Delphi Glass | Blog

Winner Announced: 2013 Glass Garden Art Pinspiration Contest

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:37:00 -0400

With the end of our very first ever Pinterest contest, we are thrilled to welcome over 1,000 new followers to our Pinterest boards. We hope that everyone found inspiration to create glass garden art projects of their own from our Glass Garden Art board and our Garden Center.

Congratulations to the winner, Cindy Pilat, who was randomly selected. Cindy's board has an inspiring collection of glass garden art. As the winner Cindy will receive an assorted mix of flameworking and jewelry supplies - plus a few fun mosaic supplies, a $100 value.

Want to participate in future contests? Delphi announces all special events and contests through our email newsletters, sign up today! Also like us on Facebook to stay connected to all things Delphi.

Thanks to all who participated in this contest.

Me, Myself, and My Torch

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:55:00 -0400

"Well, hello there Carlise, my name is Cere. It's nice to meet you!"
As a flameworker, the most powerful tool at our disposal is the torch. From raw gas to burning flame, the torch provides the energy needed to take glass from solid state to molten magic. As someone that typically works with Borosillicate glass (32 or 33 COE), I tend to work towards the hotter parts of the flame, however, if you work with Moretti (104 COE), or soft glass, you may find the cooler areas beneficial to you. No matter what kind of glass you are melting in your torch, when properly familiar with the parts and type of the flame, you can bring your work to new levels.

Q: Oxidizing, Reducing and Neutral: What kind of flame do I have, and what does that mean to me?
A: When being worked, many glass colors are sensitive to the atmosphere or the ratio of mixed gases in the flame. Different atmospheres can produce a diverse array of effects, some desirable and some not as much. It's important to know what kind of flame you are working with and what kind of flame your glass desires. When in doubt, start with a neutral flame and adjust your settings from there.

Reducing Flame - a flame that is low in oxygen saturation, typically has outwardly bowed edges and a "fluffy" appearance.

Neutral Flame - a flame that has a fairly even ratio of oxygen and propane. Flame typically has parallel edges.

Oxidizing Flame - a flame that is high in oxygen saturation, typically has inwardly bowed edges and a "sharp" appearance.

Q: What if I'm using a Hot Head or Fireworks Torch head?
A: Since you don't have control of the ratio of oxygen to fuel with these types of torches, by knowing the parts of your flame you can overcome some of the obstacles you periodically run into. For example, if you find that some of your colors have a grey or muddy appearance; it's often because they aren't getting their ideal oxygen saturation. By working further out towards the end of the flame, you are allowing more oxygen to enter the mix and therefore able to get some better results from some of the more finicky colors.

Q: How do I know what part of the flame to use?
A: Just like any adventure, you will be well on your way once you have a map! Below you will find the parts of the flame labeled with their primary uses.

A - hottest part of the flame - used most of the time

B - used formetal fuming - gold or silver is vaporized at the tip of the inner cones

C - inner cones - composed of unburned gasses - cool and useless for heating

D - lower edge - used for precise, controlled heating - used for adding detail or stretching thin controlled tapers from rod

E - diffused heat area - used for pre-heating and for some tube work

F - outer reaches - used for preheating and for final heating of tubing just before blowing or stretching

Stained Glass News May 2013 Edition

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:12:00 -0400

Here's our list of 5 Favorite New Items from the May 2013 edition of Stained Glass News, also in this issue Stained Glass News 25th Anniversary Contest winners announced!

1. Button Molds from Creative Paradise
What better way to show off your art, than to wear it! These fantastic new molds from Creative Paradise are available in three different styles, Small Round, Large Round, and Square giving you the freedom to create buttons for any apparel in your closet. We love creating glass art and what a bonus when it is practical too!

2. Getting the Blues can be Great - 2 Exciting New Colors from Spectrum Glass
Expand your creative pallet with the latest hues from our friends at Spectrum Glass! Blue Topaz and Hydrangea Opal bring to life two of our favorite shades from nature, perfect for portraying bright ocean blues and subtle floral hues. These colors are aptly named for the gem stone and flower they represent. Blue Topaz is a copper bearing color, making this an excellent addition to the Reactive Color pallet. Hydrangea Opal is the lightest shade in the System 96 Blue Opal Line. Try these fun new project ideas from System 96 centered around these lovely hues!

3. Footed Bowl Mold by Wardell Products
Put your best foot forward! Glass bowls already add a touch of class to any room. With the Footed Bowl Mold, from Wardell Products, you can bring your projects to the next level and create fused glass bowls with a glass foot. When paired with your favorite draping mold, this unique system allows you to take your project a step above the rest!

4. Powder Vibe by Diamond Tech
You are sure to get good vibrations from the Powder Vibe from Diamond Tech. With this innovative tool, recently redesigned by Diamond Tech International, you can quickly and easily apply frits, powders, and enamels in clean lines. Simply push the release button on the side of the pen tool and you are on your way. The magnetic tips allow a secure hold to the pen giving you precision and control when applying lines or dots. Perfect for glass painting, fusing and flameworking, the possibilities are endless!

5. Create realistic looking projects with the latest pattern books by Jean Beaulieu
As stained glass artists, we are drawn to patterns that accurately mimic life. Jean Beaulieu has delivered nothing less. With 3 new pattern books, you are sure to find patterns that catch your fancy!

Dog Breeds 2 : Illustrated Designs of Man's Best Friend - Where would we be without our four-legged companions? Dogs have been by our sides for hundreds of years and what better way to celebrate them than by honoring them in our art. This book features 13 patterns of some of your favorite furry friends. Breeds include: Basset Hound, Corgi, Great Dane, Collie, Doberman Pinscher, and Siberian Husky.

Elegant Boats : Illustrated Designs of Different Boats - Let your art set sail to new levels! With boats from every era, get your feet wet with 14 beautiful patterns of the most iconic nautical design, the boat. Perfect for your favorite seafarer, these designs let you cruise along on your own personal art glass get away. Patterns include: Tugboat, Galleon, Canoes, and Sailboats galore!

Lovely Flowers : Illustrated Designs of Original Flowers - Nothing says classic beauty like flowers. Nature's original knockouts provide vibrant color for our natural landscapes. Bring this beauty into your home with the gorgeous, lifelike patterns in this great collection. Features 15 stunning designs including: Bleeding Heart, Calla Lily, Rose, Daisy, Tulip, Echinacea (Purple Cone Flower) and Sunflower.

Congratulations to the winners of the SGN 25th Anniversary Contest!
The Stained Glass News, in conjunction with Aanraku and Spectrum Glass, challenged the art glass community to bring their creativity to the next level with the SGN 25th Anniversary Contest and the art glass community delivered. Participants created stunning projects showing off a range of styles. We were excited to see all the winners and particularly stoked to see several of Delphi's own customers. A special congratulations to all the winners, Linda Adams, Elyse Lawrence, Susan McGarry, Judy Phillips, Becky Snobeck, and Loarraine Rezendes on a job well done!

1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
	Bookends

Lorraine Rezendes	Elyse Lawrence	Susan McGarry
	Tea Server

Susan McGarry	Susan McGarry	Linda Adams
	Wooden Box

Becky Snobeck	Susan McGarry	Judy Phillips

Congratulations to the 2013 Art Glass Festival Winners!

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:01:00 -0400

Art Glass Festival is the most anticipated event of the year at Delphi, and it's no secret why. We get a chance to see all the fantastic glass art that talented artists like you have been making!

We would like to say thank you to everyone that participated in Art Glass Festival 2013 - and a special thanks to our contributors, their generous support makes this event a success. Our contributors provide all of the amazing prizes that are handed out to the winners of both the store contest as well as online.

During the month of April, the Lansing Creativity Center comes alive with inspiring art as it plays host to the Art Glass Festival gallery. The exhibit opens with an Artists' Reception where artists from near and far share their discoveries and achievements in glass art. Check out all of the exciting photos from this year's reception on Facebook.

May brings the inevitable end of the Art Glass Festival exhibit at the Lansing Creativity Center, but it also gives us the much anticipated results of the People's Choice Award voting.

We would like to congratulate this years' winner, Carol Santoro, shown here with her winning Blue Heron mosaic entry.

Art Glass Festival Online plays host to an even wider community of glass artists, with photo entries submitted from around the world. It is always amazing to see how the supplies we ship out have become something beautiful in the hands of gifted artists. Check out our Pinterest Board of Online Art Glass Festival Winners from the past several years for lots of inspiration.

Art Glass Festival Online also has a People's Choice award, selected by your votes. Congratulations to this years' Online Art Glass Festival People's Choice Award Winner, Charles of Loveland, OH.

We love the sense of community and the sharing of inspiration that comes from Art Glass Festival every year. We also love giving away prizes! If you didn't participate in Art Glass Festival 2013, it's never too early to start planning your entry for next year. Visit www.DelphiGlass.com/AGF to read all about the Festival and plan to be a part of it next year.

Meet Michael Dupille- Glass Artist and Guest Instructor

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:17:00 -0400

Delphi Glass is pleased to welcome guest instructor Michael Dupille. Michael will be teaching two classes this May and June at the Delphi Creativity Center in Lansing, MI. Get to know this innovative glass artist and be inspired by his techniques. See a collection of his works on our Pinterest board. Michael is considered a pioneer in the field of kiln formed glass and has created many of the working processes and techniques which are considered standard in the warm glass industry today.

Artist Bio

A Seattle resident, he has worked in art his entire career as both creator and educator. Experienced in a variety of media including animation, illustration, print and textile design, he continues to challenge himself through invention and innovation. Michael was part of the glass blowing program at Central Washington University in the early 70’s. Since the late 1980's he has worked extensively with glass, having developed and refined a technique for 'painting with glass' that uses crushed glass (frit) in combination with kiln fired methods. He refers to this process as fritography. Michael pioneered many kiln forming processes, especially in the area of mold making and kiln casting. He has done design work for Bullseye Glass, was a guest artist and instructor at Camp Colton, and his creative input is well featured in Boyce Lundstrom's books on art glass techniques. His work is highly collectible and his numerous public and private commissions include projects for the Washington and Oregon State Arts Commissions, The Everett Cultural Commission, The Seattle Times, The Pierce County Arts Commission, Amazon.com and the Seattle Mariners.

For those of you interested in attending one or both of Michael's amazing classes, check out the details below. Hurry, as seats are limited and filling fast! As an added bonus for attending, during class pick your choice of two FREE small jars of frit in either 90 COE or 96 COE

Class: When the Frit Hits the Fan
Starts: May 31, 2013 Ends: June 1, 2013
Register Now!

This workshop covers a variety of different frit techniques and processes and is less focused on imagery. However, many of the things taught here may be utilized in creating them, including multiple firing.


"Red Canoe"	"Brace"

We will cover the basic practices of Fritography,combining them with unusual shapes and use a variety of dam methods.
There are several other ways of working with frit we will explore as well including "Frit Sticks", "Vitrios" and a new process called "Scratch and Frit".

We think you will find these to be useful and fun too . . . and that is a tough combo to beat! An exciting lecture and scintillating slide show will also be included! We will be working with System 96.

Class: Tranchant du Verre

Starts: June 2, 2013 Ends: June 3, 2013
SOLD OUT!

The English translation from French roughly means "the knife edge of glass". This unique process is based on traditional palette knife painting using oils or acrylics. Learn this new technique from glass artist Michael Dupille who developed this unique glass fusing process. By using powdered glass with a suspension medium, in this case CMC, similar


"Neighbors"	"Delicious Red"

effects can be created with this technique. These can be altered, added to and embellished using all of what we have in our world of kiln formed glass techniques and processes. The possibilities are unlimited. Multiple firings using this method gives dimension and richness, depth and vitality to the finished work. This is a really quick, fun and expressive process to create imagery with glass in ways that were previously in the realm of traditional painting mediums for canvas.

Don't miss your chance to learn from and work with one of the pioneers in the techniques of kiln formed glass!

For those who can't attend Michael's classes at Delphi, be sure to pick up your copy of Michael's DVDs and learn some of his special techniques, When the Frit Hits the Fan DVD and Beginning Fritography DVD.

Main Image Title- "Cloud Shadow Chroma"

Celebrate Earth Month with Crafts and Color!

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:56:00 -0400

Did you know that April is National Earth month? That’s right, a month-long event scheduled for April 1 through April 30 in Washington, DC, featuring interactive, eco-friendly experiences to raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage sustainability. Earth Month 2013 represents a significant expansion of Earth Day festivities normally celebrated April 22.

Join millions of people around the world and unite with the sole purpose of celebrating National Earth Month by looking for your community’s local efforts and meaningful programs. In the meantime, why not start the celebration at home with crafting projects that recycle, re-purpose and reuse. Responsible manufactures such as Diamond Tech are coming up with alternative crafting projects that provide a value proposition as well as social, emotional, and therapeutic benefits that balance in perfect harmony with any Earth Day celebration.

For example, last year Diamond Tech introduced the Generation Green Bottle Cutter and Kits. These eco-friendly products allow craft enthusiasts to recycle and reuse glass bottle and jars otherwise bound for the trash.

Bottle Art Kits make it easy to create beautiful "up-cycled" art projects! All you need is the the G2 Bottle Cutter, the kit of choice, and of course the bottles!

Wind Chimes Kit	Garden Treasure Kit	Luminary Kit	Keepsake Box Kit

This year they are giving crafters all over America a way to transform their ho hum gardens into an enchanted one filled with winged beauties by introducing the Mosaic Butterfly Feeder Kit. Hey why not invite these beautiful creatures to take part in our celebration. This kid-friendly kit contains a 2pc reusable feeder mold, tumbled glass rescued from a trip to the landfill, glass butterflies, cement, sand, instructions and fun butterfly facts right on the box. Its shallow well holds sand and salt along with water. When the water evaporates butterflies are attracted to the minerals left behind from the hard water and salt. Overripe fruit can also be place on the rim of the feeder to allure butterflies. Place it in your outdoor space and transform it into an enchanted butterfly garden. Now that’s a perfect way to celebrate Earth and nature!

Enter for your chance to win the
New Mosaic Butterfly Feeder Kit!

Two ways to enter:
Enter on Facebook or Enter on Twitter!

Rules: Enter by filling out the entry form in its entirety. One entry per person. Must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Entries accepted April 23-29, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random to receive the Mosaic Butterfly Feeder Kit on April 30, 2013. Prize will mailed within 2 weeks of notification. Delphi Glass reserves the right to deny entry to the contest for any reason. Winner will be notified via email. Winner will have one week to respond. If no response is received, Delphi Glass will choose another winner.

Images and New Mosaic Butterfly Feeder Kit prize provided courtesy of Diamond Tech.

Inspired Art Glass

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:10:00 -0400

This spring, both System 96 and Bullseye have announced the expansion of their color palettes, and both have offered up some inspired (and inspiring) new hues for your glass art. The colors capture some of the more subtle shades that appear in nature when the lighting is just right - those magic moments when the world takes your breath away.

They are also the colors that appear in tremendous works of art, from memorable paintings to your next project. Let these fresh colors inspire your designs. We're proud to introduce the latest hues here:

NEW System 96

Blue Topaz Transparent	Apple Jade Opal	Hydrangea Opal	Chambray Opal	Payne's Gray Opal

Blue Topaz Transparent mimics both the clarity and color of its namesake gemstone. Rounding out the selection between Sky Blue and Deep Aqua, this color blends beautifully with all the blues you already love. In addition, it creates fantastic reactions with Red Reactive or many Amber color glasses.

Apple Jade Opal captures the rare and beautiful hue of the precious stone it is named for, providing a green that manages to be both vibrant and subtle at the same time.

Hydrangea Opal is a lively, delicate color that captures the essence of the flower it was named for. Whether you consider this unique color a blue or a purple, it will be a stand-out shade in either group.

Chambray Opal offers a warm, soft blue tone that borders on gray. This color will look perfectly at home amongst Alpine Blue and Riviera Blue in the System 96 color palette, and is a near neighbor to the new Payne's Gray Opal. With the introduction of this shade, having the blues has never felt so good.

Payne's Gray Opal is a complex hue that blurs the line between blue and gray. Named for William Payne, the 18th century British watercolorist who used it prolifically, you'll quickly fall in love with all the ways you can use this tone as well.

Shown here for inspiration:

"Hovel near Yalmton, Devon" painting by William Payne with System 96 glass: Cloud Opal, Paynes Gray Opal, Chambray Opal, Stone Opal and Pewter Opal

Hydrangea flower with System 96 glass: Medium Blue Opal, Riviera Blue Opal, Turquoise Blue Opal, Turquoise Green Opal, Hydrangea Opal, Apple Jade Opal and Pale Green Opal

NEW Bullseye Compatible 90 COE

Indigo Blue Opal	Cream Opal	Artichoke Opal	Mink Opal

Celadon Opal	Elephant Gray Opal	Dusty Blue Opal	Warm White Opal

Indigo Blue Opal completes the selection of 90 COE blue opalescent glass by providing a true, deep blue.

Cream Opal provides a perfect warm neutral to use when your project needs layers of near-white tones.

Artichoke Opal is the pale green that can be found in its namesake.

Mink Opal is aptly named, summing up the luxuriant tone of this rosy brown.

Celadon Opal mimics the stunning jade green color found in ceramic glazes that have been popular since the 1st century AD.

Elephant Opal is sure to be HUGE! This warm gray tone is both rich and subtle at the same time, making it certain to become a go-to neutral in your glass selection. Whether you're looking for tree bark, storm clouds, sullen seas or creating it's namesake, this is the gray you'll want to grab.

Dusty Blue Opal offers a slightly muted tone of blue that still manages to feel vibrant and rich.

Warm White Opal is just off-white, for those times when you don't need a lot of color, but pure white would be too stark.

Shown here for inspiration:

"Stampede by Lightning" painting by artist Frederic Remington, with Bullseye Compatible glass: Dusty Blue Opal, Elephant Gray Opal, Artichoke Opal, Mink Opal, Warm White Opal, Indigo Opal, Celadon Opal and Cream Opal.

Sea turtle with Bullseye Compatible glass: Deep Red Opal, Turquoise Opal, Mink Opal, Cinnabar Opal, Burnt Orange Opal, Cream Opal, Warm White Opal, Indigo Opal, Dusty Blue Opal, Light Cyan Opal and Egyptian Blue Opal

Stained Glass News March 2013 Edition - 5 Hot Products for Spring

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:23:00 -0400

Here's our list of the 5 hottest new and featured items from the March 2013 of Stained Glass News:

1. Creator's Premium Bottle Cutter

What can the makers of the popular Cutter's Mate and Beetle Bits Cutting Systems do with a bottle cutter? It turns out - A LOT! They have designed a premium, top-of-the-line bottle cutter that is sturdy, easy to use and gives superior results. We love the special features on the Creator's Bottle Cutter, especially the aluminum slide bar ruler which makes cutting precise sizes a cinch, and the adjustable carbide cutting wheel so getting perfect pressure for an even score is a breeze. Want to learn more? See how it works with step-by-step photos and instruction.

2. Once You Try an Electric Mandrel Spinner, You Will Wonder How You Ever Created Beads Without One!

With the Electric Mandrel Spinner, you will free yourself from arm and shoulder strain while creating beads faster and more consistently. The trick? This ingenious tool provides continuous rotation to your mandrel, so winding glass evenly is easier, heat is dispersed throughout the bead, and you can focus on the creative details. In a nut shell - it's an arm-saving, time-saving tool that YOU WILL LOVE! Watch the free video demo to see how simple it is to use.
After recently not being available in glass art, it's now back with extra features and available in money-saving kits. We are thrilled to once again be able to offer this tool to glass artists.

3. New Offset Pendant Molds - Just Add a Cord and Wear!

With Colour de Verre's premium casting molds you can create gallery quality pieces in your home. Their new jewelry molds allow you to make gorgeous glass jewelry at a fraction of the price you would pay in a boutique. Each mold creates six pendants, two each of three different sizes. The holes in the pendants are offset, perfect for hanging. Available in round, square, oval and teardrop shapes. Get inspired - see the free project sheet for easy, creative projects and helpful firing hints.

4. PAPYROS Kiln Shelf Paper Now in 13" Pre-Cut Circles

Who doesn't love a chance to save time? Even better, who doesn't love the chance to buy a top-quality product that's already tailored to a custom fit?
Spectrum Glass has just released the ultimate in convenience for fusers - 13" Pre-Cut Circles of their popular PAPYROS Kiln Shelf Paper. This die-cut shape is ideal for most mid-size kilns, like the Delphi EZ-Pro 15-6. Each piece offers the same smooth surface, superior shelf separation and durability (even through multiple firings) as standard sheets - just in a pre-cut piece that saves time and eliminates scrap paper.
See the full line of PAPYROS Kiln Shelf Paper and discover why artists love it.

5. Light Up Your Home with Candle Sconces

If you have admired stained glass sconces but were intimidated to try creating one, don't be! This step-by-step guide shows you how to make gorgeous sconces using basic stained glass skills. It's filled with color instructional photos and inspiring finished projects. "Candle Sconces" features 16 contemporary and traditional patterns with lots of design details achieved by using bevels, globs, jewels and etching. No fancy hardware is required.

Stained Glass News Feb. 2013 Edition- See What's New

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:12:00 -0400

Here's our list of 5 Favorite New Items from the February 2013 edition of Stained Glass News.

1. Snowflake Casting Molds from Colour de Verre With the new premium mold from Colour de Verre you can make incredibly detailed, beautiful snowflakes. There are so many ways you can use these snowflakes. Hang them on their own (they are light) or incorporate them into projects. We’re excited about how creative you can get making the snowflakes – depending on the size of frit and firing temperature. LOVE them with dichroic!

Check out the mold and free project sheets posted on our website. You won’t believe the gallery quality of the pieces you can create.

2. Barefoot Tools are Back and Better Than Ever!

Powder Vibe	Electric Mandrel Spinner

The Bearfoot Tools line has some of our customer's favorite tool; and we would have to agree! After recently not being available in glass art, the tools are now back with extra features and available in money-saving kits. Have the popular tools? Now there are tons of convenient accessories to get the most out of them. We are thrilled to once again be able to offer these tools to glass artists. If haven’t tried one yet, see why these tools are so loved.

3. New System 96 Icicle Clear is Designed to Save You $$$
Delphi and Spectrum glass have worked hard to find solutions that will keep prices of glass down in spite of continually rising costs of raw materials. Because Spectrum must increase the price of System 96 Clear, they have developed a new clear fusible formula, Icicle Clear, that is economy priced.

Icicle Clear has a slightly bluish hue, which should be a non-issue for the majority of fusers using clear as a project base or a clear cap. It is made using the same devit-resistance and tested compatibility standards that fusers trust with System 96 glass. Regular Clear and Crystal Clear will continue to be available at Delphi. New economy priced Icicle Clear is available in Standard, Thin and Iridescent.

4. Smaller Wheeled Glass Nipper and More Top Tools
A smaller sized wheeled glass nipper has long been on our tool wish list. Now it’s here! The 7” wheeled glass nipper is part of the new Top Tools line which also includes breaker/grozers, lead dykes and running pliers.

5. Add Dichroic Sparkle with Frit Flakes
Now you can get dichroic frit in a smaller size. Regular dichroic frit is the coarse size. New dichroic frit flakes are the medium size. So any projects that requrie medium sized frit glass – your creative options just got a lot more exciting.

Created by CBS Dichroic. Available in both 90 and 96 COE.

Stained Glass News Extends Their Contest

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 07:44:00 -0400

Extra! Extra! Read All About It – Stained Glass News has Extended the Deadline to Enter the 25th Anniversary Contest Creating glass art is rewarding. Designing glass art that is stylish and functional is even better. What could make it even more amazing?

Winning huge prizes just for sharing your project! Stained Glass News has just announced that the entry deadline for their 25th Anniversary Contest has been extended through February 28th, 2013.

You get 8 incredible extra weeks to dream up new designs and send your submissions! Get more details about this contest in our Contest Announcement blog post, or get the contest rules and entry form to enter today.