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Crazy piles of glass dishes etc.

concretenprimroses
12 years ago

So I have made a lot of plate flowers I have more than a dozen in my garden and I've been giving them as gifts for several years. And I have some totems. BUT for every glass thing I made I bought 4 times more stuff than I needed. I finally dragged most of it out this morning and laid it out on the dining room table.

{{gwi:172340}}

Here's a close up of some of it:

{{gwi:172341}}

Then there's these boxes that won't fit on the table:

{{gwi:172342}}

And the gold glass which I put on the coffee table:

{{gwi:172343}}

My day took a different turn and I had to leave the stuff for a while. But I laid out 15 plate flowers and 3 little teapot totems this evening.

I don't dare to glue them until daylight because I'm not sure if all the colors really go. I'm not sure I'll pull it together to rent a booth this Saturday, but by trying I'm gong to make a lot of stuff and I'll be closer to ready for the next time. I'll post a pic in this thread tomorrow.

I work so much better with a deadline. Part of the reason I'm posting this now is to motivate me to finish.

TFL

Kathy

Comments (34)

  • diggery
    12 years ago

    Omigoodness! You definitely have your work cut out for you, lol. I work better on a deadline too. Sooo....consider yerself motivated. You go girl! You can make that Sat. deadline. YES.YOU.CAN! I have faith in you.

    EXPECTIN to see several projects completed by the light o'day tomorrow.

    cheerin' you on,
    ~digger

  • sunnyca_gw
    12 years ago

    Go Kathy, Go! You have a great pile of 'raw" material to work with! Besides if you get it all made up just think of how much space you will have in your house!! Think of it as "spring clean-out!! Go, Go, Go! Jan

  • jeannespines
    12 years ago

    Oh man, crete! Wow! I'd have to put alot of those dishes in my cupboard & china closet! Looks beautiful! will be looking forward to seeing some flowers done...get going, girl...gotta let that glue dry! LOL! Have fun! I know the feeling of completing something & buying more for the next project...of course, they are always 'bargain $$$ spent!' Jeanne S.

  • rafor
    12 years ago

    Oh goody, I'm not the only one who does this!!!!! Problem is most of mine is stashed away. I need to do what you did and pull it all out so I can create. Hidden away will never get it done. Now I just need a really big table so I can pick and choose what to put together. Thanks for the inspiration :)

  • oldcrafty
    12 years ago

    You have some really gorgeous pieces. Thats what I need to do as I also have about that much stuff. Been thinking about having a put-it-together party for a few friends that like handmade items but won't jump off and do them. I could surely move some of my inventory that way!!!
    Hope having a deadline lights a fire under you, a deadline usually puts me in motion! You go girl as we are anxiosly waiting for pics.

  • nonacook
    12 years ago

    Rafer, I am #3! I do it too! I have at least the amount that Crete has-probably more.
    Have been working on the garden this year (after 4 years of neglect-health-) but plan to get busy soon on the glass stuff! Crafts and junk does not really sell well in my area-at least not at the shows I have been to, but I love making it anyway.
    Hope you get enough done and have time to rent a place this weekend.

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    So this morning I glued together these 14 plate flowers. Some need embellishments glued on. And of course I need to flatten a bunch of spoons for tomorrow!
    {{gwi:172344}}
    And here are the 2 teapot totems, and the one teapot I-forget-what-we-call-um, that I like so much I might have to keep to put in my hibiscus tree pot. The totmes are not embellished yet.
    {{gwi:172345}}

  • jamb
    12 years ago

    What type of spoon do you flatten, would you mind explaining to a newbee how this works. I know about gluing the plates together, just not what to do next. thanks for any help.

  • Marlene Kindred
    12 years ago

    WOWZER!! The magpie in me is just about to drown in drool! SOOOO many wonderful glass pieces and you did an awesome job with the plate flowers and totems! You have been busy today for sure....I'm feeling inspired myself!

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks. I realized today that dh has the little sledge hammer in his car and hes at an out of town meeting till late tomorow. So no spoons for now. There's hardly a dent in all my stuff. So tonite I've laid out a bunch more - including more small ones and all glass.
    Tomorrow I will post a pic of more in this post- once I glue them together.
    Kathy

  • jeannespines
    12 years ago

    Beautiful, crete! You have been busy! Good luck to the finish line!

    That teapot 'thingy' that you may keep...I love it! ...the brown color, the textures of the pot & leafy plate under it..looks perfect tog! Love it, love it!

    And those plate flowers...ok, I can't choose a fav...they look very pretty! Good luck & keep sharing! Jeanne S.

  • jeannespines
    12 years ago

    jamb...here's a link to one of concrete's earlier postings with alot of discussion that may help you. Jeanne S.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Preliminary Plate flower adhesive results

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Just glued these. My friend that I mosaic with usually on Tuesday is busy. But now I gotta go to work!
    Sorry about the washed out pics. I was working on the back porch. The sun sparkling on the glass is very beautiful, but I didn't capture it in the photos.
    {{gwi:172347}}
    The big glass plates are about gone, so I'm going to look for something colorful for centers and make small ones from my many many medium size pretty glass plates to go in pots in the house. I will need a different system (not a big post).
    I've got these little metal flowers, about 3 inches in diameter. Anyone see these before or have thoughts about what to do with them?
    {{gwi:172348}}
    By the way, I've hardly touched my red glass collection which I decided not to use much of this time around.
    TFL!
    Kathy

  • rafor
    12 years ago

    Love the metal flowers! I think they could be useful in many ways :)

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Well I went for a walk with a friend, and she wanted to come and see the plate flowers that I made. I also showed her all the stuff I still had left, and we put together these 5 for her.
    {{gwi:172349}}
    Of course she wanted all my pretty flower centers. but then, what am I saving them for? Sometime its just hard to give things up. I did say no to my other circle of leaves, like I have under my little brown tea pot.
    Now I need about 50 spoons. And I still am plotting how to hang the little ones for potted plants.
    TFL
    Kathy

  • jeannespines
    12 years ago

    crete...here's a thought...Kirk posted children's teacups & saucers that he & his DD put tog & they glued them on knitting needles. Could knitting needles work somehow on smaller pot flowers? And those metal flowers would make lovely 'plant markers.' You're on a roll! Lots of glass! Jeanne S.

  • chevy57red
    12 years ago

    They are all beautiful!! And what a stash to draw from. My stash is not as large, but the granddaughters had fun piecing together totems to enter in the county fair this weekend.
    But the fun part is having to go shopping again to add more to the stash!!

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Dh got home early this AM so I piled what is left mostly on half of the dining room table last night.
    {{gwi:172350}}
    Then there's still these too, and the box of red.
    {{gwi:172351}}
    {{gwi:172352}}
    I had left the back light on for dh, but it must have burned out and he hasn't seen the almost 40 plate flowers on the back porch. He's in for a shock when he gets up this morning, he he. I still have an unbelievable amount of stuff and very few pretty centers left. My mosaicing friend and I may go to the local gem and bead shop which has pretty good prices. I'm hoping to find some centers there, plus I actually ordered some on line last week to try out.
    I feel like I've hardly made a dent but I need to remember that much of it was in some pretty boxes, and those are now free, even if my shelves still have a bunch of random pieces on them.
    {{gwi:172353}}
    Plus these big plates in a basket.
    {{gwi:172354}}
    I don't know how I fit all that stuff! Its amazing I didn't have a glass landslide.

    Rafor and Nonacook, I'm relieved to know that I'm not alone!

    Pretty centers and spoons today, I hope.
    Kathy

  • rafor
    12 years ago

    Okay, you've convinced me!!! I'm moving the small copper topped kitchen table back from the breezeway into the kitchen so I can take the larger table (which I put there in April!!! when we had lots of company) and move it out to the glasshouse so I can spread out all my goodies. I'm going to do it today, really after I finish painting the downstairs hall and woodwork and after all the new bark dust gets put down. Really I am. I promise :)

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Yay! I've got a buddy to work with! Go Rafor!
    I don't think I'll be ready for this Saturday. I'm going for bust and want to make a lot more.
    Rafor - will you have stuff to sell? Maybe we could share a both somewhere this month or next. I'm in Lebanon.
    Kathy

  • rafor
    12 years ago

    crete: I'd love to come check out your booth this Saturday, but I have to be in Portland ME for a tennis tournament. Good luck to both of us!!

  • Marlene Kindred
    12 years ago

    You win the award for "Glassaholic of the Year" Kathy! Beautiful plate flowers. Really love the back plates that you used for your neighbor's creations.

  • kim546
    12 years ago

    I have been looking at this site and trying totems and plate flowers. Yours look fantastic! I have a bunch of plate flowers glued and "spooned" but no where to take them, but I'm in Sumter,SC. I've sold some totems. I know you can complete yours and they will sell. I'm starting to acquire items for fairy gardens. Oh, and I'm making tea kettle and other windchimes.I gave one as a gift too.My name should be 2manyprojects. I need to put photos, but have to learn. You are very helpful and inspiring. Everyone is very sweet here :)

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I actually bought the torquoise colored plates at an indoor flea mkt because they are the same as my everyday dishes which I have in torquoise and also blue. BUT once I got them out into the light of day, I realized they had rather unappetizing marks and hairline cracks on them, so I put them in my mosaic/plate flower pile! They are pretty in the garden.
    I didn't feel well today, and just couldn't face pounding on spoons, so just I made a few more plate flowers and planned a few embellishments. Here are the five I made today. Not quite finished with embellishments.
    {{gwi:172355}}
    Kathy

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    So to pull this off for this Saturday, I would have had to attach the spoons yesterday and this morning at the latest to allow curing time. Since I was not feeling well yesterday (until evening - I was fine then!), I'm just not going to make it. Have to go to work today then help Mom on Friday after working in the morning. She lives a half hour away, and I'll be there for some hours.
    My new goal: spoons on as many as I can today, especially the 5 for my friend because she wants them for Saturday to show off to company. Finish the rest so they can be off my porch and hanging on the fence Sunday. Look for another venue in August or September and continue making more stuff.
    Thank you for your encouragement. Its nice to know or at least suspect that I am not crazy.
    Kathy

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Good luck Rafor in your race in Maine!
    LMK if you hear of a likely craft fair in the Concord area since I won't be making it to the one up here.

    I'm pleased that I have made space in my study. If I can figure out prices, maybe I can sell these by word of mouth off my fence!
    Kathy

  • sprout_wi
    12 years ago

    Everything turned out so nice. Beautiful work.
    So 'Crete, I read through the glue-testing thread and am wondering what glue you have decided to use for your glass projects. Thanks,
    -Sprout

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I use ge ii on the glass (tho I've heard lexel works too and dries clearer, I've not tested it personally.)

    For attaching the spoons I use AUTOMOTIVE goop, following the instructions. Except rather than applying it to both surfaces, I just apply a lot to the spoon, then I press it in place where I want it on the back of the plate. THEN I immediately pull the spoon away, leaving some goop on the plate. Cure separately for up to 10 min and press back together. This is much easier than putting it on both.
    btw, plumbers goop doesn't hold through the weather.

    I was not well one day last week and it was the day I should have done the spoons in order to let them cure for 2 days before selling. Then we had unexpected company anyway on Saturday. I still regret not making it to the fair as I think it would have been a good venue.

    But now my goal is to make 40 more if I can and sell them this fall.

    Kathy

  • suebeee
    12 years ago

    Has anyone had a problem with their plate flowers cracking? Using silicone for plates and auto goop for spoons.It's different places and types of glass. Not that many but would like to correct it if it's something I'am doing.Maybe too much glue, pressing too hard, or just flaws in the glass?? Inlaws wanted some but hate to give something to someone and then it cracks later.Thanks for any info suebeee

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    sue bee what do you mean by cracking? I have had some fall off in the winter. So I'm not guaranteeing them for winter, tho most do fine.
    I think I put too much automotive goop on this batch. Gotta be more careful.
    Kathy

  • suebeee
    12 years ago

    You can see a crack in one of the pieces starts from the center goes out. On one plate it was on the outer plate on another it was on the middle piece.They haven't fallen apart you just can see the crack in the glass. And look at them a couple of days later and it has went further.Thanks,suebeee

  • concretenprimroses
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    That has never happened to me. Sounds like they got hit in the middle somehow. Or perhaps there was a beginning crack that you didn't see when you made it? I have a dozen in my garden for years plus the one's I gave as gifts. No cracks. The only breakage is if they fall off the hanger or get bumped with a shovel.
    I'm not sure how many people are reading this thread anymore. You might want to post it as a new thread with a picture.
    Good luck
    Kathy

  • suebeee
    12 years ago

    Thanks will do. Love your plates!!
    Sue

  • posieh
    12 years ago

    Hey, save me some dishes! I'll be right over to pick 'em up, I have a hard time finding crystal since our Thrift store is small. I didn't look real close at your pics but hope you aren't using any antique ware that could be worth some money. Shucks! Just noticed that my car's out of gas and Hubby says I need to be here for the hunting season coming up! Have to postpone the trip! LOL

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