"My Funny Valentine" Treasury

We expect to see tons of Valentine's Day treasuries on Etsy. Here's one posted today featuring my cherry red glass votive.

'My Funny Valentine' by 1mADwoman

Enjoy!

I LOVE YOU.The End ... JerseysFreshes... $15.00	Cherry Red Opal Wis... RoseMarysGlass... $18.00	Brass Hand Stamped ... FuchsiaBloomSt... $30.00	So Love moleskine p... blackbirdandpe... $10.00
Rustic Brass Cuff B... ellabellebouti... $23.00	Rustic swing weddin... orlydesign $110.00	Set of 4 hearts Rus... HandyHappyHear... $27.50	RESERVED for Mimmo:... CocoAndBear $40.00
A set of tiny rusti... orlydesign $42.00	Personalized Monogr... meltemsem $65.00	Still LIfe Photo, N... TheShutterbugE... $30.00	Felted white slippe... RitaJFelt $70.00
Red Valentine Wreat... designerkym $20.00	Red Valentine Clock... Shannybeebo $37.74	Boot Cuffs, Leggins... sunshineandvod... $24.00	LINOCUT PRINT - red... thebigharumph $22.00

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My Family of Three Christmas Trees

This is a continuation of my post of December 26th and the Glass Christmas Trees ... and my new paperweight!

I cut more square pieces for two more trees and got the kiln shelf perfectly level for them. I checked at 1100 degrees and they were both standing straight and tall. When I checked again at almost 1300 degrees, both trees had started to lean over. At that point I turned off the kiln and kept the lid open to stop any further action. So NEXT TIME, I'll start checking a lot earlier and freeze the action if I see anything happening.

Here is a photo of the three trees with little red balls epoxied on. I think they are so cute together!

After the second firing, I emailed the artist of the beautiful and perfect trees I showed you in the December 26th post and asked him if he had any suggestions for me. By the way, his name is Thomas Fuhrman. If you google him, you'll find out he is a well-known glass artist. He replied to me the next day and said, "They can not be fused. They are adhered together with UV setting adhesives. I use lots of these type of adhesives in my work. All the sharp edges have to be ground by hand." In a further email he confirmed you have to use a black light.

I don't think I want to invest in a black light and adhesives. When I have time, I'll cut more squares of glass and one day I'll show you a cute little tree that is tack fused and doesn't lean over!

Glass Christmas Trees ... A New Paperweight!!

I saw an exciting photo of glass Christmas trees made of square glass pieces and decided to try to make this project. My son had given me a stack of thicker glass shelves that would be perfect, and I had a box full of scraps I could cut into different size squares. Here is the photo that inspired me. Aren't the trees simply beautiful?!!

I made two and used a dab of super glue between each piece to hold the trees together. Then let the trees dry for a day. I put each in the kiln on its piece of fiber paper and programmed the kiln to the temperature I would use for slumping, as I didn't know how hot it should fire. But I just wanted it to stick together and have the sharp edges round out. The kiln was set and turned on.

I came out to check it at 1100 deg. and was shocked to find one tree had fallen over and the glass pieces had separated on and off the fiber paper. The other tree was still standing. I got my long raku glove and kitchen tongs and picked up the fallen pieces. I placed them on a small kiln shelf and some pieces cracked immediately when hitting that cold shelf. But I didn't want the fallen pieces to remain in the kiln and fuse together, so they had to be removed from the kiln.

Later when the kiln had completed its firing, I looked inside and here is what I found:

I have myself a great paperweight! Surprisingly, the tree had held together, had slowly leaned over ... and the edges were nice and rounded. Having used this kiln for years, I had never checked the top shelf with a level, but that's the reason the trees fell over .... The kiln is not level. I'll take a day or so to regroup, level the kiln, cut more squares, and try this project again.

"The red cat with the cobalt blue eyes" Treasury

Are you ready for beautiful cobalt blue pieces?!! This is a stunning Etsy treasury, and my stained glass box was chosen to be included!

'The red cat with the cobalt blue eyes' by LeBoudoirNoir

Enjoy!!

siamese cat,cat por... PetCollage $21.00	Stained Glass Lidde... RoseMarysGlass... $30.00	Blue Hand Knit Ruff... ArlenesBoutiqu... $37.00	Navy Blue Pure Virg... BudapestVintag... $45.00
Blue Christmas hang... GeckoGlassDesi... $25.00	Hand Blown Glass Or... kivaford $28.00	Quilted Wall Hangi... nhquiltarts $300.00	Clutch purse Navy B... hoganfe $19.00
TARDIS Blue Police ... InsomniacArts $44.99	Huge Oversized Hand... ToilandTrouble $95.00	5 Retro Vintage Fie... TheRetroLife $59.95	Blue Record Clock, ... Shannybeebo $28.00
Vintage Blue Glass ... machelspencePH... $25.00	50 Handmade Moretti... bethsingleton $20.00	Moonlight Harvest -... WhiteBarnArt $25.00	Abstract Fine Art P... sherilwright $20.00

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