Put on your Game Face!

Now is the time of year when all young (and young at heart) minds turn to sports. Whether you follow them during the regular season, or not, it's hard to ignore them during the playoffs. So let's see what we can do to add to team spirit. These are my favorite sports designs because, by and large, sports equipment is not very colorful. So by adding the accessory, we get a chance to incorporate the team colors into the design.

Now you know that I'm going to put my own favorites in the sample, but feel free to edit color choices. These are very simple designs and really work well together in pairs, or as a set, so I'm giving you all 4 (sorry, hockey fans, we're too far South). You can mix and match. They also are unisex, so you can make them for girls, as well. Since there are no more ovals, purchase clear plastic plates at the Party Store and do them on the large size. Use a woodburning tool to make a hole and hang with ribbon.

Glowing Butterflies with Gallery Glass

It's the time of year when holidays are a little scarce, so I like to concentrate on all occasion designs. Butterflies are some of Nature's finest work and they make wonderful subjects for glass crafting. This one was done on a 16"x20" poster frame and is displayed in my office window. It uses some NEW beach glass and shimmer colors that have just been introduced. The top butterfly uses the Honey Quartz Frost, Root Beet Frost, Sand Frost, and Aqua Shimmer. If you don't have the new colors, you can mix your own colors, or change the palette, OR choose the closest color from your existing supplies.

Here is another butterfly done with the new colors. For this panel I used: Cranberry Shimmer, Sapphire Shimmer and Root Beet Frost. Some of the colors I was testing didn't go forward, so  Shimmer colors that didn't go forward, but you can use Royal Blue and Blue Diamond to get the same effect. Use Fresh Lime or Snow White for the accents on the wings.

Here is a pair of butterflies that are fun to do. This panel was done by on a 12" Round Plexi panel which you probably don't have, but you can crop the design slightly and lead it onto an 8x10" picture frame glass insert. 

Here the original butterfly pattern that I had converted into a rectangle for the first panel in the post.I actually prefer it round, but the booth space I was filling with the Aqua butterfly required a rectangular motif, so I thought you might want to see how I converted the design. This is an alternative that you always have when you are adapting surfaces for a design. 

What do you know of butterflies in folklore? Many of the ancient civilizations believed that butterflies were symbols of the human soul. The Greeks believed that a new human soul was born each time an adult butterfly emerged from it's cocoon. Butterflies have been used by the Chinese and Japanese cultures for centuries as symbols of joy and the essence of happiness. Both cultures have added them to manuscripts, paintings and drawings for centuries. Early Europeans believed that the human soul took the form of a butterfly and they viewed the butterfly with great respect and often with fear. Northern Europeans thought that dreams were the result of the soul butterfly's wanderings through other worlds. In southern Germany, some say the dead are reborn as children who fly about as butterflies, resulting in the belief that they bring children. The Irish believe that butterflies are the souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory. Native American Indian legends told that butterflies would carry the wishes to the Great Spirit in heaven to be granted. Shoshone Indians believed that butterflies were originally pebbles, into which the Great Spirit blew the precious breath of life. Native American Zuni tribes believed that butterflies could predict the weather. The Zuni also believed that the white butterfly predicts the beginning of summer. 

So let yourself be lead by mythical white butterflies and "flutter" into summer by painting a butterfly for your window or create a meaningful gift for a friend. Enjoy!

Flowers of Spring with Gallery Glass

So,  I'm late this year, but didn't wanted to focus on Spring flowers before summer gets here. We have to celebrate the arrival of many of the florals that Gallery Glass renders so well. The vibrant color and transparent beauty of the medium make a valiant attempt to do justice to the seasonal works of Mother Nature. In the South, the Crocus is the first small flower to peek out of the dirt. It is tiny, but as delicate and beautiful as an orchid, in my opinion. It comes in delicate and subtle shades, notice the shyness of the shading in this project. They don't last long, so be ready to click your camera and catch the fearless early floral.

Next come the fragrant long lasting Hyacinths. Oh, how I love them. They grow so heartily and multiply if you treat them right, so that every year, you can enjoy more and MORE of them. There are a number of colors, but my favorite is pink. I have hundreds of them blooming around my home in February and they may be my best horticulture effort. You can do this design on the 6"x9" styrene blank or it fits nicely on the 8"x10" rectangular styrene blank. If you don't enlarge them quite as much, you can make Clings that will create a floral border across the bottom of your kitchen window--or add them to a child's room window. Here's an idea--make multiple blossoms and put them across the mirror in your bathroom. They will cheer you up while you're getting ready for work.

There are several names for this flower--it is probably a Narcissus and a member of the Amaryllis family. Some call it a Jonquil, others call it a Daffodil--yet others call it a Buttercup. Whatever name you prefer, a bouquet of them can totally brighten up a kitchen or family room. You can almost pick any color scheme and you'd be right. All species have a trumpet bowl surrounded by a ring of 6 flower petals called he parianth. Both parts can be the same color-- or a different color entirely. The bowl may be orange, pink, pale green, white, red or yellow. The parianth is more likely to be white or yellow. They also have a  nice clean smell that doesn't get too heavy in a room. 

Now, if you don't have access to any oval blanks, you might be interested in combining the two flowers onto one piece. Remember you can put them on a large clear plastic plate from the dollar or party stores or on the 10" Blank, as I did. They look really good together. I wish I had make the Daffodil pink and white so that it would coordinate better with the Hyacinth--but I felt that it didn't look as familiar as the yellow variety. We often learn much more from our mistakes than from our successes.

You can even make a welcome sign for your favorite Senior Center, if you need a motif to fill space. The type was sent to me by the organization. I added the flowers because the corners were empty.

Regardless of how you choose to interpret them, these easy blossoms will add a happy note to the Spring symphony that is bursting forth all around your neighborhood.

Crocus
Gallery Glass Supplies: 16003 Cameo Ivry, 16014 Amethyst, 16016 Magenta Royale, 16020 Amber, 16442 Hologram Glitter, 16423 Hot Pink, 16455 Sunfower, 16457 Plum, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16216 10" Round Styrene Blank, 16225 Tool Set.

Hyacinth
Galley Glass Supplies: 16008 Kelly Green, 16014 Amethyst, 16019 Gold Sparkle, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16035 Lime Green, 16423 Hot Pink, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16215 6x9" Oval Styrene Blank, 16225 Tool Set.

Daffodil
Galley Glass Supplies: 16005 Orange Poppy, 16008 Kelly Green,  16020 Amber, 16035 Lime Green, 16425 Citrus Yellow, 16429 Pumpkin Orange 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16215 6x9" Oval Styrene Blank, 16225 Tool Set.

Hyacinth and Daffodil
Gallery Glass Supplies: 16005 Orange Poppy, 16008 Kelly Green,  16020 Amber, 16014 Amethyst, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16035 Lime Green, 16423 Hot Pink, 16035 Lime Green, 16425 Citrus Yellow, 16429 Pumpkin Orange, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16216 6x9" Round Styrene Blank, 16225 Tool Set.

The Tulips are Coming.....

The simple, colorful, regal Tulip may just be my favorite flower. They are so sleek and smooth. I love the long elegant petals and the stately leaves. Mostly, I love that they hide in the ground all year and then burst forth in all the splendor at the time when the moon and soil temperature are just right. And the color combinations are unbelievable. If we could ever figure out what God did in the tulip bulb to create all that beauty, we just might be able to solve some of our social problems.

So how does Gallery Glass work for tulips--wait and see. Whether you're paintng one or a bunch, it will be an opportunity to use some of your favorite colors in the rack. And there is so much variety in the color choices, you can almost always coordinate them to the specific occasion that you celebrating. I chose to use, what my grandaughter calls, the "Easter Colors" although the formal name is pastels. You get these shades by adding white to the color, or by choosing colors from the Gallery Glass Palette--that already have white in them, like I did. This color key uses 2 new colors that I altered slightly. I lightened them because they were too opaque to coordinate with the other pastels in the project, so I added 1:1 Crystal Clear.

If you are looking for a quick and easy tulip project, these two blossoms will work up quickly--easy to paint, though not so easy to lead because of the ring around the flowers. It's hard to keep your leading uniform around such a big circle. The shading can be a lot more dramatic if you apply Hologram Glitter to the end of the petals and comb it into the petal color. The leaves and stems use my favorite 2 greens--Kelly Green and Lime Green. I apply the Lime to the top portion of the leaves because the sun would be shining on them and they would appear lighter, even though the leaf is only one color in nature. I have also done this pattern with the tulips and the ring a different complementary color. The Tulip pattern below is keyed for Ruby Red tulips and a Citrus Yellow ring. Try that combination for something different.

Now, let's look at a REAL beginner project--easy to lead AND easy to paint. This single flower can also be done as a Cling because it is strong enough to hold together when you peel it up. I've done it on a 6x9" oval because I have them available, but it I normally wouldn't consider it "important" enough to justify the use of a surface. However, I often do this design in Spring classes as a leading project. The design doesn't go close enough to the edge for static electricity to be a problem and it is quick and easy to complete the outline. It gives the students a  sense of satisfaction. And they can paint it when they get home.

4 Tulips Pattern - 10" Round
Gallery Glass Supplies: 16008 Kelly Green, 16024 Ivy Green, 16035 Lime Green, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16014 Amethyst, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16423 Hot Pink, 16020 Amber, 16455 Sunflower, 16011 Blue Diamond, 17073 Blue Bird, 17077 Lavender, 17052 Fresh Lime, 17051 Light Green, 16442 Hologram Glitter (HG), 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16215 10" Round Blank.

2 Tulips Pattern - 10" Round
Gallery Glass Supplies: 16461 Citrus Yellow, 16015 Ruby Red, 16008 Kelly Green, 16035 Lime Green, 16001 Crystal Clear 2 oz. 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16215 10" Round Blank,

Single Tulip Pattern- 6x9" oval or Cling
Gallery Glass Supplies: 16008 Kelly Green, 16924 Ivy Green, 16035 Lime Green, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16423 Hot Pink, 16442 Hologram Glitter, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16215 Oval Blank, or Gallery Glass Leading Blank (for Cling).

Inspiring Plaques of Gallery Glass

Spring is the time of year that our minds focus on new life. The flowers are peeking out of beds, the trees are budding and little eggs are hatching in little nests all over the world. It's a beautiful time of year--full of promise and hopes to improve the quality of our lives. Inspiration is an important part of this process and these plaques just might help to accomplish those all important personal goals. Since the time of Christ, artists have reflected their faith in stunning works of spiritual art. In the designs that follow, you'll find traditional icons--the dove of peace and crosses - interpreted in fresh new ways to brighten your home and inspire you throughout your busy day.

Ever since Noah and the Great Flood, the dove has symbolized peace and new beginnings. The Peaceful Dove is certainly one that can be displayed in a variety of ways, but putting it in a plate stand is probably the most effective because it allows the light to come through the back of the plate. I also changed the color scheme a bit and painted it on a 12" round chain wrapped plexi blank.

I love painting food and "Our Daily Bread" Decorative Plate is a wonderful way to communicate a religious message. The cross in the center of the plate is a unique shape and effectively pulls the food into the theme.
I love these projects so much that I am adapting them as projects in a new Spring Gallery Glass Class that we have scheduled later in March. They will be wonderful with Easter projects but can also be displayed for other holidays--later in the year, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Tom Umsted, our favorite children's Gallery Glass volunteer teacher, requested a dove panel for his pastor who is currently delivering a series of lessons on the symbolism of the dove. I thought that the round one would not be conducive to display behind a speaker, so I found a picture of a church window on the Internet and altered the pattern drastically--adapting the 30' window display to fit a 12"x18" poster frame. I think that it looks very inspirational. I would like to do a larger one for our Sunday School Room, now that I have done most of the color key work. It is always faster to paint a piece the 2nd time around, I'm sure that I can enlarge the design to fit a 24"x36" poster frame. 

The Peaceful Dove Decorative 10" Plate
Gallery Glass Supplies: Crystal Clear 16001, Snow White 16002, Royal Blue 16012, Gold Sparkle 16019, Amber 16020, White Pearl 16021, Ivy Green 16024, Light Brown 16426, Liquid Leading 16076, Tool Set 16225, 10" Round Plate, Brown Nuggets.

Our Daily Bread Decorative 8" Plate

Gallery Glass Supplies: Cocoa Brown 16007, Royal Blue 16012, Ruby Red 16015, Magenta Royale 16017, Gold Sparkle 16019, Amber 16020, Ivy Green 16024, Amethyst 16014, Light Brown 16426, Turquoise 16036, Liquid Leading 16076, Tool Set 16225, 8 " round glass plate.

Classic Irises with Gallery Glass

May is one of my favorite months of the year. The roses are blooming like crazy because it's not too hot for them-even in Atlanta. And of course, the most regal flowers of them all are blooming at their peak all over town. I cherish every wonderful bearded color combination because I never met an iris I didn't like--from wild blue to native lavender to black bearded ones--they are all spectacular. Louis Comfort Tiffany liked irises, too. In fact, you will find them in many of his church windows and they are especially stunning in this portion of a much larger work done for a private home in the Northeast. I hope that he would forgive me for stealing a bit of the purple splendor for this 24"x36" poster frame. It could hang in a bathroom window, or be painted directly ON the window for that matter (warning, this method could take a lot of "standing" patience)! I'm not going to post the pattern, unless you ask for it. I have a lot of shading that I do not wish to revisit--but for you--I would. As long as you promise to send us a picture when it is done.

Otherwise, you might like irises, but don't necessarily want to spend the next week painting them. Then you might want to start with our Spring Flowers pattern and work your way UP. This is a simple design that can be done on an 8"x10" styrene OR here's an idea. Make multiple tulips, daisies and irises and put them along the bottom of a mirror for a May burst of color in your bath. And if this one is a little too simple for you. Wait until you see what I have for you later in the week!
Okay, I'm here to accommodate you and your quest for the perfect project. Here is the pattern and the color key for the Tiffany Irises. I finally found it in an old book that had been translated into German. I'm not sure about the commentary, but I have the colors. I just hope that you can see the numbers when you print it out to 24"x36. I wouldn't recommend doing it any smaller. It's much too detailed.
Gallery Glass Supplies: Crystal Clear 16081, Snow White 16002, Cameo Ivory 16003, Sunny Yellow 16004, Cocoa Brown 16007, Kelly Green 16008, Emerald Green 16009, Denim Blue 16010, Blue Diamond 16011 Royal Blue 16012, Amethyst 16014, Rose Quartz 16016, Magenta Royale 16017, Amber 16020, Berry Red 16023 and Ivy Green 16024.

A Gallery Glass Front Door that Speaks for Itself!

 

Jenifer blew me away with this one. Not only did she craft this fabulous front door and sidelights, but she drew the design. Wow! I love the abstract sun and rays breaking into rainbow colors. It makes quite a statement. The movement of the design is so beautiful, it brings tears to my eyes. Graceful lines are not easy to accomplish in a doorway and sidelights, because the sections are so far apart. Jenifer's talent for design is admirable. I wonder if she has formal training. If not, we can all eat our hearts out. Her natural talent is hard to beat. Here's what she says about the experience.

 

 

"I wanted to share a project I just finished on my front door. It is about 7 feet tall and 4.5 feet wide and so the pieces are rather large. I went through over 50 bottles of Gallery Glass to finish it. It took me about 4 months to draw, cut the Plexiglas, lead and then paint the three pieces."

 "I decided to paint on Plexiglas for a few reasons, one being there was no way I was going to be able to do all the work needed with it up in the wall. Two, I wanted the extra insulation that Plexiglas gives, which was the original reason for doing this--to add insulation to our rather large front entry way.

 

When I asked Jenifer if she drew the design, she elaborated some on the designing phase of some of her projects. I decided to include them with her story because (1) they are wonderful and (2) allowing you to see her creative process may prompt you to realize that your own efforts could turn out equally as well. Here are some of the steps she went through to complete her door design.

"Thank you so much for your praise. It is my own design. I based it on about three of my favorite art nouveau stained glass pictures. I wanted a sun burst that's rays turned colder as they moved away from the sun, but with pretty swirl --and since the piece was going to be so large (again, my door is over 7 foot tall) I needed a lot of detail work inside the sun and rays. "


"After doing the drawing, which took me about a month of tweaking to complete, I cut the Plexiglas and leaded the top piece first. The leading alone took a week. Coloring took me about three weeks. The side pieces ended up being about 84" tall and took over a month each to complete. All in all, I went through three large bottles of leading and over 50 bottles of Gallery Glass paint."

 

"This was, my first time to do the leading and painting. What a challenge! I learned the hard way that unless you have enough color to finish a whole working area, just don't! I am sure it's a rookie mistake, but I learned how to cut out my mistakes with efficiency. The doorway was a labor of love (and required a lot of patience from my husband). I am honored to be included in the Gallery Glass blog. I enjoy reading stories of others around the world who have contributed to the site. And I spent a lot of time watching the Gallery Glass videos on technique and application--over and over--every time I made a mistake, actually."

"This was not my first project to design. I have made mermaids (right) for my daughters and mother, and then a smaller sun for privacy at a rental we lived in. (above)"

"I was planning on doing another project in my dining room, but decided that since the space to be filled is a 5'x4' section, it is too simple of a plan. I expect to redraw it with TWO swirling peacocks, some day. Also here are some pictures of other designs that I never got around to actually making."

 

Estelle Creates a New Look with Gallery Glass

 

I'm excited for you to read about Estelle. She is an enthusiastic Gallery Glass fan who lives in Atlanta and was a frequent customer of our Plaid Outlet Store in Discover Mills at Suwanee, GA--which is closed, so don't rush out to find it. Here's what she says about her experience with Gallery Glass.

"I just had an AMAZING conversation with your customer service representative wherein she told me you have original GALLERY GLASS patterns from the 90's posted on your blog. I am OBSESSED with Gallery Glass!!! It is so much fun to work with!  I have a few photos of my finished pieces and I am working on more. I have used GALLERY GLASS in unconventional ways. I use it on decorator plates, vases and Plexiglas panels. GALLERY GLASS has always been user friendly for me. Even the original kit that allowed me to custom blend my colors was fun. I have used GALLERY GLASS to simulate outdoor scenery, windows on a set and to decorate my daughter's middle School showcase. Although you frown on it, I have also used GALLERY GLASS for the lower panel of my storm door. It's about six years old and still looks pretty good."

"My biggest challenges have been finding Ethnic images to use the GALLERY GLASS on. Fortunately, Paned Expressions had a solution. Plus, once we relocated to Georgia, I met a very talented artist who allowed me to interpret her work in GALLERY GLASS. I apologize for my photography but ENJOY!"

Now, that you've read her story, you can appreciate her enthusiasm. Her story could resemble yours. Many of you were introduced to Gallery Glass by QVC. I am eternally grateful to them for allowing us to develop so many sets of product that were unique and functional for the viewers. And you, the wonderful viewers of our show in the 90's allowed us to stay on the air. THANK YOU for being faithful back then. We had a good run. I have some other pictures of Estelle's amazing work to share. I especially like her use of color and texture in the picture at the top of this post. It's quite unusual. I also love her decorative plates. The one above has a special message that you can see in detail - at the end. It is good advice for all of us. Thanks, Estelle, for sharing your amazing story and your creative projects.

A Gallery Glass Toast--to Mary's Talent

 

Occasionally, our blog brings us together through another person. Mary's husband emailed me looking for colors that have been discontinued and we were able to hear of Mary's wonderful business and infinite talent. Here is her story and some of her stunning work. Her work will be an inspiration to you--to follow your heart!

Mary received her Master of Education Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and had planned to make a career of teaching. However, after several years of teaching, the artist in her wanted to be unleashed. She originally started with craftwork; hand-painting t-shirts, and making seasonal craft baskets. During a farmers' market, on the Northern Neck of Virginia, she saw someone hand-painting "sunset" windows, and thought, "I can do that." She started not only hand-painting sunset windows, but also wineglasses, cocktail glasses, and even martini glasses, all with her "signature" blue crab design. She now has increased her artistic repertoire to include striped bass, mahi-mahi, flounder, ospreys and snowy egrets.

A short time ago, she an her husband were coming back from a 2 day even, Arts in the Park (in Richmond), and they encountered 5 peacocks coming across a four lane highway. They literally had to stop their vehicle, to allow the peacocks to stroll across the highway. Because of that impromptu inspiration, Mary started painting peacock ice tea pitchers. And was also inspired to create  Peacock window.

 

 Mary shares this comment, "Many customers have asked me what I use (for the artwork) and I always tell them about Gallery Glass paint. They have even asked why I don't use the glass paint that you bake on. Other paints have an acrylic look--they don't have a 'stained glass' look. I would much rather sell a glass that has to be hand washed because of the beautiful stained glass effect, than switch to one that is dishwasher safe and has the flat acrylic look."