I was home for over two weeks after I injured my back moving glass. I know, I should know better by now but of course I always thing I can lift more than my body should. This one was bad. I could not even get out of bed, had to lay on my belly and slide feet first out and pointing towards the floor. Then I had to push up with my arms to be able to stand. It was horrible and painful. I sure hope I learned my lesson!

I did a lot of reading done that had been on my desk for months but never took the time to read. Purged files, organized desk drawers, watched a ton of Youtube videos! I did some art journaling and fell in love with it. 

Been back in the studio for two weeks and find sitting harder than I thought. I take turns standing and sitting. The hunching monitor helps me sit up straight, what a difference when you did sit straight! Here is a link to it.

Most recent David Ramsay Sellars painting to be added to the collection. It was grouped with two others and was a tough one to find as it was not listed as just his work. For those of you just visiting for the first time, David Ramsay Sellars is my maternal great grandfather from Dundee Scotland. He signed them D R Sellars.

You might call me a little obsessed with finding and collecting his paintings.  I have 39 of his paintings.

I am working on a few repairs that are on the workbench and a 5 window commission. Keeping me busy and out of trouble.

What's on your workbench or worktable? 

​Have a great week and remember to keep art in your heART!

Just a quick drop in today to update you on the Studio.

I have changed the hours to Wednesday through Saturday 10 am to 3 pm. If you need to shop and can't fit in those hours just call and make an appointment and I will meet you. 

Also I will no longer be having First Friday or Second Saturday at the studio (this might change again but for now it stands). I had an unsettling incident at the Studio and do not feel as comfortable downtown without other shops being open. I do want to thank everyone that came over the past four years and supported me. You are the best.

I am looking for ideas for classes this summer. Do you have any favorites you would like to see again? Or something you missed and would like to learn?

​Have awonderful weekend! Stay safe.

I started working on a commission in September. Due to materials being stuck in transit it took way longer than anyone ever think.

Part of the window was an old window and parts of another window as well as unique pieces to be included. Working with the commissioner was great, he requested changes which were very doable and in the end it is his window and not mine!  All artists that do commission work need to keep that in mind. They might be doing the work but at the end of the day it is not theirs.

The door was installed March 8 with help from my friend, Cindy Boring.

If you are interested in a custom piece follow this link to learn more working with me on a commission. You can also check out past commission work on this page.

​If you have any questions please feel free to reach out via email.

Have you heard of the #100 Day Project? It is where you commit to do something for 100 Days. It can be anything, not always art related. My 100 Day Project is to make art, not stained glass but other art forms for the next 100 days, actually now it is 98 Days as it started February 13.

​Here is the link to the main page 100 Day Project.

Day 1 I gathered new to me supplies for the project- a mixed media spiral pad, papers to collage with, old greeting cards, gel medium, watercolor pencils, quotes and more. Then I set up a work area in my home studio. There are more supplies but I have not gotten them out yet. I want it to feel like Christmas every day for 100 days!

There are daily prompts and encouragement. The Instagram feed will be crazy creative.

It does not cost anything. You can do whatever you want... write, read, exercise, create, sing, play, cook, experiment, you name it. You can post photos or you can be silent.

​Are you going to do 100 Day Project along with me? Come on let's have fun!

 Wow! I can to do my weekly blog and it was December when I last posted! It is not weekly but weakly!

​Much has happened- I finished a commission. The colors of the sails are the colors of the commissioner's sailboats. It was fun sharing the progress of the project with her. With colors changes we were still able to make the due date.
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I love affirmations! I used to print out every positive affirmation I could get my hands on then I got to thinking and they all could not fit me, could they?

Years later I came across this one and it "spoke" to me.

Be seen.
Be heard.
Be remembered.

And that was it! I found my affirmation. and I love it still to this day.

What is your favorite positive affiramtion?
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When working in a stained glass studio there are many things you need to be alert to. You need to pay attention at all times, just to be safe around the glass. Shortcuts can lead to accidents. When I teach I ask students to silence their phones, interruptions can be the leading cause of accidents.

Here are some safety tips from my studio to yours.

Protect your body!

Ventilation- work in an open area with lots of ventilation or use an exhaust fan.
Chemicals- wear gloves while applying patina, some people wear disposable gloves while working with flux.
Eyes- protect your eyes at all times- from flying glass chips while cutting or grinding glass, flux spits while soldering. Goggles, safety glasses or full face shields all work. Wear safety glass/googles over prescription glasses.
Good light source- make sure you have good lighting
Wear long pants- solder balls that roll off workbench are hot! Sitting on glass chips is not fun either.
Wear closed toed shoes to protect from solder balls and glass chips falling.

Know where your First Aid Kit is!

Operating equipment
Know what is going on around you while working with equipment.
Be checked out on the equipment before use.
Listen to your power tools. Do they sound normal or something fun, turn off right away. A saw blade can pop so quickly.
Clean up every work station you work at. You want to go to a clean space, please leave it clean for the next person.
All glass scraps go in the glass bucket not the garbage can! I have been cut too many times by glass in the plastic bag.
No food or drink while working. (a covered cup is ok) Glass can hop into your drink, flux and food are a deadly combo.
Clean up your tools, wipe them down to remove glass debris and flux (which will corrode tools so fast) 
Be responsible for your tools, whether classroom provided or your own.

Cutting glass
​Be sure cutting area is clean before beginning to cut your glass. Tiny chips can break your glass.
Tweezers and Duct Tape are good for removing glass splinters.
When carrying glass, know what is on the floor in front of you. Carry glass vertically- one hand below and on on the side for stability. 
Work on a solid surface, free of cracks and gaps.

Soldering
Cover any cuts in your hands before soldering.
Pay attention to what you are doing. Know where your soldering iron is at al times.
Do not over flux.
Make sure the cord is never near to soldering iron or the cage of the soldering iron stand.

Children should not be in the studio for everyone's safety.

You should not eat or smoke while working with stained glass. You can transfer flux and lead to your mouth via your hands, food and cigarette.

Most of all, use common sense. You will learn as you go along how to work safely and by following some precautions you can save yourself some unwanted accidents and problems.

This was not meant to scare you but to alert you to what you need to be on the lookout for.

Be safe and create lots of beautiful stained glass creations!

Keep art in your heART!
Kim
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A glass cutter is not really a glass cutter! A glass cutter scores the glass allowing you to break the glass where you want it broken.
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There are many different types and brands of glass cutters out there, from the old school cutter that retails around $4 to superior quality for up to $50. It is one of those "you get what you pay things". I have used the $4 cutter and it is fine to start out with but you will want to upgrade for sure. The $4 one has to be dipped in lubricating oil to keep the blade lubed and in good working condition. The self oiling ones take that step out but they will leak so do not fill them to the top. The self oiling ones also can get replacement heads so you keep the cutter forever.

How do you care for your cutter? These simple steps will help your cutter last longer.

1) The glass cutter is one of the most important tools in your studio, treat it that way. Do not throw it in a can for storage or in a drawer with a bunch of other tools.

2) Make sure the glass surface is clean of dirt, which can clog the the cutting wheel.

3) Always lube up the wheel with cutter oil. You can put apiece of sponge in a bottle cap and soak it with oil. Just dap cutter on sponge to pick up oil and score. I would suggest every score or every other score depending on how much oil is on the wheel. A self oiling cutter will release oil with pressure. Check the wheel for debris like dust and dirt- that will prevent oil for releasing.

4) Start at edge of glass, score but do not run off the other edge. When you run off the glass you can chip the glass but also you can damage the wheel.

5) Clean your cutter by wiping it off after use. Just helps to prolong its life. Check the rubber washer on the nut to be sure it is not drying out or cracked ( will cause more oil to leak out when not in use).

6) Have fun and push yourself once in a while to cut tricky pieces. If you want more information on cutting glass, just comment and I will answer your questions.

Remember to sign up for my  Insider Newsletter to get update news from the studio.

Keep art in your heART,
Kim

There are many choices of soldering irons for stained glass. My favorite two are the Weller 100 and Hakko FX-601.

When you purchase a new iron it will need to be tinned. By that I mean applying flux to warm iron tip and then rolling tip in solder. It needs a base of solder on it to work properly and to be maintained.

While soldering you can clean tip of flux residue (black) by dragging soldering iron tip over damp sponge of brass tip cleaner. This will help keep iron in good working order.

Metals oxidize when exposed to air and hot metal can oxidize quicker if not tended properly. This can lead to a hard blackish-brown crusty type of build up that won't wipe off. This build up interferes with the heat transfer from the iron tip to the solder and will greatly impact your work.

After trying both the sponge and flux to clean the tip of your soldering iron, sal ammoniac would be the next step if the others didn't work.

Sal ammoniac for cleaning your stained glass soldering iron tip comes in a solid block form similar to that of a bar of soap. It is hazardous so please read all safety tips included in or on the packaging. To use it, simply rub the hot iron tip across the surface in a bit of a scrubbing motion. It should work fairly quickly but sometimes the buildup is a bit stubborn to come off. Once the whole tip is clean and shiny, immediately add solder to it and it will flow smoothly around the whole tip.

Every week I loosen the collar that keeps the Weller 100 tip on and clean. If you do not keep the iron clean the flux overspray off so tip and collar do not rust.
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Do not use a file, metal grinder or emery cloth to sand or scrape the iron tips clean. This will only damage the plating on the iron tip and ruin it. Try the  cleaning methods mentioned above and if these cleaning procedures do not work, just get a replacement iron tip.

​If you  have any questions please email me at kim@kimsjoy.com