The Art of Glass Blowing - Coni Art Glass-Handmade Decorative Glassware and Home Accessories

Coni Art Glass-Handmade Decorative Glassware and Home Accessories
"The art of glass blowing was first performed in the Middle East along the Phoenician coast in 20 B.C. This new technology changed the way glass was used, from jewelry and ornamentation to necessities. Amazingly glass containers and other items of high quality blown glass (even window glass) were found in the ancient ruins of Pompeii.

Today glass blowing of vases and other objects of art, or accessories is still done in basically the same way as it was originally done in 20 B.C.. Glass blowers, called gaffers, use a hollow iron pipe usually about four feet long. The gaffer dips the pipe in the melted glass and rolls a small amount of the molten glass, called gather, on the end of the pipe. Then the gaffer rolls the gather against a paddle or metal plate to give it an initial shape (marvering). The gaffer blows into the pipe which creates a bubble (parison).

The gaffer can control the shape and thickness of the glass by reheating the parison at the furnace and shaping and blowing to create the final form. From wooden paddles with holes, to wet newspapers held in the hand, many tools are used to shape the glass. Shears are often used to cut the soft, hot glass. Additional gathers, sometimes in other colors, can be applied and shaped into stems, handles, and other decorative artwork, or useful parts. The hot item of glassware can be dipped into molten glass of another color (flashed), to add dimension and beauty to the piece. The gather is fixed opposite the blowpipe to a solid iron rod called a pontil. After the blowpipe is taken away, the gaffer can then shape and fire polish the open end of the new piece of glassware. When the pontil is taken off, the rough spot that is left (pontil mark) is removed by carefully grinding and polishing the spot."

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What Color to Paint Wainscoating?

What Color to Paint Wainscoating?

If you have beadboard wainscoating you can make a dramatic impact on your room by painting it a contrasting color to your wall above.

For example, one of the hottest colors for 2007 is a soft botanical green. Try a mossy green above a soft beige wainscoating for your dining room. Another big color for 2007 is blue - once again blues from nature. The color of the sky, or water (think Carribean blue), and other blues from nature dominate the color scene this year. A blue wall with white wainscoating below is a fresh up-to-date look that will add character to your room, even if you don't change anything else.

Check out HomeClick's great selection of Rugs, Furniture, Home Accents and More.

Dress the room up with coordinating accessories like pillows, window coverings, and linens. Make the room a statement about you, and your creative spiHide allrit, but most of all have fun!

Tags: what color to paint wainscoating, budget home decorating

Coni Art Glass- Handmade Glass Balls, Christmas Ornaments, and Spirit Balls

Coni Art Glass- Handmade Glass Balls, Christmas Ornaments, and Spirit Balls

"Glass Balls ...
These handmade glass balls bring light and happiness to home décor. Often used for Feng Shui design, the colors promote creative energy in the home. Float them in ponds to protect the fish from predators. When the sun shines on the glass balls, the light scares away the predators.
Used year round, these glass spheres also make beautiful Christmas ornaments. The colorful hand blown glass balls, spheres and hearts are a versatile and affordable decorative accessory (used in homes, hotels, restaurants, and offices), and make great gift items. They come in many colors and patterns. We welcome special orders for your design ideas, and color combinations.
The wholesale glass balls are the perfect home decorating idea, or party decoration. They make unique gifts and party favors. Interior Designers love to use the decorative balls grouped in a beautiful glass bowl, as a centerpiece or focal point of a room.
Hang them in windows as sun catchers. Also known as Friendship Balls, Spirit Balls, Witch Balls, Fairy Balls or in German as "kugels", which means ornamental balls, they are beautiful called by any name. Lighting designers are making beautiful light fixtures with these handmade glass balls, too. The witch balls (also known as spirit balls or fairy balls) and Gazing Globes, were traditionally used to protect the garden. The 5 inch diameter mouth blown balls can also be used as gazing balls. Spheres come in the following diameters:3 ¼ inch ( 8 cm ); 4 inch ( 10 cm ) and 5 inch ( 12 cm ). "

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Coni Art Glass-Handmade Decorative Glassware and Home Accessories

Coni Art Glass-Handmade Decorative Glassware and Home Accessories
"Coni Art Glass is an importer of fine mouth blown art glass and decorative glassware, offering high quality handmade glassware at good prices. We design many of our own pieces. All handmade, mouth blown glass pieces are crafted by skilled artisans in Romania, many of whom studied their craft in Murano, Italy. Each piece of glass is beautiful and unique. The innovative and creative aspects of mouth blown glass and hand blown glass art, indicate how inventive and masterful our artists are. They conceive contemporary art glass works that are imaginative, innovative, colorful and elegant.
Romanian glassware, with its exceptionally high intrinsic worth, has been sought after and treasured for many generations. We are supplied direct from Romania Glass Factories – no middlemen- designing or choosing every individual piece ourselves, and supervising the production very closely. The hand blown oil lamps, tea light holders, votive candle holders and glass balls are welcome gifts or home accessories that will be loved and valued for years to come. The mouth blown glass balls are also used as Christmas ornaments. The Christmas ornaments are treasured collectibles, too.
The Romanian blown glass makes a wonderful wedding gift, or a great party favor or party decoration that will make your event truly unforgettable. The vases, mouth blown oil lamps, plates and bowls are sought after wedding accessories, or wedding décor, and make great wedding favors! The wholesale vases are favorites of florists, and florist supply houses. Romania is the home of contemporary glass art that is not widely available in the rest of the world, but is universally exhibited and recognized. We endeavor to keep prices affordable so that your gallery or home be graced with the sought after works of mouth blown glass and hand blown glass art."

Tags: decorating with glass accessories and glass balls

Glass Accessories: Decorating Tips for Your Home Interiors

Glass Accessories: Decorating Tips for Your Home Interiors
How to Select Glass Accessories for Your Home Decorating Needs

"I've come to love glass accessories, whether they are candle holders, vases, figurines, sculptures or bowls. I think it's important in your decorating to have
at least one really great, artistic glass piece.

There is a mystery to glass, perhaps because it catches light and glows from within. It can be an explosion of visual and tactile possibilities. And I found
a whole new appreciation for pottery, in general, after taking a class in pottery making. It's much, much harder to achieve than you would think.

Most interior designers incorporate studio glass objets d'art into their designs. So do I. But before you run out to buy some, educate yourself a bit and
find artists whose work touches you.

There are different types, sizes and techniques of art glass, so here are a few basic things you should know before you make your selections.

• Stained or Art Glass - Stained glass art first showed up primarily in religious and public buildings, especially in French and German churches.
  However, now stained glass is making it's way into the home. After WWII, abstract and expressionist artists began to explore stained glass, developed new technologies and developed a growing interest in art glass. Think about bringing in beveled glass to your entry way or turning your bathroom windows into stained glass art. You can also incorporate the art form on to tables, walls and cabinets, as well as hanging panels in your windows.
• Crackle Glass - Invented in the 16th Century, crackle glass is produced by briefly submerging very hot glass into cold water during the glass-forming process.
  When you reheat the glass, you can expand it by blowing into the blowpipe. the cracks grow larger as a result. The most unique pieces are made using either transparent or opaque glass.

• Fused Glass - Another old technique is to fuse melted glass together during the firing portion in the kiln after heating it to a high
  tempoerature. It's a difficult method that requires constant experimentation. The colors and textures of the glass come from the various minerals and chemicals added at the time the
  glass is manufactured. Compatible metal pieces, enamels, paints and other substances enhance individual art objects.

• Dichroic Glass (Two Color) - Depending on the viewing angle, this type of glass shows different colors. It has been coated with thin layers
  of different metals to a thickness of one-millionth of an inch. The metals are evaporated and vacuum-deposited on the glass to such a fine degree that certain wavelengths of light will pass throug the glass and others will be reflected.

• Studio Glass - With studio glass, the artist melts the glass, forms it, colors it and anneals it. Glassblowing was invented 2000 years ago, but it
  wasn't until the 1960s that individual craftspeople, working alone instead of in a factory, began to blow glass, starting the Studio Glass Movement.

  Hand-Blown Glass - When you dip the blowpipe into a pot of molten glass, inside a high-temperature furnace, you get hand-blown glass. The pipe and
  glass are removed from the furnace and by blowing through the pipe, the ball of molten glass is expanded into a thick bubble. Additional glass is added to the bubble along with color. The bubble of hot glass is then formed. During the shaping process, the piece is frequently returned to the furnace to keep it soft and pliable. Halfway through the process the piece is transferred to an iron rod that allows it to be opened up to form the mouth of a vase or bowl.
  When the artist is happy with the shape, it is carefully broken off the punty and placed into a temperature-controlled oven (annealer). There it is slowly cooled down to room temperature. When finished the piece is inspected by the artist and signed."

We have found beautiful examples of both Dichroic Glass (Two Color) and Studio Glass at Coni Art Glass. The glass artist, Cornel Plescan, lovingly designs each piece. We especially like the glass balls, which can be used as beautiful Christmas ornaments, but also year round as centerpiece decorations, or hanging in windows. All of his glass pieces are mouth blown, and well proportioned. The glass is of very fine quality, and best yet - his prices are far below what you will find in the stores! Unbelievable quality and value.

Tags: decorate with glass accessories, mouth blown glass balls accessories