The most beautiful paper weight you’ve EVER seen
I’m way behind on blogs and might not have a chance to read until Friday, but I will catch up!
Are you crafty? I sure… am not. My mom and sister are though. But not me. I can’t cut a straight line, tie a ribbon, or write nicely. But! I can make a glass paperweight!
Okay, okay, in FULL disclosure, that is NOT the paperweight I made. Sigh. It’s what mine should look like. We’ll see when I pick it up on Thursday! Fingers crossed!
Early in the year, I saw an Amazon Local Deal for an introductory glass working class (at Patterson Glass). I was curious to learn how glass work is done, and asked Erin if she wanted to try it (since she is that awesome friend who’s up for anything). Of course she said yes, so we signed up and just took the class yesterday!
Confession – I was a little bit scared of burning myself. Guys! It wasn’t until college that I stopped being afraid of using the oven! Ha ha! Would you be scared/nervous at all of taking a glass working class?
All my worries went away when I saw how the shop was set up. There were three stations you went through to make the heart-shaped glass paperweight, and an instructor helped you at each station. Phew! After we watched a demo of the entire process, we went through the stations one by one, so it was never crowded (there were about nine people in our class).
Confession #2 – they told us terms for all the equipment and steps, and showed us all the different ways to color glass, but I am too lazy to look that up for this post.
The first station – glass & color
We (instructor and me) got some glass on the end of a pole and made it in to a cylindrical shape.
Then we added more glass, and made it in to more of a tapered cone shape, and dipped the top of it in to a plate of colored pieces (we were given 8 color choices and the choice for a dot or swirl design – I went with the dots).
After that, we put it in the glory hole – the one term Erin and I thought you guys would like to know. Heh. As I turned it in the glory hole (heh), the colors went in to the glass. One of the interesting things about making this paperweight was that you were almost always turning it to keep it even – the warm glass will start to droop to one side if you don’t!
The second station – shaping
After adding the color, we added another layer of glass on top, then put it in a heart mold. Then we sat in a chair with a medieval looking device (below) to begin to separate the heart off the pole.
There was an option during this station to burn hair off of your arm, but only Erin chose to do that.
The instructor used an air gun on the heart, then we began to saw at it to loosen it off the pole even more.
The third station – separate, smooth, and in to the kiln
For the final station, we tapped a butter knife against the extra piece of glass keeping the heart on the pole to knock the heart off. Then the instructor used a torch to smooth down the part where it broke off. Then it went in to the kiln! Here is what mine looked like before going in:
What’s interesting is that the glass doesn’t show its true colors or get clear until it’s removed from the kiln. So they all look orange until they are done. And like I said… I get to see my final product on Thursday! I hope it looks cool!
I was surprised how easy the instructors made glass work seem. I was seriously nervous I was going to end up with a blob paperweight, but I think I will actually have something nice that I can display and be proud of! I hope to go back and take a class* with Steven. I think he would really enjoy it.
*They offer a lot of classes, and sell some cool stuff too – like memorials for people and pets (with ashes or hair in them).
Themocracy
I am SO NOT crafty, but this is seriously cool! Where did you go?
I am giggling that you were the one afraid of burning yourself, but ERIN is the one who came out with no arm hair…
Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Patterson Glass in Mundelein. It was back in an industrial area 😉
I was laughing about that too! Poor Erin! She had her sleeves partially up. I felt my arm getting hot during that step too, but I had my sleeves down.
That is seriously cool!!! I want to do something like that!
I can’t wait to see the finished product!!
I love stuff like that! I used to frequent the pottery painting studio until the owner packed it up and moved to FL. I’m not very good at painting but I like feeling crafty. I’ve seen classes for painting on canvas but I’ve never done it. Instead I got some paint and canvases for Christmas. I’ve painted on one so far. I can’t wait to see how your paperweight turns out.
What a cool class! I mildly crafty. It comes in spurts and I have a craft graveyard in my home where well intended crafts come to die. Hot glass always seemed intimidating. Maybe B and I should be venture out. Can’t wait to Data next to the finished product.
I would think you would be much more crafty than me! You and B should take a class sometime! It was fun!
What a fun class – not sure the point of burning arm hair, but maybe it’s a pagan thing.
Love it! That’s pretty awesome. I know of a guy who went to school to be an aeronautical engineer and ending up doing glass work for a living. Snort.
SO cool! I live near (well sort of, not really close) to Corning, NY with the Corning Museum of glass. It is pretty neat. Also on the cruise I went on last year, they had the Corning Glass blowing show which was fun to watch. But I have never done it before myself – I would be afraid of burning myself too. that stuff is hot!
Wow! That looks like a cool class to take. I saw the Stella Artois commercial this weekend on TV where the guy hand blows the Stella glass and I thought of you taking the class. I can’t wait to see the finished product!
How cool! I’m sure your paperweight will be even prettier 🙂 Though I’ve had some bouts of craftiness (sewing, knitting, crocheting), I lose interest very easily. Something like this would not be good for me. I’d probably catch myself on fire.
That is gorgeous! How cool is that?! Yeah, I’d be scared of burning myself..I had a bad incident with hot butter burns…no fun!
Seriously, seriously jealous! 12 or so years ago my family went to Oregon for a vacation and while we were there we went to a glass blowing shop and watched a demonstration. I’ve been totally fascinated by glass blowing and glass work in general ever since. There’s something so incredible about seeing glass in its liquidy state and watching someone who really knows what they’re doing shape it into something beautiful. I’d love to give a glass working class a shot some day!
Yes! Exactly that! Maybe it’s the closest thing to magic we’ll ever see? 🙂
I don’t know why I didn’t think to pull my sleeves down! Duh!
I was explaining the whole process to Jason last night and he seemed intrigued! Something to add to the list of things to try once he graduates and has free time again.
I hope mine turns out actually heart shaped and not like a blob. Looking forward to seeing them. Thanks for such a fun afternoon!
I bet he would enjoy it! They did such a good job explaining it. 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂
I’d have a blast doing something like this. Heh heh. Get it? “Blast.”
I’m a little amused that burning the hair off your arm is even an option! I’m not afraid of fire/stoves, but that might be pushing it.
I’ve never done glass blowing, but I took that glass pendant making class and got to cut glass! So blowing it is probably the next step. Can’t wait to see how your paperweight turns out!
Cool! What did you guys do to cut it?
You cut it 🙂 Turns out it’s really easy to do, you just need the right tools and know-how!
Ok, I can guarantee that I would burn myself doing this – but man! It looks so cool! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
This looks like SOOOO much fun! I am NOT crafty at all!
that looks like so much fun
That place looks so cool!
I do not consider myself crafty! But I like trying new things (like painting class!) and would try this! I like imitating pinterest too 🙂
Wow, that’s so neat, but “glory hole”? AHHHHHHHH! WHAT!!!!
I think I would be a little nervous to do anything with glass because of a fear of burning myself. And then Erin singed off her arm hair, so now I’m still nervous. THANKS A LOT. No, just kidding.
I’m impressed at your “goal” paper-weight. That looks super-professional, so I’m impressed things can turn out that well on someone’s first try. I bet yours will look EVEN BETTER!
I think glory hole needs some “TWSS” humming to go along with it 😉
LOL! Erin’s arm hair loss can be remedied by wearing your sleeves down 😉 I felt my arm getting hot too, but I had sleeves on.
Thanks! I hope it looks nice! Then I will actually use it! 🙂