How much money where? SOLD! to the highest bidder!

I've always enjoyed watching shows involving auctions on TV. I'm absolutely ADDICTED to Storage Wars. So by chance I came across an auction site unlike others I've used such as Ebay. This site is called TopHatter. It's different from other sites in that they run live auctions where an item is put up on the block and bid on in real time. If you miss your bid, you miss out.

Faith - Breast Cancer Awareness Stained Glass

The fantastic thing about this site is that it's mostly handmade artisans auctioning off their works. Jewelry, paintings, other crafts, supplies, its' all there. I immediately felt at home in this setting and quickly posted a couple of items. I'm very pleased to announce that Easter Cross has found a new home through TopHatter.

I'm also pleased to announce that this Sunday at the Sunday Night Bazaar, 12am eastern time, Faith my breast cancer awareness piece will be auctioned off. As my followers know this piece normally sells for $10. At TopHatter the bidding will start at $5 and as an added bonus shipping is FREE!

If you're interested in the auction atmosphere, want to bid on my piece and will be up at midnight check out the Sunday Night Bazaar and place a bid.

New month, new work, new shop

I've continued working at a fast pace with my art. I keep experimenting and making new things with new materials. As my body of work builds up I realized I needed to better organize my for sale works than setting up PayPal buttons. So just in time for Mother's Day I've set up a Zibbet Shop: http://www.zibbet.com/StainedGlassByCyn. All pieces that were for sale via PayPal are now listed there for the same price.

$70.00 at Zibbet Shop.

I've also added a new piece. As I described in my last blog I'd started incorporating other elements to my stained glass such as old jars, bowls, etc. Well, as I shopped for supplies at my local antiques store I came across this marble elephant figurine. I immediately had an image of the elephant atop a glass box.

I think this piece is another representation of how I've found my artistic voice through stained glass. In other media I could make an image close to what I'd had in my head, or representing a message I wanted to get across. But this box is exactly what I had pictured when I looked at the figurine.

There's nothing like having something in your head and being able to produce it in the real world for others to see and touch.

Lover's Nest

One of the elements I love most in stained glass panels is when there's a stunning focal point in the piece. I'd look at other artist's work and wonder how they'd come up with those elements.

It wasn't until recently that it occurred to me that I could incorporate any glass element into my pieces. With this in mind I went out to the local antiques and collectibles store. There's always interesting glassware there. I almost never buy them though just because I don't display those kinda things. This time whenever glass caught my eye I'd pick it up and look at it with light shining through it.

I got a few pretty serving bowls and some interesting platters. But on my way to check out something caught my eye. It was a dirty jar stuffed away on a shelf. The frosted glass drew me to it and I realized there was a pretty image on the lid of the jar. Two birds cuddled together on a branch. I held the lid up to the light and realized what a beautiful image it was, even in its dingy state. Immediately ideas sprung to mind on the piece I'd create with it.

What a great find. From dingy jar shoved in the back of a shelf to proudly displayed stained glass panel.

Creative spark captured

Spring is my favorite season. I always feel my creativity spike when I see trees budding and flowers blooming. Sometimes I wish I could capture that creative spark.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of encasing something for safe keeping. People often lock away keepsakes in a case or trunk never to be removed again (or very rarely). Then the idea came to me to put something in stained glass. I can't think of a better way to display something beautiful than to have it hanging in stained glass, letting the light filter through it.

I decided the best way to capture the moment of early spring is to encase a rose bud. The color of the purple flower is striking against the swirled glass. The brown swirls representing the soil the rose grows from. An elegant way to bring the outdoors in.

Sometimes simple is the way to go

$40.00 at Zibbet Shop.

I like to work on stained glass everyday but with work at the restaurant and a garage sale coming up I haven't had enough time. I finally had to fit in some work between things.

Lately, I've been enjoying simple designs. As my skills improve and I get more practice I find simple designs are in a sense more difficult because there is no place to hide mistakes. This pushes me to execute each element perfectly.

This 12"x12" piece with the mix of striking colors and chocolate swirled glass would make an elegant focal point to a room, either on a stand as pictured or installed as a window.

Bare Trees

Like most people my age I grew up listening to the Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks iteration of Fleetwood Mac. I had always liked their music but then my parents purchased some CDs of the band's earlier work. Bare Trees quickly became one of my absolute favorite albums of all time.

There's a fantastic vibe to the whole album that gets me every time I listen to it. A certain moodiness to the sound and lyrics.

This was my first attempt at making a picture out of stained glass and I think I was able to capture the vibe of the album with this piece.

To really understand what I'm talking about you have to listen to the first song in this post as well as this one...

Of all the stained glass pieces I've made thus far I feel a special connection with this one. I'm very pleased with how it came out.

Faith, breast cancer awareness

$10.00 at Zibbet Shop.

Many of us have been affected by breast cancer, either personally or through someone we know. A big part of overcoming such a difficult challenge is faith.

The glass resembles the pink ribbon representative of breast cancer awareness. Freehand etching details complete this wall hanging.