The Humming bird`s progress

Renee laying out templates on some of the coloured glass she has picked for her window.
Why?
Well, so that she learns to use the glass in the most economic way possible. Glass is not cheap, although its all inclusive on our courses. Anyone thinking about continuing to make leaded glass after they have finished a course, had better make sure that their tuitor can teach them to think into a sheet or a set of shapes, because if these basics are not learned from the start then its going to cost you a lot of money in wasted glass. But don`t worry there`s always a trusty tuitor out there willing to shovel glass down your throat. Rant over!



Glass layout is now starting to happen progressively,and with what looks like a good choice

of colour and textures we`re all looking forward to seeing Renee`s Humming bird finished

Cuttin` out the tomatoes

Glass starting to appear on Sheila`s building drawing, those funny shapes are tomatoes, wait and see!



Concentration high, Sheila prepares to cut another tomato, the various tools that we use for glass cutting and template marking are around her on the bench. Simple tools, a glass cutter, grozing pliers, marker pens and a straight edge ruler, some oil to lubricate the glass cutter, and thats about all the tools that you really need to cut glass for a leaded panel

Zen Curves

All glass cut John places the first piece of glass on to his building drawing. There are no battens to hold this design in place. Because it is an oval panel the lead is gently shaped to follow the curve, no battens are used, the lead being held in place by horseshoe nails positioned around the building drawing to offer support for the outside lead

Freida, tulips and daffodils

Not being very botanically orientated, I don`t know if daffodils and tulips flower at the same time, but I don`t really care , Gillian`s panel is a delightful little bit of composition. It`s even more delightful now that the layout drawing is starting to be covered with glass.



Across the workbench Ruth is starting to knit together Frida Khalo. At long last all her glass is cut and shes getting down to the nitty gritty stage of leadin` Freida.

The Coffin lid creaks open

And up sits Bill, "Ah figured that yeese aw thought a wis dead, cause I never moved much out of that corner. Anyway av been trapped in this coffin aw week, but av no wasted ma time, look how much ah ma windae av cut, a fund a connel doon at the bottom o` the coffin, thats a bloody big coffin. By the way any new birds started the class yet." Just in time we managed to throw a bucket of cold water over him.



He dissapeared off murmuring, "a thought this wis gonnie be difficult, Anapurna wis harder than this!"

All of a Sudden

Michael is building his panel, finally.



And what does that involve. Well first there is the glass shuffle. Glass that has been cut and laid out on the layout drawing now gets moved progressively on to the building drawing. Lead gets cut and fitted as the glass gets adjusted where neccessary, and slowley but surely the panel starts to take shape!



This is what Michaels panel looks like at the early building stage
I know! I know!, you`ll just have to be patient along with me. I mean sometimes they all just wander off, and you find them in a corner of the workshop, cooing and ahhing over the tiniest scrap of linney gold pink glass or even a bit of Desag streaky hand rolled cathedral glass. Don`t stop making that stuff Desag people like it!

Thwack! Thwack!

"Ouch!", another stinging blow hit its target. The snap of glassmistress Yvonne`s 18 foot bull whip rang through the main studio along with glassmaster Joe`s yelp. "Am sorry, ittle no happen again"
Glassmistress Yvonne screamed, "Just make sure it dosen`t, now get up those stairs and get the stained glass classes web site up to date!"
Glassmaster joe scurried off.

In the cold light of the main workshop, Glassmistress Yvonne looked resplendent in her black latex catsuit................. whoops this is a sort of family web site, better just get the rest of the words and text on here as quick as possible, or I`ll be in trouble again