cheryl is well under way with her first of three Boxes.   The larger Wedding Invitation top has been completed leaving only five pieces of glass left to cut for that one.   Cheryl has decided (wisely) to go with single borders for the two smaller Mr. Bingle boxes and those will be under construction before you know it.

 

  

 

 

Mary's Morning Glory and Butterfly window is all cut out but she had packed it away before I could get a picture.  Well, here's a look at six of the pieces anyway!  Next week she'll be grinding so she won't be able to disassemble the entire project which means that you'll get a much better look at what she's making when we return with our next post.

 

 

 

 

And there you have it!

Paul

Bayou Salé GlassWorks