Holy Bevels! Check out Cheryl's Magnuson's Gallery Glass

You are going to LOVE our new artist, Cheryl. I was amazed by her work and asked her to tell us how it all came about. Here's the amazing story.

"My kitchen windows face the driveway and the back of another house. We bought the house about a year ago and kept the blinds drawn to have privacy. It was very dark in our kitchen and living room because of the blinds. My husband hated the idea of the plastic films and so I went online to find alternatives that might make him happy. I found Gallery Glass. Through your blogs, I discovered how to use different techniques including adding beveled glass.

1. I used a template (pattern) and taped it to the outside of the window.

 

2. I then used premade leading (Redi-Lead Strips) to follow the lines as well as measuring with a tape measure to make sure everything was symmetrical.

3. I used Crystal clear and the Etching Medium to make the different textures.
4. To secure the beveled glass, I taped it with blue tape and secured with liquid leading. I made sure that all the bevels were fitted with the premade leading first. Then used the liquid leading on sides to secure it better. I let it dry for about two days to make sure it was really secure.

The finished product is stunning and we took the blinds off and there is so much light flooding from the windows. It is private, yet we still can see the green plants. The beveled glass really makes it look like true stained glass and we love the way the sun hits the bevels creating rainbows in the room."

(Carol) Sometimes, it is great to just stand back and let the artists teach us. Through many hours of research and experimentation, Cheryl has not only enriched their lives by adding beauth and grace to their surroundings, but she has eliminated some unwanted views and opened up the wonderful windows so that the fabulous light can come pouring in. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Privacy and light--you can't beat it. Thank you, Cheryl, for this wonderful story and all the careful photography. I'll bet all of our readers can envision multiple projects where your techniques could be used. Please keep us in the loop on your future projects!

"After completing the 4 kitchen windows in my home, I moved onto our front door and sidelight. They were plain and people could see into our living room from the street. I took Beveled Glass pieces and colored glass stones and outlined them with Redi-Lead, then taped them with the blue tape that I got from Home Depot, and used liquid leading to secure them to the glass. I used it on corners and where ever I needed to secure the glass. I then let it dry for a couple of days and carefully took off the tape.

Here are my creations."
(Carol's tip: You can also create the "collar" around a glass bevel or jewel by placing it on the leading blank, then squeezing out a wide bead around it-- making sure that all light holes are filled. Let dry for at least 24 hrs. Carefully peel the bevel and collar--off the leading blank and remove any "run under" from the back of the bevel. Place it immediately on the window in the desired spot, and lead around it again with the Liquid Lead. Use the blue tape to hold it in place for at least 24 hrs. before you paint the background around it. )

"I created the flowers by finding a photo online. I enlarged the image and used liquid leading to make the outline. After that dried, I colored it with a mixture of Berry  Red and another color. I used a variety of greens for the leaves. I peeled them off and placed them on the windows. The border of the design was done on the actual window as well as the color. I measured carefully and used bevel glass strategically. We wanted to open the window so we didn’t use beveled glass on the back window--putting Snow White there, instead. The flowers turned out beautiful and it was easy using the combination of vertical and horizontal techniques. I used the etching medium with a brush to create the sandblasted look."

"Finally, the arch above my doorway.

My husband and I wanted a water theme since we live by the beach. We priced out stained glass and discovered it would cost thousands of dollars. Just not in our budget.

1. I began with measuring a border around the entire arch and coloring it with a blue that reminded us of the ocean.
2. I then found several dolphin photos and outlines online, enlarged them out and printed them out.

3. I outlined them with liquid leading and then colored them using the techniques I learned by watching some You Tube videos.

4. After they were dry, I peeled them off and placed them on the window trying to decide on the perfect placement.

5. I then began placing Red-Lead strips on the window to create the appearance of water.

6. I also used the Redi-Lead circles to create more interest.

7. Finally, after using liquid leading to connect all the strips, I began to use three different techniques to create the illusion of water and currents (Crystal clear, etching medium and using a paint brush with Crystal Clear in a wave motion).

I have attached the step-by-step photos. It was so much fun and so amazingly beautiful. I can’t believe that I made it, actually. Thank you so much for all your blogs as it supported me in learning the process of creating this piece as well as all the others."