Deb's Blown Shell Tutorial is ready! - Page 3

deb c · #61 2011-01-07, 9:44am

Thanks Nita! My Paypal didn't notify me until the following day and for some reason that notice went in my "linked spam folder", but glad you got it yesterday! Have fun!

Laura,
You don't have to pull points (but I do make them on points too), I show how to "handle up" to 9.5mm tube, one of the first tutorial shells is crimped (or reduced) with diamond shears...not sure if you know all the tips I add along the way too.

I tell you what, if you order only the 2nd one and decide you really needed to have the first one too, I will honor the $40 total price for you (so $15 to add the first one instead of $25). I hope that helps...if anyone else wants to chime in that had a good amount of tubing experience prior to ordering this, please do!
Happy melting!
hugs, deb

deb c · #62 2011-01-07, 9:47am

Here are a few more I made last week, the black dichroic one has Momka Green Flambe too...YUM!
Hugs, deb

Nitadee · #63 2011-01-07, 10:22am

Oh Deb I am so excited!! Stoopid Pay Pal!!!
I received both tutorials, and LOVE the way they are written! The photographs are awesome and today...today is the day!

Thanks again so much
Hugs
Nita

yamaha200 · #64 2011-01-07, 9:21pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by deb c

I tell you what, if you order only the 2nd one and decide you really needed to have the first one too, I will honor the $40 total

sounds like an offer I can't pass up! Off to order...

Laura

yamaha200 · #65 2011-01-07, 9:26pm

DOH! Ok, payment sent but forgot to say it was for part 2!

laura

deb c · #66 2011-01-08, 9:06am

Laura, No worries, got it this am and sent it to you already. Just let me know if part 2 can stand on its own...thought most people would try Part one and when/if they are ready, get part 2 if they did continue on.

I didn't realize when I started writing it how huge it ended up so I offered it in 2 parts. Have fun and let me know how you liked it!

Nita, that is awesome, I love that feeling of to not be able to wait to get the studio warm and fire UP! Thanks so much for the great comments on the tutorials, they were a lot of work and I sure appreciate the feedback!

You are going to do GREAT today....just take your time, have fun and OH yeah....breathe!!!

Hugs, deb

yamaha200 · #67 2011-01-13, 3:24pm

I emailed Deb after I got the tutorial, but now that I've had a chance to try it out and confirm my initial impression, I thought I'd share here too:

Those who have some previous experience with tubing and are adventurous enough to play around with it without hurting yourself (like you won't seal something completely up and then heat it...) should have no problem using Part 2 on its own. As mentioned in an earlier post, I have done points rather than handles, but if you've done any encalmo you'll have no problem figuring out how to do a handle instead (quite possibly even if you haven't done encalmo).

If you aren't comfortable with tubing, or you have tried it but would be more comfortable having detailed instructions, then I would definitely get part 1 as well.

oh, and Nita is right - there are TONS of photos! (which to me is worth a lot more than the words any day)

I still have to kiln strike and anneal my first attempt, but I'll try to post pictures after. Any "issues" with it would be entirely due to me and not to any shortcomings with the tutorial

Thanks Deb!

laura

deb c · #68 2011-01-14, 8:49am

Laura,
Thanks SO much for your feedback. I was worried, thinking if someone got part 1 they could always add part 2 but wasn't sure that Part 2 would stand on it's own. It did and that rocks, thank you!

Laura is very experienced with tubing but you do not need to even have tried it at all to try this tutorial. I explain every step of the way and even if the welds aren't pretty as long as you stay away from the weld or anneal them after joining you don't have to worry about how well you joined them.

Would love to see the pics when your shell comes out Laura and thanks again for taking the time to give us some great feedback!
Oh, and encalmo is putting 2 or more pre- blown parts together (usually with a different color or design on each part) and continue blowing it as one piece.
Hugs and happy melting,
deb

yamaha200 · #69 2011-01-19, 6:48pm

ok, here's the initial try. Ignore the ugly color - I was playing with some experimentals from TAG and they didn't do at all what I expected...

Several things I want to do differently on the next one...

laura

deb c · #70 2011-02-06, 7:24pm

Laura!!!

That is a GREAT shell, form and combed lip are exceptional!
I am slowly adding the TAG to my pallette too, some really beautiful colors! Red Elvis is killer for inside frit work in the shells, yum.

I can't wait to see more of your work, really nice!
Hugs, deb

HannahRachel · #71 2011-05-14, 12:58pm

Here's my most recent shell. Its not the best shape, but I love the color.

deb c · #72 2012-03-16, 9:00am

Hello all you wonderful artists!

I am writing to everyone who has purchased my blown borosilicate shell tutorials about something really exciting!
I wanted to offer this first to all of you before I hit the market with it in 2 weeks.

I have finally perfected my shell spiral molds (top spirals called spires on shells)! I have been working on them for
about 2 years, crudely casting them myself to see what works, a very painstaking and lengthy process, not to mention WAY
too costly! I still have the original ones I carved out of graphite but they broke down pretty fast!

I approached Carlisle after Glass Stock East last year (a festival I host 2x a year, East and West) about manufacturing
them for me. I finally had a sweet prototype of my design in my hand a month ago and it works GREAT!

I decided to make another version for those of you who would like to work a little bigger, the deep spiral was born.

Here are some pictures of the deeper one with a shell shown blown into it instead of having to cut in the spiral. Almost
all shells spiral counter-clockwise, a difficult cut for us righties to do smoothly, these molds are a DREAM to use, so easy!
They are so heavy (1.4 lbs for deep mold) no handles were needed, they are solid brass and beautifully finished.
These are lifetime molds, many more uses can be found for them too I am sure but they make creating shells a pleasure!

The retail price on these molds will be $80 for the regular spiral and $100 for the deep one. The one pictured (deep) is 1 1/2" wide,
1" deep with 5 rotations, makes a nice, higher spire. For smaller shells, the regular spiral is only 1/2" deep, 1 1/2" wide, perfect spire size
for most common shells, even tiny shells will get 1-2 full spirals in this mold!

For the next 7 days (through Friday night, March 23rd) I am offering the first run of molds $10 off each OR $30 off the set, plus shipping.

The regular molds are on sale for $70, Deep molds are $90, the pair sale is $150. Shipping for one priority mail is $10, 2 ship for $15. International shipping must be quoted first. Australia is $20 (can ship up t0 2 for that price).
I will only have 5 of each this next week, might get the next 10 by Friday. If I sell more, they may have to be shipped
from Las Vegas after the Glass Craft Expo. I will be debuting them there for the first time, woohoo!

I will ship on April 10th from Las Vegas any ordered over my stock here. We have a total of 20 each already manufactured but the next
batch will take 2 months or more. PLEASE Paypal only to deb@debcrowley.com to hold your order asap. Make SURE you mark payment
through Paypal to "goods" so I can print the shipping label through Paypal!

Reply to deb@debcrowley.com if you have any questions. The first 10 should be here Wed and will go out Thursday.
Do not send a payment if you can't wait for shipment as late as April 10th, I don't know how fast the orders will come in.

Hope to see some of you at the Expo show...come by my classroom and say hi, to the rest, keep things HOT!
deb crowley

kenpnunn · #73 2012-07-20, 2:59pm

i just printed them up and she put alot of work into them and look very helpfull

Bea · #74 2012-08-13, 3:03pm

Hi Deb
I sent the payment as well as an email (which was returned) for the tutorial.
Did you get the payment?
Thanks
Bea

Bea · #75 2012-08-20, 4:26am

I had so much fun with the seahorses over the weekend.
I ran out of Lokis Lipstick which was the closest to the colour recommended in Deb's tutorial.
I just have to try an make them smaller....they turned out to range from 10cm to 12.5cm long and I am not sure how they would work as pendants. I see them more as hanging ornaments but have already had requests for pendants!

I hope this link to my photo works....or the photo loads beneath this....

Sorry, no pics of shells......don't know how to work the tubing, need to find instructions for that!!!

Loving all the superb shells everyone has put up here......soon.....

Cheers

Bea · #76 2012-08-20, 4:32am

Actually......*duh*..this might be the place to ask......

Does anyone have info (from scratch) on how the blow hose assembly works and how to use it?
I bought all the bits thinking to use it with the mandrels with the hole in the centre but never got around to it and have not been successful in finding good info I can follow.

TIA

kenpnunn · #77 2012-08-20, 9:44am

i think they all look really really beautiful

tweeky clothespin · #78 2012-08-20, 11:30am

I don't kow how I missed this. Deb, will you have these available at Glass Stock East? (Assuming I can wait until then)

deb c · #79 2012-12-01, 8:26pm

Hi Bea, sorry I have been so busy I missed this post! The blow hose assembly is mouthpiece to hose to swivel to tube (with rubber over tube, holed cork or masking tape "gasket") like in the tutorial pictures.

Glad you are having fun with the seahorses, they are fun to make and will get smaller and more pendant size as you get more comfortable with them.

Thanks Mary, you did great with the shells at GS East! Sure hope you come back to either event, miss you!

I finally got a few more of my spiral shell brass molds in that I have made for blowing the spires (tops) of the shells. I have 1 deep and 3 regular, that is all I will have for Christmas. The regular one (easiest to use) normally $80, now $60 plus $7 shipping (they are heavy!) the deep one is normally $100, now $70 on sale, same $7 shipping! Once they're gone it is back to regular price and probably 6-8 weeks wait.

PM me if interested.

Happy holidays everyone!
deb