Breaking Glass

March Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:12:00 +0000

It's been a busy month here at Rowe Studios. We've been experimenting with making glass (cuff-style) bracelets with fusible and dichroic glass. Two of my students volunteered to be my "guinea pigs" to see how much time it would take and the amount of materials needed. We've decided that the best way to teach the glass would be in three 2-hour sessions. The cost would be $150.00 and would include the tuition, the materials, and 3 kiln firings. Tools, books, and supplies will be available for sale at our usual student discount. I tried to add photos here, but need to download again from the camera, so look for them later. This is a class that could be taught evenings or mornings, so let me know if you're interested.
We also did another class on making the dichroic glass pendants - and that was a great success. Rather than using the usual black as a base glass, we tried mint green and butterscotch ... really exciting to see new colors. 5 or 10 years ago, very few people were even familiar with dichroic glass, now it's available as raw material or in finished pieces in all kinds of stores and on the Internet. It's not cheap, but, boy, is it pretty. And since one uses only small pieces, a little goes a long way.
The next new project is learning to successfully do fused photo transfers. Not only is this technique great for making personal jewelry components (imagine a picture of a loved one on a pendant) but just about any picture or image can be scanned into a computer, printed onto special paper (using only certain printers) and then fused permanently into your glass. As I start experimenting, I'll add updates and photos to this blog.
In my free time, I've been doing some experimenting on the torch as well. Now, like everyone else, I don't have that much free time, but torchwork is my "me time". I've been trying all kinds of scrap sheet glass left over from stained glass panels, as well as some of the newer glass made specifically for beads. My latest experiment was with the Davardi glass from India - since I only had 3 colors to work with, I haven't been thrilled with the beads I've made so far, but the quality and workability as fine. I've also worked some more with the heavily silvered glass from Double Helix - I'm still learning how to manipulate heat and flame, but it sure is beautiful. I've been trying to make enough beads to make myself a 3-strand necklace, and have about 1 strand's worth done so far. I haven't made myself anything new in ages, so, if I ever get this done, I'll post a photo here.
And lastly, we got a glass order in today - small by our usual standards as there was only about 2000 pounds of glass. I should have everything marked and put out for sale by tomorrow or Saturday. There are sheets of Spectrum, Armstrong, Kokomo, and Wissmach, as well as a lot of Bullseye fusible in bright colors, black, and clear. We've also gotten in sheets of the new Wissmach COE90 glass to try - in black, white, and clear. I hope to test it soon with Bullseye just to make sure they're compatible. The price is good too. They're not making many colors yet, but if the tests work, I hope to order more in the future.
Come in for a visit - the hand rolled and blown antiques are still on the 40% off sale, so it's worth your time!

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:37:00 +0000

As this month winds down and we head toward March, I thought I'd pass along the following from Ann Sanborn's site:

Items to plan for your March Calendar:
All Month:
· Birthstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone
· Flower: Jonquil
· Astrological Signs: Pisces: 2/19 to 3/20 & Aries: 3/21 to 4/ 19
· National Nutrition Month
· National Women's History Month

March Dates to Remember:
2 Read Across America Day / Dr. Suess Birthday
7 Save Your Vision Week
14 Daylight Saving Time Begins
14 National Poison Prevention Week
17 St. Patricks Day
20 First Day of Spring
28 Palm Sunday
30 Passover

This is the time to design springtime stained glass panels, or make jewelry (in my case, the beads)in colors for the new season arriving. I don't know about you, but I love the soft pastels of spring. (If only I could wear more of the light colors without feeling as big as a whale!) Just because I don't wear pink, light blue, or yellow clothes doesn't mean I don't love making beads and pendants in those colors. I get a lot of inspiration from the annual mailings of all the seed catalogs - and the ever growing pile of clothing catalogs. I've been trying to make more florals on the torch, some with less success than others. I've also been trying out different glass - not just Moretti anymore. Since we do a lot of stained glass in the Studio, we always have scrap and some have proven gorgeous as beads. One of my friends brought in a few rods of the Indian Davardi glass for me to try, and I'm on my way to the kiln to see how they came out. I experimented with them and a few new rods on Saturday after closing, (while having a glass of wine with friends), so I had to come in today to see them...in spite of the wicked weather outside and that it's my day off. You know how obsessed we lampworkers can get!

New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:16:00 +0000

Now that the holidays are behind us, we hope everyone is doing well. The stories I've heard from my customers range from heart-warming to sad. With all the emotions normally tied to these days at the end of the year and the added stress of an uncertain economy, I am forever gladdened by the optimism shown by so many of my acquaintances.
On that note, I hope this year proves to be a much better one for all of us. We continue to have our problems with not only the County, but also with the management of the complex. I keep expecting to get back to "normal" operations, but everything is still incomplete. As an old fan of disco, "we will survive". I've decided to devote even more time to teaching classes. So, we're going to stay closed in the mornings, including Saturdays, to accommodate more - right now there's a beginning stained glass, and two intermediate classes going on, and the first week of February kicks off a Tiffany-style lampshade class. Evenings are booked up too, with torchwork on Tuesdays, beginning stained glass on Wednesdays, and mosaics on Thursdays. Sundays are reserved for the full-day seminars - right now it's painting & firing, the last two Sundays are for fusing & slumping. I want to take time off in February, and then in March I'll set up some more fusing classes for jewelry projects. We're even setting up a 2-day sandblasting class in March that will be taught in Spanish. There may not be as much commissioned artwork scheduled, but we're certainly keeping busy!
In order to make more room in the Studio, we've also started selling all the hand-rolled and mouth-blown glass at a 40% discount. My ultimate goal is to reduce inventory enough to eliminate 8 to 12 feet of glass bins...that's a lot of glass!
We may even eliminate one of the work tables, but for now they're all in use.
Ultimately, I'd like to make one whole section of the Studio into a hot glass shop for both torchwork and fusing. With the proper ventilation and equipment, things can be set up so that customers can rent studio time. For that to happen, we need both space and money ... ergo the sale on glass. Since we lost the lofts, all the glass that was stored for private studio work has now been put out for sale...and that includes glass originally from Tiffany Studios in New York that Brian acquired over 30 years ago. So, please come in and take a look!

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Well, we have good news / bad news today. In our continuing saga of the changes in zoning & building codes, we learned last week that the area has already been rezoned for "retail" status. Good news for all the stores in our complex, since they are now legally operating. There doesn't seem to be any problems for us, since we do a lot of retail. However, the bad news is that they will begin demolition of our lofts and interior walls on October 1st. I'm still in shock, as I just learned about this a couple of hours ago. Any of you who've been in the Studio know how much inventory we have and how difficult it will be to move everything. They have agreed to do this in stages, but all of the work has to be done in 10 days, so there's not much we can do really. I don't know yet where the job will start, but it will upset our schedules for the next month in any case.
As far as I have been able to think things through, we'll probably try to move all the finished stained glass pieces and the glass display cases to an empty unit on the back side of our building, we'll cover the work tables with sheets of plywood, and we'll try to find room to put everything (i.e. the entire office & library, all the tools, bevels, lampbases, grinders, etc. etc. etc.)
Any one who wants to help us is welcome! I need help mostly with moving things. I can't afford to pay cash, but I'm willing to pay with credit toward supplies or class tuition, at $10/hour. We'll be starting on Tuesday (the 22nd) at 10:00. All volunteers are welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Things are finally looking up here at the Studio. Although we still don't know what's going to happen about zoning, or the status of the infamous lofts, at least we have most of the organizing (and lots and lots of reorganizing) done. We've already finished a 6-week beginning stained glass class, and several lampwork (torch) beads classes, as well as one of the 2-day dichroic fusing classes. Classes will be starting up again the first week of September, and, as we continue to make better use of the space, it's easier to move around. It's amazing how much of the "stuff" from the lofts has been put away. I never thought we'd find places for everything. Now, mind you, I still haven't finished setting up the office - but at least the desk is right side up, the server has been moved and actually works, and the fax is connected again. I'd post some pictures, but I'd rather wait until things are finished. Wish I had thought to take pictures the day after we finished clearing out the lofts...but I was too depressed.
As I said, there are still some things pending. There is a zoning meeting scheduled for October that will effect many of the businesses in this complex. And, no one has decided if all or any part of the lofts can stay. But worrying about it won't change things, it just keeps me up at night.
I had a lot of fun today fusing dichroic glass. There were supposed to be 2 students, but one cancelled, so I got to play this time. Not only did I finish several dichroic pendants, I also rejuvenated some earlier experiments done with silver foil and frits on a base of black Bullseye. All the pieces are annealing in the kiln now, can't wait to see the finished product when I come back to work on Tuesday. I tried a new color (at least new for me) this time, yellow. I'll post some pictures next week, I think they're all quite nice, if I do say so myself!
Thanks too to everyone who has written, or stopped in, for the words of support. As hard as this summer has been, it's wonderful having friends to cheer me up.
Also, don't forget, the sale on sheet antique and hand-rolled glass is still on for the rest of the month. I'll put all the Genesis rippled glass on 50% sale in September, so those of you who want more texture (this glass is wonderful in borders, and for nature pieces), this is the time to stock up.
Well, I'm off to go visit my Mother and run a few errands - I'm not used to working on Sundays, but since I'm here (at the Studio), it has gotten me motivated to do more than my usual loafing around!

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:54:00 +0000

After a month of doing my best to reorganize things, the studio is finally in shape for classes. The tables are mostly cleared off (although, from day to day, that changes!) and moved, so there is now room enough to move around and actually work at the tables. The 2 larger kilns are set up and ready, the torch station is now accessible and even, dare I say this, organized. (That also seems to change on a daily basis, but I'm doing my best to keep things where they belong.) I even set up an area for all the glass painting supplies, so if anyone is interested in a class please let me know. I still keep finding things I didn't know we had upstairs.
I've been having fun experimenting on the torch with scraps of broken blown glass vessels, and stained glass. I've given or sold most of them, but if I can manage a photo or 2, I'll post them here. Most of the glass is working fine and turning into really nice beads. The biggest advantage to all this is that these beads are unlike any made with the traditional rods. Second advantage is that most of this glass was destined for the recycling bin, so the cost is zero. We had many broken pieces of glass up on the loft that we'll never use for beveling or stained glass...and I refuse to throw it all away, so all that isn't suitable for beads has gone home for recycling. I want to try fusing some of the thicker pieces to make cabachons for mosaics or jewelry - so I'll let you know if that works out. I'm also trying to come up with a creative use for some of the bent glass pieces we have. One idea is to make sconces - I just have to figure out the engineering.

Recycling

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:24:00 +0000

As you know by now, we've brought everything down from our upstairs/loft areas and are still going through things - trying to finally get everything organized. We're making progress, and the last couple of weeks have been filled with cleaning and sorting out all the bins and tubs of glass pieces from antique panels.
So, I was thinking (after all, what else can you do when you're standing there with a tub of water full of dirty pieces of glass, a scrub brush, and lots of towels!) what a fun idea to recycle all this glass...but not by putting out by the curb for pickup. How about doing a 2 or 3 hour session where you come in, go through the various bins of glass, and design a panel using all these "scraps"? There are lots of colors and textures of border strips, some shapes (like diamonds, commas, squares, etc.), and broken pieces to chose from. Not only do you save all the work of cutting and grinding, but it's a lot cheaper this way - only $4/pound. If you want to learn how to build a panel with lead came, this could be a pre-class addon. Let me know if you're interested.
There's a new session of Beginning Stained Glass starting up the week after July 4th, and next week I have a class on making the fused dichroic glass pendants. Check out the calendar for schedules. I'm going to do another pendant class on the 12 & 19th of July (Sundays) too for anyone not able to do an evening class.
I was asked this week to teach a class on painting & firing again. Anyone interested? I imagine I would teach it on 2 Sundays in August - so let me know on that too.
The sale on discontinued handrolled glass is going well - I so need to free up some space in the bins to put more glass out. All the Chicago Art Glass, Genesis, Fusion Dynamics, and Fischer Opal are on sale for 30% off (35% off if you take the sheet as is, no cutting). There are some beautiful sheets here, so come take advantage! The sale will continue through August, or until I run out.

Summer is starting

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Memorial Day has been celebrated, schools are gearing down to close for the semester, and many families are getting ready for vacations. Ah....summer.
We're doing something new this year here at Rowe Studios - we're teaching classes instead of taking the summer off. You can check the calendar for times and dates. There are 2 sessions of beginning stained glass starting in July: one on Wednesday mornings, and one on Thursday evenings. We have an intermediate stained glass class scheduled for Wednesday evenings in July too - for beginning lead came construction.
We have set aside Friday mornings in June for introduction to mosaics. It's a relaxing and fun way to get out of the heat, socialize, learn about making mosaics, and recycle glass. In fact, with all the antique glass scrap we've been cleaning and putting out for sale, there's lots of colors and textures. The best part, all the materials are included in the tuition. If you do stained glass, you'll most likely have scraps at home ... and this is the perfect way to recycle instead of throwing away. How many times can you say that you're starting a new project without spending any money?
I'd love to hear requests for classes. You can send me an email, give me a call, or better yet, stop by and talk to me. We have kilns and torches for hot glass classes too. I even have a carton of wine glasses that I thought would be fun to etch designs on - anyone want to do a morning class?
Come in and look through all the hand-rolled glass we have out now. Everything that was upstairs in storage is now out for your browsing pleasure. And all the Genesis, Chicago Art Glass, Fusion Dynamics, and Fischer Opals are on sale with a 30% discount. This is a wonderful opportunity to buy glass that hasn't been made for quite a while - so you'll be sure to find something unique.

Back to "normal"

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Sat, 16 May 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Can hardly believe it's been over a month since I took the time to sit down and write. As lazy as I am, you'd think I'd use every excuse to stop cleaning and sit down!
Now that we've passed the Fire Department's inspection, we're still waiting to hear what the Building Department will have to say. Since I can't do anything about that, I've decided not to get all stressed out and just wait and see what comes.
Quite a bit of the mess has been cleared away, thrown away, or organized ... so classes have started up again. Any of you who do mosaics should stop in, I'm filling up my boxes of scrap glass. I've even been sorting out colors and putting them into smaller plastic bins to make selection/shopping easier. There were a lot of boxes of scrap from antique windows in storage upstairs. After sorting and cleaning, most of that is going into the scrap boxes for sale too. My next job is to sort all of the pieces of painted glass - one could make some wonderful panels with these antique "scraps"!
Even though it's a dirty/dusty job, it's been fun making discoveries. Not only have I found a lot of small sheets of glass from Tiffany Studios, but all kinds of lamp parts - both metal and crystal, and a couple of lamps/fixtures that (with some repair) that could be real winners. I'm going to sound like my mother when I say "If only there were more hours in the day so that I'd have time to do all this!"

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Happy weekend, everyone. It's Saturday and I'm really looking forward to having the day off tomorrow - although I still need to work on organizing all the boxes at home. The Building Department was here this week with the contractor, but I've no idea if anything was decided on the fate of our lofts. There is hardly anything left up there, so just a bit more work and they're empty - just hope for us that we can leave the structure as is and don't have to demolish everything.
Still making slow progress getting everything cleared away. I actually managed to clear out about 15 sq. feet of space yesterday in the gallery, and have been working to clear the tables in the studio. We now have 2 light tables open & functioning. The torch table is just about ready for use too. So, classes have been postponed again, but we'll definately be able to start new ones the first of next month (May). Be sure to check the calendar. If there's a class or technique you're interested in, please just send me an email to let me know.
We brought down some boxes of clear and colored cullet from the loft, and it's surprising all the uses people have been coming up with - from table decorations to paperweights to casting to mosaics to stained glass. I even have one customer who bought pounds of blue "chunks" to put into her garden fountain to quiet it a bit and add sparkle. I've always used it, broken into small chunks, as flower centers or accents (lots of sparkle!) in stained glass. Now, I'm toying with the idea of testing it for casting into some of the Colour de Verre molds - could be very interesting. If I can make beads from scrap glass, why can't I cast tiles with this?
As soon as we sell the rest of the equipment that taking up valuable floor space, we'll start offering more fusing classes. I'm anxious to get out the mini glory hole to blow glass again. It's perfect for making shards (for use in fusing or bead making) or colored/patterned canes, or even small paperweights. I want to do some for painting on glass too - why can't there be more than 24 hours in a day????
With Spring here, we're not going to have cool weather much longer, so I really want to get started, especially since I'm getting so tired of all the cleaning and reorganizing.
Off to eat lunch now, the store is quiet and I'm going to take advantage.
More later.

The Inspection

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Those of you who've been in (to Rowe Studios) lately already know that we've gotten the lofts emptied. We've even managed to keep things organized enough to have access to the glass bins. Now the work tables are a different story - but we're working on them too. Hopefully, we'll have things cleared enough to start classes next week. Space is tight, but we'll just have to keep things friendly!
The fire marshal came in yesterday for our inspection (only 1 month late), and cleared the violations from last year, closed the case, then promptly wrote 4 new violations and gave us a month to correct them. Would you believe that one of them is that we're blocking aisles and exit doors with the things we had to bring down from the loft! Ah, the joys of government and red tape. I can hardly wait for the building department's inspection. I'm getting to old for all this hoopla, especially since we've been operating without incident in this location, in these conditions, for over 30 years!
We're still trying to sell a lot of items at closeout prices. We have kits for kaleidoscopes & clocks, books & patterns, lampshade molds & patterns, and a lot of odds & ends that have been in storage - dress and upholstry fabrics, yarns, cords, a cash register, glass display cases, a small room heater ... the list goes on and on. We also have a sandblasting cabinet with pressure pot, hoses, and parts, as well as an industrial diamond band saw. If you're interested, please come by and talk to me. Or give me a call on 305-666-5164.
Don't forget, the last week of April is the Miami Bead Show at the Merchandise Mart. The South Florida Jewelry Arts Guild will have a booth, so stop by and say hello, I'll be there Sunday afternoon. This is a group of amazing artists who work in all kinds of media. The monthly meetings are always interesting, and there are more and more classes being offered. The guild is bringing artists in to teach a number of different techniques.
Thanks for following our saga - keep watching for more news.

Sidewalk Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Since I promised to write when I set up the schedule for the Sidewalk Sales, I herewith proclaim the 15th to be the first date. (If it rains, we'll cancel.) There should be another sale on the 29th. I'm not an early riser, so I expect we'll kick off around 9 or 10 am - that gives all of you Sunday morning garage sale shoppers a chance to hit some of the other sales early.
We'll have some glass display cases, some small antique tables, dress fabrics, craft items, stained glass kits, patterns, & books, and all sorts of other miscellany.
Metro-Dade County has decided not to allow any more extensions for demolition - so we're trying really hard to comply so that they don't close down the business. If the contractor follows through with his promise to get the demo permit changed to just floor & stairs removal, we should be okay. There are other hurdles popping up (it seems like there's a new one every week!), so I have no guarantees as to our future. So, stay tuned - I'll post any & all news as I get it.
We have tried to leave enough room for shopping - all of the machine-rolled and hand-rolled glass, the books, tools, foil, solder, lead came, etc. are easily accessible. So please don't let the reconstruction stop you from coming in.
As soon as more of the table space becomes available, I'll post class schedules on the calendar.
Hope to see you in here soon - I'm doing my best to keep this business open and I need your help and support!
Lynne

Never the last word

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:16:00 +0000

Well, as I wrote last time, I thought I had heard the final word about our situation with the County on the loft. As you must have guessed by reading even this far, I was wrong.
The building contractor & electrician were both in today, telling me that there never was an inspection scheduled for Monday, and that there was much worse coming. Now that Miami Dade County is involved, there are going to be more inspections for everything - and that included electric, air conditioning, the loft, etc. etc. etc.
We have just about everything cleared away (brought downstairs) - but we did leave some of the stained glass panels upstairs thinking they would be safer there and could be brought down as soon as the contractor comes in to remove the stairs. Now he's saying that the entire loft structure is scheduled for demolition. It's as if the building manager never heard me the many times I told him that we need to keep the framework in place for lighting and display! The contractor promised to see if he could get the permit changed to allow for the "trellis" - so please keep positive thoughts!
If you want to be notified if we're forced to move, please send me an email or subscribe to the newsletter. I'm still hoping to stay.
We're also planning to make some Sunday sidewalk sales here this month and next. We have some furniture, a lot of dress & upholstry fabrics, antique lighting fixtures and pieces, craft items, kits and patterns for stained glass, display cases, books, and frames for sale. Check back to see the actual dates. Tentatively planned so far are the 15th & 29th of March.

Loft Deadline

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:39:00 +0000

For those of you who've been following our soap opera of loft situation, we seem to have finally gotten the final word. Every week we've been given different information - one day we have 6 months to clear everything off, and the next week we have days. Then we're told to forget that, we're back to 6 months. But, 12 days ago, we were advised that if the lofts weren't totally cleared, and stairs removed, we wouldn't pass the inspection on Monday (March 2nd) and would be fined $4500 plus $500 per day until it was done. I've had to enlist the help of friends, have hired some day labor and have worked every day since trying to get the job done. The Studio is a mess, with stuff everywhere, and my house looks the same. But, we have left space open for access to glass, books, tools ... so if you need anything, please don't hesitate to come in. We have decided to postpone classes until we can clear off the tables and make more room - so if you're interested, the calendar shows most starting up again in April. There may even be a few of the short seminars in March if we get any interest. And that reminds me, when times are difficult, taking a class in any type of arts or crafts is a wonderful way to alleviate some stress. It's amazing how fast time flies during class. If you're renovating your home, doing some of your own art glass work is both rewarding and therapeutic and can really add to the value of your house.
Well, the President is about to speak to congress and I want to hear what he has to say.
Please feel free to drop in, even just to say hello, and maybe you'll find a bargain on the close out table.

More News

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:31:00 +0000

Well, as things go, today has been a pretty good day. We inaugurated a new President who is full of promise. Like many others, I'm hoping we'll see changes for the better.
On a local scale, both the building manager and the new contractor came in today to talk about the changes. It seems possible (but not guaranteed) that we can get the building department to ease up just a bit and allow us to keep the framework of our lofts so that we can keep all our panel displays and lighting in place. It means we'd have to remove the flooring, but since we already knew that we couldn't use the space for anything, that's not such a big deal. We may even be able to update the back portion of the loft by putting down a fire proof flooring, reinforcing the supports, and applying some kind of flameproof treatment to the rafters. Then we'd be able to use that space for storage. It would be really nice to have that in place before we remove everything, since we'd at least be able to keep all the extra furniture & supplies up there. Keep your fingers crossed!

Latest county dictates

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:37:00 +0000

I'm beginning to feel like we're part of a soap opera here in "The Bird Road Art District". At least 4 of our neighbors have moved out, and others are looking for new space even as I write this. We all thought everything was worked out when the Fire Department gave us permission to keep our loft structures as long as they were empty and the stairs removed. Now, Dade County seems so hungry for money, they are forcing us to buy demolition permits to tear them down totally. We don't know if that means removing all the electrical and air conditioning too, or not. If so, then we'll need to decide if we can stay, or need to move to a new location. What a roller coaster ride we've been on these last 8 or 9 months. It seems there's something new every couple of weeks. I hope that means there is still hope we can avoid all the demolition.
On a happier note, response to our classes has been good, and we're trying to come up with some new ones. As soon as we get the tables downstairs, and the kilns are more accessible, we're going to expand our fusing department and do more jewelry related classes. I've spoken to several artists who are interested in teaching techniques like wire wrapping, fusing with gold decals, combining glass with precious metal clays, braiding with the Kumihimo techniques, and more. Our latest projects have included experimenting with fusing cubic zirconia and glass, and making flat flower beads on the torch. We're going to teach classes on how to do all these techniques - as well as how to wire the flowers into designs for clasps, pendants, brooches, and even how to sew them onto beaded ropes. You can take one class, or both.
Those of you who do stained glass, remember that we have all the sheet antique on sale for 50% off. It's such beautiful glass that it would be a shame to pass up this bargain.
Hope to see you soon in the Studio!
Lynne

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! I hope all of you have had a wonderful holiday season. We've actually started our big job of clearing off our lofts, so the Studio looks rather like a mini war zone - when you walk in, you need to navigate around boxes, bookcases, and piles of glass. We managed to empty one set of bins today (or 48" of storage bins, 9' high), move them over to the gallery side, and filled them up again with sheets of glass. More of the same tomorrow, although first we need to take down the large light box with Brian's painted stained glass panel of Pan. Haven't quite figured out the "engineering" of that job yet.
Once we get all the glass moved over, we're going to bring down 2 or 3 of the work tables from upstairs, and set up the studio/work side. I'm still trying to sell 2 of our used kilns, one is a large Denver glass kiln, and the other is a front loader glass or ceramic kiln. If you're interested, give me a call at 305-666-5164 for more details. Or just drop by the Studio to see them. We also have a Glastar Glasspasser Sandblasting Cabinet with exhaust filter/air handler, pressure pot with hoses & gun, and a compressor (5HP, 80 gal all available for sale.
Speaking of sale, all of the sheet antique glass is on sale for 50% off. That makes is less than wholesale. We have an assortment of Blenko, Desag, Fischer, Lambert's, St. Just, and a few others. Most are solid colors, but we do have some flashed glass and streakies that are absolutely wonderful. With the lower price, these beautiful glasses are now affordable, and the pieces you make with them look like jewels. The glass is unbelievably soft and easy to cut ... so come in and take advantage!

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:06:00 +0000

In spite of all my good intentions, another month has passed since I've taken time to sit down and write. Now the holidays are almost here, Christmas music is playing on the radio every day, and the end of the year will arrive before I even get finished with Christmas. I wish everyone a wonderful holiday. Come in and visit us, maybe take the time to have some coffee, and look at all the giftware we have.
Now .... to bring you up to date with the latest happenings at the Studio: We've had meetings with the heads of the building, zoning, and fire departments of Dade County, as well as our County Commissioner. The first step in resolving the problems of our community of stores and studios is to get the zoning changed to allow retail sales. Many of the current stores will be forced to close, since they are not qualified as "light industrial". We're not in violation, since we fabricate all the artwork here. Our biggest problem is the building & fire codes. Our lofts (some were built over 32 years ago, others through the ensuing years) are entirely wood. They are attached to the walls with supporting pillars. However, the walls are hollow cinder block, and the floor is only a slab, there is no foundation underneath. To remedy this, the owner of the buildings wants to demolish all existing lofts, as well as all electrical, telephone, and air conditioning. If that happens, we will definitely need to move to another location. If they leave us the A/C, electrical, and telephone wiring - we can rearrange things on the main floor, and make do with less floor space. Needless to say, I'm not getting much sleep these days - I keep having strange dreams where I'm travelling to distant places, or moving, or packing boxes!
We've put out all the Holiday decorations and gifts (on sale), and have even put all the finished panels on sale. Next year, we're going to start putting other things on sale - something different every month. If we can reduce the amount of inventory, it will make moving (or rearranging) easier. Sign up for the newsletter, or stay tuned to this blog to get updates. There will be some unadvertised sales only for newsletter subscribers, and I'll be trying to sell some of the used equipment are very good prices too.
I've been blessed with many wonderful customers over the years. Some of them, when hearing about our situation, have offered to help with the "move". So, as a reward, I've decided not to just accept the generous offers, but to give store credits in exchange for hours worked. If you're interested in volunteering, just let me know. I have no definite idea when all this will happen, but I'm hoping for this coming summer when business is slower.
Best wishes to all for a loving and happy holiday season, and only success in the New Year.
Lynne

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:56:00 +0000

If any of you have been looking for something new from me, you'll know it's been a while since I took the time to sit down & write. Things have been crazy here. Usually summer is our time to sit back and relax. We get caught up on commission orders, start planning for the Fall/Winter session of classes. We usually have time to experiment with new techniques so that we can offer them as new classes. But not this year! We were visited by the fire & building departments as part of a county-wide inspection of all "warehouses". We've been given all kinds of conflicting information as to what is actually required of us to bring our units up to code. My intuition tells me that my landlord wants us to leave (after 32 years) in order to get more rent from a new tenent. So, they're planning to bring in a contractor to demolish all of our loft areas. Other advisors have told us we just need to hire a contractor to upgrade what we have.
Whatever the case may be, we have been slowly bringing down all kinds of things - some of it is personal stuff that I've taken home, but a lot of it is old glass that we were saving for our own private work. There is even a whole stash of glass from Tiffany Studios that my brother Brian bought over 30 years ago. It's taking me some time to identify and mark it all, but since we're running out of room in the cases on the main floor, we've decided to put the small pieces on sale at scrap prices. Plus, we're featuring a different piece every week on a 50% off sale. As we've been finding other things of interest on the shelves, they're coming down too. So, if you're looking for something truly different, please come in a take a look - especially at the oval panels of Tiffany confetti and drapery glass.
In another attempt to make room, we're setting up a "closeout" corner for discontinued book and patterns, kits, lamp parts, ... whatever I find!
If you're planning to make you holiday gifts this year, why not get started now. We have a selection of stained glass pattern books, and a number of books on fusing and torch work (for those of you who want to make jewelry). We just received a shipment of glass, so stock is at a good level right now.
I hope to see you soon! And ... I'm still looking for photos of your work to post.

Page 2

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:07:00 +0000

Well, it looks like I'm still not successful in posting photos - so come back later to see Jim's beautiful orchids ... OK they are here now.

I would love to hear your comments on what inspires you - if you're at all like me, you see ideas everywhere you look. I can't look at a flower without either redesigning it into a stained glass panel, or trying to figure out how to create it on the torch, or maybe just take note of the colors to create beads. I remember once making beads inspired by the wallpaper used as a backdrop for Target ads! Speaking of Target, sales flyers are a great way to see what colors are being promoted. I know there are sites that specialize in color trends, but I'm the sort who likes to recycle. I don't have a computer screen in my studio, so I tack up clothing ads. I'm a great lover of crossword puzzles, and I tend to approach life as if I'm solving puzzles - so, when I worked for the airlines, I enjoyed the challenge of creating airfares using all the tricks of the trade. Nowadays, airfares don't work that way. But computers do. And even working on the torch - I'm always trying new techniques and combining different colors to see what happens. Mind you, I'm not always successful. But, like many other lampworkers, there is usually someone who loves a bead that didn't turn out the way I wanted. That brings me back to puzzles. I am determined to see what I'm doing wrong with posting pictures. Wish me luck!

Spring turns into summer

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:45:00 +0000

Whew! Can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I took the time to sit down and write. Talk about life getting in the way when you have other plans!
Since we're going to start rebuilding our lofts sometime this summer, we decided to start bringing down all the "old" and unusual art glass we had been hoarding. You won't believe how many pounds (tons??) on glass we now have out for sale. Some of the small pieces have been priced as scrap - so if you've ever wanted to try some ripples or drapery glass but were hesitant to spend the money ... now you can try some for very little cost. And, we featuring a different piece of glass every week with a 50% discount - just look on the counter by the front door.
I hope to put up some pictures soon, but first I have to deal with the stack of papers in the office waiting for the accountant. I hate paperwork, so I procrastinate, which just makes the piles harded to tackle!
One of my customers, who has a few panels featured on the "exhibiting" page of this web site, sent me some photos from his garden. They are not only beautiful shots, they are also my source of inspiration for a stained glass panel.

Glass Art Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Thought I would start something new this week. I've been trying to get out the news that Rowe Studios will be posting pictures of customers' and students' glass art on our "Exhibiting" page of our website. But, I forget to tell everyone when they're in the Studio. (I'm forgetting so many more things these days! Guess I should start listening to my mother when she tells me to make lists every day!!)
So, back to business: I thought this might be a good way to let you all know - I'm going to practice putting photos on the blog too - so if you want yours published here, be sure to send me permission when you send me your photo(s). I would love to show the world examples of all your work.
We're already into the 3rd week of the Tiffany-style Lampshade class, and I can't wait to start showing you everyone's progress. We'll have some new students in the Beginning Stained Glass and Beginning Mosaics classes that start the first week of May too. So I'll be posting photos along the way.
It's so exciting to share all this with you - so please stay tuned!
Lynne

After SAMA

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:47:00 +0000

What a wonderful time we had at the mosaic artists' conference in Miami last week. Not only did we meet some great people, we also saw mosaic artwork that would blow your socks off! After so many years of stained glass, we've been expanding to include classes in many other art glass techniques. I think it's kept us from getting stale (but let me know if you disagree!). We've been teaching an introduction class to mosaics, and the exhibit of these talented artists has been a real eye opener - now I want to take our classes to the next level. Anyone want to help out by teaching classes here at the Studio?
Another thing I discovered is that I am even more committed to doing more fusing. Since I was at the conference to assist with selling the Morton System, I was lucky enough to watch the developer of the system show many of the tricks and tools available with this inovative set of jigs and surfaces. He brought some of the tiles he had made - to be used for mosaics, or wall art, or even coasters. Boy, did that inspire me! And, a big bonus, I got to keep all the scraps of glass left over from the demos. I can hardly wait to start filling the kiln!
Sure am tired though. The combination of extra hours, non-stop talking (stop laughing, I know you think I do that anyway!), and high adrenelin seems to have wiped me out. But my mind is spinning with ideas. And colors! I think the biggest reason I love working in this industry is COLOR. The ancient druids believed that color held power - to heal, to grow, to calm, to excite - and I believe it. I remember working on a stained glass lampshade years ago. The design was one of my brother's - a 20" shade of orchids. I don't remember why, but I was unhappy about something in my life, but the purples I worked with every day seemed to help me get through it. If I take the time to pay attention, I notice that different colors do make for different moods. What do you think?

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:50:00 +0000

We've got some exciting plans for Rowe Studios, and want to hear some feedback.
As we push more into the arena of hot glass, we want to make room for more kilns and torches, and then make them available for rental. So, we've decided to sell some of the glass we've been jealously hoarding up in the loft. You may not know me well, but those who do, know that I have trouble parting with things. So, I've decided that it's time to "clean house". That's a pretty undertaking around here!
We have all of the sheet antiques on sale for 20% off, and will be featuring something special from the hand-rolled racks every week. Budgets are tight for most of us, and, let's face it - nothing is cheap any more (we won't even talk about things made outside the US!). So, in order to share some of the truly unique glass we have, we're going to offer a 50% discount on a different sheet of glass each week. If you've ever wanted to get some drapery glass, or some of the original Uroboros sheets of ripple (they look like big pancakes) - now's the time to come in. You'd be amazed at what's available. Ever hear of fracture/streamer glass? Sometimes it's called confetti glass. Well, both Bullseye & Uroboros make it, and we will have some of it featured on our weekly sales. Tiffany Studios used similar glasses to create some pretty special effects. Or how about some of the ripples that Genesis used to make. They closed their doors and shut down their furnaces over 20 years ago, so it's pretty hard to find any more. Well, we have a lot, and as hard as it is for me, we're bringing it out for sale. (Even if I lived to be a hundred, I'd never be able to use all of it anyway.)
Once we've been able to free up some space, we'll be shifting the work tables around to make room for the kilns. No small feat, but it will be worth it.
Any ideas on classes you'd like? We're trying to develop more fusing classes, and will soon be intoducing some etching classes too. Plus, I'm dying to try "painting" with frits and powders, so you can be sure there'll be something new in that area.
Keep in touch - I've never written a blog before and need lots of support! And don't forget to subscribe to the new Newsletter. That's where we'll annouce class schedules, showcase new products, let you know about sales, maybe even share a few tip & tricks.
Lynne

Welcome to Breaking Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Rowe Art Glass) — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:32:00 +0000

Hello everyone,
This is a new feature on my website www.roweartglass.com
I'm just getting it started, so stay tuned.

Take a look around the new website. Let me know what you think.

Lynne