One of the things I like best at Stained Glass Stuff is the sharing and supportive atmosphere, not just among the staff but also among the regular customers.  I took this unusual yellow vase in on Saturday to have the base cut for use as a feature in a glass panel. As I was deciding where to cut, another regular, Diana, suggested I do some research first to whether this was Vaseline Glass. 

It turns out that the slightly green hue visible in the top of the piece when it is placed directly in the sun is a classic feature of Vaseline Glass. I found lots of examples of this glass on-line and in my collection of books on glass. The difference is that all of the examples I found were pressed or cut glass, where this piece is obviously hand blown.

I have been buying and using 'heritage' glass for nearly two years and sometimes question whether some of the pieces I have had cut/fused have been little pieces of history that should, perhaps, be protected. So far I have been able assuage my conscious by telling myself that I am offering them a new life glistening in a window (instead of gathering dust in the back of a cupboard). For now, I am holding onto this piece while I do a little more research. It could be interesting to have a feature piece in a panel that changes from yellow to green in the sunlight ....

Despite a snowy start, the sun broke through and it was an absolutely beautiful day at Galerie Old Chelsea with lots of visitors.  'Matinée' is now installed in its temporary home at Galerie Old Chelsea, waiting for the right person to walk in and insist that it come home with them.  The laws of thermodynamics struck again - while glass is created at very high temperatures and endures high temperatures again when they are flattened in the kiln, the sudden increase in temperature which occurs while soldering stresses the glass and can create cracks, particularly along pre-existing creases in the design etched on the glass. These cracks reflect the the impact of life's experiences on the glass (and us), a little like character lines on our faces as we age gracefully.

I used this kiln-flattened glass bowl yesterday in a piece I was creating. I had two choices - grind the outer edge to make it easier to foil, or invest a lot of time to foil it. I kept the beautiful scalloped edge and invested over an hour foiling this one piece. I am pleased with the outcome and will post a 'teaser' of the finished piece in a few days. You will have to wait until May to see the full image of this piece.

Where does the time go? I was making trees and Christmas-related orders right up until the 21st of December and sat in the Galerie on the 22nd. That gave me two days to get ready for Christmas! It was not a Christmas that you would see in a magazine but the turkey got roasted and we were grateful to share the day with good friends and good cheer. My first day back in the workshop was spent cleaning, sorting and organizing. First priority was given to creating three small pieces for my show in May (teaser photos to follow).  Today's piece has been a few days in the design phase, will be soldered tomorrow, and will take its place on the table by the window at the Galerie on Sunday. The piece sits in a low, flat stand and may have some more color accents added. Happy 2017!