Girl's Got Glass...

Check off one more entry on my crafting bucket list! 

If you noticed the blog was a little quiet the past week it was because we took a staycation.

Stay= Home

(Va) cation= no funds to go anywhere else






Actually, while it wasn't as relaxing as one would hope, we did do a couple of really fun things. One of those was going to the Corning Museum of Glass.  For as long as I've lived in the Rochester region, I have wanted to visit this place. It's located near the Pennsylvania border and, while the area is primarily known for the glass museum, there is also a fun little village to walk around and the Rockwell Museum to tour.

 

 

 

Not only can you see wonderful displays, but you can also watch artisans make glass right in front of your eyes in several different demos. It's amazing!


 




To watch some take 2000 degree class and blow it into a usable or beautiful creation is simply spectacular and would have been a treat just in itself. 

But the one thing I've always wanted to do is make my own Christmas ornament in glass. My mother still has one from her old tree growing up and I always wanted to create one to have a family heirloom to hand down. To actually have an ornament that you actually used your breath to create and to watch this liquid bit of goo become an actual object is phenomenal and not something I'm going to forget anytime soon.

Here is how it was done...

This is frit.

First, our teacher took out a blow pipe and grabbed some liquid glass from the kiln. She had us just clean off the end and put a cardboard protector on it.

The pipe is hollow but its so long that there is no real chance of inhaling any glass.

Adding color to the ornament.

She then grabbed some frit (small glass shards) in the colors we selected and rolled the liquid glass in it.Up until she puts the frit onto the liquid glass, the glass is essentially clear.

This little mold creates the spiral.

You had a choice to do a smooth ornament or a spiral one. Each of us chose the spiral one although we did choose different shapes as you'll see. To create the spirals, after she put in the frit covered glass into the kiln, she took it out and immediately put it in this mold then removed it.

 

Then it is time to blow this ornament into being while she shapes it.

 

Starting to look like an ornament now!

My son choose to create a teardrop shape.

I think my son's colors look the best and it's funny because when he chose this I thought, "Yikes"!

She then takes the glass (there are several trips to the kiln) and creates the glass loop to hang the ornament.

T

...And just like magic, you have an ornament!

Steve's Ornament

My Ornament

Dixon's  Ornament

If you ever find yourself near Corning, New  York, I highly recommend a day  trip to the Corning Museum or sign up for a class. Coming up they have a class to create your own glass pumpkin. I may have to take another day trip... too much fun!