Saturday, December 29, 2012

Finishing the Shade up

Thank you for coming back, we will finish up this post.

this is an UGLY stage!
all fluxy greasy numbers still on sight ...it isn't finished being soldered on the outside, but
lets try it on the base for size...
perfect!

scrub scrub and scrub again...using steel wool, dawn..scrub brush...sanding paper if needed
get it clean and smooth...then patina, rinse...and wax...
lots of elbow grease...or if you HAVE a fancy smancy buffer...fine go that route...

the lamp finished and lit!

here is a close up of the shade...

thank you for following along..

happy new year!


Friday, December 28, 2012

Lamp Making Continued

Welcome back!

All the pieces are cut, ground, and foiled...the mold needs to be prepared.  A tacky wax is melted (little fry pan) brushed onto the polyurethane mold so the glass will stick to it.


They are placed on the mold and can be moved accordingly to adjust the space between the solder fills up.

This is a curved mold, more than the original pattern called for so to accommodate the curve, keep a pleasing look for whole flower petals instead of broken petals with soldered lines...I sagged the petals in the kiln.

This produced a curved piece for the mold...larger seams but i preferred the larger seam over a line keeping the beautiful full flower.

Which you will see at the end...



Actually you can kind of get a feel for the whole flower with the large petals curved here
The shade is tack soldered and now ready to remove from the mold
and soldered inside and smoothed over on the out...


I heated under the mold with a hair dryer which got the wax all melty...then flipped it over and slid the mold off..slick as can be

Now to get as much of the wax off as possible and begin to solder it up...

Next posting...

Thanks for visiting..

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Lets Review the Lampmaking Process




In the beginning we set out the glass needed, tools, and the pattern. 
After cutting the pieces out and separating them, as per the individuals method, I separate according to the glass that the pieces are cut from. 

In the picture are the branches of this pattern, The Magnolia Shade, designed in Louis Comfort Tiffany's Studio, back in the 1800's.  It is a HUGE pattern designed for a 28 inch lamps diameter, from which I am to re size to a 24 inch diameter.

The process has begun and as I cut the pieces of glass then, I am placing them onto the pattern, which lays flat on the table...


This is how I had the workroom set up for cutting, grinding the edges, then laying the pieces onto the pattern,  layed out on the 2 small tables.


 
 
I have this picture titled 1/2 done, but actually it is 1/3 done...and the bottom band didn't get used...
 
 
after all the pieces are ground and fitted to the pattern...we will prepare the mold...
 
 
next post
 
thanks for coming by.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Wine Walk in Platte SD

Last night Weds the 5th of December the town of Platte SD had a new event for the first time.
A wine walk...where participating stores set up for wine tasting...we went a bit further.

You went to the participating store listed on a card got a signature and will turn it in filled, for a grand drawing prize of 50 dollars.

My store went a bit further and we are having our own drawing as well on the 19th when we have the second walk.  We will draw for an beautiful centerpiece for the holidays a sleigh full of greenery.


Here was our table for the wine event...


Deb Foxley supplied some awesome wine she is harvesting, Chris Cernetisch supplied Chevery (not sure how to spell that, goat milk smooth cheese), we had some veggie cups and a few hor'derves, and some small bites of cheesecake...

Most of all we had a LOT of participants...the town rallied out for our first annual wine walk event...

I think it was a hit
and a LOT of the ppl who cruised through had never been inside the gallery, so we brought in new lookers.

Have a great day!

Monday, November 26, 2012

#25 &26 Chains and Spheres

Chains...these are the style chains I make...

Some of the spheres I have worked up in glass...

Yes I am behind...where is the news there!

and now I am caught up...here at least LOL

have a nice day today!


Saturday, November 24, 2012

#24 Zoom


I lack inspiration today...I went out the back door of the store and zoomed in on the tanks...

busy yesterday and hope for the same today!

Gaining on the lamp!!!

Have a sparkly day :D



Friday, November 23, 2012

#23 Looking Down


Looking down is next on the list for Kim Poole's photo challenge if you are following along with me...

Looking down I have to be on the watch for Jbear who is quite mobile now!
but
still rather small, for such a Big Girl!


I am 4 weeks old TODAY!!
I can open the kennel door and go in and out in and out...I eat big girl food (but still need momma)
I can climb!
and I a great at barking!

Thanks for coming by!


Thursday, November 22, 2012

#22 A Mess

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE


This is just part of the mess I created fixing the feast.

We had:

Candied sweet taters
Candied carrots
Dressing
Turkey
Gravy
Cheesecake

I enjoyed the company and the food ...too much!

Hope y'all have an  enjoyable day of giving thanks.

Bless y'all ♥


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

#21 Found


December 10th is my new extended deadline to finish the lamp! WAHOOOOOOOOO!!!
cause
December 1 was going to be a miracle!

Thank you TIM!!!


///

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

#20 Twisted

muuaaaahhhaaaaaaa...nah i am not going into that kind of twisted...today


all my focus until this is done is the LAMP...and puppy...
this twisted mess is how much foil i have gone through already...

:)

thanks for looking

Monday, November 19, 2012

#19 Hands


Hands...

There are comforting hands...punishing hands...punished hands...gentle guidance hands...modeling hands...just to name a few kinds of hands there are.

These are WORKING hands.

They do all kinds of work.

They haul,dust,cook,tend younguns,train critters,clean critters...(of all kinds)..and then they work in art.

This is but 1 form of media these hands work...this is the foiling step of cold glass work.

thank you for coming by today..

Sunday, November 18, 2012

#18 Fence

 
Fence is today's photo challenge

I don't have a lot of fence diversity...livestock fence of two types...1 has a mesh style taller weave and the other 3 or 5 stands of barbed wire.

We have the woven taller version...both are sorta just basic ranching fence....I could have taken a picture of ill repaired fencing..
Or years of snow beaten down and overgrown...
but I tend to like corner braces for some odd reason...

So here ya go a brace...not a corner brace but a end brace.

Braces tell the fence which way to pull itself...depending on the way you hang the wire...see up there the wire goes left to bottom right diagonal...that tells the fence to lean to the right so it doesn't lean to left and travel down hill.

The X in the brace tells the fence a gate will hang on you...this gate has been moved so none it there now...but should a person want to put cows or horses in there the gate can easily be rehung.

There ya go fence speak..

have a good day and thanks for looking...

Saturday, November 17, 2012

#17 Fresh


My idea was fresh approach to what I was torturing myself through doing...standing.
At the cutting phase I prefer to stand...at the grinding and fitting phase I need to stand...
but for the foiling stage I prefer to sit.

The way I had things arranged wasn't affording that possibility.

So I rearranged and now I can sit and foil.

The second table with nothing but a pattern affixed to it, will be where part 2 gets laid as it is cut and ground.

Then they will get transferred to the mold to shape the shade.

Here is a close up of what is done and an idea of what the shade will look like when it becomes the shade


Thank you for coming by!


Friday, November 16, 2012

#16 Decay


I enjoy photographing these old buildings out here ..this is an old school house now beginning to decay and fall in...I am showing the roof...

thanks for coming by

Thursday, November 15, 2012

#15 Guilty Pleasure


For ME a guilty pleasure is sleeping IN ...and that clock says I slept an extra hour this morning.


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

# 14 Them


Would be AAAAALLLL these tiny pieces of stems and branches that go into the lampshade I have been working up with its looming deadline of DEC 1!
I am still intending to make this happen...

With the cutting grinding and fitting of all of 'them' I will be half completed the glass proper of the shade !!! HALF
That is not including the foiling!!!

Needless to say I AM TIRED!

thank you for dropping in to watch the challenge...I appreciate your support...

a special thankyou to Elizabeth and Bluebeard who always leave me a comment ON the blog
I especially like that


///

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

#13 Reflections

The lights reflecting on the window from the inside are way prettier but they don't show up in the pictures.

This is half of the front window showing the winter branches. reflecting out part of the town.

I was going to do a personal sort of reflection look...but I feel too rushed today for a creative photo...
So we went quick.

thanks for coming by!

Monday, November 12, 2012

#12 On The Wall


I chose the clock on the wall...it is a constant reminder to me about deadlines.
I hate deadlines of course but, I do need them to keep me constant.

I constantly peer at the clock for when to go pick up children, when a student might arrive, how long is left for class...

How much time is going by for a process and what is the frame of time left i can make the whole thing complete

WILL i BE on time?????


Thank You for taking the TIME to check in...I appreciate your visit.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

#11 A Beautiful Building

 
This is an old old bank front on main street in Platte, SD.   I am not so smitten with the way at some point they did the glass blocks but, I do love all of the masonry architecture for the corbels and the arch.  The carving is really pretty.  The building is newer than my building , right next door, so I put it around 80-85 years old.

This will be the future space for the Floral shop and I think she is still planning a coffee shop too.

Thank you for coming by today.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

#10 New Perspective


This was a rather difficult prompt for me to interpret.  Even after I looked up the definition..there are several...

Perspective (cognitive), "point of view", in psychology, the choice of a context for opinions, beliefs and experiences

I went with cognitive definition...then added it to Forrest newest experience...fences.

He is MR big furs about field...granted he is sharp and can fetch with all the "big" dogs bird for bird..even though his hearing skills have become shallow...the hearing aide (shocker collar set on LOWest) has helped him in his listening skills...sometimes 'daddy' does seem to get it right.

Well enter into the picture a new experience ...fences...COWS...wowo kuhhhlll they run too ans smeeeell yummy!...owww owwww what is this thing...fence forrest stay clear...here
oh but...oww oww...fence forrest stay clear here! here! HERE NOW!!...yeah i am coming it hurts owwwwwwwie...

After stitches...and now kennel rest...he might be thinking fences aren't so kool!...that listening thing just might have a bit of merit...he is young yet and his new "tattoo" will give him a tough look that will add to his stories for the younger pups through the years to come.

Thanks for dropping in...

Friday, November 9, 2012

#9 Flesh


I didn't want to be so obvious...flesh is kinda well...flesh
I thought about "fleshing out a sketch"
doing the crook of my thumb or elbo and making them guess

but hey
the flesh of fruit!

go getcha some
and have a great day!!!

thanks for coming by


Thursday, November 8, 2012

#8 Motion


Hannah does motion real well.."No!" LOL but she did what i wished...heh heh

thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

#7 Kiss

 
 
Jbear getting a kiss from grampa
Here is an update though Jbear opened her eyes this morning!


A bit blurry but i didn't want to laser her or bright light her...and right after this she went back to sleep...so this was it for the time being

thanks for coming by!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Prompt #6 Signage

 
Even in small town USA..change occurs..  Our horizon changes...out with the old ...

This shows that no where does change not occur.

80 years this old school house sat her ground..taught the children...gave a teacher her first teaching job...this fabulous representation of Americana served purpose.

She IS being re purposed to teach once more through our Museum located within town.

I am sure she is both sad and excited.


thank you for following along.

Monday, November 5, 2012

#5 Sunset


This was a real challenge! Because we have had soooo many cloudy overcast false promises of rainy days...

This happened to just peek through.

Sunset here are absolutely gorgeous...usually.

Thanks for following
:D

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Stairs/Steps day 4


I am going to show you how I came up with my Ghost stairwell.  I DO have a ghost at the store...and these are stairwells at the store, but not my ghost.

Beginning with the stairs...


Add model Cheyenne Cernitisch...decked out with her creepy makeup...


Extract model and add a skirt change everything to black and white and blend them together..

Then add the filmy overlay...you get a ghosted imagery worth what I was going for in today's prompt

Stairs...

I think I did pretty good remembering lessons for Photoshop... :)

thank you for following and looking today!




Saturday, November 3, 2012

People & Pets Day 3

 
 
Buggsy/momma and J her baby at 1 week with Grandpa Craig...I don't really need to explain this picture
:D

Baby J is HUGE...she can almost stand.
A very contented baby...but then no competition for feeders and all is right in her world.


thanks for coming by

Friday, November 2, 2012

Favorite Hangout..Day 2

 
THIS is it!
The nest.
 
 
 
My MOST favorite space...
 
I don't watch TV...that thing hanging over the blanket is called, a BOOK...I haven't graduated to a Kindle. 
 
Still use the old fashioned version for a read...real pages and a front and back cover...
Never read the introduction or the back flap. 
 
I totally go by author, as in favorite....or the title...so the author needs to be creative in that.
 
Subject is tantalizing too...
 
I ONLY read at night.
Never during the day...because I can get caught up in that story and not do what needs to be addressed.
 
 
So, do you have a favorite hangout?  The local watering hole, a special garden, the museum?
 
Thanks for dropping in.
 


Thursday, November 1, 2012

Self Portrait Day 1 challenge


Greeting the customer's coming into the gallery 'look'...."Welcome to the stagecoach, how may I help you today"

This the first day to Kim Poole's challenge...you probably have time to yet sign up!
She is on facebook and this is a closed facebook group...so you would need to contact Kim.

I had considered doing something abnormal, or funky things to the pictures...such as:

which is a cool feature I discovered on my Nikon...it is an effect called painting!

this is one of the 2 i did this effect to...looking i the background you can see it has a painterly effect.

So this is day 1 self portrait...there aren't many pictures of me...so here ya go...

tomorrow is my favorite hangout...betcha can't guess where that is!

have a terrific day!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Photo Challenge...YOU want to join the fun??

Kim Poole's photo, used with permission
 
Kim Poole on FB is running a special group that she is offering these fabulous prompts for a photo challenge. 
Each day of November is a specific prompt from her list above.

Take the picture and post it to her group.

This is an invitational group..but contact Kim and she will fill you in.

I will be posting my photo here everyday...as well as on the FB group page.

The prompts are fun and she has put a lot of thought into the list.
Consider joining her challenge, I think it will prove a lot of fun to see what everyone might produce...different..:D

Dust off those cameras and get back to shooting; practice practice; show us what you have!

Check her out!