collaboration : Free People

 

 Recently Free People contacted me about have one of my moon phases as an exclusive edition in their new Spirituality Shop. Of course I said yes! I knew that the wonderful people at Free People would find the perfect way to integrate the moon phase into their collections. And when they chose a moon phase with a white glass full moon and shiny opaque black glass phases I was completely convinced. 

On a related side note - I don't check that many blogs, but Free People's Bldg 25 blog is one of them. I can always find great tips on eating healty, scenes of their wonderland office, uses of various herbs and oils, natural beauty tips and more. Definitely take a look when you have some time, I guarantee you'll find at least one article of interest.

Find my FP Moon Phase here (they're going quick!)

A post on the new items in their Spirituality Shop here

ancient forms

new necklace pyramid, part of my ancient forms collection
this one is inspired by the Nubian pyramids at Meroë

find more info here and here

upon a star

last year I made a few custom moravian stars, but this 12 pointed version was always on my backburner to-do list.  yesterday I finally decided to skip my weekly to-do lists and just make this baby.  and I could not be more pleased.  it's kind of like the goldilocks of sizes, not too big and not too small, just right.

new in store

posted some pieces in my etsy shop last week and a few coming this week. 
colorful glass to catch the last of the summer sun.
hopefully not as much as my face and shoulders caught the sun yesterday...

new work: glass pyramid

For thousands of years pyramids have been built by civilizations all over the world, as sacred places, sometimes hiding burial chambers filled with cherished objects and treasure.  These delicate glass pyramids can be the home for your most precious possessions, in safe display for all to see.   All the sides of this pyramid measure the same, creating an object of perfect symmetry.

find the large pyramid here

(made by hand in Philadelphia using lead-free solder)

new work: ring display box

now in the shop
crafted in either silver or copper
plain glass or hand etched with a design, initials or special date

blue bird, green bird

Just wanted to share two new large birds I finished recently.  I wanted to take a photo of them on a sunlit wall, but it's a bit too grey and overcast today so that photo will have to wait.  And please forgive the suction cup marks on the window, window cleaning is set for this weekend...

ornaments

I got to see some of my ornaments in action this past weekend.  The effect of the tree lights is magical when it's all lit up at night!  I especially like the bird floating in the branches, and as soon as we get a tree I'll be moving the ones I have hanging in our windows to their new home :)

Over the weekend I received some really special custom orders.  It's giving me such a warm, rewarding feeling working on them and knowing they will be treasured.  And there's nothing like cutting glass to some traditional holiday carols.  I love this time of the year!

shop update!

There are a few new platonic solids in the shop today, including a new style with sheet music inside!

Poets this week include Lewis Carroll, William Blake and Patti Smith...

I'm beginning to take orders for the holidays so contact me if you want to make your own platonic solid for that special someone, or if you want to make something else!

I'll be posting even more new items over the next few days...

new work: weekly wrap

I will have some photos up and a few new items in the shop by the end of today, so watch this space!

This past week was very busy, realizing some new concepts and finishing some commissions.  I'll be posting about it all this week!

work: weekly wrapup

Check out my etsy shop for new additions!  I've added some new lamps and the hanging birds, as well as the start of mini platonic solids in time for the holidays!

Also, my new post on Handmade in PA is up!  

This week I'm talking about picking a name for your new business.

P.S. post edit- the mini platonic solid sold in the shop, but I will have more to show next week!

elemental platonic solids

Got a photo this morning of the Elemental Platonic Solids stained glass series that I mentioned in my post late last night.  These are smaller than the other sculptures I have been making, they measure from 2" to 3.5" high.  The smaller size makes them really tactile (the blue icosahedron in particular is just asking me to toss it around, but I'm restraining myself!)

To recap from the post - Plato assigned each of the five shapes to one of the elements.  

So, the tetrahedron symbolizes fire, the cube is earth, the octahedron is air, the icosahedron is water, and the dodecahedron is the universe, or sometimes the zodiac, as it is made up from twelve pieces like the twelve signs in the zodiac.

I drew from this to make this series, illustrating each element through the stained glass colors.  I will be selling this as a set, but I think that they would make great gifts if you correspond the shape to someone's astrological sign, so I may make some more of these as individual pieces.  

Check out my last post if you want to see which shape would correspond to your sign.

© 2011 ABJ Glassworks

All Rights Reserved

new work: weekly wrapup

Lamp with Circles, 2011 :: Yellow/Orange Bird, 2011 :: Purple/Black Bird, 2011

Last week's weekly wrapup comes a bit late, but I think it's worth the wait. I started the lamp at the end of last week, finishing it off yesterday. It is made from four hand-pieced "fins" that extend at 90 degree angles from the central pole. The whole structure is stabilized with a glass base and glass disc topper that are soldered to the frame. I counted the circles yesterday and there are exactly 60!

I made both of the birds last week.  They would look great hanging on a wall, or even from a ceiling.  I had the idea for these birds a few months ago, sculpting them so that their wings undulate as if they are caught mid-flight.

Burst, Sky, 2011 :: Purple Icosahedron Lamp, 2011

Also from last week, another Burst, this one in shades of light blue and white, and an icosahedron lamp in ambers and purples.

I will have all of these pieces at the PA Guild of Craftsmen show in Blue Bell this weekend!
Go here for a list of all the exhibitors.
Check out the HiP list of exhibitors to look for in which I'm mentioned!

© 2011 ABJ Glassworks

All Rights Reserved

new work: dodecahedron lamp sculpture

Just a preview of what I've been up to this week.  I'll do another weekly wrapup soon, it's been a very busy (and productive) week!

p.s. remember I'll be at the 4th Annual Downingtown Log House Arts & Crafts Show this Sunday from 10am-3pm.  Arts, crafts, food, music... sounds like a great afternoon to me!

new work: lamps

right: Purple Cubes Lamp, 2011

center: Blue Marbled Triangular Lamp, 2011

left: Blue Pentagonal Lamp, 2011

The story behind these lamps is a bit funny.  At the first show I did on Headhouse Square here in Philly I seemed to get the same question over and over again, and it was very unexpected ... "do you make the lamps?"  The answer was... "well, no."

work: weekly wrap up

 More platonic solids, a new Burst, and suncatchers

Hi guys, so here's a wrap up of what stained glass art I've been working on this week.  My fingers are definitely looking forward to a little break!

This week I made a few new platonic solids, bursts, new multi-piece necklaces (see below), suncatchers, and .... lamp bases!  No pictures of these yet, but if you don't get to see them at the Outdoor Craft Store tomorrow I will have photos up after the weekend.

 I have different colors and 4 styles at the moment, but as always, I will take color requests!

Looking forward to the show tomorrow, fingers crossed for more of this nice fall weather, hope you all can make it!

Outdoor Craft Show, Park Ave. & Dartmouth Ave., behind the Swarthmore Co-op, 9:30am - 4pm

work: new piece

Burst, Warmth, 2011

This work is a part of a series of Bursts.  The sculpture is 15 1/2 inches in diameter and is made from 72 individual glass pieces, which are constructed into six tapered arms that burst from the center.

I create these stained glass sculptures to capture my emotions at a specific point in time, focusing the feelings into a concentrated burst of color and form.

© 2011 ABJ Glassworks

All Rights Reserved

work: platonic solids

Platonic Solid: Tetrahedron (3, 5, 6), 2011

I am currently working on a series called Platonic Solids.

The faces of a platonic solid all have the same shape and size; and the shape itself is made from the same number of faces meeting at each point.

There are five platonic solids, and their names are derived from their number of faces: tetrahedron (4 faces), cube (6 faces), octahedron (8 faces), dodecahedron (12 faces) and icosahedron (20 faces).

As you probably realized already, they are named for the Greek philosopher Plato.  Early philosophers theorized that the classical elements (air, water, fire, earth and aether) were constructed from these solids.

Platonic Solid: Tetrahedron 6, 2011

I will be making different sizes of each of the platonic solids from stained glass.  Above is one of the tetrahedrons that I have almost completed.  There is more to be added to this one (besides the base!)

By the beginning of next week I will post the completed work and explain the process behind it more completely.

 Check my store on Monday for my first shop update!!

The pieces of an octahedron in the works.

The unmistakable shape of a cube in construction.

© 2011 ABJ Glassworks
All Rights Reserved