The heart theme continues. The red heart was a commission to mark a 30th wedding anniversary. The mauve heart played with the balance of glass and open space - the crystal changes colour depending on the light going from pink/mauve to green/blue. The pink heart is a commission for Nova Scotia - it was created in May but then suffered from a small fall, and I have finally found time to create new outside pieces. Sadly, my stock of chandelier crystals is depleted so I can not create any more of these until I find more.

As we wind up 2020 and move into 2021, I wish you health, good friends and close family members. Be kind!

Hearts For Windows - For So Many Reasons - Hearts have been a popular theme this year. The first batch that I took to Galerie Old Chelsea for the Holiday Shopping were very popular. A second batch were delivered on Thursday, ready to share warm thoughts with family and friends. The larger, red heart was a special request to celebrate a 30th wedding anniversary for a family with three children. I am looking forward to more studio time over the holdiays! Stay well everyone!

Today's challenge was to add ribbons on my suncatchers and hang them in the Galerie windows to capture the elusive sunshine. It was like a game of hide and seek - just when I thought the clouds had moved in for the afternoon, out popped the sun again! The last set were hung in the window beside the Galerie entrance which does not get direct sunshine. To my absolute delight, as I was closing the Galerie this evening, I realized that the light filtering through the window to Les Fougères' shop was back-lighting the suncatchers and creating great 'sparkle'. 

I can't believe it is half-past November! Who knew that the trees I started making and numbering a few years ago would be so popular - Tree # 100 was finished today and will be hung at Galerie Old Chelsea on Thursday, along with Tree # 99 (green). The blue one went to its forever home last week. Next on the table are a couple of sets of suncatchers. I had not planned to make any this year until I received a special request from a client. There are a couple of batches lined up .... I just need more workshop time.

I have a client that buys three pieces each year for gifts for life-time friends. I took five trees to her yesterday, expecting her to choose three. She actually took all five and ordered another. Back to the cutting board .... I have another blue and fracture streamer one on the table now for but want to make more for the the Christmas Market at Galerie Old Chelsea, along with some other special pieces. No opportunity to be bored here!

I did not plan to make any trees this year.... A review of my fused pieces revealed that I had five glass fans so I decided to see if I could cut them successfully as they were very thick. Once I had cut the fan into a triangle, I just had to frame it....tree # 89! It has a small stress crack in the bottom left corner of the tree - one of the unpredictable factors of working with heritage glass....it's how the light gets in. Then I got curious and decided to see if I could cut a long, narrow tree. There are a number of technical challenges, but it can be done with very good effects (and a new, expensive tool from Stained Glass Stuff). Tree-mendous (tree # 90) uses Winter fracture-streamer glass and a flat white. Tree # 91 was made using Kokomo ends maximizing the shapes of the outside edge of the glass, grinding only enough to attach the foil. The glass has a variety of air bubbles, ripples and thickens at the bottom edges, all of which add to the character of this tree. The gardens behind Galerie Old Chelsea offered a perfect backdrop today for photos to demonstrate how the clear, textured background glasses pick up and reflect the outside colours and bring them into the room!  I already have orders for three in specific colours so it looks like I may hit # 100 in the series soon enough!

This piece offered a colour challenge matching the light bronze and grey bevels with a background design and colours that would completment but not fight with the subtle colours. I had one small piece of the sandblasted bronze architectural glass which made a great tile wall. Then I selected a cloudy sky. Such a difference between the piece with and without sunlight.

I have just finished a commission for a privacy screen in three panels. It could be while until it has been delivered and installed so I can't post an image of the whole thing, only hints! It was hard to part with this one!

Last winter, my friend and neighbour dropped her pinwheel crystal flower vase and saved the pieces for me. On Tuesday, I wanted to make a small project and the professionally cut and polished bottom of her vase jumped into my hands. My friend has some vision problems so I kept the design simple and used glass that would draw in colour and light from outside. She was surprised and very happy to receive the  finished project yesterday afternoon - giving new life to her treasured memory.

Transforming sentimental objects into art is a welcome challenge. These two pieces were delivered this week.
The first challenge was to create a piece of art using her husband's camera lenses and filters, along with three wine glass bases from the family crystal. it turned out that most of the lenses were made in Eastern Europe and it took every tool in my kit, persistence and considerable time to liberate enough lenses from the bayonets. The piece quickly found a temporary home in her current apartment, patiently waiting for moving day!
The second challenge was to create a panel for a large window facing the garden to include an oval crystal bowl and the bottom of a miniature crystal flower vase which had belonged to her mother. Once the glass preferences were clear and the crystal pieces were placed, the design flowed quickly.
I have one more small project to completed before I take a quick break for some family time and I will be back in my studio by mid-August.