The Stained Glass Zone The Stained Glass Zone http://thestainedglasszone.com en-us Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:14:19 GMT Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:14:19 GMT <![CDATA[Camera Helps with Identifying Decorative Glass Pieces]]> decorative glass


When I was growing up, I remember that my grandmother had this beautiful collection of decorative glass. She had it locked away in this small cabinet and none of us were allowed to touch it. I remember admiring the gorgeous colors and thinking that one day I would own my own pieces of decorative glass. What I didn't know at the time was that my grandmother would be the one to give me my very first piece of decorative glass many years later.

Even though it was more than twenty years ago, I still remember it like it happened yesterday. I was at grandmas for Sunday dinner one year and she opened the case containing the decorative glass. She made the comment that I'd been admiring that glass since I was a little girl, and that she wanted me to have the piece of my choosing, so she suggested that I choose my favorite piece from the cabinet. I couldn't believe my ears, but I did as she asked and chose my favorite piece of the decorative glass. That began my love of collecting.

Over the years I've gone to many auctions that had decorative glass and there were times I'd get home and I couldn't remember what certain pieces looked like, or I'd want to look up information on the Internet about the pieces and couldn't remember so I decided to buy myself a camera to help me stay organized. When I saw 9.1-Megapixel Compact Digital. Model - DMC-TZ50S that I found for a great price at Circuit Values whose online store can be found by visiting www.circuitvalues.com/, I decided to order it on the spot. Since then I've carried it with me everywhere I go, and when I see a piece of decorative glass I'm interested in, I pull out the camera and take a picture or two that I can use for informational purposes. I've even recently taken a couple of really great pictures of some decorative glass pieces and I'm going to have them printed and framed. I'll hang them as pieces of art in my home and I know they'll look beautiful. My dream is to someday travel to Italy and see some of the decorative glass that they have there on display and for sale. I've always wanted to go to Italy anyway, and the fact that it seems to be the place for decorative glass only makes it that much more attractive in my eyes. ]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:14:19 GMT <![CDATA[Decorative Glass Reaching My PC Setup]]> stained glass, decorative glassThere is something simply wonderful about decorative glass. The way light shines through it, reflecting colors, shapes and tranquility onto all things nearby. I first fell in love with stained glass as a young kid in church school. Our church had very tall ceilings, at least 40 feet high. Stretching most of the way up behind the alter were stained glass panels adorning popular snapshots or stories from the bible. It makes a lot of sense why when the term stained glass is brought up people think of a church. While many of us have our own decorative glass pieces in our homes, church is the greatest supporter of stained glass. It is somewhat of a lost art. You don’t see stained glass on many new constructions. It is normally part of an eclectic home, decoration put up by an artsy person or within a religious building.

I have been looking for a web cam recently since a close friend is moving home for a little bit. This seems completely off topic from decorative glass but bear with me, there is a connection. Since this friend is leaving and I’d like to stay in touch we figure what better way then with a web cam. It is the free alternative to calling each other on the phone, plus this way it is sort of face to face through a computer screen. I visited a favorite retailer called Circuit Values at http://www.circuitvalues.com/ in search of an affordable web cam.

As expected, they had exactly what I was looking for. What I didn’t expect was to find a web cam that uses the beauty of glass as an ascetic feature. Seen in the picture above, the Guillemot Hercules Deluxe Optical Glass Webcam - CMOS - USB is affordable and has an artistic design. I would have no problem adding this web cam to my glass computer table. For the price, I can’t imagine a better deal. While I’m not using it to talk to a friend, thousands of miles away, it will be cool just to look at. I imagine when the afternoon sun is peaking through the window, it would hit the glass surrounding the web cam optics and make for a nice looking addition to the home office. Once again, this is another example of the wonders of online shopping. There always seems to be a product I had no idea I’d find but is a true delight when it pops up on the computer monitor.
]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:12:13 GMT <![CDATA[Hoping to Buy a Grandfather Clock with Decorative Glass Front]]> decorative glassI have always wanted a nice Grandfather clock.  It is just one of those things that I always stop to stare at when I see one.  Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted a Grandfather Clock.  My grandmother had one, and it was beautiful with decorative glass on the front.  It would chime every hour, and I thought it was the neatest thing.  It sounded so beautiful and looked even better.  I never had room in my house before, but now that I live in a larger home than ever, I can find a place to put a Grandfather clock.

I was browsing the internet looking for Grandfather clocks with decorative glass panels on the front.  I found this great company called Circuit Values.  Their website, http://www.circuitvalues.com, has a lot of wonderful items.  They carry electronics, video games & consoles, cameras and so much more.  I was impressed by the website because it is so easy to navigate.  They have everything set up into categories and sub-categories to make shopping a breeze.  There's even a search bar to find something quickly.  When I did a search for Grandfather clocks with decorative glass, I was happy to find several there!  This Edward Meyer Grandfather Clock with Beveled Glass is exactly what I'm hoping to buy.  It features 31-day movement, beveled glass, decorative glass on the side panels, large brass finished pendulum with 3 weights. The beautifully crafted wood has a timeless beauty and easily represents the love and attention given to fine furniture by craftsmen who take pride in their work. Each clock includes a winding key and it chimes the hour and once on the half hour. I can't wait to buy this Grandfather clock, because it has the decorative glass that I was hoping to find in a clock! 

Decorative glass on a clock like this Edward Meyer Grandfather Clock with Beveled Glass makes it really stand out and makes people want to look at it closer.  It makes it stand out in a room, and I want this to stand out and be the focal point of my living room.  I'm so excited about buying my first Grandfather clock with decorative glass, I can hardly stand to wait for it to arrive.  The fact that I found such an affordable and beautiful clock really makes me happy.  It was such a great find.  Shopping online is perfect for people like me who want to save money and time.
]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:09:18 GMT <![CDATA[Bringing the Beauty of Stained Glass Windows Home]]> stained glass, stained glass panelA month ago we went to a concert that was held in a church that had some of the most gorgeous stained glass panels. Out of respect for the orchestra (and the rules) we left our digital camera at home, but later we called the church office and asked if we could come back and photograph the stained glass panels in the sanctuary where we heard the concert. They said of course, and the next sunny weekday we had free found us on the freeway heading to the church with our new digital camera. We bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ50 Digital Camera for our Christmas present and ever since we have been using it, we are blown away by the results.

In order to capture the best photos we could, we chose a time of day when the sun would be streaming through the stained glass panels so we could capture the singular beauty of the glass. This camera has Wi-Fi technology so we were able to upload the photos as we were taking them to the Picasa website for others to see. We reviewed the photos as we took them and viewed them on the large 3" screen on this camera. It has a 35mm lens which is perfect for interior work and of course, the zoom lens made it possible for us to get closer pictures of the stained glass for detail work. This camera has 9.1 megaixels which means that we can crop to our hearts' content without losing pixel density. We bought it at Circuit Values located at http://www.circuitvalues.com, a site with a ton of products for entertainment at home and on the road. We got a fantastic deal on the camera and are so happy with it.

We were pleased with our results and sent several of the best ones to the church as a thank you for letting us photograph their beautiful stained glass windows. It was the least we could do. It was kind of odd being in a church sanctuary that was completely empty except for our little entourage but the stillness was very peaceful and the colors flooding the room were incredible. The last time we'd been there it was packed with concert goers and musicians, so seeing it in a different perspective was eye opening.

I can't imagine what it would be like to work in a church office, and being able to gaze on the beautiful stained glass windows often during the day. The likelihood of my working in a church is about nil, so I'm going to load the photos we shot with our new camera into our digital picture frame and that way, I can sit at my desk while I work and enjoy the same images, only in a smaller version.
]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:04:56 GMT <![CDATA[Stereo Headphones and Making Decorative Glass Excellent Hobby]]> decorative glass, stained glassWe have turned our home entertainment center cabinet into a bookcase for art size portfolio books and use the laptop computer instead because it plays movies and music beautifully. We bought computer speakers for it and a VGA cable for the TV, so we're all set and don't need a bulky stereo anymore. I like to make decorative glass in my spare time, and when no one is around, I listen to the music through the computer speakers, but when they're home, I head to the shed to work on my decorative glass.

That was until today when I found these headphone speakers that promise to deliver an incredible sound. That means I can stay in the house, listen to my tunes as loudly as I wish, and listen to whatever I want regardless of others in the house and what they may be doing. These are the Plantronics .Audio™ USB Multimedia Stereo Headset With DSP and the product description says that they have a sound card inside that enhances the audio experience.

When I'm working on my decorative glass projects, I love to lose myself in the music and art and these will be perfect for me. They also look incredibly comfortable. I found these at Circuit Values located at http://www.circuitvalues.com, a site with a lot of fine entertainment products and high tech merchandise designed to make life so much easier.

These headphones also have a microphone with noise canceling technology which means that I can plug them in and talk to my distant sister online and save a bundle on our phone calls. She and I share a love for decorative glass and stained glass that we developed when we were little kids and as we sat through the church services, admired the beauty of the windows that decorated the sanctuary. Since then, we have both collected stained glass and my foray into making decorative glass has been an interesting process.

First I wanted to learn to melt glass but after learning how much heat it required, decided I'd leave the glass bead art to others, so now I've been learning to take existing sheets of glass of all colors and solder them together to make my own stained glass panels and decorative glass. I'm in the early phases of learning this art and I love listening to music as I do it, so these headphones are going to be just the thing for me to spend many a happy hour in an art that I believe I am going to enjoy for a long time.
]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:02:33 GMT <![CDATA[New Decorative Glass Vases Arrived in Mail – One More Thing to Check Off the List!]]>

decorative glassMy wife and I have really been doing our best to decorate the interior of the new home that we moved into in Tempe about year ago today, and part of this undertaking was to really make it different than our old home was. Inclusive of that was finding some really gorgeous and stunning decorative glass vases online to add to certain rooms in the house. You see my wife not only loves decorative glass vases, but she also has a really nice flower garden that she has been working on in the backyard. So not only will the decorative glass vases look great in the rooms we place them in, but they will always have fresh, home grown flowers in them as well; adding to the interior ambience of our home. I am pleased to say that a few of the decorative glass vases that we bought online last week finally were delivered today in the mail. When my wife got home from work and opened them up, you should have seen the smile that spread across her lovely face!

]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:50:40 GMT <![CDATA[The magic of Stained Glass]]>

        As part of my following the teachings and scriptures of Jesus Christ, I accepted a path of spreading the word of God to the indigenous people of Niger, located in Africa. I had never been to Africa, let alone Niger, but I was so excited to go and spread the word of my Lord and savior to the people there. My work began by building a church for the people of the Mon Gat Umba Tribe. This revolved around me making a Stained Glass window. I was so happy and excited to build the Stained Glass, that I got on my knees, started praying, and let the power of Jesus' love flow all over my soul.
        As I was working on the Stained Glass window, I started telling a local boy named Atama all about how Jesus was a carpenter. He was very interested, and listened to the whole story. I told him that someday, if he wanted, he too could become a carpenter, just like Jesus. He agreed, and he helped me build the church. When it was finished, his tribe decided to name it after Atama, for his help in building the church.
]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:33:08 GMT <![CDATA[I have always loved stained glass]]>  

I have always had a deep affection for stained glass. When I was little, I remember just admiring and staring at the stained glass windows of our church. I know I should have been listening to the sermon, but I couldn’t help being fascinated by how the light shone through the multi-colored windows and made the stained glass even more beautiful. In my own home, I have had small stained glass hangings in various parts of my house. I found a beautiful one online that had a shape of a flower on it and hung it immediately in front of my big kitchen window. I love how the morning light hits the stained glass just right and makes beautiful colors in that area. My younger son took stained glass in high school as one of his electives. He told me how hard it was and his end project was going to be a gift for me. He told me not to look too close as there were many mistakes. Sure enough, on Mother’s Day, I was presented with a stained glass toucan that I loved and placed in my bedroom window. I smile every time I see the colors on my personal stained glass toucan shine through.

]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 08:03:26 GMT <![CDATA[Stained Glass Candle Holder]]> stained glass


When I was a young girl I remember my mother had a candle holder made of stained glass. It was in the family room and was always one of my favorite things. When she lit a candle in the stained glass candle holder it emitted beautiful colors of green, yellow, red and blue. The flickering flame made the colors dance around the walls of the room, especially when my mother would turn the lights down low. I get a warm feeling just thinking of those simple times with my mother.

That same stained glass candle holder has found a home in my living room now. It sits prominently on my large square coffee table. I light a candle in the stained glass candle holder quite often. The colors are still as brilliant as they were over forty years ago. It is really something to me, knowing that my mother and I enjoyed this very piece of stained glass together so many years ago. It truly comforts me. When I have had a particularly hard day I often light the candle in the stained glass holder to sooth me.   ]]> Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:14:43 GMT <![CDATA[The Beauty of Stained Glass ]]> stained glass


I really appreciate the look and function of my stained glass windows. They are absolutely beautiful when the sun hits them in the afternoon light. The brilliant colors make me feel warm and comfortable. I placed them in those afternoon windows to block the bright summer afternoon sun. My front room was the warmest room in the house because of those mid-day rays. I did not want to totally block out the sunlight so those stained glass windows really did the trick.

The fun part was shopping for and looking at so many different stained glass window pane arrangements. I was amazed and a little overwhelmed with the decision process because there were so many styles to choose from. I had to narrow it down first by the choice of color I wanted in my stained glass. Once I grouped those choices I thought about what kind of theme or message I wanted to relay with the windows. The stained glass would be seen inside the house as well as outside. At night when the lights were on indoors the stained glass could be seen from the street.

I am very happy with my ultimate choice. The stained glass windows are stunning in the light from either side. Plus the heat level in my front room has been reduced a whole lot. It is a comfortable place to hang out anytime of day!  ]]> Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:28:37 GMT <![CDATA[Decorative Glass Factory ]]> decorative glass


While visiting my husband's family in the Midwest we took a day road trip to tour a decorative glass factory. As the tour took us through the factory we saw hot molten glass being blown and shaped into candy bowls, vases and pitchers with curved or twisted handles. It was really neat to see how the crafters worked with that hot glass. They were able to make it do crazy things to create those beautiful pieces of decorative glass. 

The tour led us through the painting section. This was where cooled down pieces were hand painted with flowers or some ambiguous design. The patterns were similar but actually all were different and one of a kind with the skill of these artists. 

The tour ended in a gift shop that displayed many rows of shelves of the decorative glass finished products. Of course my husband and I could not leave without getting our own signed piece of decorative glass. Since we were traveling by plane we chose to have the piece shipped to our Southwest home. We watched as the clerk packed our piece of decorative glass into a box with those plastic peanuts. Today, that piece of decorative glass is prominently and warmly displayed in our living room.   ]]> Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:13:23 GMT <![CDATA[Tiffany Glass Lamp Sets Mood]]> tiffany glass


I just love the mood set by the light displayed from a mellow tiffany glass lamp. I have a tiffany lamp placed on an antique table in my living room. As dusk falls I turn on the tiffany glass lamp. When the room gets dark the illumination from the tiffany lamp is soft, warm and inviting. I really look forward to spending relaxing evenings in the room.

I found my tiffany glass lamp while shopping at an antique store. I spend alot of my free time doing just that sort of thing. I like the look and feel of antiques so my home is loaded with them. The day I found that tiffany glass lamp was the same day I met my then to be future husband. He owned the antique store I was shopping in and we hit it off immediately as we talked about this, that and the other thing. 

A week later he and I went to dinner together and truly have not been separated since. Talk about an attraction and a feeling that we had known each other forever after just a couple of meetings. We believe fate intervened by way of a tiffany glass lamp.     ]]> Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:39:23 GMT <![CDATA[Making Stained Glass Crafts with Daughter]]> stained glass


My youngest daughter has always been the artsy craftsy child. With her I am able to explore my own missed childhood opportunities. My daughter and I have enjoyed doing things like making tye dye t-shirts, painting bird houses and then putting them outside in a tree with bird seed in them and watching the feeding frenzy. We have made edible jewelry and permanently colored a jeweled box to hold my daughter's treasures. Our latest endeavor was working with stained glass. I truly believe I like doing the artsy craftsy things as much as she does!

The stained glass kit came with all the pieces of brightly colored glass broken up into workable sizes. My daughter and I then arranged them into different shaped pallets. I worked on a square shaped piece while she did a hectagon. We spent a good week working on those stained glass plaques. After the adhesive was dry we sprayed them with a clear glaze so they could be used outdoors. Today those beautiful pieces of stained glass artwork are proudly displayed in the garden.  ]]> Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:09:02 GMT <![CDATA[Adding Personality to a Home with Stained Glass]]> If we are not careful, it is really easy in life to go with the flow, move into a cookie cutter house, drive the standard car of the time and dress to fit in. I would much rather keep some individuality and live outside of the box. Some things in life are worth following the crowd with but when I own my first home here is where I’ll be able to show some personality. I grew up in a neighborhood with cookie cutter type homes. From the outside, our house looked like a few others coming up our street but inside it was unique. That was partly because of renovations and partly because my mom incorporated things she enjoyed like stained glass.

There were three skylights above our kitchen-dining nook. My mom started by switching out one of the window panes for a stained glass panel and after liking it so much swapped out another leaving the center skylight clear glass. Unless someone sat down at our table, they would have never seen the stained glass but it added character to our home.
]]> Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:24:31 GMT <![CDATA[Going to Start Making Stained Glass Mobiles at Home]]> stained glass, stained glass panelI love stained glass objects and have had a serious desire to learn to make them myself. To that end, I found this loupe online that should be useful when I'm making really intricate stained glass pieces. I talked to a woman who teaches the art of stained glass and she suggested that one of these would be useful for making the small pieces that I want. Instead of making large stained glass panels, I want to make small ones with lots of pieces of color in them. I love things that are small and intricate, so it makes sense to buy the Premium 20 x 30mm Jeweler's Loupe w/ Stand that will help me create the small objects.

I am envisioning making stained glass mobiles. I used to make mobiles all the time from seashells, driftwood and small rocks. I got the idea of making stained glass mobiles when I was going through a box of old stuff and saw both a glass bead and one of my old mobiles, so when I put two and two together, and came up with the idea of making intricate stained glass mobiles myself. I can get all the things I need to make them online, and I can't wait to get started. There are even tutorials online for making stained glass ornaments so I might be able to get started all by myself just by using the tools the Internet offers. I found this loupe at Circuit Values located at http://www.circuitvalues.com and not only will it be useful for my stained glass projects, others in the family can use it for close up work, too.

This loupe magnifies up to 30 times so we can really examine things up close. I like the fact that this is mounted on a stand and we won't have to use my hands to use this magnifier. It's a cool product and I'm really looking forward to getting it. It was reasonably priced and will let me make some beautiful stained glass mobiles as well as other things I have yet to discover down the road.

Arts and crafts are an excellent way to entertain myself and I grew up in a family that was always doing things with their hands, and I can't wait to learn how to make my stained glass mobiles for the house and patio. If I come up with really beautiful designs, I might even be able to sell them online, too. I didn't see that many sites for stained glass mobiles, so maybe I've hit on something here that will let me do something I've always loved and be able to make some money at it at the same time.
]]> Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:23:56 GMT <![CDATA[Love the Look of Tiffany Glass]]> tiffany glass, stained glass


I just love the look of tiffany glass lamps. I have several of them in my home. Two tiffany glass lamps are located in my front room where I spend most of my relaxation time. Also in that room are a big screen television, my comfortable recliner and surround sound speakers. I enjoy the comfort and warmth that room offers me, especially at the end of a hectic day.

The other tiffany glass lamp is in my bedroom. The colors of the stained glass are a compliment to the rest of the decor in the room. I love the light casted about with the tiffany glass lamp. I find it to be quite soothing and a great classic addition to my area of rest.

I hope to add to my collection of tiffany glass lamps. I don't really seek them out but if I run across a lamp that speaks to me I will get it. I like to peruse the antique stores to see what treasures they may hold. I did purchase one of those tiffany glass lamps from an antique store. It was in good shape although I needed to polish up the brass stand. I like to do that sort of thing. I just love the look of tiffany glass!    

]]> Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:49:40 GMT <![CDATA[Opalescent Glass for Front Door ]]> stained glass, stained glass panel


The entry way to my parents home sports two large carved wooden doors. Beside each of those doors is a long narrow window. The windows really light up the entry way in the daytime but at night they revealed too much of the interior of the house. My parents felt uncomfortable at night with the easy visibility into their home through those windows. Solution: installing a custom made stained glass panel in each window made of opalescent glass! 

This was a fun project as my mother and father spent some time looking for the perfect stained glass design. They knew what colors they wanted to incorporate in each of the long narrow stained glass panels but they were not sure of the pattern or picture they would depict. After many months of looking around and installing temporary paper blinds my parents made their final choice.

Today each of those long narrow windows is prominently covered with the most beautiful stained glass panel made of an opalescent glass. The light is diffused but still comes through during the day. At night my mother and father experience the security and privacy they were seeking.  
]]> Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:19:50 GMT <![CDATA[A lesson about Tiffany glass.]]> Circuit Values web site located online at http://www.circuitvalues.com. I found this item so interesting I thought other might like to know about it.
tiffany glass, decorative glass This is a picture of the APOLLO 40th MEDALLION - contains Apollo flown metal. Yes, according to signed statements endorsed by NASA this cool medallion contains metal from one of the space flights to the moon. How cool is that! What a great conversation piece and as an addition to any collection of NASA and space related collectables. The medallion is stamped on both sides commemorating the moon landing's and comes with a beautiful holder/stand. Finding something like this while searching online for a totally unrelated item is what makes online shopping and browsing so interesting. I know just the spot on my fireplace mantle for this very unusual item.

]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:06:46 GMT <![CDATA[Flowers wouldn’t be the same in my house without decorative glass vases!]]>

decorative glassI find it to be interesting at times that something as simple as decorative glass vases can really spice up a room in your house. Take my bedroom, for example, there are several decorative glass vases that have really nice, fresh flowers that my wife keeps stocked in them and they really add to the flare and the ambience of the room. This is the same status quo for the other rooms in my house; decorative glass vases really do add this missing, final touch to those rooms. And on another related note, being able to have fresh flowers strewn around your home using decorative glass vases is just decadent if you ask me. As far as finding the decorative glass vases that suits my wife and me, they can be, I have found, easily located online at a wide variety of different online stores that have all sorts of deals and selections on quality decorative glass vases that you can order for quite the value, avoiding the costly retail markup. And having fresh flowers in my house is just heavenly!

]]> Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:17:13 GMT <![CDATA[Flowers I ordered online for Valentine’s Day come with amazing decorative glass vase! ]]>

decorative glassMy wife just loves getting flowers on special days, such as our wedding anniversary, her birthday, or this forthcoming lover’s holiday that comprises Valentine’s Day. She also has plenty of really nice decorative glass vases in her collection that currently house fresh flowers around our home. However, this Sunday – which marks Valentine’s Day – she will be getting yet another really nice decorative glass vase that she can add to her ever growing collection. This is because I shopped for the flowers that bought for her online – and got a great deal on them mind you – and they come with a really nice decorative glass vase that my wife will just love; not to mention how shocked that she will be when the flowers are delivered to our house right before we head out to dinner. Indeed, I love getting my wife surprises, but this gift is twofold: she gets the flowers that she will love, and the keepsake decorative glass vase as a memento. I am sure that she will find a special place to put it in the house so the vase can hold more fresh flowers in the future!

]]> Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:17:08 GMT