Window Project Update

 Here is the third window "I Wish I Could Fly".  I used flat globs for the flowers, the flowers in the middle remind me of Bluebonnets.  There are several intended and unexpected things happening in this window.  For instance,  how the bottom left panel looks darker.  I did use a few darker pieces of stained glass to the bottom of the tree yet the whole panel looks darker as if there is shade under the tree.  I also like how there are three leaves falling under the three birds as if the bird tore the leaves off while sitting on the tree limb. 

This window was inspired by a bath towel I bought at Target that had birds on tree branches with one bird flying away.

The window is not completely finished, I still need to add a beak on the yellow bird, add a hole to the front of the bird house, add eyes and whiskers to the little kitty cat and add o-rings to the window frame for hanging.  It will be hanging in the store by this weekend at 238 W. 19th St., Houston, Texas in the Heights area. 







My husband very seldom calls me on my cell while he is at work, so when he calls I know something is up.

While riding through the neighborhood he noticed a house being torn down and saw old window frames thrown to the curb.  He stopped and talked to the contractor who said the window frames were trash and that we could have them.  So he called me to go by and look at them and see if I wanted some for my stained glass.

I went and loaded up my van with all the window frames that had been thrown out.  Even the broken wood frames and the frames with broken glass.  I figured I can always take the glass out of the broken wooden frames to replace the glass in the good frames.

When hubby came home he asked me if I picked up any of the windows.  I said yes.  He asked how many, I said I don't know, I did not count.  So we went to the back yard to look and count.  I had a total of seventeen window frames.

Seventeen Old Window Frames in need of some TLC.

That same evening I washed and cleaned two window frames.  The next couple of days was spent scraping old paint off and repainted with a coat of Gesso and paint.

 It took me two weeks working early morning until early the next day to mosaic the first window frame.  I named this one "Sunflowers".

Window is layed flat until white grout dries.

The second window frame took three weeks to complete.  I named this one "The Aquarium"  Notice each panel has a boarder of small tile pieces that frames each panel. 

Used black grout, sea shells and small tile and rocks.  Placed on window ledge to take picture.

Here in these pictures you can see where they are both hanging on conceinment at a shop in the Heights Neighborhood in Houston, TX.

I am almost finished with the third window frame.  Some panels still need grouting.  This one is titled "I Wish I Could Fly".  There is so much going on in my household that I am going on four weeks to finish this window.  I will post a picture once it is completed.

This Window Project will take some time to complete and even though there is no time frame, I am not in any rush to complete it.  Yet, I am curious to see where my artistic imagination will take me.  Plus with so many windows, I will have to find other stores willing to display and sale them for me.   Any suggestions or comments on how and where to sale them will be appreciated.

I will keep updating my progress as I finish each window.

4 Pieces of Glass

What could I make with 4 pieces of glass?

4 pieces of glass

Assembled in the right order, I can make an owl.

Grind glass so that the pieces fit together.

WHO you looking at with those big white eyes? This owl is foiled and ready to hang out in a new home.

Scrap Glass Garden Art

 Lately I have been in an artistic rut.  So I decided to take a Scrap Glass Garden Art class at Harmony Stained Glass Shop in Pasadena, Texas.  I joined the class not really knowing what we were going to make as there was no picture of this Garden Art before I signed up for the class, but I figured it was a way to use some of my scrap glass.  As always the place was clean and the people were friendly. The instructions were clear but the instructor was not around enough to give much help.  She only came to see my project once and only told me that it looked good and to keep up the good work.  In fact the owner of the shop was more helpful than the instructor.  I had no problem with constructing my art piece just that it was time consuming for a project this big and I had to bring it home to finish.   In fact, if I had seen the picture of the instructors piece, I probably would not have taken the class, as I have made something similar to this before.  The only difference is that these are on metal stakes so that the piece can be set on the ground instead of hanging. 

Because I could not get a good picture of this garden piece, I took a picture of both sides.  I don't like how the pale colored glass is too faded out.  Next piece I will make using opaque glass. 

Add caption

St. Iggy's Stained Glass

Every Sunday we drive 45 minutes to St Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church for the Teen Life Mass. Here is the outside of the church.

My two boys play in the Teen Life Band and Hubby works sound for them I
always sit with Hubby in the sound booth. Here is the view from the booth.

It is not your old style church with stained glass windows all around. In fact, there is a 
small stained glass panel of Our Lady of Guadalupe that hangs just outside the main church 

and a large stained glass window installed in the small chapel.  The door to the chapel was  locked and I had to take the picture from behind a glass wall. 

Being a stained glass artist I hate not seeing the beautiful cathedral glass depicting religious scenes with thousands of pieces of colorful glass.  It certainly is different from the old church I went to as a child.  I sure do miss looking up at those beautiful windows.  LOL


Does your place of worship or home have any stained  glass?  If so I would love to see some pictures.  Will you post them on your blog?

Butterfly Project

One of my blog friends is collecting 51 butterflies to be donated to the Holocaust Museum Butterfly Project. See her blog here  http://paperturtle.blogspot.com/2012/02/butterfly-project.html 
See Museum Project here http://hmh.org/ed_butterfly1.shtml
This week I finished three small stained glass butterflies and delivered them to the Museum here in Houston.  

 While I was at the Museum, I purchased the paperback book titled ...I never saw another butterfly...  It is a collection of children's drawings and poems who were in a concentration camp.   The employees at the Museum were so thankful for the butterflies that they gave me a discount on the book.  As of last week they have collected around 950,000 butterflies.

I have toured the museum before with my children on school educational trips.  It is hard to see the film and pictures of what Jews had to endure while in the camp.  I left the Museum with a heavy heart saddened by the reminder of how cruel people were treated.

Other butterflies are in the works.  Two of my instructors are working on lesson plans for next week to include the Butterfly Project. I am making a few origami butterflies using scrapbook paper.   How about you?  Can you donate a butterfly or two?  If so, visit the Holocaust Museum website for more information.  Together we can help the Museum reach the goal of 1.5 million butterflies to represent the number of children who lost their lives in the Holocaust.

Sun Catchers

What could I make with two pieces of scrap glass and a marble glob?

Hmm....



Thinking ....



Thinking .....



and still Thinking.  


I've got it! 




An Angel

Stained Glass Angel Sun Catchers

Butterfly Panel

The Butterfly window panel is finished. The background is a clear glass with what looks like rain drops.  The pink wispy boarder glass was chosen to bring out the pink color in the butterfly wings.   The butterfly glass was also used on the four corners of the panel.  I am happy how it came out.  If interested in purchasing, call or e-mail me before my first show which is on October 13th.  I have a feeling this panel will sell fast.  Click on the photos to get a closer view.  

Closer view of double butterflies

Butterfly Panel - 15 1/4" x 14"

Closer view of single butterfly.

July Contest Winners

Okay here are the winners to my July Contest.  The following winners guessed what I made with four pieces of glass.  A  SNOWMAN!. 
Fanny Young
Ellen Aguirre
Annonymous (Name did not show up in your comments)
Winners, please email me your physical address at: iomaldo@aol.com, so that I can mail you a snowman.

These cute little guys will add lots of holiday cheer to your home this holiday season and can be used as a sun catcher or as a Christmas tree ornament. 
Thanks for playing and I hope you return to my blog on a regular basis to read my blog and post comments.

July Contest Giveaway

Wow! Can you believe July is almost gone?  It is so hot in Houston, I thought I would chill things down with a cool contest. 

In my effort to try and get more followers on my blog, I have decided to host a Contest Giveaway till the end of July.  As you may know from my blog, I love to work with stained glass.  In my July Contest Giveaway the first ten followers who guess correctly what I will make with these pieces of glass will win one of the finished item.  Feel free to mention/post this to your fellow bloggers. The contest ends at the end of this month (7-31-11).  On the first of August, I will post a picture of the finished item along with the list of ten winners.  Be sure to keep following my blog as I will be posting a few small clues to help with this guessing game.  Good Luck!

RULES:
1.  Become a follower of my blog. 
2.  Post your guesses under the comments of this post.
3.  Share contest with your fellow bloggers.
4.  Keep watch for clues.
5.  Use your imagination and have fun with your guesses.

CLUES  (Will be posted on the following dates here):
1.  July 18, 2011 - Small sun catcher with 4 pieces of glass: 1 big & 2 sml. circles and 1 sml orange piece
2.  July 22, 2011 - Kids love it, some adults do too just not to much or it becomes dangerous.
3.  July 25, 2011 - We don't see it in Houston too much. When it does hit Houston, people get excited and bundle up.
4.  July 29, 2011 - It makes the temperature drop and has the power to close schools and businesses.

Santa's House

Santa's House
These christmas ornaments were made using only two shapes of glass to build Santa's House, a two inch square for the bottom and a triangle for the roof.  These ornaments are double sided.  A christmas tree on one side and santa/snowman on the other side.  They are made using scraps of stained glass and old sheet music.   First I cut two inch squares out of sheet music, and dyed the sheets using water colors.  Once dry, I stamped a small christmas tree and embossed with green embossing glitter on one side and added silver embossing glitter to look like snow.  On the other side I glued a small picture of santa/snowman and embossed silver glitter to look like snow.  When completely dry, I sandwiched the piece of sheet music between two pieces of  clear textured stained glass.  Finally, I soldered the triangle roof and the two inch square to form a small house and added a ring on top for hanging on your christmas tree. If you like these, look for my Christmas in July Special next month.  Click on the picture to get a bigger view.

Stained Glass Christmas Stockings

These stained glass stockings make great ornaments, sun catchers, or gift tags.  They come in a variety of colors.  Call me to place an order for a particular color. 

Purple Cat

This stepping stone is the first mosaic I made.  No, your eyes are not deceiving you, and Yes, that is a purple cat.   Everyone laughed at me for using purple stained glass, even I was laughing, but when we saw the final project I knew I had picked the right color of glass.  This purple cat greets me everytime I walk up my front steps.  It brings life to my dead flower bed.  

Stained Glass Cross

This stained glass cross takes on a different look when hung on different colored walls.  The blue outline and rose are made with stained glass pieces placed on a glass picture frame. I used clear textured glass for the interior of the cross.