tentative steps w/ kiln

My first tentative steps with a fixed kiln . . .

Some new glass for plant stakes with glass scrap.

I 

re-thought,

re-programmed,

and had success.

Small steps.

Now I'm feeling better.

~Julz

Kiln problems continue

I arrived home, made supper and ate with the family.

~ then ~

I checked the kiln.

Yes, I am still having kiln problems as evidenced by a fatal error on the kiln's controller display.

I didn't cook anything (like expensive glass) that I might have destroyed

if the repaced relay didn't solve the problem, 

but this is frustrating.

I have been doing some stained glass work. Shown above and below is my current tulip project - another leaded piece to practice my new skills.

darn!

~ Julz

Excited for the day job to be done

Okay.

My kiln has been on the fritz.

A new relay was installed yesterday.

Kiln fired over night w/ the new relay.

- to do -
1. Day job.
2. Board meeting.
3. Grocery shopping for supper.
4. Home to check the kiln. . . can't wait!!


~ Julz

Ready to Solder

Leaded Glass Piece

My first leaded glass piece -

Here it is prior to soldering.

Below is the finished piece placed in a window so that the sunshine shines through. 

The reflective properties of glass 

keep me coming back. 

Today was a sunny, but windy day in Wisconsin and even though 

it has been warm (45 degrees F is warm for us) this week - we still have a good snow cover which you can see outside my front window.

I purposely chose a very simple pattern for my first leaded piece.

The next leaded piece will be more complicated:)

But - the next piece that I'm working on is a stained glass panel made with copper foil.

Here it is pre-border and pre-foil or solder.

Hope your weekend is a good one.

~ Julz

New Project/New Skills

This week I started a class to learn more about Stained Glass. Specifically I want to learn how to use lead came to construct a stained glass window.

I am excited to learn a new way (for me) of glass construction. I needed to find a simple project for my first one. I don't want to become frustrated with the process before I learn it. I had a great time looking at vintage stained glass windows for ideas. I have kept a scrapbook of pictures collected over the years and the Internet is also a significant source of ideas. I hope the project I designed, based off an old window, will be simple enough for me to learn the new skills and also have a nice window.

Here is my project prior to being leaded. The picture doesn't show the colors well, pieces 7 & 9 are dark green and #5, 6, 10 % 11 are a clear textured glass.

This week in class I will be leading, soldering, mudding and whiting the project.

I hope to have a finished window by the end of the week as well as some new skills & tools for my toolbox.

~ Julz

Inspiration

Inspiration for new pieces comes from many different places - nature, a fleeting image, the Internet, other glass artists, photos, attempting a technique or out of thin air. I have so much to learn and sometimes I just ape another person's work to see if I can accomplish it.

Recently Christine Masters posted a piece that she created and I really liked it. I also thought that I had the skills and equipment to replicate this project, Strings of Color Between White.

I did change the project a bit. I fused colored glass stringers very close together onto a clear glass strip and then fused this strip between white pieces with a clear glass base. I generally like designs that are not centered, so I placed my colored glass strip off center.

 I like it. Thanks Christine, this was a very nice project.

~ Julz

January, ugh

Already the 20th of January.
Wow!

I really don't like it when time speeds by so fast that I have to gulp air to catch my breath. I'm not sure why life's everyday details sometimes overwhelm.
darn

My new glass that didn't fail -

Just a small dish with a black border. I just needed to fire the kiln and have success.

Yes.

My first try at kiln pressed glass - 

My kiln acted up and somehow, for some reason stopped

in the middle of the fire schedule.

The glass didn't finish melting and then cooled too fast and cracked!

Since this time my kiln has given me 2 different error messages 

and didn't complete the programmed firing schedule.

I'm still scratching my head about my kiln.

I need to figure this out, so I am trying some very simple things.

It is a good time of the year to fire kilns. 

The temps tonight in Wisconsin are threatening to be -9 degrees Fahrenheit.

With a wind that is forcing the wind chill to -25F. 

YUCK!

If I dress warm enough - I can still walk the dog in the morning, 

but even the dog doesn't want to go out in this air temperature 

and I can't blame him.

Hope you are staying warm,

~ Julz