If you're intimidated by the thought of glass blowing, the center in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood also offers bead-working and other workshops.
Lillstreet Art Center is located at
MAKE GLASS-BLOWN ORNAMENTS
1:30 TO 4:30
Saturday November 6
Sunday November 7
Lillstreet Art Center
4401 N. Ravenswood, Chicago
(773) 769-4226
www.lillstreet.com
Here are the class schedules:
BLOWN GLASS ORNAMENTS
1 DAY WORKSHOPS from 1:30 to 4:30 pm
Saturday, November 6 , November 20, December 4 and December 11
Sunday, November 7, November 21, December 5 and December 12
No experience necessary. $25 Materials fee includes glass tubing and assorted colors of glass.
LAC Members $75; Non-members $80. Instructor: John Landin
TEEN GLASS
Learn to work glass in a flame to create beautiful beads. Work with shaping techniques as well as surface decoration and then make your beads into a wearable piece of art. Instructor: Elektra Musich
1 DAY WORKSHOP FOR TEENS AGED 14 TO 18
10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, November 20
HOLIDAY GLASS FOR THE HOME
Make glass beads that can be used as wine glass charms and napkin rings that will add sparkle to your holiday festivities. These are great gifts for the holidays or to dress up your own table. You will make enough glass beads for a set of 8 wine glasses or napkin rings. Instructor: Kim Hsieh
1 DAY WORKSHOP
1:30-5:30 pm on Saturday, November 13
1:30 -5:30 pm on Sunday, November 14
Bead making
This is a crash course in glass bead making! Learn the basic techniques and have beads to take home at the end of the day. Great family workshop. Make your own earrings, necklace, key chains, zipper pull and/or wine glass charms. No experience necessary! Instructors: Leslie Speicher/John Landin/ Elektra Musich
6:30-9:30 pm Fridays: December 10 and 17
6:30-9:30 pm Saturdays: December 4 and 18
1-4 pm Sundays: December 5 and 19
GLASS FUSING
This is a crash course in glass fusing! Learn the basic techniques of cutting and assembling glass for the kiln. Great family workshop! No experience necessary. Make your own earrings, pendants, key chains and/or magnets. Instructors Leslie Speicher/Judy Zeddies
6:30-9:30 pm on Friday, December 10
6:30-9:30 pm on Saturday, December 11
10 am -1 pm on Sunday, December 12
Lillstreet Art Center is located at 4401 N. Ravenswood, Chicago; for more information, call (773) 769-4226 or visit www.lillstreet.com
HOW TO BLOW GLASS ORNAMENTS
At the workshop John Landin explains how to blow glass ornaments
Start with a glass "point". This is the tube of glass that is closed at one end that will transform into the ornament.
Fill point with colored glass called "frit"
Turn on torch and start heating glass. This may take anywhere from 3-5 minutes.
Heat the glass until it's red hot and the "frit" starts to stick to the inside of the "point".
The glass gets hot enough to move and once it is at the correct melting temperature John will take it out of the heat and blow into the cool end of the tube.
The end of the tube will expand into a sphere thus becoming the body of the glass ornament. This will then go into a box of vermiculite to cool down.
Once ornament has cooled, John cuts the glass tube and attaches the ornament top.
