Crazy Confessions of a Glass Artist

Dancing with Candles...

2011-11-16T18:46:00.001+02:00

Or, Just who is that Yemenite lady??
If you can't see all the photos on this post, switch for a moment to "Snapshop" at the top and you'll see a lovely photo of Anat and Liron in costume.

This is me, dressed in Yemenite clothes. Rather eye-catching, don't you think?!

I was honored to be a guest in Liron and Anat's pre-wedding heena party. The party mostly involved dressing up and dancing to some pretty complicated ethnic music. The title of my post comes from one of the dances which was performed by women with baskets filled with LIT CANDLES on their heads. I'm hoping that Liron's mom will share some photos, because I was in the back, clapping like mad and making wild and frequent high pitched "lou-lou-lou" sounds like all the rest of the women.

Anat, who is NOT Yemenite, was a great sport and wore a huge costume that looked to me like it was heavy, hot, and stiff. And then she switched headpieces and danced with the rest of us.

Yemenite traditions are kept alive in Israel by the youngest generation, and this party was held at the instance of the groom, Leron. I suspect his aunt Tzvia helped set it all up. Tzvia was born and spent part of her childhood in Yemen so is more connected to those traditions than Liron's mother, Ziona, who was born in a immigrant tent camp shortly after her parents moved to Israel.

Liron is not the least bit religious, and would never keep his earlocks long and curled like that. The costumer knew that (I would guess it's a pretty common problem) and so she brought hats with long earlocks sewed into them to give the right look.

I was really honored to be at the party - and I had a blast! This is what I look like when I'm dressed up for a party but not in costume....

I've got a name!

2011-09-30T08:46:00.000+02:00

I can't resist - I want to show you how cool my car looks with this amazing decal! I bought it from American Sign, and custom designed it with them. Because American Sign doesn't normally use Hebrew, I provided it as a jpg. I also gave them my logo. Kevin did a fantastic job. Now I feel like everywhere I go, I'm promoting my business. In fact, just the other day I was stopped at a light, and noticed the driver behind me peer intensely at the back of my car and then bend over to write or type something. In my heart I hope he was writing down my web URL, although of course he could have been texting his wife that he forgot to buy milk, or even checking out a porn site on his smartphone. Ah... modern life! Anyway, this decal, while it looks complicated, is exceedingly easy to apply for a professional look. If I make even 1 or 2 sales from this, then I'll have made my money back, because it's not an expensive product at all (although the shipping from America does raise the price somewhat). Interested? Intrigued? Imagining how you can promote your business, personal web, or even just your important thoughts? Hop on over to American Sign!

A proud mamma...

2011-08-06T19:42:00.001+02:00

For all you kids out there, nothing makes us parents happier than having our children ASK to do something special with us. I'm a glass artist - my son asked to make something out of stained glass. It's the perfect recipe for happiness!

And I'm proud of him - he did a great job. We were short on time so I helped out, but he gets a lot of credit, especially for initiative. If you're interested in seeing step-by-step photos of the project with captions, visit my professional site (link on the right).

Happy Passover - Happy Spring

2011-04-19T10:17:00.000+03:00

There is nothing particularly noteable about this photograph - I just like it.

I took it near our house.

Ah, Spring! When the birds nest, the flowers bloom, and the ants leave their winter homes and forage on my kitchen table. (To give them a good start, we'll leave them tiny matzah crumbs all week....) The above photo was taken on a brilliant winter day, inside my village. You can see David frolicking with our dog, Patch. David is not much of a frolicker, but Patch frolicks enough for an entire family.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday (there are several available to celebrate in this season) and a wonderful, handmade life. May every season bring you joy, health, love, and appreciation for all the small things that enrich us.

Reading this book made me physically ill. Seriously

2011-01-19T12:58:00.000+02:00

Alone in Berlin (Hans Fallada)

For those of you who aren't sure, no, I'm not a book critic, just a avid (almost compulsive) reader. Two weeks ago I picked up a copy of Alone in Berlin. The author died in 1947; the book is about WWII and the rise of the Nazis. Perhaps by the end of the book it's also about the fall of the Nazis - I can't tell you that, because I had to stop reading before I finished. The reviews printed on the book call it "utterly gripping, extraordinary" and yes, I'd agree with both of those critics. The write-up on the back makes it sound like a detective novel. I'd disagree with that, because that implies a certain genre with plot notes and a certain satisfaction of catching the bad guys.

Normally I'd finish a book this length in a few days, but this book is so dark and depressing - - really, really depressing - - that it took me 2 weeks to get to the middle. By the end of week 1, I was having nightmares. By the end of week 2, I was running a fever and having panic attacks, stomach aches, and upsetting my boyfriend with rehashed plot over breakfast.

This would be a great book for you if you wonder what it would be like to live under the bootheel of the Gestapo in constant fear of your life and sanity. Or if you really like WWII history and want a (oh god) realistic feeling in your bones of what it would like to be a blue-collar Berliner in 1940. Or if you just like really depressing stories that every plot strand seems unfinished and sinister.

My favorite Gift Guide for the Holidays

2010-12-20T09:39:00.000+02:00

No one - absolutely no one! - says Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Season's Cheer like Dave Barry. And his gift guides are generally guaranteed to make you pee in your pants laughing. Every once in a while there's something that I might actually want, but I'd never admit to admiring.

See it here:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/05/1957997/dave-barrys-guide-to-holiday-gifts.html

and enjoy!

When I get Where I'm Going...

2010-12-19T11:18:00.000+02:00

My favorite song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQVnL5bWu-w
Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton. Makes me cry. Every time. It's not possible to embed the video, so you'll have to click to hear it.

Wishing you all peace and health during this holiday season, no matter what your affiliation and practice.

Cec

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T16:20:00.000+02:00

It's that time of year again - just as I start to slim down, it's time to get fat again... or at least, to enjoy a LOT of turkey. Well, I'm happy to show off a turkey that I made that isn't at all fattening, just lots of fun to make and a pretty addition to our traditional holiday table!

Is it me, or is it hot in here?

2010-08-18T16:59:00.000+02:00

And more importantly, could I get some Swedes to pay to experience this? I am wearing the minimum (meaning, I'd be arrested in the street dressed like this), sitting in front of a breezy window, and totally bathed in sweat. I often consol myself during the summers with the idea that Swedes pay to bake in saunas, so it must be good for you, and, hey, I get to sweat for free! (I kind of like how the pay and hey rhyme - that tells you, right there, how crazy this weather has made me... will it ever end? And when it does, will I return to normal or be crazy forever??)

I tried to take a picture of me sweating for this post but I just look like a convicted felon. Maybe a chain gang member, in the swamps of somewhere hot and sticky. I'm not sure if it's my wrinkles, my gray hair, the look of desperation in my eyes as my sight is obscured by yet another floodlet of sweat... I think that might be my grandmother in the mirror, except I can't remember either of my grandmothers mentioning sweat, ever. It was probably a forbidden subject, 40 years ago, for "ladies;" both of my grandmothers were assuredly ladies. And I was a immature 12 year old, who probably didn't even have sweat glands yet. (sweat... yet.... ha!)

[Caption 1] It's too hot to focus on anything!
[Caption 2] Some of us look better blurry!

Take your pick :-)

My eyes are bugging out... I'm turning into a computer frog!

2010-06-30T13:39:00.000+03:00

Writing a book is a long haul - harder than I expected! After all, I'm following that cool rule, write what you know, so it should just flow, right?

Wrong.

I guess the first issue is that I want everything to be word perfect (and I'm not talking about the computer program that everyone has forgotten). The next is that I want the projects to be stunning, yet do-able for newbies. And the most important is that the photos have to be striking, stand up and shout pictures. Thank you, Nataly, the most talented, wonderful photographer on earth!

See what I mean? She makes my work look so good!!

Technology is a wonderful thing but it's hard to spend 16 hours a day at the computer, either writing, rewriting, reviewing photographs or uploading them to the publisher in the US. (OK, or checking out CNN, People and Dilbert.) To meet my photo delivery deadlines, I had to get up every few hours at night for about 2 weeks upload a few more photos. Every once in a while the ftp transfer would time out and I'd have to start the batch all over again. Oh joy, oh agony - it's like having a baby all over again, but without the diapers!

Still, I wouldn't miss this for the world - it is the most amazing experience. In fact, I have a huge list of potential books just waiting for me to delve into. Combining writing (a life-long love) with glass art (my passion) is a dream come true. It's true that I'm in the studio less - at the moment - but it still feels like the perfect life!

.

The joy of professional photography...

2010-05-11T12:45:00.001+03:00

This post is a "thank you" to Nataly Kadosh, the professional photographer who is snapping the photos for my book-in-progress.

I've always taken my own photos, but was happy to embrace the idea of a proffesional for the book, particularly since the publishers were not only insisting on it but were willing to pay for it.

NEVER has my work looked so good! And working with Nataly is FUN - she is extraordinarily nice and totally dedicated to getting exactly the right shot without getting on anyone's nerves. You can email me for her contact information, if you're working on a project in Israel!

Happy Independence Day!

2010-04-19T16:38:00.000+03:00

Ah, how much Israel has changed in the 30 years that I have lived here... gone are the days of thinking that a hot date meant drinking orangeade at the corner shop. Gone, the days of junk carts in Jerusalem, pulled by camels or donkeys. Gone are the miles and miles of citrus orchards... But still, for 62, the country is looking good. We'll always be a little less modern than our Western cousins, but onward we march, towards the first world..... enjoy this clip from Kobi Oz, celebrating modern Israel!

The Anim Ruins - and Israel in Spring

2010-04-03T11:05:00.001+03:00

Here is your chance to discover Israel in her Spring glory! Our region is just north (and above) of one of Israel's greatest deserts, the Negev. We are considered southern Hebron hills, northern Negev, and the Judean Desert (talk about a split personality!). So take a minute or two to dispose of your preconceptions of what Israel looks like; take a short visit with me through the Anim ruins, only 15 minutes walk from my front door. The YouTube caption includes some information about the area and its history.

The Old and the New!

2010-02-06T19:16:00.001+02:00

Just 300 feet down the slope from our home is a very rocky lot. It has lots of dirt, lots of thorn bushes and lots of little things that people have been losing for thousands of years. I can't imagine anyone saying.. oh, this beautiful glass jar is broken, I'll just toss it out the window and let someone find bits of it one day... but it does seem to work that way. Otherwise, how to explain all the bits of pottery and Roman glass just laying around everywhere? (OK, so the ancient coin I found today probably fell out of someone's pocket...)

So, what you see here is a very young seedling that has sprouted in a piece of Roman glass. The technique for making this kind of piece involves folding over the lip to make a nice, soft and even rim. It usually traps air all along the edge, under the rim. What happened here?

After a very long time - perhaps 2 thousand years - a little seed got caught against one edge of the glass. When it sprouted after our recent rain storms, the root grew into the little tunnel of trapped air, which had filled with dirt. When I spied the chunk of Roman glass and picked it up, the seedling came with it. In the photo you can't really see that the dirt is INSIDE the glass, not on the outside, unless you look carefully at the bottom left of the chunk, where the roots are hanging out.

This is a very cool find - and I've put it on wet cotton in my window, until I find an appropriate way to pot it. I'm wondering if the growing root will eventually crack the rim open, or if the little thorn bush will be a dwarf, since its root growth will be severely limited.

The Krayot - an amazing experience

2010-01-08T21:58:00.001+02:00

As far as the eye can see, covering several hills, I see ruins, tumbled stones and caves. Visiting this place is an amazing experience. Amazing, because you can see how people lived here. You can see what a huge population they had. Bits of Roman glass and Byzantium pottery are scattered everywhere. (Bits of modern garbage, too - to those visitors who casually dropped their litter, shame on you!). Stone walls can be clearly defined.

David and I have been here more than once and haven't seen it all. In fact, from its size I would say that we will probably never see it all, no matter how many times we come. This was a rich trade city 2,000 years ago. As we wander through the city, it's easy to identify the neighborhoods; some of the people lived overground. We can see the leftovers of a pillared market street. Some of the people lived underground - but even the cave dwellers had status. Some caves are rough-hewn, scraped out of the rock, while some are framed with attractive (and probably expensive) pillars and stone lintels. (I don't have a photo of the fanciest ones).

I suppose that on a cold winter night, this place would be freezing above ground, so perhaps the caves are a good idea. People must have lived here for a long time - building new houses on top of the old. We found mosaic blocks scattered in some areas, and bits of broken glass bracelets that looked Mamlukish - a much later period. The only sign of modern times is the goat droppings (why or how anyone could graze goats on such barren ground, I don't know) and the occasional plastic water bottle or candy wrapper.

If you're in Israel and interested in visiting, the Krayot archaeological ruins are located near Tel Arad and the Yatir Winery, west of today's city of Arad.

I'm so excited....

2009-11-18T11:37:00.001+02:00

Hi there! Everything seems to be taking off at once - new students, new writing, lots of sales and, best of all, new friends! This Saturday I'll be hosting Yael from PazzaPazza, a wonderfully talented textile artist from "up north." Of course, almost everywhere in Israel is UP NORTH from us, since we're near Beer Sheva. I'm really looking forward to her visit.

Are you an artist in Israel? An artist from somewhere else but visiting in Israel? Let's do some networking - email me at cec235@hotmail.com and let's make a date! Romantics need not apply (I'm taken, taken, taken!!) but creatives who love to shmooz about materials, techniques, supplies, inspiration are very welcome.

A lovely musical interlude

2009-10-18T09:56:00.000+02:00

What a perfect way to relax - and I applaud the creativity of the composer. Be sure to turn your speakers on before starting the video. Tip: it downloaded in parts - I found that by pausing it as soon as it started, and letting it all download before listening, I could enjoy the entire composition.

Birds on the Wires by Jarbas Agnelli

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Getting Ready for Halloween...

2009-09-16T09:56:00.000+02:00

I've been having the greatest time creating magic wands. Since the wand represents Fire when used to cast spells, what could be better than using a wand that was made in an intense flame? I'm not a witch or a Wiccan, but I swear that when I made these wands, I heard music, a kind of string-instrument kind of humming in beautiful, shifting chords. I remember Hermione telling Harry that even in the wizarding world, hearing voices is not a good thing... but the music was so inspiring, beautiful and restful. I'm listing my wands in Stringythingy, just in time for Halloween witches to stock up, but it would greatly please me if real witches found them useful.

Hearts & Bones

2009-09-07T09:16:00.005+02:00

Just can't stop playing with glass! This time, I'm also playing with gravity - melting my beads down and letting the hot glass roll is an amazing experiment since it strrrrrrretches the designs and even alters the colors a bit. It feels like I'm playing with lava.

These are all about an inch and a half long (40-45 mm). In my next experiments, I'll see just how long I can make them! I'm going to aim for 5 inches. Can I get there without cracking the glass? Will I be able to handle the mandrel? All this and more to come...

Here are some of my new babies!

I'mmmm back!

2009-07-27T16:00:00.003+03:00

I'm happy to be back in Israel after 3 rushed weeks in the USA - and I came back with notebooks full of ideas for new projects and project lines.

In the meantime, I'm catching up with work, updating my websites and getting my studio in shape, now that the renovations have been finished. Check back soon to see photos of my shiny new studio and the shiny new things I'll be making!

Almost Done.... renovations are a pain in the.....

2009-06-20T20:33:00.008+03:00

OOPS - we're in the middle of renovations and the crew left the doors and windows wide open when they went to lunch. What you see here is my beloved's chair. Obviously, we had visitors. Everywhere. This was just a tad more irksome than when the guys left the lid off the sugar canister on the kitchen counter top, after making themselves coffee. Smaller visitors then, but lots more.

So here we are, one month after we start our "10 day" renovation plan. Not done yet but REALLY almost done. Most of the work left is mine, since we decided to try and save money by having me do all the painting. And cleaning. Although the crew did try to work clean, the plastic tarps didn't really do the job and we are left with a layer of dust that you can almost cross-country ski on. In spite of sounding irritable (yes, I know what I sound like) I smile every time I see the progress. It is SO EXCITING!

To try and show some of that progress, here are some before and after photos....

the new bathroom door (this was a solid wall, before.... )
Installing spotlights around the room to provide strong light when working....

And just so you don't think it's all fun and games, here is some of what I get to clean up!

Next set of photos should show my new studio FINISHED!! Watch this space for inspiration :-)

Renovations - We're on our way!!

2009-05-21T15:26:00.008+03:00

On Tuesday I had a 6x10 ft balcony as my only studio space and BANG! from 9am on Wednesday, things really started happening here!

1. This used to be a narrow guest bathroom (toilet on the far end). We (and I use the term "we" loosely, because I'm hiding upstairs in my office while a bunch of young guys do all the work with some really macho, loud tools) cut out the back wall of the bathroom, removed all the plumbing fixtures and tiles and bathroom door and back window. You can see that it leads right into my balcony studio. Right behind the head of our "shiputznik" (which is Hebrew for a person, usually a guy person, who knows how to fix things) you can see another entry. That was a wall, before. Now it will be a door to another guest toilet. You've got it right - this house had too many bathrooms.

2. This used to be the extra-narrow entrance to a dark, unused bedroom. The door, which we ripped out along with a lot of the wall, used to face the door to the guest bathroom that we demolished. Inside this room is yet another door which leads to the new guest bathroom. The old door will be turned into a display niche. (I realize this might be getting confusing.) This bedroom was never slept in - we stored all our junk in it. You've guessed it - this house had too many bedrooms, too. How lucky that I need more studio space!

3. This is a hole in the wall. A new hole in the wall, that will become a stained glass window that will bring beautiful light into my new teaching studio. Because the light outside is so bright, it makes the room appear still dark and dank but believe me, it is now light-filled and cheerful and will be a great working space.

Eventually all these areas will become one space - an enclosed balcony where I do lampwork, a corridor leading from the balcony, with a guest bathroom and some display space, to a stained glass studio with special lighting, special display, and an amazing storage rack for all my glass and beads. Check back periodically to see more photos. The shiputznik (see #1) says that it will be done in 2 weeks. In Israel? Hard to believe, but I live in hope!

Never Say Never!! First Boro Beads

2009-05-12T16:10:00.011+03:00

I am waltzing around my kitchen with my new beads clutched close to my heart. Sure, I've got too much haze. Sure, the colors are over-struck in some and under-struck in others (which is kind of cool in itself), but HEY, I finally started working in boro!!

I must say that the photos don't really do justice to the colors and certainly don't show off the glittery silver deposits deep in the beads (silver is the main secret ingredient that makes these colors flip out like they do).

So, for all those who say that you can never work boro on a Minor and a concentrator, foo on you! All the beads above were made exactly on a Minor and concentrator, from only 3 colors of glass (which might actually be the total sum of reactive boro available for sale in Israel) + a little clear.

I know that in a couple of months I'll look back at these beads and cringe but at the moment I am delighted. Working with boro felt like I was pulling toffee (or maybe tar), with a new rhythm and rules to learn.

Wish me luck?!

Eternal Flame

2009-05-06T12:39:00.005+03:00

I'm showing off my newest commission for a synagogue in Nahariya, which is on the northern border of Israel.

This is a NER TAMID, or Eternal Flame, which will "burn" (with the help of a small light bulb) in their temple in memory of family and friends who have passed away. The finished lamp is 20 cms tall by 15 cms wide and square. The back and sides are made with mirror, slightly angled to increase the light shining through the stained glass flame, which will face the worshipers.

Thank you, Sue, for ordering this!

Magical Stained Glass Carpet?

2009-05-02T13:02:00.008+03:00

You can't walk on it - and it doesn't fly - but it does make a nice hanging. Here is my latest project, which we installed in the home of a very nice family in Jerusalem yesterday. (and yes, I would think they were nice even if they didn't like glass art!)

The combination of 3 panels has more than 300 pieces, about 260 of which are in the outer border. The center panels have a lot of mirror which reflects the family portraits displayed on the opposite wall.

The piece was created specifically for this niche and the design was a joint effort between myself and the client (posing below with her new glass art). The design details were all worked out by email (lots of email), and I hope that the home owners are as pleased with the results as I am!

A special thanks to David, my beloved, for not only driving me back and forth but for standing on the ladder and holding everything in place - exactly in place - as I added the clips and screws that hold this wonder to the wall. Transporting it was nerve-wracking because of the shape (very breakable) .

In love with color

2009-04-16T13:59:00.005+03:00

Even on a "nasty" day, meaning overcast, threatening rain (in Israel that is considered a wonderful day but for photography it's not so great...) I got some sweet photos though my new kaleidoscopes. Visit my Flickr site to more photos like the one below (but all different, of course!). Visit my professional site to see photos of the scopes themselves and learn about the creation process.

Are you a glass artist? My professional site often includes tips and tricks that I've learned that might make your stained glass crafting easier.

It's that time of year again....

2009-04-08T12:51:00.003+03:00

Wishing all my friends, family, clients and followers a very happy Spring season and Chag Sameach for Passover.

(from our garden)

And Delphi makes 5

2009-03-12T18:05:00.005+02:00

I've done it, what I said I wouldn't do again - I've opened another store on the Internet. What's really different about this one is that you can list things that you don't want to sell. Things that you just want to show off.

My new shop - http://www.delphiglass.com/store/glassandlight

If you sign up for Delphi (which is a great glass supply store, by the way....) you can vote for your favorite creations. I don't know that winning means anything, or even if they'll let us know if anyone voted for us. I think that most of the people who visit the site are still glass artists. But for those of you who are not glass artists but love glass art, now is the time to visit!

Old Copper Foil - can it be saved?

2009-03-08T11:01:00.005+02:00

A fellow artist recently queried me on how long I keep copper foil, specifically, if old copper foil be used. It seems her supplier had told her that after a certain period it should be thrown out.

This got me thinking about how many strange things people - people who should know better - tell us glass artists. I don't think they deliberately mislead us, I think they are passing on to us what they heard, and didn't question. Kinda like the average internet myth. My first instructor told me that to apply patina, I should leave my piece soaking in a bucket of patina over night. (Correct use: wipe it on with a cotton ball, let it sit for 10-20 minutes, and then wash it off.) My neighbor's teacher forgot to tell her that when planning her window insert, she should include a margin for the lead border. When her insert didn't fit, she was told that there was no way to repair it without completely dismantling it. She took it apart, and lost heart in her project. 2 years later, she still has no window insert. (Correct info: even after you have soldered it together, you can remove the lead border on one side, carefully measure and cut the piece, and reapply the lead border.)

So, in respose to the question about copper foil, I don't throw out old copper foil. I even save all the little bits left over from rolls, sometimes using them years later. If there are spots that have green fuzzy stuff growing on them, I throw that part out. But if it's just tarnished, the flux should clean it up as you prepare your work. To give your copper foil a longer life (and prevent those darling green fuzzys) keep it in a plastic bag like a ziplock. And don't handle your foil when your hands are wet or might have chemicals, like flux on them.

Do you have a question? I might be able to help - email me!

I could listen to this all day long!

2009-03-04T14:02:00.002+02:00

I just have to try and share with you here my absolutely favorite music clip. I LOVE the song - it is wonderful, just listen to the words. And I LOVE the clip - such creativity!! and you know it must have taken absolutely forever to make, all those itty-bitty changes. Watch and enjoy!

My New Website!!

2009-03-01T18:38:00.002+02:00

I'm so excited - I'm moving my website to a new platform and it is READY. You can visit it at http://www.glassandlight.blogspot.com/

The lines are much cleaner than my previous site, and it will be easier to update. I'll post news about my new items there while still keeping THIS blog up-close-and-personal, the real, weird me!!

Shop Israel, shop... me?

2009-02-28T08:39:00.005+02:00

Thank you, Made for You, for adding me as featured artist in your blog!

http://madeforyoublog.blogspot.com/ - click on Shop Israel in the menu on the left.

For those of you unfamiliar with Made for You's blog, the moderator picks out artists and puts in a bit of a bio + items from their Etsy stores. I'm honored to be there, and I'm happy to recommend to my visitors to view her eclectic yet charming collection of artists from around the world!

The Color of Prayer

2009-02-24T22:33:00.009+02:00

In the western world we're used to the idea of seeing stained glass in churches. People even sing about them. But in Israel, for many generations, most synagogues were small, poor and without much decoration. Fortunately, glass art, particularly stained glass, is becoming more popular and I've been privileged to create glass art for 2 synagogues.

My first commission was for a family who wanted matching, but not identical, panels to commemorate 2 family members who had fallen in the wars. (One panel is shown above). I'm not sure there was any aspect of this project that wasn't challenging! They were - and remain - the largest pieces I have ever made, each about 2 meters across. Designing them was tricky - the client had a very definite idea of what he wanted - and changed his mind 4 times. In the middle of the project he changed the size, which required that I recut some of the pieces. I didn't have any place to easily store the larger pieces, and once accidentally stabbed myself in the leg with a particularly pointy piece. (I still have a scar). I didn't have a work table large enough so pieced and soldered the panels on the floor of my display room, with the door locked so that no one could enter and trip over me or step on my work-in-progress. Transporting them was the worst - we had to find a vehicle with a long cab and I prayed all the way to the framer that we wouldn't hit a pothole. Prayer was probably appropriate since they were eventually hung on a synagogue wall.

The second synagogue commission couldn't have been more different. The clients wanted windows depicting the Jewish holidays and holy days, gave me bare bones of design requirements and left the rest up to me. They ordered the windows in sets, as they gathered donations, and over the course of 2 years ordered 12 windows. The biggest challenge was creating so many windows over such a long period that looked as if they belonged together.

There is something undeniably pleasurable for me in making windows and then seeing them installed with the light streaming through, be it for private homes or public places. From design to installation, I think the toughest part is always delivering the windows. I'm always terrified that they will somehow be broken on the trip (they never are.) I'm afraid the clients won't like them (they always do). And I always wonder if I'll see them again, and if their new owners will enjoy having them as much as I enjoyed making them.

It's so easy to.... break the law!

2009-02-19T18:42:00.008+02:00

Curiosity - that was my main feeling when I opened up one of my emails today. I wasn't even sure it was a real email but it didn't look suspicious, just odd.

Curiosity was swiftly followed by incredulity, that OMG feeling. I was reading a notice that I had broken Swiss law. Fortunately, it didn't look like anyone was on their way to arrest me.

So how did I, a basically law-abiding citizen (hey, I don't even download music!) become an international criminal?

Background
I'm in Israel. Some of my products are stained glass and fused glass pendants. I string them on a simple silver chain that I purchase from someone else. She doesn't make them, she purchases huge quantities from someone else. It's a regular food chain, and we're all happy.

Recently a very nice woman from Switzerland purchased one of my stained glass pendants from JesterJewelry, one of my Etsy stores. I shipped it to her in a small jewelry box, in a small bubble mailer, with a receipt inside. Apparently this packet was stopped in customs. The chain, just for the record, is worth about $2.

The Problem
As I learned today, imports of anything made from precious metal are restricted in Switzerland. The pendant wasn't a problem. The value wasn't a problem. The $2 chain was a BIG problem. Because I didn't have a clear RM - Responsibility Mark, the equivalent of a precious metal import permit, I think - I broke the law. It doesn't matter that it was just a chain, or that I didn't make the chain, or even that this was the very first time I've had a sale to Switzerland.

The Customs lawyer sent me a longish manual for using RM's (it's not enough just to have an RM, you have to apply other notifications to it, depending on what you are sending) and encouraged me to apply for a permit or face having all future "shipments" rejected if they contain a chain. I don't know if it's hard, or expensive, to receive an RM, but I can tell you that fulfilling the requirements for marking up the items is very complicated. I know, because I read the manual.

The Lesson
I see myself with several choices - I can apply for an RM that I might never need, I can send the pendants without chains or with leather cord replacements, or I can refuse to sell to clients in Switzerland. No matter how I look at it, it's a pain in the butt.

Afternote
I wrote up the story with a bit more technical detail for the Etsy business forum. Fellow sellers are very sympathetic, and I do appreciate that. It doesn't help me regarding the business at hand, but it's nice to know that other artists stand by me. And that they didn't know about the Swiss law, because I would have felt really dumb if everyone knew about it but me.

Do you need a copy of the Swiss import specifications for precious metals? If so, contact me through the blog with your email and I'll post it to you.

Ammonite Madness

2009-02-18T18:55:00.007+02:00

Ammonites were sea creatures that floated in our world's oceans about 75 million years ago, give or take 25 million years. They were mostly around during the Jurassic period, along with good ol' T-Rex.

Today ammonite fossils can be found in many countries. Some have set them aside as a protected resource (for example, Israel) while others allow them to be harvested and sold (for example, Madagascar).

I love putting ammonites into my work for a very showy accent. I buy them halved and polished to show off their chambers. You can use ammonites, too, if you remember some simple guidelines:

Tips for glass artists

Be sure to buy from a respectable seller, or you might be buying something that was illegally harvested. You don't want to encourage crime.

If you're planning on edging your fossil with copper foil, use raw or polished ammonites. All the opalescent ammonites I purchased cracked when I applied solder.

When planning your design, remember that you'll want to put the ammonite in from the back, flat side down, so it will be flush with the front of your work.

Fishy, Fishy, in the Sea....

2009-02-17T11:06:00.006+02:00

I love making glass fish. And I'm happy to say that they are easier to make than one would think (am I giving away a craft secret here?), at least the simple ones. I base my design on the important, evolutionary premise that

FISH DON'T HAVE LIPS

Yes, for all you fish bead lovers out there, those cute little fishes with the gorgeous fins, the bright colors, and the LIPS... they're not anatomically correct. They are cute, I agree.

And I'm not saying that my fish are perfectly shaped, either. My colors certainly are not like the real thing. But I have a problem with fish lips.

Tips for glass artists:

Glass fish beads are useful for more than necklaces - you can string a copper or silver wire through them and solder the beads into your stained glass work. They also make nice dangles or decorative tails for suncatchers.

If you're creating a glass fish and you want it (him, her?) to have a decorative tail, decorate half the bead before you start sculpting it. One of the first steps in making a fish is flattening your round bead, which is done after this decoration. Just be sure to flatten the bead so that the flattened part on the left side of the mandrel is plain, and the flattened part of the right side of the mandrel is decorated. You'll pull that decorated side into a tail, and shape the plain side into the fish head.
If you start with a hollow bead, your fish will be a bit lighter.

The Golden Glow of Dichro

2009-02-16T10:07:00.005+02:00

Us fusers love using glass with dichroic coating (commonly known as dichro). Dichro is created by bombarding plates of glass with metal ions until an ultra-thin layer of metal is created on the glass surface. (Don't try this at home, folks). When the glass is moved, the angle of light changes, and the color shifts. We're not talking about dark blue to light blue, but orange to purple, blue to gold, etc. Dramatic color shifts.

Specialists who create dichro ramble on about reflected light and absorbed light. That's more technical than I can understand. I do know that when I fuse the glass, the metal melts and cools at a different rate than the glass, so the metal spreads out a bit and stands up, giving my piece the amazing illusion of 3D depth. It also heightens the color shifts.

Dichro can also be used "as-is"in stained glass, as in the panel on the right, Leaves in Her Hair. In this case there is no melting so no depth, but the color shifts are still very dramatic (as you can see) and there is an interesting metallic sheen on the glass pieces.

Tips for glass artists:

always cut dichroic from the back. Even so, when you grind, expect some chipping of the dichro layer, so be gentle with the grinder!
If you want to use dichro in lampworking, cut your scraps into thin strips and handle the with tweezers. Heat them slowly in the coolest part of the flame and do your best not to put the flame directly on the dichro coating, only on the back!
an excellent source of scrap dichro: http://www.dichro-wonderglass.com/ . When you buy scraps you let them know if you need thick or thin (buy thick for stained glass, thin for fusing and lampworking), black or clear back, or specific COE's. These guys give great service!

Parting Ways on Valentine's Day...

2009-02-14T19:19:00.008+02:00

Yes, I'm letting my darling go. My darling bead, that is. (What, you thought I was breaking up with my boyfriend? You must be nuts....) This is a bead that I've hung onto for ages, I love her so much. I'm praying that someone who loves lampwork and will treasure her will purchase her. The alternative is to toss her into the ocean so that someone can pick her up off a stormy beach in 2,000 years....

I kind of want to look like this when I'm old. And if I don't stay away from the wine and chocolates, I probably will, but without the dichroic flash :-)

Let you hair down... or pin it up, as you prefer!

2009-02-13T14:09:00.010+02:00

Hair clips - can you really ever have enough? Well, I suppose if you are as bald as Yule Brenner, even one is too much.

But for those of us with long locks, barrettes can be a fashion statement, even for the over-5 set. (That's over 5 years old, not over 5 feet tall.) I might not notice if my tennis shoes have small holes in the toes (I'll probably notice but not worry too much about it - after all, are you looking at my feet? No! Don't look!) but I'll take some time to pick out a clip that looks good with my clothes. I think that's what girls with fashion sense are supposed to do. My fashion sense is that inner voice that says "put on clean underwear in case you're hit by a truck!" and "don't wear that, it's missing too many buttons." Other than that, I'm a pretty casual dresser - and these clips look great with casual clothes.

I create all my hair clips using metal clips and art glass. Sometimes I thrown in other goodies like precious stones or crystal dangles. Then I post them in Jester Jewelry for sale.

Are you holding on to some glass with sentimental value? I bet you're wondering what do with it. You're in luck! You can commission a hair clip with it from me, too, like Penny from UK did. She collects sea glass and had me put some into a clip for her. You don't need much for a clip, and it's a lovely and original way to wear your special glass. (Photo is not of Penny's clip, sorry)

Beads, beads, beads...

2009-02-12T12:02:00.007+02:00

I'd like to thank my newest client for making my day bright and sunny -

THANK YOU, TERESA!!

Teresa visited me on Stringythingy, my Etsy store, and purchased a lot of my lampwork beads. Her selection included some of my favorites. Her choice includes sets and focals, with a good amount of raku and some recycled wine bottle beads.

Selling my creations is very exciting, and selling them in this economic climate is exhilarating. It also helps me pay my rent, in a very practical and basic way. So, Teresa, thank you again. I hope you make a lot of beautiful things with my beads!

Wearing my politics on my sleeve...

2009-02-11T09:01:00.010+02:00

I have to admit that I didn't check out what the candidates in yesterday's Israeli elections think of glass. In the larger scheme of things, while I hope they love glass as much as I do, I also hope they have other things on their mind. After all, we are expecting them to lead Israel into a bright, safe, democratic future, and I'm not personally expecting any of them to show up asking me for stained glass lessons.

And I will also publicly admit this shocking fact: I voted for Liberman. I don't think he is a fascist - I think he has focused on an important concept that is vastly lacking in Israel, even among Jews - loyalty to our country and to our right to exist as a democratic state. I think Americans who live in the US, where people stand up for the anthem, salute the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning as young students (with their hand over their heart, no less) can not understand the reality of living in a country where 20-25% of the population desires to see your government, and the majority of the population, destroyed and replaced with a different country with Islamic rule. Intolerant, violent Islamic rule, I might add. Imagine if 25% of the American citizens in the US supported or practiced terrorism to force collapse of the US government and turn the USA into a new, recognized province of Iran or Syria. Take a look at how the Hamas operates in Gaza and think - would you want to live there? I don't.

Living in the South of Israel, where the percentage of Arab population (to our north) and Bedouin population (to our south) is much higher than in the center of Israel, I live near towns that no Jewish Israeli in their right minds today enters - and that includes our medical services and our law enforcement agencies. Some of these areas are so dangerous that just for driving through them you can be murdered. In other areas, particularly to the south, we see wide-spread homesteading by Bedouin, an activity not legal in Israel nor tolerated when done by Jews, but ignored in the Bedouin sector for fear of inflaming them into an uprising. Unfortunately, as these "towns" spread, the crime rates in the neighboring Jewish cities rise, particularly burglary and car theft. As well, the driving practices in many parts of the south are so dangerous that serious accidents are the norm, and I've already heard more than one story of a Bedouin using his vehicle as a weapon, deliberately and repeatedly attacking a car driven by Jewish Israeli with their truck until they managed to cause a serious crash. Israel handles these as "accidents" rather than attempted murder, because its easier in the short run. In the long run, all this adds up to a lot of lawlessness that is fairly tolerated.

So I voted for Liberman, because I think that Israel has a very serious, internal problem with security and safety. I do not think that all Muslims are bad, I do not think that they should be removed from Israel if they want to live here peacefully and can accept Israel's right to exist as a democratic state, and I think that Palestinians should have their own country that they rule however they want. I just don't think that they should have all of Israel for that country, and I think that people who break the law, Jewish, Christian or Muslim, should go to jail for it, rather than have their actions tolerated or ignored - or somehow justified - because of their political or religious background. And I think that Israel, as a state, has the right and obligation to defend itself and its existence without apologizing.

If believing that Israel has the right to exist and that I have the right to live in a democratic country that is ruled by law rather than terror makes me a fascist, so be it.

Seeing Stars....

2009-02-08T14:05:00.005+02:00

Yes, I do windows. And that's not my response to the Global Recession (better known as GR..., brought to us by way of that big state of Texas...). I hate cleaning windows. I love making windows.

For a while I was a full time artist, but with this GR thing I've gone back to working for someone else at least part time. (Yes, boss, I love you and I appreciate my job. I promise).

So today I'm bringing you one of my new window panels. These are installed in my house, in the entrance. Unfortunately it's not a place that gets a lot of light but they are colorful and I love them. Like all my glass art, these are OOAK (that's one-of-a-kind for you non-eBAY folks) and eventually there will be 6. Currently, top panel is a Star of David and the second panel is our house number (no, I'm not dsylexic - you're seeing it from the inside).

The next panel made will be a GOAT, in honor of our love of goats and my eldest son's job as a goatherd.

Wa-wa-wee-wah - What a FIND!

2009-02-02T11:28:00.014+02:00

My glass addiction sends me outdoors compulsively searching for little bits of Roman glass - glass that some poor fool dropped 2,000 years ago and never bothered to clean up. At least, that's how I imagine some of it gets there. I never collect from archaeological sites but you can hike fields and hills and forests in Israel and often just find this stuff laying around. Which is unbelievable. (Hint - walk into the sun and look for something shiny). What is really unbelievable is that I can infect other people with this compulsion and we all clamber over rocks and through gullies with our eyes glued to the ground as if we are contemplating a major concern of the planet. Or as if we've lost a contact lens. It's a miracle that we haven't walked into trees or off cliffs while doing this.

So there we were, David and I, having a nice conversation while returning from such a hike, (OK, he was trying to convince me to take on a huge project that would gobble up my life for the next 20 years; it's the kind of project you could only consider for love, and could only take on if you are independently wealthy, which I'm not) and I, while walking down the perimeter road of our village - the one that 2 joggers had just run down and that I had walked up with David just that morning - I noticed THIS!!!

Since it's only about 1/2 inch in diameter, and I'm over 5 feet tall and don't have the eyes of an eagle, I didn't actually see it the way you're seeing it now. But I did see that it didn't look natural. I spend a lot of time picking at things that don't look natural but are natural, as you might guess. I once even picked up some squished deer poo, which is pretty natural from close up. And the first thing I noticed about this is that it wasn't glass. But I was only dissapointed for a second - I think the entire region must have heard my screech. I think David may have feared for a moment that I'd stepped on a snake....

I've sent photos of this for identification but my best guess at the moment is Roman. A lot of those guys and gals posed for their portrait coins with decorative hair pieces and togas, while facing to the right. Although I've searched, I haven't found anything like the back of the coin (not posted here), so I'm not sure exactly what I've got but, by golly, I AM EXCITED!!

Sunny Days in Israel

2009-01-31T10:14:00.005+02:00

While we do need the rain - desperately - we're having glorious sunny days here in Israel and I'm enjoying them. To help you all enjoy your sun (and I hope you have a least some sun every day) I'm posting a new suncatcher or two in my Etsy store - and a photo here in my blog.

This particular suncatcher has a piece of raw rose quartz in the center. For those of you who follow crystals, I've heard that rose quartz promotes love and harmony in the home.

Wishing us all pleasant, sunny days and rainy nights - we do need that rain - I"m heading out to the garden.....

I promised, and here it is!

2009-01-30T10:53:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I wrote all about my new box - I photographed it this morning and am posting a photo of it. Read yesterday's blog for the description!

A word about boxes.... glass boxes, of course!

2009-01-29T19:51:00.006+02:00

I love making stained glass boxes, and just finished up a new one today. I don't have photos of it yet so I'm posting photos of a boxes from last year that I also love. Every box I make is special - they're often created as personal commissions, with a unique design based on input from my clients. Sometimes people have me sandwich invitations, photos or poems between glass in the lid or base.

The box I finished today has a wooden floor, cut from a wine crate, clear sides and tops and a really cool design in the lid with a lot of smooth curves. The lid has 2 doors that open from the center. I did it in clear glass so we can see the winery's logo burned into the wood. I treated it all with a nice copper patina.

After I finish a box, I shred the pattern in my handy-dandy office shredder. Not only does this guarantee that I'll never make an identical box but it also provides me with filler when I package my art for shipping!

Day 2 - Still in Love with Glass

2009-01-28T10:19:00.008+02:00

I still love glass - but is that a surprise? Naaaaaaw......

This is just a brief update regarding current projects - I've been invited by a local, boutique winery to create lampwork necklaces from their used wine bottles. They'll show - and sell - the necklaces in their Visitor Center. I've decided to prepare 4 necklaces and a stained glass display box. I'm in the middle of this project so no photos of it yet, but I'm adding a photo of some beads I made from another wine bottle. I started making beads from bottles with ecology in mind - there is so much glass around, I believe it would be criminal not to recycle it. And what better way than to turn it in to durable, wearable, beautiful art?!

Have you noticed? It seems like most wine bottles come in different colors. The beads in the photo that I'm adding to the blog are from a very dark bottle and decorated with a bit of paladium leaf. From now on, when you buy wine, don't just look at the price or the wine, take a look at the color of the bottle, too!

Are you interested in lampworking with old bottles? Let me know and I'll post some tips and tricks. Harvesting the glass is a big part of the effort, so you need to be prepared to invest some time.

First Blog, First Love

2009-01-27T11:31:00.002+02:00

I'm admitting it. I'm addicted to glass. (I'm also addicted to popcorn, if that matters.) This is my first blog ever and I'll try to keep it up with stories about my creations, other people's creations, tips and tricks for glass artists, and photos of my work.

My real name is Cecilia, and most people call me Cec. I live in Israel and I am a glass artist. I have a small, packed, studio and dreams of expanding my space. When I first started working with glass, I was living in a very tiny house - less 40 meters (about 350 sq feet), with my 4 children - and there wasn't room for a studio, so I turned one of the bedrooms into a studio and put my mattress under my work table. Every night, before getting into bed, I had to shake off all the glass splinters and pick off any spatters of solder that had landed on my blankets.

What does it mean to be addicted to glass? Well, some women love shoes - I have a friend with perhaps 100 pairs in her closet. I might even have 2 friends like that. I, on the other hand, have 1 pair of decent tennis shoes, 1 pair of hiking boots with torn and knotted laces, and a worn pair of black dress shoes that I purchased almost 15 years ago. They serve me well. But if you leave my closet and wander on down to my studio, you'll find that I have at least 5 different kinds of glass, in every color imaginable. I have materials for creating stained glass, for lampworking and for fusing. I have rods, sheets, and old bottles. I have some really cool tools and lots of findings and things like crystals, fossils and some ceramic fairies that I once thought I might figure out how to incorporate into a lamp. I am insatiable, and sometimes impractical, when it comes to stocking my studio. I go without food when my bank account is low, but I never go without glass. I also cheerfully go into debt to buy glass but then, with the price of art glass (particularly here in Israel), how could it be otherwise?

If you're not yet convinced, I also dream about glass at night, fantasize about sucking on or even eating my lampwork beads, and hallucinate about melting glass in times of high physical and emotional stimulation (you work that out for yourself since this is potentially a family blog). I don't care about cuts, burns, getting stabbed while working - I once leaned over to examine something and effectively stabbed myself in the face with a drying mandrel - or the stains on my clothes. When I think of glass, none of that matters.....

As far as addictions go, I think this one is pretty harmless. In fact, I think I've made some pretty nice pieces and have even passed on my intense love of glass to many of my students.

You can see my "real" website at http://www.cdesigns-isr.com/ There is a gallery there, with some of my older pieces. There are also links to some of my internet stores and you can find my newer pieces there. And eventually - like, maybe, tomorrow, I'll figure out how to add photos to my blog!

Are you a glass artist? Please comment and query and let me know that I'm not alone in the universe!