Friday, February 11, 2011

When It's Cold Out, Build Some Roses

It has been very, very cold outside this past week, down to -14 below zero on Thursday.  That's not a record-breaking low for Wisconsin, obviously, but it's a bit chilly.  I stayed indoors most of the week except for my jaunts out to do the chores of feeding the chickens and walking the dogs and some snow removal.  I did get some skiing in though, despite the cold, gotta love the Back Eight and the White Forest for the windbreak making skiing enjoyable. 

Since there's nothing much else I could be doing (besides cleaning, ick) I decided to finally get to work on the new lamp, a Tiffany reproduction Rosebush.  I figure if I can't have roses growing in the garden, I'll just make my own, and with Valentine's Day rapidly approaching and the cost of roses from a florist, hey, these are the next best thing.

I started out with the original pattern, colored one copy for ideas on shading, had some more Mylar copies made to cut apart for glass layout and then stuck the little pieces back on a paper holding copy:
Rosebush Pattern
Next, it's off to select glass:
Green is for Leaves
Hmmmmmmm....do roses have that many spots in their leaves?  Well, don't tell anyone, but mine do!  (I'm not the best rose gardener.)  All I have to do is find a bunch of leaves in this piece of glass.
There we go, half of the leaves for the lamp are laid out using my 'window' patterns with the interior of the leaf shapes removed.
Decisions, decisions.......do I want a pale blue background with some pink in it, or a more blue-green background?  I like the pink, but I like the blue, too.  Have to make a decision.
Darker blue won out, at least for now.

 Ready for cutting...
Hours of cutting and grinding later, and all washed and waiting for........

their numbers to be written on them so I know where the heck they go on the pattern.

And finally, here are a few of the roses I've been able to 'build' so far.  Right now, they are all stuck on an old window frame and sitting in the living room window in natural light where I can obsess over what is and isn't working. 

I have a whole lot more to make yet and they all have to be put on a form and soldered together, but here's some preliminary ones:
 
 They'll look better when the numbers are removed, too.  (I hope)
So, that's what's been going on around here this week.  I'm joining up with Tootsie over at Fertilizer Friday this week with my fake roses.  I hope no one minds.
Like Lynn Anderson's song says, "I Beg Your Pardon, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden."
(and this isn't one, either--but it's as close as I can get in February in Wisconsin!)

27 comments:

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Karen,

This is going to be a gorgeous lamp. I hope you let us see it when it is completed.

Eileen

Darla said...

First, I was wondering, how in the hell do you build a rose! lol...gotta it now. Your work is just beautiful...reminded me of paint by number, remember those? I know, this is quite different, it's just what popped into this aging brain of mine.

Jester said...

OMG Thats so much work!Bet its going to be gorgeous when you're done. YOU Go GIrl!!!
Can't wait to see it when you're done!!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

I love this already and you've still got quite a bit of work to do. Your work is lovely and I can only imagine the time involved in making one of these shades. I love roses and a couple of these in this piece just zapped me with their beauty.

FlowerLady

Rosemary said...

Impressed , already it is gorgeous.

Alison said...

Wow! Karen, this lamp is going to be beautiful! I like how you chose pieces for the roses that give them shading, some darker pink, some lighter. Very clever.

I wish you had shown us how you cut them out.

All those bits and pieces with their numbers would drive me nuts, I would still get so lost trying to put it together.

And -- minus 14 -- Holy Moly!

Junebug said...

I am so impressed and the work involved! I can't wait to see it all finished, PLEASE take a picture and share. It is a rose garden in my book and a beautiful one at that!

xoxoxo said...

Wow! I have a new found love for these lamps!
As they say--a rose is a rose is a rose!
I want one! WIth roses!!!

Lona said...

Karen that is going to be just gorgeous. I just love your floral shades. Do you do any blue birds or mostly stick to the floral. I just love your work.

Sandy said...

I do a lot of crafting, sewing and home building but I have never tried this wonderful craft... you do such beautiful work! I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product...
Hope you have warmed up this past few days.. we have had the windows open!
take care
sandy

Anonymous said...

From glass cutter to another...gorgeous.

Randy Emmitt said...

This is going to be a beautiful lamp! I'll be waiting to see this as it progresses. Very cool!

agreenearth said...

Your roses are beautiful.

Dandelion and Daisy said...

I am in awe.of the amount uf work that goes into designing this piece, not to mention assembly! WOW, that is going to be gorgeous.

Dandelion and Daisy said...

I am in awe.of the amount uf work that goes into designing this piece, not to mention assembly! WOW, that is going to be gorgeous.

Carolyn ♥ said...

What talents you have, Karen. Absolutely stunning. Stay warm!

Donna said...

I love Tiffany lamps and we have several (reproductions)..stained glass is not easy and your skill at it incredible...I cannot wait to see it...a woman of so many talents....

lifeshighway said...

Gorgeous, I have enviously looked into attending a few stained glass classes to learn to attempt this art form. You do beautiful work. I can certainly see why each small part of the design must be carefully numbered.

I sure hope you post the final project so I can continue to drool.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful work...creating stained glass is fascinating work! I hope we get to see the end result.

One said...

Karen, Looks like you can have beautiful flowers blooming any time of the year. Great work. Thanks for coming by. :)

Diana LaMarre said...

That is beautiful, Karen! It looks so complicated to me.

Unknown said...

Absolutely beautiful!

Carol said...

It is stunning!! Just beautiful and I can imagine with the light on, how the roses will illuminate. Brava!

p3chandan said...

Very creative but really hard work, looking forward to see the finished job must be beautiful with the lights on!

Tootsie said...

wow...that is very cool! and it is going to be gorgeous! thanks for linking in this week and sharing that!

xoxoxo said...

Karen--I cannot find your email address on your site! As we all know, responding to comments on blogger doesn't work to well.
Email me if you dare :)
LIRPA0000@HOTMAIL.COM

Lisa Sall - Sall's Country Life said...

Wow, what an incredible amount of work! And love how you even go in the middle of a piece of glass to get just the right shading! A true artist, you are!! What a treasure when it's finished. Hope you are enjoying the process and the chance to work indoors!!