Started out making a tree for Monica… and then Sarah too… and then things sort of went out of control when I found a gem stock pile at the stained glass store in Fredericton. Nine is a nice number. So, this will be my first production line project…I’m psyched!
The design for this pattern actually came from a photo I took in the gift shop at Bully Hill Vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. I’ll plan to make each tree slightly different from all the others so each is unique.
Merry Christmas.
Christmas Tree Pattern
tracing pattern onto glass at 2:00 a.m. (who needs sleep?)
tracing each pattern piece onto the glass
pattern traced: 9x
scoring the glass for breaking
finishing the score (carbide wheel cutter)
breaking the glass along the score
finished breaking out the glass pieces (rough cut)
One possibility (glass still rough cut in this photo)
all rough cut pieces assembled and ready for grinding
grinding1
grinding 2
grinding 3
getting ready to wash the pieces
washing each piece with a toothbrush
drying the pieces
ready for foiling
each piece is wrapped with copper foil tape
and burnished (smoothed) over the edges
the first nine pieces are done – 153 more to go
about half done the foiling
close up of burnishing the copper foil
ahhhhh – therapy!
all 162 pieces are foiled
pieces organized and ready for assembly
the nine trees are assembled and ready for soldering
Day three: finished grinding all the pieces last night after work. I remember many days when I was very young, my father would disappear to the basement to work on the airplane he was building. I often thought “How could anyone spend so much time doing the same thing?” – well now I understand. The basement is my sanctuary. It’s there that I think, dream, imagine, plan, decide, fail, learn, and succeed.
nellyglass studio 
You are so talented…such a neat hobby! Love following along on your blog. Have a good week but get your rest.
Day three: finished grinding all the pieces last night after work. I remember many days when I was very young, my father would disappear to the basement to work on the airplane he was building. I often thought “How could anyone spend so much time doing the same thing?” – well now I understand. The basement is my sanctuary. It’s there that I think, dream, imagine, plan, decide, fail, learn, and succeed.