After completing my beautiful blue Butterfly, I was not sure as what to do for my next project. On searching for different patterns on the internet, the below one grabbed my attention. I didn't realise the complexity of it until I got into it. But, a feeling of pride passed through me whenever our instructor/owner of the place would tell her customers, "That's her second project". And people would go...woww..hehe..

220 pieces..don't ask me when I will complete it?

                                                       

                                                          Image courtesy: tortoisetrust.org

       Just started. I will get there, slowly......

Sigh!! I am done with the leaves..it was boring to see the green for so long. Now, I love it with the flowers.

Yayy...couple of more flowers and few more pieces of the sky and you are ready.    

          

Done with cutting & grinding....Had been foiling day and night. In the train, during lunch, at home..

               Soldering...how I burnt my fingers by holding the iron thinking I held the handle...ouch...:(

                                  My baby..Can anything else make me happier than this?

                              As I see you each day, you stand there inspiring me to create more..


A small vote of thanks: I thank Rainbow Glass for letting me take two sessions per day to complete my task. Thank you Lin, Jess, Shelly for all your help. A person I would want to mention here is Inge. Though a co-student there,(a senior one to me though). Inge, you were a great help. In times of need, distress and despair. Thank you for keeping my spirits going. Thanks to all my friends & family who are with me, behind me in pushing, forcing and making me live my dream. Unfortunately, I may have to stop these classes as of now, but I bet the fortitude you have instilled in me would not let me give up.

P.S: In my hastiness to put it up, I haven't cleaned the glass well from half way down. That's why, it looks so blurry.

Stained Glass

Posted By Found In Folsom

 March 16, 2012

                After a couple of appraisals from new visitors to my blog apart from my friends, could not hold my anxiety further. I wanted to post this on the 16th itself but did not as I always wanted to show off my butterfly first :-)
As I mentioned in my first post about Stained Glass that there are few souls who drove me so far. Along with them, there is another person who had been encouraging me and asking me about how each of my class went. I promised myself, if everything goes fine, then I am going to make something for his birthday for sure.

            And here comes a small token for everything you are. Happy Birthday Rob!!

A candle holder is what I had in mind when I made this. When I gave it to Robert, he said he has been misplacing his tuner & metronome and was looking for a place to put them in. Well, purpose solved.

Looks cute? Isn’t it? For me it is..of course I made it!! The 2^nd project I am working on right now is one tough pattern that I chose. Someone desperately wanted to take a break after working on cutting curvy leaves and flowers for almost 10 months now. And that’s me. So, cutting the straight lines was like a cake walk. However, it’s not all straight lines.

Guess how I came up with this pattern? In my sleep...in my dreams..rather in a dreamy sleepy state early in the morning around 3.00 A.M. Weird huh? I know, I get all crazy thoughts at that hour of the day..:P

I asked my instructor to show me how to join the pieces so that I can resume the rest of the work at home. Unfortunately, I had to rush home to relieve my poor hubby from the 2 monsters…:-)

I Come home, do my chores and here I sit with this blue beauty. I successfully joined the 3 sides and now comes the 4^th side. When I tried to fit it in, guess what? There’s a big gap on one side corner of the holder. What do I do now? 

I can’t go back to the class as they are closed. Can’t push it till next weekend as Rob’s Bday is this week. I remove the foil, foil it again, solder it back after twisting and turning it in all the directions and burning my hands...:)I  fill it with lead solder…there is no other go..that’s why one of the sides is too wide and too baad...Sorry Robert, wanted to make it just perfect for you, but couldn't..I know you'll still love it as it has all my efforts and passion moulded in it....:) I requested Robert to send me a picture with stuff in it..so, here it is!!

Stained Glass

Posted By Found In Folsom

As promised, here I come with my set of explanations.

What is Stained Glass?

            What’s Stained Glass? Nothing big. Google it. OMG, you’ll kill me if I say that. Was chatting with a cousin yesterday and he asked me a question. I said, “Google it” (because I did not know the answer.:-)) and he replies: ”Is this a disease for your NRIs?” You ask them anything and they say Google it. LOL. I know, it’s a disease, a healthy disease. Okay! Let’s enter my glass world.

            Stained Glass is an art which has a history of more than 5000 years. Stained Glass is recognized as a term applicable to Church Windows and some significant buildings. It is basically colored glass and the products you make out of it. As a material stained glass is glass that has been coloured by adding metallic salts during its manufacture. (© Wikipedia.) Hmm..looks like too much theory? Huh! Now, in my words..

            Stained Glass is a piece of art you make out of coloured glass. It could be a window, a bed lamp, a candle stand, a sun catcher etc. anything where your imagination and creativity takes you to.

            Oh!! I didn’t clear the myth right? Stained glass is not a painting of luminous colors on glass. A project or a piece of art is made by cutting the glass, sounds scary? Not really. Be prepared for minor cuts though. A pack of band-aids is what needs to go in your tool kit. After you cut the glass, grind the edges, then wrap the piece with a copper foil, apply flux gel and solder the pieces. Looks real easy? Well, it is..:) Add a bit of passion and a bigger bite of patience.

Where I Learn?

            I take my classes at Rainbow Glass, Sacramento. The owners Phil and Hazel have been in the business for 38 years and have a huge collection of Stained Glass works. They sell everything you need that’s related to stained glass. That’s where I learn. Apart from stained glass, you could do glass fusing, glass blowing, mosaic and lot more fun stuff with glass.

My First piece of work:

            I did not have anything in mind when I first started the class. As a tradition, they teach us to make a butterfly. Below are the pictures. 

My son’s birthday was right in time and there goes his birthday gift. Poor boy, doesn’t know what to do with it though. 

With an expression as radiant as my butterfly, I express, “Look, what I made for you?” He goes, “What do I do with it?” 

I reply: Oh! You can hang it in your room or near the window. 

Understanding his disappointed feelings, I utter: “See, I am giving you my first piece of art. I have not done it for anyone else in the family”. 

Looks like every mom presumes that teeny-weeny emotional blackmail works. 

I think that pleased him a little and says, Oh fine. Thank you!!

Stained Glass

Posted By Found In Folsom

My gravitation towards Stained Glass started in the summers of 97-98. My aunt who got married a few years back then and lived in the city, would sign me up for the summer camps in her colony. That’s how I became the Jack of all trades and master of none.

One of these camps, I heard about Stained Glass. I understood it’s some form of painting on glass with radiant colors. (That’s a myth..not the truth) and also that it is expensive to learn. My plate was already full than I can eat, with soft toys, embossing and many more such crafts. The summer holidays comes to an end and Stained Glass falls behind.

            When I had the time to learn, I did not have the capacity to pay the fee. If I recollect, I think the fee was around Rs.1,000. When I was capable of paying the fee, I did not have the time to learn. Marriage, Pregnancy, Visa Issues, my journey to the US, etc..life has been a roller coaster ride for the past 10 years. When I had the time and the capability to pay my fee, I did not have the resources like car and proximity to classes.

God creates this opportunity for me to learn the art. It’s not been an easy thing to start on. Many hurdles on my way. Many questions arise, is it necessary now?  Do you have to drive 14 miles each way and spend 4 hours of your weekend time? Who takes care of the kids? Etc.I had to try all the so called *Sama Dana Bedha upayalu (not tried Danda)...haha. Finally, after a lot of persuasions, pleadings and convincement I get the green to go.

It’s not a good idea to take the entire credit to myself. There are a few souls behind who have been pushing, motivating and driving me towards my dream. If they happen to read this, they will know it for sure. I thank all of them for I see it happen in reality. Without you guys, I could have definitely not made it.

It’s not a great achievement that I am sharing with you here. All I wanted to convey is; everyone has their own dreams. I am not talking about studies, career, income or how well you settle in life. I mean your dream to do something you like, something you love, something you are passionate about. Be it singing, dancing, painting, cooking, cycling, writing or learning your favourite sport. Just do it. It’s never late. It’s said that, “Where there is a will, there is a way”. Being a weak willed person, now I believe in it.

                           Live your life before it slips away from your hands. GO. Chase your dreams. Chase them with passion!!

P.S: What is Stained Glass? Where I learn? What I did so far is to be followed in my next write-up along with some pictures..:-)

Stained Glass

Posted By Found In Folsom