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Be Creative with Stained Glass!
I don't know about you, but I love stained glass. It adds such color when the light shines through, like having your own rainbow. There are so many options today that anyone can have the effect in their home. You can buy new ready made, antique windows and lamps make your own. The lastest and greatest is stained glass window film. It's and easy and affordable way to add that vibrant effect to any room. Use it on windows, glass cabinet doors or even little cut-outs on mirrors. I'm hoping to take a stained glass class this summer if I can find the free time. I would love to hear any ideas or tips.
Share them here
and I'll add them to the website. Eventually, even add them to a monthly newsletter where everyone can share experiences and knowledge. Hope to hear from you soon!
The Beauty Of Stained Glass
By Hallidae Thomason
Creating or purchasing a unique piece of stained glass can be the perfect addition to any part of your home. A great stained glass piece will add texture, color, and give all of your guests something to admire.
Stained glass is just what you would expect. Basically, stained glass is made of pieces of glass infused with shades of almost any color you can imagine. The pieces of glass are fused together to create stained glass pieces of many sizes and varieties. Sometimes small pieces of glass will come together and represent a scene of something recognizable like a tree, flower, or animal. Other finished works of stained glass will be a collage of colors that do not create anything we recognize.
If you are interested in learning more about stained glass and perhaps even in creating a finished piece or two of your own, the chances are high that you can find a class or a seminar in a town near you. While creating glass does take hard work and patience, you will be happy to learn that almost anyone can learn the skills necessary for making a beautiful work of stained glass. Check in your local newspaper or at a local art shop to see where you might find a stained glass class offered to the public. In a class you will be taught by an expert and able to play around with stained glass until you find a color scheme and pattern that is attractive to your eye. Consider a spot in your home that could used a little decoration and create stained glass that will match that area of your home.
If making great pieces of stained glass seems like too much of a stretch for you, consider purchasing stained glass pieces that have already been made and are ready for sale. Look in local art shops, galleries or even on the internet to find stained glass that catches your eye. Take your time and look at a variety of locations if they are available to you. You may find a particular artist or style of stained glass that you enjoy more than others. You may find that you prefer stained glass that is more random is design rather than stained glass that has been made into something recognizable.
Whatever your taste, you will enoy having unique stained glass pieces in any part of your home. Whether you decide to create your own or to purchase from a more accomplished artist, first decide to make great stained glass pieces part of your home today.
About the Author: After seeing what stained glass added to her home, Hallidae Thomason has been advising all of her friends and family to add stained glass to their homes as well. Learn more at www.mystainedglass.info
Source: www.isnare.com
The Art Of Stained Glass
By Keith
As with all forms of art, its beauty is defined by the sensations it arouses. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect in the art of stained glass is in its' versatility. It's durable, yet fragile, challenging, but yielding to the experienced hands of the artist. I discovered this form of art some seven years ago when my girlfriend and I decided to take a series of evening classes at a local stained glass retail store. We took six classes and I have been hooked ever since.
If you are in need of a way to take away the stresses of everyday life I would recommend stained glass as great way to download and at the same time get into a new hobby. It is a form of self-meditation. The steps you'll follow in arriving at your finished work of art will teach you self-discipline, and provide a great sense of artistic achievement. And if you're like me, you will not be able to get enough of it. That's when you'll want to expand out and begin doing projects for others.
But be careful, once word gets out that you're into stained glass, all of your relatives (you know the ones) will be the first to ask you to make them something. Actually, it's not so bad at first, because they make great test cases and you'll want to experiment.
Where to begin? I suggest a visit to your local stained glass retailer. While not all towns have one (here is a great business opportunity for you) a look into your telephone book should yield a location or two or you can perform an Internet search for local retailers. Start by inquiring into whether or not they run classes. Most retailers usually do because it's a source of increased revenues to them (they know that you'll probably be buying your supplies from them). Cost of classes will be relatively moderate for the same reasons. Check out your local County Colleges as well. My instructor also taught night classes there.
TIP: Bring a friend with you; it will add to the fun and you'll be able to compare notes.
The place you'll be taking the classes from will no doubt also provide you with the basic beginners kit, which will contain the tools needed to get you started. Expect to find a glass cutter; there a variety of types and you should choose the one that your most comfortable with. I have tried a variety myself but in the end settled for the basic non-oil filled type. A breaker, similar to pliers, is used to snap off the glass after being scored. A specially designed scissor is used to cut out your pattern, and of course a soldering iron is used to join the cut pieces of glass together. Expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $100.
There are other items that you'll need along the way, but they will be available to you during your classes, such as the grinder, which is used to grind down excess glass, not removed by the cutting process and to polish off the edges of the cut glass. This last part is important because of the foiling process that takes after the glass is ground down. Foiling is a process whereby the copper foil is placed around the edges of the ground glass. The foil is sticky on one side allowing it to adhere to the glass. The purpose of the copper foil is to provide a surface for the solder to stick too.
A word on foiling. Most of us are familiar with the traditional form of stained glass that we have encountered in churches which employ the use of a lead came between the glass pieces. Copper foiling is an alternative to the lead came and is no doubt the first place a new student to the art of stained glass will begin. Only after one has mastered the foil, should you proceed to the came. Besides, foiling is a much easier process, especially for the beginner. I still prefer this method over the came method.
There is a little more to the art of stained glass than what I have described thus far, but the fundamental steps outlined below will give you a basic outline on what to expect.
Plan your design; will it be for a window, skylight... the possibilities will astound you. Let your imagination take you,
Sketch out your design or use a bought pattern available through your retailer,
Cut out the individual pieces from your pattern using those special scissors I mentioned earlier,
Apply the cut pattern pieces to the glass to be cut,
Using the glasscutter, score and break (not in the literal sense) each piece
Grind off the excess glass
Foil each piece of glass
Solder the pieces together
Clean your work, and
Display your masterpiece!
You will soon come to discover your own favorite step in the art of stained glass. For some, it will be in the designing stages, that challenge of coming up with your own unique design. For myself, my love for the art lies in the cutting of the glass. There is a final moment of truth that comes after you have scored the glass with the glass cutter; this is the part where I hold my breath. As you force the glass to run (I'll explain that in another article), you'll begin to see the glass crack along the scored line as you hoped it would. With all things in the universe being wonderful, the glass breaks as you had intended. Occasionally it won't; that's the breaks! But don't worry, glass is relatively inexpensive and you'll get it the next time.
About the Author: Keith Londrie II has put up an informative web site about stained glass at http://www.stained-glass-info.info/ Please feel free to drop by the web site to learn more about stained glass. Keith Londrie II klondrie @ http://yahoo.com http://www.stained-glass-info.info/
Source: www.isnare.com
Decorating With Stained Glass Window Film
By Randy Walker
Stained Glass windows and glass doors do far more for a room’s decor than just look good. They also impart an eye-pleasing spectrum of colored light that adds a wonderful, energy to a room. As a decorative element, stained glass is something many would like to use, but with stained glass costing hundreds to thousands of dollars, most of us do not get to enjoy the beauty and benefits of stained glass.
An affordable alternative to expensive stained glass is decorative window films that look like stained glass. Wallpaper For Windows!™ is the leading decorative window film manufacturer, but there are a few others. This unique, adhesive-free static window film creates the look and effect of stained glass at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. From sidelights and storm doors, to arched and standard windows, to patio doors and everywhere in-between, these designs complement many color motifs and decorating styles to easily transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
For rooms that are dark because the blinds are kept closed for privacy, decorative privacy window films can bring a room out of the darkness and into the light. The artwork obscures visibility through the glass, so instead of living behind closed blinds, everyone enjoys beautiful stained glass; a room filled with light and privacy is maintained.
At night, light from the room illuminates the artwork to create a beautiful exterior effect enjoyed by neighbors and passersby.
The best decorative window films are adhesive-free vinyl films. They have more benefits than just aesthetics; they filter UV rays (protecting furnishings from fading), reduce heat and save energy. Adhesive-free films are an easy do-it-yourself project to apply and when it is time to redecorate (or move) the adhesive-free static film can be removed in seconds.
(Beware of low priced adhesive films that are decorative. Regardless of what the manufacturers would like you to believe, removing the film is no easy task. For more information on adhesive and adhesive-free films, read my article “Decorative Window Films – Adhesive vs Adhesive-free” )
If you want to add color or privacy to a room, using decorative window films that look like Stained Glass is an easy and affordable solution.
We recommend Wallpaper For Windows!™ decorative window film. The variety of designs, quality and sizes available are the best on the market.
About the Author: Randy Walker is a retired window film installer and a firm believer in the benefits of the new decorative window films. His articles and website Decorate With Window Film is dedicated to helping consumers make informed decisons before purchasing.
Source: www.isnare.com
Stain Glass Supplies
What You'll Need For Great
Stained Glass Masterpieces
Although stained glass can be purchased right now, stain glass supplies are found for those who are ambitious in making their own. Stained Glass utilizes particular materials due to a rather sophisticated and involved process of production. Common stain glass supplies are described below.
1. Glass-the most apparent stain glass supply. The glass should be thin enough to be easily cut without shattering or cracking, but should also be heavy enough to withstand the element. Glass is sold according to weight and in square-foot sheets. Various textures are available, such as wavy, smooth, rippled, etc. These present a challenge, especially when coloring and cutting, but the process is fun, and the end result is fantastic!
2. Metallic Salts and Oxides-these create color when the glass is fired in a kiln. Copper should be incorporated for green, and blue glass or gold oxides for red and orange.
3. White Glass--this might be appropriate, should the colors come out too dark. Mixing white glass on a blow pipe and then blowing onto red glass lightens the resulting color.
4. Blow Pipe--Valuable to blow white glass, if necessary. This process, described above, serves to lighten dark-colored glass.
5. Grozing Iron-this is for cutting glass in predetermined shapes according to the specific designs of the stained glass project.
6. Lead-this is stripped into predetermined shapes so that they can be fitted between then the pieces of glass. Since lead poisoning has become a real potential problem, Copper Foil serves as a viable substitute for lead. The latter just might even be more cheap to use in the long run.
7. Soldering Iron-this is required to reconnecting the glass pieces with the lead strips or Copper Foil along the edges.
8. Frames-since these are to be watertight, the use of wooden frames are not advised. Metal or lead frames, or some other solid but not-too-heavy components should be considered for stained glass.
9. Oily Cement-this is applied by filling the joints to make the frame water tight all the way around.
Stained Glass is made pretty much the same way as it was during the Middle Ages, but the advance in technology has simplified the course. It requires significant skill, so those who are interested are advised to read up on it adequately. It is important to know which stain glass supplies are needed and why.
The right Stain Glass Supplies can make anyone into a regular Michaelangelo. Well not quite, but it's a great start!
The best stained glass fireplace screen items can be downloaded from our website.
Article Source: Artsymmetry - Free Online Art Articles Directory
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