Dancing Rainbow People In The Snow, On A Fan Lamp

Two More Views of the Dancing Rainbow People

These are two more views of the same Dancing Rainbow People piece. I just wanted to see them with different lighting. Too bad I didn’t think to raise the screen (snow pic) or put something white or cloudy behind the glass (fan lamp pic). But, they’re just for fun. Enjoy!  (snow photo March 2, 2009)

In The Snow

On A Fan Lamp

The Dancing Rainbow People Are Dancing in the Sky

I started these dancing rainbow people a few weeks ago. I was trying to mimic a poster I saw in an office where I’m currently taking classes.  This piece does not look like the poster, but it turned out okay. I plan to do lots of dancing people in the future. This piece is currently ‘on display’ in my parents’ kitchen window.

Nightlights in Pink and Yellow

Here are the latest night lights. These were born after the short blue night lights.

Pink and Yellow People (on loan to a friend in the hospital)

Baby Shower Gift for use in a nursery decorated with pink and yellow

For sale in the silent auction at the local UU church Feb 21st

Short Blue Nightlights (revisiting an earlier design)

I finished a couple of blue night lights February 9th. They’re similar to night lights already posted, but they’re short.

At first, I thought they’d be cute. But, I think they need a little height so the bulb does not show when you’re standing near it. I gave these to the kids for their bedrooms. They like them.   (Two night lights are shown here.)

Three Green Night Lights – up close and personal

As promised, here are some individual photos of the green night lights (some with the lights on):

Three Green Night Lights

I’ve started adding the category ‘health’ to these posts about stained glass. It’s all about health for me. It’s relaxing. It takes away stress. It brings satisfaction and happiness.

I started these green night lights sometime in the past few days. It could have even been last week. But, tonight was the night I soldered the pieces, cleaned them, waxed them and attached them to the night lights.

I wanted to post photos of all three night lights with the light shining through, but my camera batteries died just at that moment. After they recharge, I’ll try again to take photos of these three new green night lights.

dhconcerts

Pursuing the Happiness Factor

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That Spark of Joy That Comes From Creating Something

I wrote the other day about wanting to find the happiness in the midst of a difficult time, and of that spark of joy I feel when I create something. That day I decided to make a night light, my first one, simply because it seemed like something I could do quickly. I wanted to do something that would give me a bit of the joy I feel when I create.

The Joy From Creating This Week Is A Bonus

The external factors in my life this week are much happier than those I experienced recently. So this week, when I began a new stained glass nightlight, the spark of joy was a bonus. This week, I have had much to be happy about and much to be grateful for. The spark of joy from creating is a bonus, but it is still a joy.

I made this night light for my sister for her birthday.

I’ve not given it to her yet, but she does not read this blog, so I feel pretty safe in posting it! I don’t think she’ll see it before I give it to her (at a future date).

The front is a thick milky-blue cathedral glass. (If I’ve described this incorrectly, someone feel free to say so.) The corners are small clear glass pebbles (again, I should run this by someone to be sure I’m saying the correct words). They’re flat on the back and rounded on the front, and they’re not uniform in shape or size. The side panels are purple with no other color. They’re just colored glass with no special texture, and the color is light enough that the bulb can be easily seen through the glass.

dhconcerts

Making My First Night Light

Now I can see why I lost my sense of calm and peace of mind. I’ve not worked with glass since June 2008.

I’ve been feeling overly stressed, exceedingly tired and very sad lately. My life is much too busy (all my doing), and much too stressful (some is my doing). Yesterday evening, I decided to take a few minutes and just LOOK at the pieces of glass I have waiting to be made into something.

Looking at the glass. Feeling the texure.

I took out the pieces of glass and looked at each piece of glass, one at a time. I held each one up to the light to see how it looked with light shining through.

“Nightlights are easy enough,” I thought.

I have a handful of night lights and metal bands that connect the glass to the part that holds the bulb and plugs into the wall. I decided to make a little nightlight. It would be simple enough.

Red Granite and Bevels

I cut a small piece of red granite glass, equal to the size of the bevels I had, and put them all together.

A Spark of Happiness

It’s not perfect. It’s my first one.  It’s a very simple design. And, the bevels are scratched. I knew that when I started. It was just a practice piece. But, just doing it felt wonderful. I don’t FEEL wonderful, but working with the glass allowed me to feel that spark  of happiness that will help me get back to myself and generally good state of happiness and well-being.

Work With Glass Every Day?

I’m pretty sure I won’t do that. I keep myself too busy. But, I do know that doing something creative keeps me at my best. It makes me happy from the inside out.

Two views of my first night light

It looks better in person. But, this will give an idea of what it looks like.

Making My Heart Happy: Feeling Sad and Making My First Night Light

The Kaleidoscope Book

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I bought this book yesterday at my local stained glass supply shop. They actually have a zillion little ‘gifts’ and decorations, but that’s not what interests me. My money usually goes for the colored glass. Yesterday, I bought a book, The Kaleidoscope Book.

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I’d like to try out a few of the ideas in the book. I love wood, too, so I’d especially like to make a kaleidoscope with a wooden exterior. And, there’s a neat one for kids that’s on a platform (it’s BIG!). You make the mirror-tube out of PVC pipe (and, decorate it, of course). The turning objects are on a lazy-Susan (the type you’d use for spices or other small items in a kitchen cabinet). And, there’s a scope of stained glass that’s on legs and points straight down (you just turn a ball of blown glass at the end of it).

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One safety issue they mention at the end of the book is very important! This author says you absolutely MUST use plexiglass for the clear cover on the end where you put your eyes. I knew you had to cover it, in order to keep it dust-free inside and to avoid eye injury. But, he says you must use plastic for the clear piece where the eyes are, because sometimes people drop scopes and don’t tell anyone. That could result in a devastating eye injury if the next person holds it up to his or her eye and small fragments of glass fall out and onto the surface of the eye. Point taken!!! I will soon be looking for a source for plexiglass and a safe and effective method for cutting it. (I’m glad I’m still at the beginning of my kaleidoscope-making and have not let the ones with glass eye-covers out of my sight. At least, I know who to call to recall the one I gave as a gift, so I can change it to the safer design.)

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Candle Vases

Here are the candle vases I’ve made during this recent flurry of glass work. They’re all made with bevels, copper foil and solder.

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There are two small vases and one large vase. The large one is not yet finished. It needs a base in it. In the photo, you’ll see the candle in a plastic lid, but I wanted to show the play of the light on the wooden table. So, I’m including the photo now.

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