Latest Commission on it's way to New Jersey!

The panel was very fun and challenging to create! Thanks Shar! I look forward to working with you again very soon. Here's hoping this charmer makes it to your door safely. With gratitude, Laurie B.

A Black And White Issue

I am starting on a new commission for a client from New Jersey. She saw my original work on Etsy, a panel that is 8 x 12 entitled A Black And White Issue. She requested the same glass, baroque in black and white, but asked that I create the panel with dimensions of 24 x 18. Many times I can take a pattern from a pattern book and resize it via the computer, however, in this case the geometrics of the pattern would not resize due to aspect ratio issues. I decided to completely hand draw the pattern. It is similar to the original in the pattern book but did take some extra work. From there, I had to make a few copies and I have since cut the pattern, laid it on the glass and have 1/2 of the pattern cut and ready to grind. I will be loading pictures as soon as my computer stops acting up but for now, I wanted to let you know what MAGIC is happening at The Looking Glass. Please stop back in in the next day or two and check out the photos with more detailed descriptions of the stained glass process. With Gratitude, Laurie B.

MY MIND IS IN A TRANSOM STAGE 6

Hi friends! Sorry about the lag time with this post! I've had quite a bit on my plate the past few days. Before I launch into my little ditty about where I'm at with this project, I wanted to mention that tomorrow I will be Guest Author for The Design Guide Blog. Please stop by there and comment on my post. It will feature some wonderful artists.

So, where were we? Here are photos of the soldering process. As you can see the copper foil that lines each piece of glass acts as the contact point which the solder then binds to. You have to FLUX the foil to prep it in order for the solder bead to bind. I have a few pics here to give you an idea but I couldn't hold the camera AND the solder AND the soldering iron all at the same time so you'll have to envision the hot soldering iron tip touching the solder as it is applied (in a bead) to the foil edges. Then I have a couple of pictures of the piece after the soldering is complete. At this stage I have to choose a patina (or just a bright finish) and then frame it. Voila! The finished product will be able to be seen at my store on Etsy! I hope you enjoyed this little stroll though the life of a stained glass artist. It is by no means a detailed directional guide but it does give you a glimpse into what steps go into creating stained glass using the copper foil method.

Next week I'll be sharing several of the mosaic pieces I've created. I've only ever listed one,(The Glass Aplique Antique Window), but I have several tables around the house that were so fun to create! With gratitude, Laurie B.