Archive for the ‘glass’ Category

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Arrrrgh, just for fun – Matey!

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

Yes, it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, I’m just dorky enough to try but not cool enough to pull it off, so I’ll spare you and stop here  ;)   Although I’m sure that Pirates of the Caribbean is on the watch list for tonight.

Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Summer 2009 issue

Cruising Borders (I do that a lot) I could not resist the Summer 2009 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. It had such fun rings on the cover. I just happen to have a nice, squishy glass bead that DH made for me so I gave it a try.

Step by Step Wire Jewelry - fun rings!

Step by Step Wire Jewelry - fun rings!

I used 14 gauge, half round, dead soft Sterling Silver wire as it’s what I had on hand. Heating the ends of the wire until they beaded up turned out to be more challenging than I expected but, with DH’s help it actually worked :)   I then hardened it with a rubber mallet.

Fun Spiral Glass Ring

Fun Spiral Glass Ring

Now to talk Jack into making me more squishy or flat beads!

Deb H

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Ginkgo Leaves on Water

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Ginko-leaves-water-1

Ginkgo Leaves On Water - Water Series #1 by Deborah Harowitz

12″ x 12″ – hand dyed and hand painted cottons and silks by me and multiple artists, commercial cotton, fused glass by me, clear vinyl. Machine quilted, hand stitched and beaded. Mounted on a stretcher frame.

The quilt is actually very square, my camera does this whole fish-eye thing which really bugs me but I haven’t figured out how to avoid it – yet. Any suggestions?

I gave you a teaser a few weeks ago about an art quilt I was doing for a barely made deadline. This quilt was for a juried exhibit called Blurred Boundaries in conjunction with Fabrications Fiber Art Retreat.

Ginko-leaves-water-2

detail of fused glass and beading

I cut a hole in the quilt through all layers and sandwiched in a piece of clear vinyl to create a window in the quilt. Holes were drilled in the four corners of the fused glass (2-3/4″ x 2-1/3″) and hand stitched with beads to the vinyl window to create a floating look.

I was going to wait until September 1st to post pictures of my quilt since that is when the show will be hung. Well… I’m posting it now because I didn’t get in. But that’s OK, I kind of knew when I sent it off that it was not really blurring many boundaries as far as being a mixed media piece. The judge’s comments were a reiteration of what the show was looking for; work a bit more edgy and mixed in techniques and materials/medium. She was gracious and diplomatic in her response and her decision became obvious to me as I read the guidelines. Not only am I OK with it, I agree wholeheartedly and am excited about stretching my creative self even more in the next project. I’m also very eager to see what did get in! I did a second quilt in this series (Water Equals Life – Water Series #2, 20″ x 24′) that will be exhibited in the MQAI (Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational) traveling exhibit from September of 2009 through August of 2011. I can post pictures of that after September 11th, the show opening. And, since MQAI is an “invitational”, it was a sure thing.  ;)   Both pieces are more “quilty” than mixed media. For the MAQI exhibit, it is totally appropriate and blends well with the other entries.

Going for the "floating" look

Going for the "floating" look

As a summation, I’m very happy with my Ginkgo Leaves piece. I got to use some of my glass I made and I experimented with some techniques and ideas that were new to me. I’m happy with the colors and overall effect I got; being very much what I was going for.

Deb H

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The Lure of Glass

Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Bluewater Glass

Bluewater Glass

Glass is a medium that defies (my) comprehension. It is not a soft medium that begs to be touched – although I have to touch it when I see it to see if it really is as smooth and glossy as it looks. But I’m just a tactile kinda gal.

Its the colors and the depth, like hidden universes are floating in it. Amazing!

So, here are the glass pieces from our first glass fusing class (well, first for me, DH has done this before). The rectangular blue pieces pictured at the top are mine (click to biggy-ize). Two of them are about 2-1/4″ x 2-3/4″ and the dark blue one is about 2″ x 3″. I had water in mind when I created these – and to use them to embellish a quilt. I figured if I made three attempts, at least one would be acceptable. I like them all! They have all had the corners drilled and are back in the kiln for a final fire polish.

Glass Gems by Jack

Glass Gems by Jack

The five cabochons (or gems) above are Jack’s pieces. His average about 1-1/4″ square are are perfect for pendants.

I can’t wait to see our we figure out how to hang them; wire wrapping? Hummmm.

A perk – if your feeling in a rut with your artwork, try a new medium – it’s amazing how well it will shake things up. :)

I got a few other things done this week too. I finally got all my books left from my (now closed) Fiber Art Supply business loaded up on Amazon.com, if you want to see what I have still available, check it out.

I also made a new banner for my Etsy store and added a few more items.

The weather is lovely, I moved some pots into the greenhouse for when it’s actually warm enough for things to start popping up (a bit earlier than if left on the porch) and tomorrow is work at the Yarn Shop day.

Gee, life is tough.

Deb H

Deb

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Cold Glass and Warm Hands

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

 

Aqua Pendant of glass and silverI mentioned in an earlier post that my DH (Dear Hubby) made me two beautiful necklaces for Christmas, the silver PMC (Precious Metal Clay) necklace (shown here) and this post’s star – a fused glass and silver clay pendant (click on the picture for a larger view). The glass was a sheet of swirling aqua and teal with the barest hint of glitz, the silver clay (PMC) detail was formed by painting the clay on a tiny wood branch. One interesting effect was, since the glass and the PMC was all fired at the same time, the glass acquired a silver halo where it is next to the silver clay. This was not expected and very much contributed to the appeal of the fused glass. Because we both like this effect so much I hope he can duplicate it. I wonder what caused it, the glass absorbing a gassing off effect from the silver? Humm….. The whole pendant is about two inches high by 1 inch wide. Isn’t he just the cleverest thing?

Jack’s Hand WarmersSpeaking of my Honey, here are the hand warmers I knit him for Christmas. Made from SWTC Karaoke in color Tobacco. This is a lovely single ply, heavy worsted weight in a wool and Soy Silk blend. They knit up quick and handsome.

Jack’s Hand Warmers - detail

I made a pair just like them in deep navy, almost black(not pictured) for my brother. Never again! The color was so dark, it was very difficult to see except in the middle of the day. You know I love you Mike, but your next pair will be a light color ;) My only concern for these two pair are the fact that since they are not all wool, they don’t have the “memory” to spring back after wearing and tend to stretch out a little. Washing resolves this but 100% wool would have avoided it.

Lynda’s Noro Hand WarmersI have the same concern for the hand warmers I knit for my SIL. Lynda’s were made from Noro’s Cotton Iroha that is 70% cotton, , 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon. The same gauge as the Karaoke, and with the same memory problems.

Lynda’s Noro Hand Warmers - detail

The nice thing about this yarn is that it is so soft. Not something you usually think of in the same sentence as Noro, although I love their Silk Garden and have made a few things from that. Lynda’s hand warmers are knit in a spiraling rib; the better to show off the color changes.

Penny’s Purple Hand WarmersLast of my Holiday hand warmer knitting was the pair I did for my step daughter and her husband. Penny’s are the prettiest yet – I did them almost last so I was in the zone ;)

Penny’s Purple Hand Warmers - detailMade from GGH Samson; 100% washable merino in a lovely dusty purple. This yarn was soooo nice to work with; soft and with such wonderful stitch definition (the cable showed up very well) that I have resolved to use it again for something – yum! I used the same pattern for hers and Todd’s (he’s a policeman so I thought plain grey in Cascade 220 Superwash a good choice) as I did for Jack’s and Mike’s above. It’s a variation of Knitting at Knoon’s Hand Warmer Pattern that is available free on the Internet. I adjusted for gauge and size and replaced the stockinette with a 2×2 rib and added the braided cable from November 19th of my perpetual calendar; 365 Knitting Stitches a Year.

I still have three pair of socks on the needles and my sewing machine is calling me – really loudly! But, my sewing studio is such a mess I have to clean it before I can even find the machine – sigh……

Time to consider doing something about it.

Deb H

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The Lure of Silver and Glass

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

Hand dyed teal cottonThere are many things I am passionate about besides fibers. Assuming of course, they involve color. Yes it’s true; nothing can send my pulse racing like a length of hand dyed silk fabric in a perfectly balanced blend of colors. Or a skein of yarn that feels as wonderful as it’s subtly shifting palette of split complimentary hues-looks. Fibers, be they fabric or yarns (the two forms I most commonly work with) are soft and (more often) matte finished. Except for when metallics have been added to give them some glitz, fibers absorb light and look as soft as they usually feel. Just as colors need a touch of their compliment in almost any art project to give it contrast and spark, textures need a bit of their compliment too. What is the perfect compliment for fiber? Metals and glass!

Hand dyed yarn pileMy favorite metal by far is silver. I’m very definitely not a yellow gold person. Brass is too much like gold, it’s yellowness makes me feel a bit jaundice just to look at it. Copper is nice, it’s a warm version of yellow that is really more red and has a healthy glow to it. But silver! Cool, elegant, neutral, and versatile, it’s the color of the moon, a stormy sea, a brooding sky, starlight, and the mirror finish that sunlight gives to a calm lake; it blends with all other colors… except yellow. But yellow is always an accent color for me, never a main color so that’s OK.

Glass is also a favorite for me. You can use colors in glass like a dyer uses color in fiber. Blending bright and shocking or soft and subtle, even neutrals. Glass is shiny, textured, smooth, or etched. Incredibly versatile in itself it is the perfect complement to fiber. More on glass next time.

Triangle PMC Pendant by Jack Harowitz

Jewelry is the easiest way to add that contrast of hard, sharp, or shiny to a soft, drapey (is that a word?), matte fabric. So (I’m finally getting to the point), Here is the first of two necklaces my Dear Hubby made me for Christmas. Formed of silver PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and inset with a lab grown emerald (natural stones can’t take the heat of the kiln), he created a pendant for me that is just, well…. so me! Just for reference, the triangle pendant measures one inch wide by one and a quarter inches tall. It’s pretty cool stuff. Anything you can do with clay, you can do with Silver clay. Firing it in a kiln causes the binders in the finely ground pure silver to burn away and fusses the silver particles together into a solid metal. Fascinating stuff!

OK, off to paint some more of the trim in my hall way. This domestic stuff just sooooo gets in the way ;)

Deb H

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