Monday, October 22, 2012

A Stained Glass Lamp




What a Beautiful Idea....

A few weeks ago, Dear Readers, I was bemoaning the difficulties I was having with the Lighting of this very Dark and Gothic Library, and my Wonderful Mother commented that a Real Library might have a stained glass hanging lamp! Of course my Mother would suggest that.... she has always loved stained glass lamps (we always called them Tiffany Lamps) and she has even made a few herself! Well surely I must have thought of that idea and rejected it as WAAAY too difficult in this Tiny scale! It would certainly be the ideal sort of lamp for this room.... if one could figure out How to make one that small! But her comment got me thinking.... and it seemed the idea would NOT go away! I was going to Have to try to make a tiny stained glass lamp! So I dug out my jewelry findings that had lacy filigree parts and I cut one down until it was small enough. (Of course, I forgot to take pictures of the first steps....)


Here you can see the "lamp" partly "painted" and already attached to the LED wires. I used a technique I had seen on somebody's blog.... forgive me that I can't remember whose... to use Fingernail polish as paint! It fills the holes in the filigree using the surface tension of the enamel.... there is no "surface" to paint.... the paint becomes the surface! You simply brush across the gap with a color.... being careful to only paint one color at a time and let it dry thoroughly before doing another color. And these days Fingernail Polish comes in ALL the Colors of the Rainbow!!!! I used only four... Yellow, Green, Lilac, and Burgundy.

This shot shows the lamp looking into  the inside.... 
the LED bulb is in the middle and the light glows through the Fingernail enamel..... 
I couldn't wait to test the effect with the light lit.... 
so I took some pictures before it was even done......
Just to see if it worked.....


Oh, It WORKED!!!

Then I decided that the metal filigree needed to be painted black.... 
to cover over the enamel edges and define the sections better..... 
also just so it looks more realistic!
Above you can see it all painted and ready for installation.....

But, of course, it is extremely difficult to Photograph this tiny light!!!

As with the Salon, 
I may have to add some ambient light to show off the details of this room....

And speaking of Details.... 
that is not all I managed to do this weekend!
I also completed the two partially done paintings....


I darkened the gold trim of Anne of Cleves' Gown and made better copies of the paintings. 
I am sure you can't see the difference, but the improved ones are on the left!
I framed them and attached them to the wall over the book shelves on the right hand wall....


Which I filled with books.....


And you can sort of see how they look.... 
here with the ceiling removed so enough light gets in.....
Yeah... there will have to be an ambient light source....!
And now that the bookshelves are filled and the paintings attached.... 
I have begun to Glue the walls in place!!!


Which means I can work on the stairs to the NEXT floor.... 
and the exterior wall.....


Which HAS to have a window half way up the stairs....


And I know that you are going to think I am nuts.....
But the window has a seat cushion.....


And I made another TINY Book.....


 That got Left on the seat cushion......


Half way up the stairs...
Because perhaps someone was carrying a book up the stairs 
and stopped to look out at the moon and forgot the book.....
Can you even see it?
Well.... never mind...
I will know it is there!!!


And maybe you can pretend to see it from outside.....


Or think about it as you head up those narrow stairs....!


But really, it is that marvelous Tiffany Lamp that has me enchanted!

I am going to find a way to take a great picture.....
of this Wonderful Little Stained Glass Lamp!





18 comments:

  1. You're on a roll, Betsy! Your lamp and portraits add yet another gorgeous layer of fabulousity to the Library. Love it!

    XO,
    John

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  2. Fantastic fabulous work, it all looks so great, Betsy! That tiny stained glass lamp, what a great finding :D!! I'll follow the progress, curious to see what you'll find out now ;)!!
    Hugs, Ilona
    PS they are flying since yesterady ;)!!!!! Let me know they're arrived.

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  3. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are Mad, Betsy, but as we say in this madmess there is a method, and in your case this is a pure beauty in real miniminiminiature.:) LOVE your LAMP!
    Still thinking about shrinking myself.....;)

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  4. Yuod did a fantastich job!! The lighting is so gorgeous. I love your tiny lamp.
    The room is just so perfect. Great job !!

    Regards Ilonka

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  5. Oh, my gosh! Your lamp is amazing and so are those portraits. How difficult it must be to work in such a tiny scale! I admire your patience and determination immensely!

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  6. Hello Betsy!
    I think I might have said this to you before, but it's worth repeating: Sheer, unadulterated genius! That tiffany Lamp is gorgeous and such a wonderful way to make it. I don't think i would of thought of that one! The entire room is just enchanting. I love it all so much. Even the little details like the books on the window cushion, and your wonderful portraits...everything is a real treasure. Keep up the great work Betsy. It is a real work of art.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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  7. Wow! The lamp is gorgeous!
    Your explanations are wonderful, it is a pleasure to follow the process of how this beautiful project was made. ;)
    hugs

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  8. Betsy!

    what can I say? You are genius! what a fabulous idea, and so neatly done, I love it (there's a surprise!! LOL!!) I would never have thought of using nail varnish for the coloured glass, it all looks so right! Perhaps you could do another slightly larger shade for a standard lamp, if you wanted more light in the room? but I like its dark gothic cosiness. The portraits are lovely too, and fit in very well, and the book on the window seat, well, details are worth putting in, even if they are hard to see!

    If I am seeing new stairs, I think we will be seeing a whole new room emerging very soon!!! Can't wait!

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  9. Nail polish! What a marvelous idea. It looks perfect.
    Glad to have provided a spark...
    As Andy says, looking forward to the new room emerging!
    Love & admiration,
    Mom

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  10. That's a marvellous technique for stained glass!

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  11. I would never think you're nuts... cushion and book are a must-have in this window... ;O) - Again you leave me open-mouthed, that Tiffany lamp is incredible. You must be the most patient woman to apply one part of paint after the other.

    Greetings
    Birgit

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  12. Perfect Betsy! I love the little stained glass lamp, it fits perfectly in the study. And now we are going up the stairs :) The little cushion and book are perfect touches to the window seat.

    Hugs,
    Victoria

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  13. That tiny Tiffany lamp is cause to celebrate but when you actually make it work, a National Holiday should be declared ! :):)

    I remember reading it too, the bit about nail polish to make stained glass lamp . It is either Susanne's blog or Jane's. I remember going out to buy bottles and bottles of nail polish so I could make Persian lamps with them. And no, I didn't make any. :)

    You are so well rounded in your craft, Bets, you are an artist, an engineer, a carpenter all rolled into 1.

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  14. Marvellous - just marvellous! You must have been so excited when it worked and it's just a lovely finishing touch for your room.

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  15. The only stained glass lamp I've ever had for my houses was a plastic one I bought from a shop, I think they still sell it, and it's very blah. So that you made one yourself is wondrous. I love the image of you rummaging in your treasure boxes and finding the perfect elements. The room is a treasure box itself, part jewelry box, part diorama, part treasure chest. It's wonderful.

    You stay safe during Sandy, ok? I'll be thinking about you.

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  16. The little lamp is wonderful, great idea to use nailpolish!!!

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