Glass is tough to photograph!

But that didn't stop me from trying. I took a stained glass course a couple of months ago, and today I realized I never got any photos of my projects. We did two projects in class-- one in copper foil (the method Tiffany used), and one in lead came. Both were pretty simple, as stained glass projects go, but it was a wonderful introduction to both techniques.

We did the copper foil project first. I have to say that choosing the colors was the hardest part. It felt like such a huge decision, probably because most people take a class like this, and then never do another project again. I didn't know if I would or wouldn't do any more stained glass. It really depended on how much I enjoyed it. (Turns out, I LOVE it!)



The lead came project was a geometric piece, which is the easiest thing to do with lead came.



After the class ended, I decided to buy a glass grinder and try something a little more intricate. It's not quite finished, but I'm quite pleased with what I've done so far. I still need to finish the outside edge-- I need to do that in the garage and will have to wait until the weather warms up a bit. Once the outside edge is done, I'll be able to add the patina and enjoy my creation.



It's hard to see in the picture, but the clear glass actually has a raindrop pattern on it. I thought it was a nice choice for the spring floral theme. If I had it to do again, I wouldn't have chosen such an irregularly shaped piece as my second project. Other than that, it really wasn't too difficult. There were quite a few pieces, some of them tiny, and more intricate soldering, but overall, I really enjoyed putting this one together. I haven't decided what I'll do next, but I've been steadily building a stained glass "stash" for future projects. ;)