A Wonderful Gift

A Wonderful Gift From 

My Secret Spring Tatting Exchange Person

     This is an gorgeous tatted book mark from Catriona.  She is from Scotland and her blog is "Cat_82".  She has been shuttle tatting for less than a year and this is her first Celtic tatted piece.  She did an awesome job.  Did I tell you how much I love it!!!!

  

      The color is Lizbeth size 20 in dark ocean turquoise.  (Turquoise is my favorite gemstone.)  The pattern is from LaRae Mikulecky's, "Celtic Bookmark".

       This pattern could be turned into a lovely bracelet.

Glass Blowing Safety

Glass Blowing Safety

     Very important!!!  Goggles.  Your goggles should be didymium lens glasses that filter out the yellow flare, UV and IR.  The yellow flare is due to sodium (actually it is orange).  All elements have their own spectra-finger print which show up in various spectrums, ie... visible, IR, UV, etc...  Sodium shows up as orange and potassium shows up as a beautiful purple.  OK, enough Chemistry.

     Make sure you have the proper clothing.  Even the best glassblowers, drop their glass.  So, no opened toed shoes (sandals/flip-flops), no low cut tops or tank tops (once-in-a-while the glass way, explodes and pieces may go everywhere), and no shorts.  

     Make sure a fire extinguisher is near.  Pull the pin and use a sweeping motion at the base of the fire...for a large fire.  Use a fire resistant table to glass blow.  My table is lined with a cement board. These are found at Home Depot, in the sheet rock section.  For burns, I suggest Burt Bees "Res-Q Ointment."  This works so much better than cold water.  REMEMBER:  HOT GLASS LOOKS THE SAME AS COLD GLASS!!!  You WILL burn yourself good, at least once.  After a while, you only smell it, not feel it.  Use a towel for breaking glass...  And if you get frusterated...just walk away, eat some chocolate and have a diet coke, then come back.

     Next Monday, you get your supply list.

More of my students works.

Next Lesson

Heart Earrings...Tatsmithing

Heart Earrings...Tatsmithing

     This is the pair of earring that goes with the Tatsmithed cross.  The stones are carnelian agates and the threads are two strands of gold, copper, and silver.  The earrings measure 1 1/8" square.

Itty-Bitty Tatsmithing

Itty-Bitty Tatsmithing

     This was a small pendent I made for my secret tatting exchange person.  This would make a wonderful pair of earrings.  
     The stone was a 11 mm round, banded agate.  The thread was two strands of silver sewing thread.  The dimensions were 1" X 1".

      
     Someone left me a comment about Glass Butte, OR.  My google account doesn't work right.  I can't leave comments on most of the blogs I read, nor does it allow me to comment on my own "Comments".  Sounds like some of you have the same problem.  If you know how to remedy this problem, let me know.  Glass Butte, OR is near Bend, OR on Hwy 20...Central Oregon.

Amusement Doily

Amusement Doily

     This is the "Amusement Doily" (pattern), by  Celtess.  The thread was Lizbeth size 20 in Vineyard Harvest.  The doily measures 6.25" in diameter.  This makes a lovely doily for a small teapot!!!

Heart's Honer Book Mark

Heart's Honer Book Mark

     This is "Heart's Honer" (pattern), by Wanda Salmans (Wanda's blog).  The thread was light and dark purple, pearl cotton #8.  The dimensions are:  8.5" X 2.25".

      The bookmark is for my "Spring Tatting Exchange" person from In Tatters.  If your not familiar with either In Tatters or The Tatting Forum, they are excellent tatting forums/rings for beginners and expert tatters.

      Greeting cards I found at a yard sale.  Notice the tatting and bobbin lace prints.

Glass Blowing Monday

Glass Blowing Monday

     I'll try to use Mondays as glassblowing time.  For those who's had my "Scientific Glassblowing Class" or "The Glassblowing Workshop", this will be a good refresher course.  If your don't have your torches and supplies ready, don't worry, we'll get into that.

     Colors:  There are less, hard glass colors than soft glass colors.  This is due to the hotter temperatures used with hard glass.  The greens and blues come out wonderful.  The yellows, oranges, reds, and purples can be fussy.  These colors may come back if you "strike" them in a cooler flame.  We'll get into this some other Monday.   Some colors start out one color and come out another...trippy!!  Why is that....Chemistry :)  !!  Blue may have cobalt oxides, violet may have magnesium oxide, red may have selenium, yellow may have iron, green may have copper or chromium.  I say "may have", because not all reds may have selenium..they may have cadmium.

Some of the things my students made.

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