Memorial Day Gallery Glass

 

 
Even though Memorial Day is not yet here, we have to craft ahead of the occasion so that our projects will be ready to display before and during the holiday. Here are 2 of my favorites. They are perfect for any patriotic holiday celebration--large or small. The colors are bright and cheerful, but I needed a 4th color so I chose hologram glitter for the stars in the panel on the left. These designs are perfect for picnics, Vacation Bible School projects and campground craft classes. The are timely and also very simple to do, so they can be done quickly and effectively in a group setting. It should only take each crafter 10 to 15 minutes, so the painting stations can turn over fast enough to keep the line moving.

Another of my favorite designs is the more free form flag motif of the design on the right.

To create these simple designs, print out a pattern by following the instructions on the message board on the right side of this home page. If you are doing it on the 10" blank, you will need to enlarge the design to fit the blank. If you don't have the round blanks, you can also buy clear plastic plates at the party store. They come in a variety of sizes and you can choose the right size for the "audience" you are planning to entertain. Chrildren are usually happier with the snack or dessert size, whereas adults want the more showy dinner size. You can also keep the hearts at a smaller size and duplicate them on the leading blank and mount them on the window as suncatchers.
Gallery Glass Supplies:
Snow White 16002, Ruby Red 16015, 16011 Blue Diamond,  16442 Hologram Glitter, 16076
 Black Liquid Leading.

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.

St. Patrick's Day Icons with Gallery Glass

Some holidays have a plethora of icons for Gallery Glass Clings and framed art while others have very few. St. Patrck's Day is one with only a few!

Here you will see some of the most popular subjects. Rainbows are often seen with pots of gold and Leprechans befitting the occasion, and Clover has a broad usage. Let's look at the Rainbow, first. The project on the left is very simple and makes a good project for a group. Outlined on the 8"x10" styrene blank, it is quick and easy to lead, as well as to paint. Kids will love this design. You can us Gold Spakle or Gold Glitter for he contents of the pot, so that you won't have to outline individual coins.

The round rainbow with the Leprechan's face is more elaborate and takes longer---both to lead and to paint. The face is round and chaming and I really like his hat with the band and buckle. The sprigs of clover add to the spirit of the holiday. Speaking of rainbows, in case you haven't noticed, red is always at the top of the rainbow and most have at least 6 stripes. You don't have to follow this recommendation, but the kids will correct you--they learn this rule in kindergarten coloring class.

The next icon that is very recognizable for St. Patrick's Day is CLOVER--3 leaf or 4, depending on the design. I think that either one is acceptable, but you let me know if that is not the case.
My favorite seasonal "green" motif is the Clover Wreath--it's versatility will amaze you. Shown here in all greens, it is fresh and vibrant--a fitting tribute to Spring. I used Kelly Green, Lime Green and Ivy Green, but you can also use some of the green glitters to give it more sizzle, such as the 2 oz. Extreme Glitters--2789 Peridot and 2794 Emerald.

The Clover Wreath makes a good Gallery Glass Color Chart. Many people don't know how to mix colors so it makes sense to arrange it like the Color Wheel. Red, Yellow and Blue are the Primary colors and are placed alternately around the outer ring. Orange, Green and Purple are the Secondary Colors and they go in between the appropriate primary hues. The Tertiary colors will work in the small clovers. This design makes a really good teaching tool for your classes and everyone will LOVE painting it.

My feeling is that the 4 leaf clover is more generally associaed with "good luck", but you will see it here used with the clay pipe. Added to the other Irish motifs, I think it tends to round out the selection--even though I'm not trying to endorse smoking. You laugh, but I did pass up a number of desgns picturing pitchers and mugs of green beer. But maybe that's just a Savannah, GA concept.

 You can enlarge the Wreath pattern to fit either a 12" round or a 10" round blank. I have noted the colors for both versions of the wreath design.
Gallery Glass Supplies:
Green Version; 16024 Ivy Green, 16008 Kelly Green, 16035 Lime Green, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16081 Crystal Clear.
Color Chart Version: 16015 Ruby Red, 16429 Pumpkin Orange, 16004 Sunny Yellowm 16008 Kelly Green, 16012 Royal Blue, 16014 Amethyst, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16005 Orange Poppy, 16035 Lime Green, 16036 Turquoise, 16457 Plum, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16081 Crystal Clear.

Leprechauns Love Gold and Gallery Glass!

If you have a drop of Irish blood in your veins, you just naturally love St. Patrick's Day. That's the time of year when Celtic pride runs very deep and everyone gets out their derby and dusts it off--ready for a parade to break out at any moment. It is almost Spring and that makes the "greens" theme very timely. I think this wonderful occasion deserves it's own special oversize design. So I pulled some of my favorite St. Patrick's Day clip art icons and overlapped and enlarged them to fit into a 24'x36" poster frame.

  
The hair is streaks of Copper Sparkle and Light Brown applied next to each other. The coat and shoes have Etching Medium patted onto the surface of the paint after it cures. This was done to differentiate them from the Kelly Green Stripe in the rainbow. All clover leaves have a line of Hologram Glitter applied along the edge before the leaf color is added, then the two colors are combed together. The Gold Sparkle dots in the vest are applied first, then the Lime Green swirled among them.The black pot is Black Extreme Glitter used straight--not diluted with Gallery Glass. I wanted the pot to be REALLY black and the glitter makes it interesting. The money and border are Gold Sparkle--pretty from the front, but photographs beige with light coming through it. As we often say, "it looks much better in person."
Gallery Glass Supplies: 16002 Snow White, 16006 Canyon Coral, 16004 Sunny Yellow, 16008 Kelly Green, 16429 Pumpkin Orange, 16011 Blue Diamond, 16014 Amethyst, 16015 Ruby Red, 16024 Ivy Green, 16035 Lime Green, 16848 Hologram Glitter, 16019 Gold Sparkle, 16440 Gold Glitter, 16422 Copper Sparkle, 16426 Light Brown, 16081 Crystal Clear, 2797 Black Extreme Glitter, 16044 Etching Medium,16076 Black Liquid Leading, 24"x36" Poster Frame.

Say, "I Love You" with Gallery Glass

St. Valentine's Day is almost upon us and you may be searching for the perfect gift--something that will be a lasting reminder of your love and devotion. Candy is quickly eaten and flowers wilt and fade, but your Gallery Glass heart will be a visible daily reminder of your lifelong passion. Add to this token of your love a dinner reservation and movie tickets complete with popcorn, and you have successfully executed a Gallery Glass moment. I painted this with Ruby Red, of course, but I outlined the segments with Hologram Glitter then filled in the center with the color. I did the same thing on the Hot Pink "lace". The Gold Glitter caption completes it for a very elegant festive look.

 
But what if you aren't giving the gift until the exact day. Sometimes you don't want to give a gift that is seasonally specific when the season will be over tomorrow.  How about a Floral suncatcher that is seasonally appropriate? The unsung hero of winter, the only flower with a heart brave enough to peek out of earth that just yesterday had snow on it--the humble crocus. How noble and breathtakingly beautiful. This is one of my favorite panels because it heralds the beginning of a fresh new season of brightly colored landscaping. Why not present your "love" with something that will cheer them up for many weeks to come. It can brighten a window view that will remain colorless for several more months.

And maybe your recipient is not into flowers or mushy Valentine symbols. There is certainly room for a gift that says, "I love you," but appeals more to their hobby and activities interest. How about a precious toe dancing bear complete with ballet shoes and a tutu. What little girl wouldn't love to hang this lovely suncatcher in their room?

Ballerina  - 6"x9" Oval

Gallery Glass Supplies: 16002 Snow White, 16423 Hot Pink, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16014 Amethyst, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16215 10" Styrene Blank

I Love You Heart -  10" Round
Gallery Glass Supplies: 16440 Gold Glitter, 16423 Hot Pink, 16015 Ruby Red, 16002 Snow White, 16442 Hologram Glitter, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16216 10" Styrene Blank

I outlined the heart sections and even put a drop of 16442 in the top of each of the lace sections and combed it into the paint to give the heart a little style.

Crocus  - 10" Round

Gallery Glass Supplies: 16423 Hot Pink, 16442 Hologram Glitter, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16455 Sunflower, 16020 Amber, 16003 Cameo Ivory, 16008 Kelly Green, 16035 Lime Green, 16024 Ivy Green, 16014 Amethyst, 16457 Plum, 16081 Crystal Clear16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16216 10" Styrene Blank

I applied a line of Hologram Glitter along the edge of the petal sections and combed it into the paint to give the flowers some sparkle. It almost looks like dew on the tips of the flowers.

Valentine Jar Designs with Gallery Glass

I love Valentine's Day because it's all about flowers and candy. I never met a candy bar I didn't like, be it chocolate, sugar or marshmallow. And what better way to give candy as a gift than in an appropriately styled container made just for the occasion. These Valentine jars are elegant looking, but simple and easy to make. You can find so many beautiful clear shapes for practically nothing because glass is cheap. My favorite "surface" source is one of those stores where everything is a dollar.

The big rose jar in the center was done by the Horizontal Method--meaning it was leaded and painted right on the jar--easy to do because it is rather large, creating an almost flat surface. First bubble cut around the pattern leaving almost no margin. Then roll it up and stick it face up inside the jar. Center it so that the jar seam is on the side. Lead the design as usual, using books on both side to keep it from rolling while your leading is wet. Let the leading dry overnight and paint some pleasing "rose" colors in a couple of various shades, giving the design a more sophisticated look. Now wasn't that easy. The other jars in the photo were done as Clings and placed on the clean jar after they had cured. For detailed instructions for making Clings, check "Snow Fun" under Winter projects.  .
But maybe you don't have time to go out and buy something, look around your kitchen. If you save pleasingly shaped jars that food comes in, you can often cover the thread lines on the top with lace, ribbon or fabric. And what about the ones that have printed lids? You can cover them with fabric and a coordinating ribbon.

These are great patterns for jars. The large jar and the pitcher can be done directly on the jar because they are bigger. The smaller ones will be easier to do as Clings, then place them where you want them on the project. See post "Snow Fun" for Cling instructions.
Supplies list:
16001 Crystal Clear, 16002 Snow White, 16003 Cameo Ivory, 16004 Sunny Yellow, 16006 Canyon Coral (disc. use 16003), 16008 Kelly Green, 16009 Emerald Green, 16011 Blue Diamond, 16012 Royal Blue, 16015 Ruby Red, 16016 Rose Quartz, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16019 Gold Sparkle, 16020 Iridescent Violet (disc. use Hologram Shimmer 16848.), 16021 Frost White


These are great patterns for jars. The large jar and the pitcher can be done directly on the jar because they are bigger. The smaller ones will be easier to do as Clings, then place them where you want them on the project. See post "Snow Fun" for Cling instructions.
Supplies list:
16001 Crystal Clear, 16002 Snow White, 16003 Cameo Ivory, 16004 Sunny Yellow, 16006 Canyon Coral (disc. use 16003), 16008 Kelly Green, 16009 Emerald Green, 16011 Blue Diamond, 16012 Royal Blue, 16015 Ruby Red, 16016 Rose Quartz, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16019 Gold Sparkle, 16020 Iridescent Violet (disc. use Hologram Shimmer 16848.), 16021 Frost White

Hearts -- Framed and Wired with Gallery Glass

"Framed" and "wired" are two words with bad connotations-- unless we're talking about them in a Gallery Glass context. It's easy to make mobiles and free floating ornaments using Cuttable Plastic and wire. If you can't find cuttable plastic, you can also use leading blanks for the shapes--they just won't be quite as rigid or transparent. The wire is Armature Wire and is available at craft stores. Lead and paint the shapes and let them dry. Cut around the cured shapes leaving 1/8" of space outside the outlines. Cut lengths of wire and curl loosely around a pencil. Stretch wire slightly. Make a hole in the edges of the plastic shapes and string them up! See patterns for more details.

Colorful glass panels or Clings hanging in a window add brightness and life to home decor. The colors are at their best with light coming through them, so hanging a piece of glass art in a window is the perfect place to show off its beauty. Framed panels can also be a substitute for curtains because they bend the rays of light and create a sunscreen--if they are large enough. These three hearts are a good project for a styrene ceiling diffuser. They are easily scored on the smooth side and popped into the size to fit a small elongated frame. Always paint on the smooth side so that the color will be even, not blotchy.

This 11"x14" picture frame takes on a whole new life when you throw away that faded floral print and outline and paint this "Funky Heart" on the glass. Remove glass from frame. Position it over pattern and outline the design. Let dry and apply colors as shown, or create your own color palette. Fill in around the design with Crystal Clear leaving it very bumpy. Place glass or plastic into frame and secure it using Liquid Leading as a "caulk" between the edge of the glass and the back side of the frame. Let caulking dry overnight before standing upright.

If you can't wait to get started, print out the patterns and select your surfaces. In a couple of days, you'll be able to give one of these heartfelt treasures to your favorite Valentine.

Supplies needed for Hugs and Kisses Mobile:
16003 Cameo Ivory, 16001 Crystal Clear, 16015 Ruby Red, 16002 Snow White, 16079 Gold Metallic Liquid Leading (heart and O's), 16080 Silver Metallic Liquid Leading (wings and X's), 16240 Cuttable Plastic, 16225 Tool Set.
Other Supplies: Armature Wire, Needlenose pliers, Wire cutters, Craft knife with blades, Scissors, pencil.

Supplies needed for Funky Heart Framed Art:
16001 Crystal Clear, 16035 Lime Green, 16015 Ruby Red, 16037 Sapphire, 16004 Sunny Yellow, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 16225 Tool Set,
Other Supplies: Wooden frame with glass, 11"x14"

Supplies needed for Three Hearts Framed Art"
16014 Amethyst, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16009 Emerald Green, 16005 Orange Poppy, 16012 Royal Blue, 16015 Ruby Red, 16004 Sunny Yellow, 16076 Liquid Leading or 16089 Redi-Lead Strips, 16224 Tool Set
Other Supplies: Wooden frame with glass, 8"x20", Craft knife (for cutting Redi-lead

Supplies needed for Love Mobile:
16001 Crystal Clear; 16423 Hot Pink, 16438 Magenta Rose, 16455 Sunflower, 16076 Lquid Leading, 16782 Crystal Beads (discontinued), 16240 Cuttable Craft Plastic, 16225 Tool Set
Other Supplies: Craft wire, pink and yellow pony beads, other beads as desired.

It's time for Love, Hearts and Flowers!

It's not yet Spring, but once we put up the colorful Valentine's Day decorations, we begin to look forward to it with wild anticipation. I have always been an advocate of the holiday, although my participation is often limited to scouting out beautiful calorie laden goodies for my grand daughters.  I love to start hanging Valentine projects soon after the middle of January so that there will be ample time to enjoy the decorations and binge on Valentine treats.

 I love to make Valentine Clings and we have some projects coming up that feature this versatile category. Here the simple "LOVE" message is shown on a window, but you can stick them on mirrors, even car windows, to remind your loved ones that you care. And how about putting them on those inexpensive clear plastic plates from the party store. They have several sizes and this style is really inexpensive. I like the large one for all my round designs, since the 10" blank has been discontinued in many stores. We made an apple for the teacher on our dessert plate. You can burn a hole in the top and put a piece of curling ribbon or satin ribbon through it to make a hanger. 

Easter Eggs and Tulips captured in Gallery Glass - 24"x36" Poster Frame

Now that the Easter season is coming, let's look into Easter and Spring designs. The Easter Egg is a traditional motif that has been treated in a variety of ways. You can find them nestled in colorful baskets, cradled in the hands of the traditional Easter Bunny, or scattered randomly in grassy fields.  But seldom are they more beautifully illustrated than hidden among the leaves of colorful Spring tulips. The colors of the intricately designed eggs seem to have been lifted from the very flower petals themselves. This was a design that I found in a clip art book. The design presented a challenge because it was only shown in black and white. It takes a lot more time to plan out the design if you don't have suggested colors. Even basic steps like deciphering what is leaf and what is background-- is sometimes difficult. But overall, if was an artistic joyride. I was in love with the shapes and arrangement of graphic elements from the moment I laid eyes on it. The egg designs are interesting and the flowers are elegantly drawn.

However, as I often say, "It's even prettier in person." What you can't see is the Hologram glitter that I used in the project. Because I felt like a closeup scene like this would demand a representation of "dew", I liberally sprinkled the glitter paint in many of the elements--flowers, leaves and, of course, the egg detail. I took a picture without light behind it--in hopes that you could see the glitter detail more dramatically. I am often reminded that it takes two photographs to show off a Gallery Glass color scheme. Whatever it takes, right?

Gallery Glass Supplies List :

16008 Kelly Green, 16024 Ivy Green, 16035 Lime Green, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16044 Etching Medium, 16021 Pearl White, 16020 Amber, 16014 Amethyst, 16017 Magenta Royale, 16423 Hot Pink, 16426 Light Brown, 16004 Sunny Yellow, 16455 Sunflower, 16011 Blue Diamond, 17073 Blue Bird, 17077 Lavender, 17052 Fresh Lime, 17051 Lite Green, 16442 Hologram Glitter (edges of petals, leaves and egg details - G), 16076 Liquid Leading, 2797 Black Extreme Glitter (Flower centers), 2794 Emerald Extreme Glitter EG (grassy background).

A Bouquet of Roses for YOU-- from Gallery Glass Class

A bouquet of  roses has long been considered the ultimate gift. And the prices escalate to unbelievable sums just prior to a big holiday. So I decided to save my money and go for a rose of a more lasting variety-- Gallery Glass roses on 6'x9" ovals. We  want to focus on color combinations. Roses come in hundreds of colors. So you can find a real rose to match almost all the Gallery Glass hues.

I prefer to paint a 3 color rose applying a shading color, a blending color and a highlighting color to all the petals. Truthfully, these roses are gifts for a wonderful group of single friends that I worship with every Sunday morning, so this project had an ulterior motive. I don't think I've ever done so many variations of just two designs--but it turned out to be really fun. I have painted every night this week. Since I wanted the panels to be somewhat consistent, I highlighted all the petals and filled in all the borders with Hologram Glitter, but you may want to change it up for an occasion less dramatic. Here are the shading and blending colors that I used. Kelly Green and Green Shimmer were used for the leaves and a sky color that I mixed from a few drops of Turquoise in Clear Shimmer was mixed for the background. Some turned out better than others. What is your favorite color? 

Top Row above (left to right):

                              Shading Color                 Blending Color          Highlight Color
Yellow Rose          16020 Amber                   16003 Sunny Yellow   (Hologram Glitter on All Panels)     
Red Rose               16023 Berry Red             16015 Ruby Red                
Pink Rose              16014 Magenta Royale   16423 Hot Pink
Purple Rose           16457 Plum                     16014 Amethyst

Bottom Row (left to right):
Orange /Rose         16005 Orange Poppy      16429 Pumpkin Orange
Peach Rose            16437 Coral                     16006 Canyon Coral
White Rose            16018 Charcoal                16021 White Pearl
Peace Rose             16429 Pumpkin Orange   16455 Sunflower

Mother's Day --celebrate with Gallery Glass

Every year we try to create the ultimate Mother's Day gift--something that expresses our love and appreciation for the woman who did so much for us. And if she is deceased, as mine is, we celebrate in other ways, such as honoring the mothers who are important to us NOW. Some of us honor our daughters or daughters-in-law because they take care of the most important people in our lives--our grandchildren! Some of you men will want to honor your wives and the mothers of your children. And even fewer of us can still celebrate with our grandmothers. But all in all, it is a celebration of feminine contribution and sacrifice for the general health and happiness of the universe. So bring out the roses and the candy! Let's see how we can honor Moms everywhere.
I chose to do this rose in pink because it was my Mom's favorite color. I used Magenta Royale and Hot Pink as the two shading colors, but I added a touch of Hologram Glitter to the edge of each petal and most of the leaves. That gave it a sparkle to the edges that was very festive. I used Gold Glitter for the letters, but you can use Gold Extreme Glitter in the 2 oz. size if you don't have the discontinued color. It was an easy project and one that can adapt quite easily the the favorite rose color of the Mom that you are honoring.

I also did a motif that was a little more casual. I thought it was a good project for kids. It has a smaller footprint and uses brighter colors.  But mainly it is different, so if you want to give two gifts, you have an additional pattern.

Here's another good Mother's Day design. It's the one we did this week for the children at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite to paint and give to their Mothers. It is very kid friendly because the spaces are large and the message is clear. The design can also be used for a personalized Valentine, so hold onto it for other occasions.

Eggs, Eggs and More Gallery Glass Eggs!

The Easter Egg is a traditional motif that can be presented in a variety of ways. It struck me one day that our oval blank was somewhat egg shaped. Aha! Perfect surface for an Easter Egg project. I decided to treat the whole oval as one egg and would love to make a whole window full of varying designs, but I don't have time, so I'll show you the first design and you might be inspired to create one. The interesting thing about this panel is the use of two new Plaid colors--Bluebird and Lavender. These are very opaque, in fact so much more than the Sunflower and Hot Pink--that I decided to dilute them with Crystal Clear 1:1. It really made the perfect opacity to coordinate with the yellow and pink. The greens are somewhat opaque as well--Fresh Lime and Light Green. If you can't find these new colors, order them from Plaid (click link below). I can't remember the last time I used all opaque colors in a project, but it IS an EGG, after all.

If your schedule does not allow the creation of an "egg wall" comprised of variations of big eggs like the one above, why not put all your egg design ideas into one project. I love the 12" chain wrapped blank because of the added glamour of the gold framing. And I like the fact that the generous 12" diameter makes it possible to do more intricate designs that on the 10" round blank--my other favorite surface. Notice that the eggs are shaded around the outside to give the illusion of oval-ness. The color scheme is very flexible. After I finished it, I thought there should have been a purple egg. So I think it would be better to make 6 different color combinations rather than repeating each egg combo twice.

I love the look of stained glass and am always searching for REAL stained glass patterns that can be done faster with Gallery Glass, but most of the time, we have to resort to adapting simple line designs to get an authentic stained glass look. So you can imagine how excited I was when I ran across this clip art design that has the true feeling of stained glass. I couldn't wait to enlarge the pattern and squeeze out the shapes with Liquid Leading. I think that you'll agree that it turned out spectacular. I didn't put a circle around the design because it is a very round design that would look awkward in a circle. But the basket needed grass, so I decided to create the illusion of grass with Green Sparkle and omit the lead line because I didn't want the horizon to go off in space. What do you think? 

Gallery Glass Supplies: 16455 Sunflower, 16423 Hot Pink, 16036 Turquoise, 17077 Lavender diluted half strength), 17052 Fresh Lime, 17051 Light Green, 16076 Black Liquid Leading. 16216 Styrene 6x9" oval.

Egg Wreath

Gallery Glass Supplies: 16017 Magenta Royale, 16423 Hot Pink, 16021 White Pearl, 16014 Amethyst, 17077 Lavender (diluted half strength), 16425 Citrus Yellow, 16455 Sunflower, 16035 Lime Green, 16051 Fresh Lime, 16008 Kelly green, 16051 Light Green, 16011 Blue Diamond, 16073 Blue Bird (diluted half strength), 16019 Gold Sparkle, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 12" round surface or 11x14" or 12x18" poster frame.

Egg Basket

Gallery Glass Supplies:

16017 Magenta Royale,16463 Spring Rose, 16023 Berry Red, 16005 Orange Poppy, 16429 Pumpkin Orange, 16020 Amber, 16004 Sunny Yellow, 16035 Lime Green, 16008 Kelly green, 16012 Royal Blue, 16011 Blue Diamond, 16015 Ruby Red, 16081 Crystal Clear, 16076 Black Liquid Leading, 12" round surface or 11x14" poster frame.