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Friday, April 26, 2013

Walking on broken glass.


Over 2 years ago, I created the stained glass window ( on my sidebar to the right )
  as a raffle prize for a cancer benefit.

When I finished the window, I packed up my supplies and they remained untouched
 until just recently when I dusted off my glass cutters and grinder
 to make a simple window for the bedroom.
The guest bedroom that may never be finished!



Today I decided it's high time to dust off my blog that's been
sitting idle for over a month and publish a DIY stained glass tutorial.

See for yourself just how easy it is!


1.  Choose your glass.
2.  Find or make a frame.  I used an old thrifted window sash.
3.  Draw up a pattern, make a duplicate copy, and cut the pattern pieces apart from one copy.
4.  Glue the paper pattern pieces onto the glass and score with a glass cutter.
5.  Cut pieces and smooth the edges with a glass grinder.
6.  Wrap glass pieces with copper foil and pin together using the uncut pattern as your guide .
7.  Solder the pieces together.
8.  Blacken solder lines with patina solution.

Ta da!


I took a beginner stained glass class with a group of friends at a local studio about 15 years ago.
I was instantly hooked and bought all the equipment so I could work on projects at home.
Over the years, I made quite a few windows, but most of them were included
 in the purchase agreement when we sold our previous home.

 I compiled a collage below to show you the windows we left behind,
 but you'll have to excuse the photo quality as the images were scanned
 from photos taken with my old 35mm camera.

Top left:  Window for daughter Megan's room.
Top right:  Man cave door.
Middle left:  Main floor bath window.
Middle right:  Two of four kitchen cabinet doors.
Bottom left:  Window for daughter Julie.
Bottom right:  Basement bathroom window.

Below are a few magazine images I found that feature stained glass windows:

Interior wall accented with a vintage gothic window.  The photo on the right is the master
bath on the other side of the window.  Love.
 (Country Living)

I wish I could transport the shower on the left into our home!
(Better homes & Gardens)


Very simple design creates a modern vibe in this room.
(Source unknown)




The vintage window looks right at home in this classic farmhouse bathroom.
(Better Homes & Gardens)


Pretty window reflected in the mirror for twice the impact.
Striking glass colors!
(Design Sponge)

Privacy without the giving up natural light.
(Country Living)


Simple window reflected in the the mirror of the vanity that
I finally painted!



I thought about changing out the hardware and adding sheet music
to the damaged veneer on the drawers, but in the end, I repaired the veneer,
 gave it a coat of paint, and kept the original drawer pulls for a timeless look.
And it didn't cost me a dime.  :)


I have yet to master the art of taking photos of windows
with sunlight coming through.  Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not complaining.
We're enjoying our very first warm, sunshiny day!

To view hundreds of gorgeous antique stained glass windows and doors for sale
visit Oley Valley Antiques.  Or if you'd rather page through books filled with 
images of vintage windows, Schiffer published 3 books that are well worth purchasing.
  I "knocked off" most of my window designs from originals featured in these books.

Antique Stained Glass (Hardcover) ~ Molly Higgins (Author) Cover Art


Warning.
 No matter how careful you are and how well you clean up your mess,
 it's practically guaranteed that unsuspecting family members will step on the
  teeny tiny razor sharp slivers of glass
 left behind when the resident artiste cuts her glass on the laundry room table.
  So, if you decide you'd like to start working with glass, be sure to stock up on band aids first!


Thanks for visiting!
Vickie


*I'm joining the party at:
Common Ground  Be Inspired
Cozy Little House  Tweak it Tuesday
Jann Olson's  Share Your Cup Thursday
Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk
Ivy and Elephants What's it Wednesday


52 comments:

  1. oh Vickie, these are just beautiful! wow, who knew you were such an artist in this area. Love your new piece!

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  2. You're Back!

    Oh, how could you part with those lovely windows? I guess it is because you knew you could make even more beautiful windows again and again. You make me wish I knew how to do stained glass.

    Thanks for letting us see your lovely creations.

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  3. Vickie - You make it look so easy. I've done a lot of crafts but stained glass is one thing I've never attempted. I think it takes a lot of talent to do it. Your pieces are just gorgeous.

    Judy

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  4. You are really talented in painting and stained glass and sewing sock monkeys. All very awesome, Vickie.

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  5. ouch! That stings right?
    What amazing work, I LOVE stained glass and you are an amazing artist, it must have been difficult to leave all the beauty behind , but I can see why the buyer wanted them!

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  6. Wow Vickie your stained glass pieces are GORGEOUS! What a talent and don't tell me it's easy.You definitely have a talent for this!So glad to see you post.I have truly missed you and have thought about you! Hope all is well :-)
    xx
    Anne

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  7. A woman of many talents! They are really gorgeous. My next door neighbour lives in Florida from November to April, and this year she took stained glass window classes too. I"m glad your'e back!

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  8. Well Hello my friend. I have missed you. So glad you are back and Wow Wow Wow!!! How gorgeous are these windows. You did an amazing job. They are so pretty.
    Kris

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  9. Hi Vickie, You were MIA for awhile. Glad to have you back. Your windows are beautiful. Your talents continue to amaze me!
    Mary Alice

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  10. Vickie,
    your window looks amazing in the "unfinished" bedroom! Just tell me, is there anything you can't do? If I'd been buying your old house, I'd have made sure those amazing windows stayed too! Now I know why I'm so lacking in talent, you were in line before me and got them all!!
    Rebecca
    PS. you were right, my comments still aren't showing up on my screen but if I go in on google chrome, they show up.

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  11. Hello Mom! How was that almost 15 YEARS AGO??? I can remember you going...that is just bizarre to think about.

    We would like to put in our order for a simple stained glass window for our house ... ;0)

    Lovely lovely!

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  12. I am not the least bit surprised that you have made these gorgeous stained glass windows... You are so good at so many things! Wow. It must have bee hard to leave those labours of love behind but they did look wonderful there. Loving the new piece -- it's perfect in 'the' room.

    It's great to see a post; it's been awfully quiet on the range. Glad to hear it is warming up -- enjoy the great outdoors... it is naturally glass sliver free.

    :)

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  13. I love the simple ones the most - the new one looks lovely in the guest room :-)

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  14. I LOVE your stained glass windows! You are such a talented artist. You do lovely work.

    xo Danielle

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  15. Wow, you are so talented! I love your window. The guest room is coming along nicely! Jean

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  16. you are such a talented girl, vickie! the windows are beautiful! you are right about the glass slivers--ouch! when i was in my 20's, i took a class and made a couple of stained glass lamps--it was challenging for me.

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  17. Your stained glass window is beautiful, Vickie. I love the lounge glass sign on your previous cave room door. I can see why the new owners wanted your stained glass to be part of the package!

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  18. omg... You need to start back making these again! They are seriously beautiful! I might have to look into the equipment. Is it expensive?

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    Replies
    1. I just looked it up... the cutter looks like an exacto knife. ??? Is that one needs to cut the glass?

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  19. So glad to see you!! The stained glass is just gorgeous! Now that you've opened up this door, I suspect you will get some orders for special things! Glad the weather is improving! I may be a no-reply so don't worry...it's been months and I can't seem to fix it permanently...sigh...

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  20. Glad to have you back. You were MIA! But you were working on something wonderful! I love how that stained glass looks in your window above the shutters. So classic and vintage at the same time. You are quite talented. I've never made a stained glass piece before. I've often admired the ones that I see for sale in antique shops with their big fat price tags though. Your guest room is looking great!

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  21. I love stained glass windows and yours are so lovely! What talent!! I am so glad to see you back in blogland and hope you post more often...your voice is missed! The new window is so pretty and I would love to stay in that gorgeous guest room!
    hugs, Linda

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  22. My goodness, you are so talented! I have always admired people who had the patience for this art form. As for the window photos, have you tried standing at the side a bit when taking the pic?
    Brenda

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  23. And....she's back! Yay! Love the stained glass and the white! :) You have much more DIY patience than I!

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  24. Your windows are gorgeous! I can see why the buyers made you leave them in the house you sold!

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  25. Hi Vickie, Great to see you. You are an amazing talent. Love your windows.
    Your pics are gorgeous. This is such a wonderful art form.
    Thank you for sharing and so glad you dusted off your tools.

    Have a great weekend,
    XO CM

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  26. OH my, Vickie! I can see why the windows were in the purchase agreement...your creations are just beautiful! You are SO talented! I am really enjoying this warm weather now, too...

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  27. I LOVE stain glass windows! Yours are awesome! I have one hanging in my living room window and sure enjoy it! That is cool that you make them.
    Warmly,
    deb

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  28. Aren't you the talented girl! I was hoping to see a sock monkey window in your portfolio, but the other ones more than make up for that omission. Your new vanity looks pretty all dolled up in white. I'm not sure whether I like the gardenia container the best or the green lamp (adore that shade), but the whole vignette looks great.

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  29. So glad you dusted off your blog and your stained glass skills. Amazing that you can make stained glass windows. You make it sound so simple. The results are stunning! Love the painted vanity too. So glad you're back!
    Liz

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  30. Hello!!! I have missed your posts a lot but, wow! you came back with a powerful one!
    Your stained glass is fantastic, you are really an artiste! And it looks gorgeous in the new room. I love the vanity too, as always with so lovely details...
    Besos! So glad you're back.

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  31. This stained glass window is gorgeous and I know that this wasn't an easy task. My mother made gorgeous stained glass pieces when she was alive and there is a lot of hard work that goes into a project. You did such a fantastic job!!!

    Cynthia

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  32. Vicki you are far too modest. Your stained glass is beautiful and yet you make it sound so simple. The truth is you are so talented! Your creation looks fabulous in your room. Thanks for the inspiration, I would love to try this one day.
    Leslie (aka Gwen Moss)

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  33. Beautiful, I love the Mary Engelbreit type flower on your latest project, it's just perfect surrounded by textured clear glass. I'm adding this project onto my "Make This" board on Indulgy.com. Thanks for sharing.

    Your previous home and stain glass work was beautiful.

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  34. Your stained glass is magical! It must have made you sad to leave those beautiful pieces behind, what a lucky new buyer! I also took a stained glass class many, many years ago, loved it but I lacked a workroom and as you said there are always slivers of glass. I'd say your room is coming together nicely, one wonderful piece at a time! Have a great week. Laura

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  35. Beautiful windows! They add so much to a room and I love how the light reflects off of them when the sunlight peaks through.

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  36. Lovely! Where do you buy the glass?

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  37. Wow, love your window and the cute little white dresser! I have always wanted to take a stained glass class. I am saving this tutorial. Thanks so much for sharing! Would love if you linked it to Share Your Cup.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  38. I enjoyed your blog on stained glass. It must have been hard to let your old windows go...

    I collect windows too, here is a post on one.

    http://jeanneselep.blogspot.com/2010/03/stained-glass-treasure.html

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  39. You are one talented and creative lady. I'm in awe of your stained glass. I have a soft spot for it- my Dad used to do it and I have one of his hanging in my Bathroom window. The dresser came out just perfect-I'm glad you didn't go with the sheet music-it's just perfect! Well done!

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  40. What an amazing talent you have, those are absolutely fabulous! Some of them are just so detailed! Fabulous!
    The dresser looks perfect with the vintage hardware. You rock!
    Hugs,
    Patti

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  41. You have made such a lovely glass decor. It looks so nice. :)

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  42. A friend of mine used to do stained glass and I admire the skill so much. Your windows are wonderful Vickie, there is just not enough time in life is there, to create and blog - life and work just get in the way !!

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  43. Oh I'm a little envious of you - I've always wanted to start doing this, but it is still a stage I've never gone through. Yours look wonderful. It would have been really hard to leave all of them in the old house.

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  44. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  45. This is so elegant looking, your such a very creative Vickie! hopefully I can try this at our home too this year maybe our renovation and wishing that this will not so expensive. Glass company

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  46. Wow, aren't you one talented glass artist? You made the process look easy and a little effortless. You will absolutely bloom in the stained glass window business. Stained glass window are stunning, particularly when sunlight passed through its vibrant colors.

    Willene Fagen @RoofingandMoreINC.com

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  47. Nice. You are very good at it. It doesn’t matter if those photos are taken from an old 35mm camera, it’s fairly obvious that those stained windows are crafted perfectly. Are you working on something new right now? Roosevelt Franklin @ Clear Choice Windows and More

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