Easter Cross

A gentleman phoned me this afternoon looking for the perfect gift for a friend of his. Apparently his friend has been attending classes in an attempt to covert to Catholicism.

Not only has he completed the requirements but his first Sunday Service in his new-found faith will be this Easter Sunday.

After chatting with this man I designed the two crosses shown above using some of his favorite colors. Each cross is eight inches tall by six inches wide and will have a pretty satin ribbon attached for hanging convenience.

Saturday Shopping on Etsy

OK -- It's Super Bowl Playoff time and I'm from the fine state of Arizona.

Since our team has made it to the big game I decided to offer up my Saturday Shopping on Etsy to the Arizona Cardinals.

I hope you enjoy my picks for the Cardinals. You won't find any football-related items here but you will find some very nice Cardinals items.

Feel free to click on any of the pictures above. That will take you to each artists' shop on etsy where you can shop around.

Custom Butterfly

I was approached by a large, hairy, tough-looking man who was delivering automobile parts to my husbands auto repair shop.

He pulled me to the side and asked me quietly if I could make a stained glass butterfly using dark purple, light pink and green glass. His mother apparently loves butterflies and is now bed-ridden due to illness.

His desire is to give her this large butterfly in hopes of making her last days as pleasant as possible.

As he drove away in his large 4X4 truck with large, noisy side pipes and shiny chrome wheels I was reminded that all people have a soft spot for someone special in their lives.

Military Canons

Shown above is a custom order for a woman currently stationed at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

This is the emblem for the unit her family member is a part of.

Dark Amber and Royal Blue Panel

A pretty royal blue and dark amber stained glass panel. In the center of the piece is a clear square of sculpted glass.

Available for sale here.

A Winter's Bird

Ahhh -- the blistery cold of winter.

This little amber and red glass bird is hunkered down on the branch of a tree. I think he's waiting for someone to put some bird seed out in the feeder.

Actually - this panel is a gift for a friend. She lives in snow country and takes very good care of all the creatures in her grasp.

Green and Golden Glass Nuggets

Shown above is a stained glass panel hand-crafted using three different shades and textures of colored glass.

The kelly green color at the bottom of the panel is very vibrant and shows a lot of color as the sun comes through the panel. A small square of emerald green is tucked into the bottom corner of the piece which adds a touch of elegance. Toward the right side is a piece of avocado green glass.

In addition, green and golden nuggets are surrounded with swirls of wire then securely attached to the clear seedy glass.

Available for sale here.

Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) . . .

I am a member of the Etsy Glass Artists Street Team which consists of glass artisans from throughout the world.

This team is made up of men and women who form, shape, mold and create art objects from glass in its most simple form.

Throughout the year this team hosts various shows, events and sales. This Sunday, November 20, 2008 will kick off the EGA Holiday BOGO Sale. This sale runs through Saturday, December 6, 2008.

Participating artisans will offer Buy One, Get One for half the cost. So if you buy one item in any of the etsy shops listed below, you can purchase a second item from the same etsy shop for half price.

Of course, the lower priced item will be half price.

If you buy glass items from any of the shops listed below -- enter "Holiday BOGO" in the message to buyer section. A revised invoice will be sent back to you with the discount applied.

Listed below are are the EGA shops which are involved in this promotion.

vickileigh

willowglass

glasscat

rwillisglassartist

studiomarcy

prizmatic

giapet

jewelrybynatsuko

nicholebeads

MyCabinCreations

popko

Aqua Blue Molten Glass

Using a pretty vibrant shade of aqua blue glass I crafted this small glass panel.

Surrounding the blue glass are various shapes of clear glass. Each clear glass piece has a unique impression adding to the overall appeal to the panel.

Available for sale here.

Stained Glass Sun Catchers

Using small pieces of glass -- I crafted these little stained glass sun catchers. They measure 3" square and have complimentary colors.

Special Request for Blue Nuggets...

Using three panels I had previously created -- I crafted this panel as a special request for a woman.

She likes the blue glass combined with glass nuggets. In addition she likes the molten look of the glass as it appears to be melting onto the nuggets below.

Arizona Sunset Stained Glass Panel

Inspired by one of the many, many beautiful Arizona sunsets -- this small stained glass panel consists of red, light and medium shades of amber.

Each colored piece of glass was cut into a circle to represent the sun. Jet black glass surrounds the four colors while providing a framed effect on the piece.

Available for sale here.

A Study in Corners

These are a few of my favorite things. Well -- favorite things while making stained glass panels.

Creating a glass panel requires a certain amount of precision and fussiness. It also requires pliers and diamond-bit saws. Balance. It also requires balance.

To make a panel where the pieces line up precisely - a lot of detail must be given to the corners where the various pieces join.

So -- what better way to practice this skill that to do it over and over again.

Using red glass is my favorite color and clear glass with impressions add a nice touch to the piece.

Just Messin' Around

I had the opportunity to photograph a young woman who is nearly 40-weeks pregnant. During the shoot, I asked her mother to join her for a few candid photographs of the two of them.

This is one of my favorites.

Hospitality

Although this stained glass piece is only halfway finished -- I wanted to share it with you.

The symbol for hospitality is the pineapple. I've been commissioned by one of the U.S. Army bases to make some stained glass panels using this symbol as the centerpiece.

The pineapple is the symbol adopted by the Officer's Wives Club of this Army
base.

I'll post additional photos as the piece comes complete.

Lady Madonna

Using a centerpiece of glass created by 'Glassmasters' -- I made this pretty amber and royal blue stained glass panel of Madonna and child.

Glassmasters was a glass company based out of Atlanta, Georgia that closed their business back in 2005. Since then, unfinished center pieces of glass have been sold to various dealers and warehouses throughout the country.

Fortunately for me -- I was able to purchase a few of these beautiful stained glass reproductions.

This piece is a deep royal blue color surrounded by a dark amber glass. The first photograph shows the piece back lit by direct sun.

Switching Back to Photography

Just as the seasons change throughout the year -- my artistic tastes change as well.

I will be moving back to posting images of my photography for awhile.

The little toad seen above has become an adopted pet. After taking out the rubbish a few days back -- I nearly jumped out of my shoes when my eyes caught a quick jump coming from the rock pile.

Well, upon further investigation I realized the jumping rock was in fact a jumping toad. The little throaty noise coming from him told me so.

The two kitties who happen to live with me have decided the little guy can stay for awhile and don't bother him much.

So much for kitty protection.

Christi and Vicki Leigh

I had the sweet gift of a visit from my daughter this past weekend. She lives about two hours away from me and it makes my smile when we get the opportunity to spend time together.

We attended a family event to celebrate the impending birth of a new little baby girl that will soon be joining our family. No doubt she will look like us.

A New Website

I've finally gotten my new website up and active.

Please take a peek when you have a few minutes to look around.

** www.vickileigh.net **.

Feedback welcome!

The Lost Leaf

The Lost Leaf is a restaurant/bar in the downtown Phoenix area tucked in between historic homes, art galleries and studios.

Link here.

I was asked to create a stained glass panel to be inserted into the opening of the door for all patrons to view upon entry.

These two photographs are the final copies before the panel gets inserted into the door.

More photos to follow upon completion.