Glasswaterscope Success!

January 31, 2008 at 6:04 pm (fusing, glass, kaleidoscope)
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I had much success in the assembly and running of my VLK (Very Large Kaleidoscope) for the Edwardian World’s Faire and Ball last weekend.

I knew weekend before last that the major components would work fine, i.e., the moving parts moved and the reflecty parts reflected. When I went to do the aesthetics the night before the event (!), I found that it was very visually — unstunning. In fact, it didn’t really do much of anything. My lovely partner pointed out to me that what I needed was large objects rotating in and out of the line of sight. It seemed that the lovely fused glass disc I had made might do nothing but obscure the effect I wanted. But alas! We found a way to make it work, and it was lovely.

Pix to come.

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What’s up?

January 18, 2008 at 9:49 pm (fusing, glass, kaleidoscope, lampwork)
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A new cylinder of gas. A discussion with Jackie at KMG about oxy-propane, and the possibility of switching when a new studio is in the picture. A discussion about boro glass, and how Moretti and Vetrifond and others are offering a similar color palette. An attempt to re-create the wedding cake bead that didn’t work and became a rectangle instead (and not a very good one, either). The need to clean and prepare my used mandrels for the next round of 40 beads. (I made a whole lot of beads this past 2-3 weeks! Hooray. Making up for lost time August – December 2007.)

For Edwardian weekend, I have loads of fused glass to design/assemble/fire (6 cabochons [designed, at least, and 3 assembled] and GoreyScope2 disc [not yet designed, even]). PLUS building Goreyscope2 and making costumery. Good thing I work well under deadline.

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big glass day!

January 15, 2008 at 10:00 pm (jewelry, kaleidoscope, lampwork)
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So many glass acts yesterday.

I am making a 3-ft high kaleidoscope, with a fused glass disc as the design element. My friend and c0-worker Dave Hilyard (large optics specialist) cut the mirror for me into 8″ x 28″ lengths and smoothed the edges; he also gave me some adhesive strip to secure them together. Next I need to make the disk, and set up the motorized rotator. I will post pix and maybe a video when this is completed, IF it works or IF it doesn’t!

In the evening, my friend Rachel came over. We ate, sipped wine, and talked beads. She is a fabulous artist, and I wanted to pick her brains about possible settings for my beads. She had some insights, and she will do a wire class for me and a couple of friends in early February.

Then I made a couple of beads. Got a little ambitious with one of them and it broke, but in workable place. Pix to come later.

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