Painting Glass...(wine glasses, carafes, Etc.

Several weeks ago, I photographed some of my hand-painted glassware, but the light was "dead", and they didn't translate well. This is an example of the importance of light in photography...in fact, the word "photography" in Greek, is "light writing"......

Alright class, let's compare the photo of the glasses below...it does show off the green of the dragonflies, but there is very little "life" to them..... In the photo below these are the same glasses, photographed with better, natural light...Overcast days are great for shooting people, flowers, nature...as the glare doesn't create deep shadows, giving your kids an eerily, "demonic" undereye shadow look, that can be quite frightening. That said, when shooting something with a reflective surface, you want that "ping" (for lack of a better term)....

Okay, off the photography lesson, and on to hand-painting glass. I have spoken about it before, but this is some new work, so I thought I'd put it up here....There are so many things that you can do with Pebeo paints, but sadly, their tutorials and images I find to be too "oatsy groatsy" and "cute"...okay, cute is fine in some instances....but, you can do some very fun and also artistic things with it....Another great thing about painting glass is if you are not a great artist, you can take an image (as in the dragonfly) off the computer or wherever (I drew this pattern), cut around it, leaving the outline, tape it on the inside of the glass or plate or whatever, and use it as a pattern...viola'.

The paints also come in squeeze tubes..mostly silver, black, vermeer, and I think there's a yummy green and raspberry....You can do dots, lines, whatever your heart desires. Make a mistake, wash it off, and start over.

You need to wash the glass, rinse it well, then, wipe it with a cotten ball or paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol..removes all traces of grease, so the paints will adhere. I use a paper towel between the glass and the hand I am holding the piece to protect it...Or, I grasp it by the handle or stem.

Let the paint dry for 24 hours, then bake in an oven at 325 (or is it three fifty - read the label please) for the time it says on the label. Remove gently and let cool...You can put the glass in the dishwasher, but I don't recommend it...common sense prevails.

I used by wonderful, red, bookboxes..see previous post - as risers...I love the light refractions, especially on the two carafes below.

I did the carafes free-hand...I noticed that the grape carafe could use some rinsing inside..when it clouds up like that, use a denture cleanser effervescent tablet or two in warm water...also, it is a good way to clean vases that have clouded up.

It's a good idea to wait until the adjacent application has dried, as in this piece above, or they run together...it doesn't have to dry completely, just give it a few minutes to set up. then paint next to it, or over it. If you click on this image, you will see each of the little "berries" have several steps to them.

The grapes are just many little dots. I used a squeeze tube of purple, and one of vermeer...The grape leaves were painted on....

There are "golden" grapes, as well. One thing..if you get them too close together, they "merge" when baking...not necessarily a bad thing...just be aware.

I get the glass where everywhere: these came from good old TJ Maxx..also, you can haunt Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, or other outlet stores..just make sure it is glass that can fit in your oven...I have a hurricane lantern that won't fit in mine..I am going to have to borrow a friends oven...

Enjoy!

I Know a Bargain When I See One

I am "The Bargain Queen"....So, when I had arranged to meet a lovely young woman, who is going to be part of my Christmas tree decorating crew for Macy's gig (Sept. 14 - Oct. 1 - 114 trees), at the San Marcos Premium Outlet place, I was excited.....I had been there once before, and my husband bought some fabulous European Shoes (which he has worn practically everyday for nearly three years), and I had bought some great table linens - which were fuscia, and now that my colors have changed..useless. This outlet center has been touted (on "The View") as the fifth best place to shop in the world!!! That's right, only after Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, and one other place I foget...fifth..I was salivating when I heard that...



Well, as far as bargains, I only found one or two true bargains. I will show the photos further down the line...I did go to Neiman Marcus "Last Call", and was disappointed...okay, those $1,400 jeans are now only $800....please...If someone wants to pay that much for jeans, fine, but I am not getting sucked in (no pun intended, as I went home, tried on my jeans -for which I paid $65, and for the first time in three years, could wear them - and yes, I do have to "suck it in", but "Baby's Got Her Bluejeans On" - country western song there - again!!). I have always referred to Neiman Marcus as "Needless Markup", but I do enjoy and often buy from their catalog division - Horchow, which is yummy, and I find things reasonably priced there...it's their home catalog division..love it.

We met at Starbucks, and I was so impressed with Megan; she has been in New York for several years, working in Visual Merchandising (my background, as well) for Barney's, doing fashion photo styling, but decided to come back to Texas...San Antonio, to be nearer to her family. She graduated from RISDI (Rhode Island School of Design) and is totally overqualified for the job, but like myself, when one relocates and starts over...one does what one has to do.

After the interview, we parted ways, and even though it was 106 degrees, I had to at least try to do half of the over 100 shops...The architecture is European, with broad, covered sidewalks, so it was doable - except I was wearing high heels, and had to cut the experience short.

So, speaking of high heels, and bargains...here are a few past treasures I have found:

I am not above going to resale shops, and even to the Goodwill...I only draw the line at underwear and shoes that have been worn. ew...However, these wonderful sandals were at the good Goodwill, and had never been worn...I snapped them up for $8.00. Women stop me on the street, and ask me where I got them. I used to crow, "Goodwill", but they get a rather horrified look on their faces..so, now, I just smile and say, "Gee, I forgot where I got these". Don't tell everyone everything you know.

I found this fabulous ostrich feather collar at a resale shop...five dollars, and I wear it with my black, velvet robe ($5.00) resale shop. This is my winter home uniform. My husband says he never knows if I am going to the opera or going to clean the house...

This is my summer home lounging outfit....The pearls (doesn't everyone wear pearls with their nightgown?) are from Macy's on clearance (I love the black satin attached ribbon) $7.00.

The nightgown is TJ Maxx ($18.00), the robe is Goodwill (had it dry cleaned) $8.00, and even the velvet hanger is from Tuesday Morning....
This was my big find at the San Marcos Outlet Center....I went to Pottery Barn, and their Summer Sidewalk Sale was on. The boxes (look like books) were originally $24.00 each. The initial markdown was $9.99 each...on clearance for...........drumroll, please.....$.97 each...that's right, not even a dollar each...I bought ten.

The curtain behind the boxes in the shot are the curtains in my office/studio...I have a large, glass desk, which is always covered with "stuff"...I hate clutter, but I collect and hoarde everything...I have bookcases jammed with books and periodicals..also, over the years, I have cut images of inspiration from design magazines, and put them in large, white binders, and labeled them by catagory...maybe I should start scanning the images..kitchens, bedrooms, dining rooms, etc., and share them with you, thereby emptying my notebooks for other things....

Anyway, these wonderful book boxes are a Godsend...I have bits and baubles, and photos, and every kind of clutter, that I've tried storing in files and different colored boxes, but I love the continuity of having these boxes. I will make lovely labels on the computer, and put them on my books, and let us see how it looks then........

For David -

I lost a friend yesterday....taking a few days to gather myself back together, and to contemplate.