When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold,
Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould;
And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,
Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art?"
--From THE CONUNDRUM OF THE WORKSHOPS
by Rudyard Kipling
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Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Brands of Glass for Your Stepping Stones
Brands of Glass
These are the primary brands available, although you may not have access to all of them locally.
• Armstrong
• Bullseye
• CBS Dichroic
• English Muffle
• Chicago Art Glass
• Kokomo
• Optimum
• Oceana
• Spectrum (remember that coupon deal at Hobby Lobby)
• Uroboros
• Wissmach
• Youghiogheny
• Wasser
Also available are brands such as Pattern 80, Duncan Architectural, German New Antique, French New Antique, Lamberts, New Antique Mirror, Krosno, Saint-Just Antiques, as well as jewels, crystals, engravings, medallions, bevels in various lusters and clusters, and probably more.
Again, many of these brands will be carried at local retail stained glass specialty stores, but you’ll pay a premium for them. Some are positively gorgeous and worth every penny. But for starters, I’d still stick with Spectrum for all the reasons listed previously.
Opalescent glass works well and doesn’t need any special treatment when using it in a stepping stone. Since it is opaque, you won’t see concrete through the glass.
Cathedral glass, on the other hand, needs a special step. Venture Tape makes a product called BriteBak Reflective Tape. It comes in silver or gold and is extremely sticky. You can back your cathedral pieces with this tape to prevent concrete being seen through the glass and to produce a wonderful dimension to the glass. Read all about it here.