Yesterday was ’stained glass window class day’. And all is progressing well. The many individual pieces of glass that make up my design have been cut out and assembled, and now begins the new process of ‘leading up’. As you can see from my photo, I’ve completed one corner and have almost made it to the centre of my design, though I now have a  sneaking (yet strong) suspicion that there is one piece at the top, that hasn’t been cut out at all – due to a last minute design change which was necessary because a particular sort of glass was in limited supply. I guess I’ll know when I get there.

It’s often like creating a jigsaw puzzle.

I wanted to write a post after last weeks class, but my hands were too sore to type and the tips all lacerated. I do believe it gets easier over time. I think it is the type of skill that requires a great deal of practice.

Interestingly, when I was looking for helpful tips about it before my first class, I read on one website that you should only attempt stained glass if you have no fear of blood. I thought the author was exaggerating, but it’s proved to be true, in my case at least. After this week’s class I noticed that I am becoming desensitised about seeing my own blood.

I think I may have knicked myself the most out of the three students, and that only means one good knick each week. But the good thing about it is, that at the time you just don’t notice the pain because the process of stain glassing is so intense that you’re always busy and focused. Another good thing is the cuts don’t hurt like normal cuts do (I think it’s because the glass is so sharp, making  cleaner cuts). And they aren’t as much of a surprise, which somehow really helps when you’re  trying to convince your finger to stop bleeding. I’ve found that tearing off a strip of clean scrap paper and twisting it around the offending wound, does the trick. I think I like it even better than a band-aid. Plus it makes me feel all tough and proper.

I do have one problem though.. well, two actually. Firstly, I am not good at cutting glass. But you may have guessed that already, from my mentioning all that blood and bleeding business. But more importantly, I’ve noticed that I have a very embarrassing habit when stain glassing…. whenever I’m trying to do something very tricky and demanding, which is basically all of the time, I stick out my tongue and wrap it over my top lip, just like a toddler would. I mean I really stick out my tongue, not just a little bit, but a lot.

I only became aware of this habit during the most recent class, but even though I now know I’m doing it, I can’t seem to stop it happening.

I’m just not sure what to do with myself,

Sigh..

There were distant grey clouds in the sky late today, but it was smoke instead of rain.

And while I was in the garden, the air was full of the thup-pa-thup-pa sound of low flying helicopters coming to the lake to collect water to douse local bushfires. The one below came particularly close to me.

Last time I asked you to guess the length, and Gamma had the eye for it. This time, I am asking if you know what this wee beauty is? I’ve had trouble growing them in the last few years, but this time I was in luck. Prizes for whoever has  the correct guess, and Gamma is very welcome to guess again.