Sandblast

Category: bethie's world | Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:42 pm

Six months ago we were listening to a Ben Taylor cd. He's the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon. His music is great and we had it up pretty loud when there was a loud crash. One of my sandblasted owl pictures had fallen off the wall. The picture is sandblasted on the glass so it was a total loss.
It's one of a set of nine we made at least 15 years ago. Suddenly we're looking at a big empty space and thinking "oh no, we've got to make that picture again". I knew I still had the pattern since I have every one I ever made but getting to it in my bulging craft room was another story. My husband had to see if the sandblast hoses had dry rotted with age and get all his stuff together too.

I had taken a picture of the broken one so I would know what was frosted on it. I finally got tired of looking at the empty space and we got started. First the glass is cut to size, then a sticky resist paper is put on the glass, then the pattern is put under the glass and everything you want frosted is cut out with a razor knife. I decided since we were going to all this trouble we should make a few candle things while we were at it. I wanted to come out with more than I had going in. I had a great rosebud pattern (not one of mine) that I just love. I also had a complicated sunflower pattern I wanted too. It took forever to get cut out. You have to cut the design for these four times so it will be on all sides. My husband came in and laughed and told me to go look in the mirror. Little bits of sticky paper were all in the front of my hair. I didn't know how they were getting there. Then I realized when I was taking a "little break" from the sunflower cutting I was leaning my head in my hand! I was more than ready to be done. My husband blasted the glass, then we cleaned them, foiled them, soldered them, cleaned them again, put black patina on the solder and cleaned them for the last time. Finally.