Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Need a Biscuit Recipe? Call Cleco!

Since we've had a few people ask about coloring their projects and how I manage to get my work to take color so evenly I'm going to pass along a few pointers here.  First, don't wash the flux off your window until you are ready to patina it.  Second, if you have washed it off, don't panic.  You just need to remove the oxidation from the lead and that can easily be done with the scrubby side of a scrubby sponge.  But don't go crazy with the scrubber as I've seen some clear glass get scratched with these types of sponges (but it does take a new sponge and some elbow grease to actually scratch the glass).  If you're concerned about scratching your window then use some 0000 Steel Wool instead and then buff it down with a plain dry paper towel.  Third, don't be afraid to use some patina.  Lay it on heavy and you'll find it colors better.  That's not to say that you should use a bottle on each project but when you see that the liquid isn't coloring anymore then add some more.  Fourth, I've found that a 2" x 2" piece of felt works best as a patina applicator but your mileage may vary.  Fifth, if you're using copper patina keep your project wet while going over it.  NEVER LET PATINA DRY ON YOUR WINDOW!  Once you have the second side of your window colored go over the first side quickly and then wash it.  Don't leave the copper patina on your project any longer than necessary.  However, if you are using black patina then allow the project to sit for 15 minutes or longer (no more than a half hour though) for a darker black color.  Sixth, wash your project well.  I only use soap for my black projects.  And seventh, lightly (but thoroughly) wax your lead with a quarter sized drop of liquid Turtle Wax that has been rubbed into a cloth (a washrag works wonderfully) and then buff it to a shine with a second cloth (a washrag again) when finished.   And that's how I patina a window.  Just remember to take your time when finishing your window.  You don't just dump icing on that masterpiece of a cake that you just made, right?  Cleaning your window is a very important step in the process of making Stained Glass

Ok, I guess it's time to take a look at our students work and we're starting things off with Brenda who worked on this window while at home during the week and brought it in for hooks and a picture.  She's worried that it might have a spot too much of purple but I disagree comletely.  The two different shades compliment each other and contrast perfectly with the clear glue chip she used in the background.Here's what I think: I love everything about it.




Betty wasn't completely satisfied with her window this week either and again I don't understand why.  The workmanship is spot on, the colors are perfectly matched (green and yellow-- you can't go wrong there) and the overall design is attractive and flows nicely.  If you're anything like me you'll have to agree that there's nothing wrong with this at all.



Brenda not only made that beautiful Purple Cross Window-- she also completed her Oval Framed Fleur De Lis Panel this week.  As far as I know she now has nothing in the works.  I'm sure she has something in mind though so I can't wait to see what she ends up surprising me with when she comes back in. And would you believe it just dawned on me that her cross window and this one share a common oval! 



And this is Becky S's second Rosebud Window.   Yes, it's very much like the first one and that's what makes this such an incredible piece of craftsmanship.  If you put her two  windows together they look as though they were machine made because the cutting between them is perfect.  Becky always strives for perfection and I'm proud to say that she always achieves it!!



Next we take a second look at the FDL Window that Myrt completed two weeks ago. What makes this a better view is the fact that you can see what it looks like installed in the window it will most likely stay in from hereon out.  I love to see our students projects hanging in homes because windows always look better in their natural surroundings.



When Becky S completed her second Rosebud Window she planned on making an initial window for her brother as her next project.  Her pattern is ready but she has hasn't been able to get a color nailed down so she's moved ahead to this colorful cowboy boot which will include some wire work and some glass glob overlays when it's completed.



Myrt's been hard at work making this Cross window and it just needs 2 more pieces of amber glass to be cut before she can start doing some grinding on it. And when I say 'some' I mean very little.  As you can see things are fitting together beautifully already so it won't be long before this window goes out the door.



Linda L's Poodle just needs its sweater ground and then it will be  ready to be wrapped.  She got the eyes and mouth all fitting together this week and already has the glass for the sweater cut out.  Linda used as much of the natural shading in the black glass as possble but the piece that forms the neck of the poodle has a harsh straight white line across it which she plans on replacing .  It's definately a move for the better as straight lines in glass are always distracting.  Glass should flow smoothly and naturally.



At the other end of the dog pound we have Cindy's dogs which are both officially cut out in their entirety.  Even the border strips have been cut to size and skimmed which means that they will only need to be wrapped and tacked  before she can officially begin the soldering process on these two puppies.


Then we have Linda F who is making great progress on her Christmas Wreath Window which has just 2  small pieces left to cut.  Mark my words, she'll be soldering this before you  know it.  Just don't let the name fool you because this is a perfect all-year-round window.   I'm already wondering what she'll be making next.



This week saw Mary Grace attach the zinc channel to her Fleur De Lis Window so she could  begin soldering.  And Mary Grace is doing great by taking her time during the soldering process.  This was wrapped in 1/4 inch foil so there's a lot more solder to melt and that extra solder tells her that she needs to move her iron even slower than normal to get that nice smooth lead line.  So far it's looking great and I'm not expecting that to change!   Oh, and she also started a fan lamp while she was at home which you can see inset in the lower right of the picture of her FDL.



Janet has taken a quick break from her Fleur De Lis Windows to begin working on a Rosebud Window of her own  There has been  a lot of talk in all the classes about this Pattern and Janet is the second person to decide to make one for herself.  Well, since it's going to be a gift I guess that technically she isn't making it for herself, but she's getting a nice amount experience while making this. 



Rowena came in for her second class and managed to get the background all cut and ground for her Large Cross Window.  In fact, she  even got her bevels all wrapped and tacked into place by the end of the day.  Wow, she's really moving quickly!  Expect a border on this when she comes back in.



And speaking of borders, Becky B is all ready for the border on her Fleur De Lillie Window.  This week saw her get the background cut and ground (which went quickly because she used the glass FDL as the actual pattern).  Becky wants this window to be completed in time for Easter so she's under the gun, so to speak.  At first I didn't think that she'd be able to make it in time but we have an opening in another class that Becky is going to step in to so she can get some extra time in on this window.  That means we get to see Becky twice in the upcoming week and I do believe that her window will be completed!



Paula now has all of the  glass cut and ground for her Long Tall Iris Window.  We found a piece that had a chip off the bottom that's just too large a chip to try to cover so we're fixing it by leaving a hole in the window.  But only until it's tacked together!  Once it's tacked Paula will simply  put a piece of glass under the window,  trace around the opening, and and then cut out a replacement that will fit perfectly.  And once that's done she'll begin to add her two final borders.




Ann's J window is so close to completion that it isn't even funny.  She has the circular J all soldered and the brass channel has been added so it's fair to assume that this will be finished when she comes back in.  Ann will be doing another version of this design with a Fleur De Lis in the center when she completes this one.



Martha started working on a new  Stylized Fleur De Lis Window in an all new color scheme.  She's got the paper pattern traced and cut out as well as a few actual pieces of glass.  She's made this window before so I doubt she'll have any problems with this one.  The second time is always easier!



It was a close race but in the end time won and Terry didn't quite get her Pelican Window completed.  All it needs is a channel and some hooks and this will be finished.  It's so close to completion that I will bet anyone a hundred dollars that Terry has this completed before she comes back into class.  (Don't take that bet-- I know for a fact that it's completed because she brought it back in so I could get a picture of it in the daylight.)  Look for that picture in our next post because it's beautiful!



Jeannette has all the glass cut on her  Large Beveled Cross Window and it's looking GREAT!  Her use of only one color (a vibrant, striking red) against clear glass really makes this window stand out.  And then there are the bevels which NEVER detract from a window.   I've always been a fan of red against clear and this window shows you exactly why.  This is another project that I can't wait to see hanging in the sunlight.



Of course Betty's Iris Window is moving along nicely as well.  She's  grinding this as she goes along and that means that all of those leaves that you see are already perfectly fitted into place (which you can tell by noticing Betty's excellent use of pins to keep things from shifting as she's grinding).  She's begun cutting the actual Iris Petals now and just wait until you see the purple Youghiogheny glass that she picked, light up.  It may look and feel difficult to cut but it actually cuts as beautifully as it looks.  I have no clue what she plans on using for the background of this window but I am very curious to see if she goes with a blue sky or a clear textured glass.



With the border all cut for her Horse Head Window, Jeanne is just about ready to solder this beast!  The glass she picked for her border didn't  quite make the length of her sides so Jeanne needed to piece her border together.  She did a great job of matching glass flows and colors between pieces because you can't tell where the new joins are.  That's some nice attention to detail that Jeanne is always paying attention to.



Meanwhile, Bonnie  cut, ground, wrapped and assembled  her second Candle Holder this week.  I think it's safe to say that she has this process down pat at this point in time.    But there's always  a shortcut somewhere along the way and Bonnie just discovered one that will help make this project go even faster if she does one again.  She's taken this one home to put some finishing solder touches on it and I know she'll have this completed when she comes back in.



And last, but certainly not least is Carol's wonderful Winnie The Pooh Window.  She has this ground and ready to be wrapped already!  Yes, I'll admit that there's a huge section of sky missing but she's going to cut and grind that once Winnie's is tacked together to ensure a perfect fit between winnie's face and the sky.  If it doesn't fit perfectly  his face will look like he's got a botched case or plastic surgery and we certainly don't want that!


In winding things up for this week I want to let anyone out there know that we still have one opening available for our next weekend workshop which will happen after Easter on May 3rd and 4th.  It's a two day affair and you leave with a completed 16 x 20 window.  Check out the details here.


Paul

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