Shiny Things

This is a double whammy on shiny things.  It is a "shiny thing" distraction to quilting, but it is also shiny.  I took a class in stain glass making.  Uh oh.  I'll show you our finished project then I'll back up and tell you part of a very long story. 

Have you every heard the saying "Be careful what you wish for"? Yep - I have and am experiencing that.  I have a friend that has done stain glass.  Here is one of the pieces she has done.  

Here's a few more. 

The recap of the long story: I made the comment one day that I thought it would be fun to learn how to do that some day.  She told me she would teach me.  Fast forward 2 years... one of our ladies we sew with is moving and has all kinds of stain glass stuff, she wants to get rid of it, free - just come and get it.  Friend one says oh... Lynn wants it.  I'm thinking okay I'll go get a few tools and a couple pieces of glass to do a project or two.  UH OH.  I got her whole stash... What little I left behind after loading my whole pickup full - she brought over to my house.  I did not want even a 1/4 of that... be careful what you wish for.  
So friend 3 pictured above says - Oh I'd like to learn how to do that too.  Yay... I say tell you what.  Lets learn and I'll share my stash.  I'm really hoping I can get to to take at least half.  
Alright - now to show what we did.  Here was our pattern. 

Here is the glass she laid out for us to choose from. 

She taught us how to score the glass and cut it with the special plier things.  Once we got all our pieces cut to the right shape, and grind smooth, we put the little bumper things up on the edge our our pattern. 

Next you have to put the foil tape around all edges of each piece of glass you cut.  Then you do a step where you take a tool and really press that foil into the glass. 

Once that is done you paint this flux liquid stuff on all the edges and then you solder each line.  Once you solder one side you turn over and solder the other side.  

Then it gets a bath, then you put this acid stuff on the solder with a tooth brush scrubbing until it's the right color (which ever you choose) we did copper.  Then another bath, then polish. 

We were new so it took us longer I'm sure but we were able to finish in one day.  Each of us had some problems a long the way but all in all it was fun.  We used all of her tools and supplies for the class, now I need to go through the stash I was given to see what all I have in tools and supplies.  I already know there is way too much glass.  :)

As always I will keep you posted on the things I make.  

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn