more lighting up (getting a bit repetitive here!)

Not last Wednesday but the Wednesday before was the last glass class of the term, no more classes until October!  The previous class I'd only got as far as cutting out the pieces for another tea light holder so I had to work really quickly this time!

There was grinding and wrapping in copper foiling and soldering and balancing and soldering and soldering and more soldering!

I really should have cleaned the solder off the glass and washed off the sharpie marker before taking the photos!

Seeing them together, I definitely need to add wire and beads to the orange/yellow/red one.  I think it looks quite plain in comparison.

I could also do with improving my soldering.  I'm considering buying a soldering iron so I can make these at home, to use up the scraps of glass I have and to practice, but if I can't cut the glass cleanly enough, I don't have access to a grinder...  decisions, decisions!

Light up. Again.

I promised a non-sewing post and a non-sewing post you are going to get!  Remember the tea light holder?  I added some wire and beads.

My tutor didn't know if silver plated wire would work with the solder, but I did a little experiment and it did, so I pressed ahead.  I used my pliers to make random shapes, added on beads, then held them in place with masking tape whilst I soldered.

You would not believe how many times I forgot that solder is hot.

I'm happier with some of the decorations than others.  Originally I wanted them over the glass panels, but I ended up putting them in gaps of glass.

I stuck to two different types of beads to keep it cohesive.  Big word.

I think this curly wurly one is my favourite.

I may have made it a little bit too big to be a tea light holder!

Light up

Morning ladies.  I thought you might like to see what I'm working on in glass class now that my window is finished.

This little tea-light holder is not yet finished, but you wouldn't believe how long it's taken me to get to this stage!  I spent several lessons just playing around with bits of glass, unable to make anything I liked or felt enthusiastic for.  It's nothing to do with the actual class, I think it's just me.  Depression has a way of flattening my creativity, even though I know that being creative can help heal me.

It's about 8cm cubed and the bottom is mirror.  The edges of the pieces of stained glass are all wrapped in copper foil and then soldered together.  I struggled with the soldering.  That arrow, by the way, just points to the top as it took me ages to get the bottom the same size as the frame!

My soldering isn't great, but then I'm not finished with this yet.  I'm going to add some beads and wire.  I don't have a solid plan yet... maybe I never will.

I do apologise if my blog is getting a bit maudlin, I can't seem to find my usual blogging "voice".

A story with a sad ending

Morning ladies.  I think I mentioned before that last Saturday I went to a stained glass making workshop at Artworks in Beeston, Nottingham. It was amazing!  If you have a class like this nearby, I'd really advise going.  And if the equipment wasn't so expensive, I'd be doing this at home.  I took a few pictures (of the piece I made, not the other people) along the way to show you what I did.

It all starts with some lovely stained glass and one of these:

 Source: Tempsford Stained Glass

This is a glass cutter.  It has oil in it to help it move and it scores the glass, you then gently tap the glass and it breaks along your line.  The weird thing is, it can't hurt you as it's got a ball type thing rather than a blade.  Magic!

We were given a template to make a sunburst, I selected glass in shades of purple, blue and aqua and got cutting.

Once the pieces are cut, you make the edges safe with a sandpaper block-type thing, then move on to the grinder.  This is the first expensive part about this hobby.

 Source: Tempsford Stained Glass

The grinder smooths down your edges and can be used for shaping glass, though that would be an expensive way to do it as the head wears down with use, the head contains diamonds so isn't cheap to replace.  Once all your pieces are nice and smooth, you wrap the copper tape round the edges. 

I really enjoyed that part and was quite quick at it so ended up wrapping pieces for some of the other ladies too.  Here's my sunburst all wrapped up and ready to solder.

Expensive piece of equipment number 2 is the soldering iron.  It's a special high-temperature / temperature regulated piece of kit.

 Source: Tempsford Stained Glass

Using the soldering iron was great fun, I loved the little shapes made when the solder fell from the stick (accidentally!).  There are a few stages to this process.  First you "tin" the front of the copper foil.  This means you add a layer of solder. Once this is done the joins are soldered.  Then the edges are tinned and rounded, I can't remember the technical term for this!  It took ages to get that process right, but once it's mastered, you're away.

So here's my sunburst in all its glory.

I love the way it looks with the sun shining through.  I was SO proud.

My soldering isn't fantastic, it is a bit messy, but hey, I MADE this!

Stained glass work is fab and I do intend to go to a few more classes to make some other objects.  If I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed this, I think I might just splash out (and by splash out I mean save up for months, then find a bargain) on the grinder and soldering iron to do some of this hobby at home.  I also have an urge to try glass fusing, glass slumping and lampwork, but can't find any classes nearby.  The tutor from this class is doing a glass applique course at some point which I will go on.

So, you're wondering what's so sad about this?  That I can't afford to take this hobby up right now?  Nope, it's worse than that.  Mr CA decided to hang it in the window and, ignoring my advice about a drawing pin, started to wrap it round the curtain pole.  That's when it fell.  And smashed.  I was gutted, I still am gutted, that's why there's no photo, I still can't bring myself to look at it and it's the reason it took me so long to post about this.

If I had the equipment, I could mend it.  But I don't.  So I can't.