Entrance Transformation

Colourful glass & paint have transformed my entrance into a magical delight — click photo to see more at Dawne Design.  😉

Vanessa Dawne Studio of Design

Functional wood art on Vancouver Isle

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Li’l Glass Christmas Tree

😆

Merry Christmas

Please join me at my new site at:

http://dawnedesign.net/blog/

for my Li’l Glass Christmas Tree

Ho, ho, ho

Merry Christmas

♥

Vanessa Dawne Studio of Design

Functional glass & wood art on Vancouver Isle

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Elegant Slider Shutters a Blue Wonder [Project 30]

Something radically different for me –> I love–absolutely love–waking up in the morning now!  Here’s why:

My view from the bed — but my photography skills cannot capture the glorious morning light flooding the room in exciting blue & glimmering ivory.

Can’t Wait to Show Start of Elegant Blue Ivory Slider Shutters [Project 30]

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Yes, I prefer my windows to be undressed — I love the beautiful view [as does Lady, right] & usually my only neighbours are geese or maybe a couple deer. This summer, though, the landlord has thoughts of building a … Continue reading →

Rainbow Window Opens Up View [Project 27]

Whew, I’m sorry for being late in documenting my latest projects — family matters have been taking up a lot of my time.  This window has been up for a couple of weeks & I’m loving it!

The Squared Rainbow window is cheerful with colour yet the clear centre affords an expansive view outside.

I’m blown away that my simpliest [a.k.a. easiest] window design, Squared Rainbow, makes such a dramatic difference to the porch.

CityScape Window Adds Interest [Project 28]

I love all the gorgeous colours that make up the buildings in the CityScape window.

CityScape Starts From Scraps [Project 28]

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Well, thanks to Miss Mollie, my room-mate’s dog, I had to put the Squared Rainbow window on hold & start a new one.  The great porch protector does not like all this glass replacing the plastic — she needs a … Continue reading →

Rainbow Start A Little Off [Project 27]

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The far right panel of the Squared Rainbow window is installed. Making each section was quite easy — after all, it’s all straight-line cutting. I finished the bottom section in less than a day — 3 hours not including break … Continue reading →

Sparkling Turquoise Putty [Project 27]

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I never did a day’s work in my life.  It was all fun. Thomas A. Edison After mixing the dry pigment into the white putty, I had a gorgeous turquoise mess!  The camera didn’t pick up the sparkly shine to … Continue reading →

Squared Rainbow Concept [Project 27]

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Somewhere Over the Rainbow,  Bluebirds Fly  . . . Photoshop concept drawing for ‘Squared Rainbow’ window — draft 1. The first frame has been ready for a few days [geez, a week really] but I’ve been waffling about the design … Continue reading →

Dowel Opening Windows [Project 26]

Number 5 window in place — only 4 more to go!

The newest window addition to the porch has two small panels that open by swiveling on wooden dowels set in the top & bottom frames.

Modular Window Concept [Project 23]

Concept drawing [Photoshop] of window with modular panels made & installed separately.

One Simple Goal

I learned years ago [hmm, yeah, like 20] that no matter how strong I started out on New Year’s Day, I did not keep my resolutions.  And the same ones were on the list — year after year [like another 20!].  😦

So I started making goals — of course I was still a bit unrealistic — I made too many to be done in too short a time.

But, very, very slowly, I started achieving changes in my life.  When it was right — when I was ready, I baby-stepped my way through my list of goals.

For years [like 30],

Baby Steps Provide Productive 2011

Celebrate what you want to see more of.
Tom Peters

The porch entrance is alive with colour.

Everywhere I look in this old, not-so-mobile home, I see the beautiful colours of my work from 2011.

While my friend, Reddie, worked on his carpentry skills, I enjoyed designing furniture & windows using gorgeous stained glass.

I’m amazed at what can be achieved with baby steps & a year:

Glass Abstract Panel [Project 21 / Commission 1]

The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.

Arnold J. Toynbee

Blue Menagerie

Completed panel, “Blue Menagerie”, leaning in my window prior to delivery.

C’est fini.  😀

My first commission turned out beautiful.

Best of all — my client loves it!  😎

Christmas Lights Update Romantic Headboard [Project 7]

Medieval headboard stained glass panels lit from behind.

While shopping for Christmas lights, I found a string of ‘icicles’ that was only 4 ft. 6 in. long — the perfect length for behind my headboard.

And the icicles

Architectural Glass Adds to Door [Project 14]

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Glass panels installed in bottom of porch door.

Green Trees Sliders Fini — for now [Project 17]

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‘Green Trees’  Sliding Windows — 2 outside, fixed panels of trees in textured clear glass with green glass patches completed — 2 inside all-clear sliding panels temporary.

Green Trees Sliding Windows part 1 [Project 17]

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First panel in ‘Green Trees’ window set reflects nature outside. I’ve finished the left stationary window in the new set of porch windows — another stationary one will go on the right, with two sliding windows going in the middle. … Continue reading →

Seeing Clear Through [Project 14]

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With the arbor & porch lights, we have a magical entrance.  😎 Now that I’ve done a few glass projects with lots of bright colours — closet, headboard, shutters, & windows — it was time to do a window in … Continue reading →

Double Mosaic Windows [Project 11]

So beautiful throughout the day.  😎

Inspired by

Glass Planters Shine [Project 10]

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It all started with the corner bookcases  😛

Gorgeous Glass Window Shutters [Project 9]

Upon returning from Calgary [helping my wonderful sister move into a beautiful home], I was quite delighted to see this at the small window in my living room.

[Well, the pieces of glass weren’t there — I put those there to check out colours & sizes.  🙂 ]

Window Mosaic Startup Looking Good [Project 11]

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It’s quite exciting to see my latest project taking shape: Continually inspiring me, the two glass sections are sitting in a living room window while

Raising the Sun Victoria Style [Project 7]

How else would a Victorian celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend than by raising beautiful stained glass sun rays?

Yup, my medieval bed with stained glass panels is finished!  😮

Gorgeous?  Oh yeah!  😎

Unique?  Most definitely!  😆

My vision has been made reality.  What more can I say?

Sun Ray Panels Finished [Project 7]

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Yahoo!  😮 Yabba-dabba-doo  😆 My bed panels are finished — waiting to be framed.  😎 I soldered the first side of the panels, took out the nail supports, & gently [while holding my breath]

Time to Solder Bed Panels [Project 7]

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Yahoo!  😆 The leading is done on both glass panels for the headboard.  It’s cool to see the progress: Now I can solder all the meeting points — and add a little surprise.

Inching to Elegance [Project 7]

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Ooooh, my progress on the bed panels is exciting.  We’re headed for the straight-away now. Right now, I’m off to enjoy Mother’s Day with my loving son & the gorgeous sun on Vancouver Isle.  I hope all of you enjoy … Continue reading →

Lead Brings Glass Together [Project 7]

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I’m quite excited to progress to leading the bed panels.  The first one has it’s left corner squared for the outside lead came & the first row is in. I’ve printed the cartoon [pattern] for the second panel — it’s … Continue reading →

Waiting For the Sun [Project 7]

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Sometimes I feel like I am forever trying to achieve an unattainable goal — like reaching the sun. Then, I need to sit back [or down, as the case may be], review my progress, & set out a plan for … Continue reading →

Exciting Finish Cutting Red [Project 7]

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Yahoo — all the glass is cut!  😆 With a little incentive from cutting the blue glass for the second corner bookcase door on my new project table, I set upon cutting the last colour for my headboard panels — … Continue reading →

Double Corner Bookcases Expand Space [Project 6]

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The triangular bookcases fill the corners — expanding the space visually as well as physically. I was quite surprised when the first corner bookcase was installed — the whole room seemed to expand.  So, I thought I was prepared for … Continue reading →

Colour Starts, & Slows, Cutting Race [Project 7]

I am quite pleased with my progress on the bed panels this past week.  I had produced the pattern & cut most of the blue glass [at Beautiful Start].   A pictorial summary:

I made a slight change in the border colours because I wasn’t happy with the white.  I want the panel to have a ying/yang feeling between the sky — in the traditional-style border with opaque blue tones of rectangles & squares — & the sun — in a more modern-style using rays & triangles in bright-tone colours.

Start of Bed Panels [Project 7]

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😎 I love modern technology!  Usually, printing a document that covers more than one page in Photoshop [Ps] can be a real pain — you have to ‘manually’ move each 8½” x 11″ section [minus printer borders] to its own … Continue reading →

Headboard Glass Panel Pattern [Project 7]

😀  Ah, finally — I finished the pattern for my bed panels.  I call it Red Sun at Night.

This Photoshop [Ps] rendering does not do justice to the colours & flow of the stained glass. 

Beautiful Start to Large Glass Wall [Project 6 / 9]

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The first much-needed bookcase is up!  Originally, I was thinking a regular [& I guess, boring] rectangle shape — but my carpenter wanted something ‘different’ & came up with this corner design. Each shelf is a triangle [cut at 45° … Continue reading →

Glass Cutting [Project 5]

With the frames ready, I could cut the soft blue glass for the entertainment centre doors.  They turned out so pretty.  😀

Now, I have a place to hide knick-knacks, records, & some of the electronics — the tv-remote-reader-thingy & the speakers have come out to the shelves.

The most important cut

Closet Glam [Project 3]

My CLOSET is FINISHED !!!

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Isn’t it unique?

Most definitely.

Best of all — all 3 shelving units are portable!  And no closet doors are needed — I’m certainly not covering up all that beauty!  I am mesmerized, . . . in awe — not quite believing how elegant this all looks.  Is this really my closet?

Continual Closet Change [Project 3]

What do you get when you take a measuring ‘mistake’ & apply some creativity to the original design?

A gorgeous framed glass door that’s so much better than a fabric cube!!

I really like the lion head ring in copper as the door handle — “borrowed” from my kitchen cabinets that were missing handles.

Speaking of those budget-friendly [$7] Martha Stewart fabric cubes from Home Depot — with the whole tower of turquoise ones not quite matching my blue walls, I decided to add another colour.

Window Installed [Project 3]

It was quite exciting to have my window installed in the new closet shelving unit.  I really like how the closet looks now — no longer think it needs ‘proper’ doors.

The cupboard door covers the closet rod as intended & connects the turquoise [not quite my blue but didn’t want the ugly green, nor the prissy pink or purple, nor the dull black or brown] fabric cubes [by Martha Stewart Living™ from Home Depot for $6.99@] with the colour scheme.

The sides of the unit are shorter than the door — a little weird I know but it’s whole raison d’être is to prop up the sagging closet rod.  Rather than make a complicated section over the rod, it’s been left open.

My novice ‘carpenter’ had problems cutting the $2+ per foot grooved molding — ah ha, that’s why the pros use a ‘mitre saw’!! 

Leaded Window [Project 3]

Surrounded by translucent yellow glass, a red-centred 4-petal flower, in an opalescent orange & white glass, is then bordered by a textured, goldish-orange glass with square red corners in the same glass as the flower centre.

My raison-d’être is lead came.  I love

Glass Fun, Fun, Fun [Project 3]

Yup, girls just wanna have fun!  So, so much fun cutting stained glass tonight.  And yup, I’m working on a flower [with leaves made from a gorgeous light-orange/white opaque, pearlized glass].

Here it is, almost midnight, & I’m still revved up. 

Glass Cutting [Project 2]

🙂  Beautiful stained glass tops raise these simple tables to super-special.  🙂

Lots of fun cutting glass for my bedside tables!  The blue one was first & it was zip, zip, & both cuts were done & it fit pretty good [about 1/16″ from the wood] — ooh, it is absolutely gorgeous!

Furniture Design [Project 7]

Photoshop image of 4-poster bed with side tables.

🙂

I absolutely love combining wood & glass.  The solidness of the wood juxtaposes strongly with the delicateness of the glass — yet wood can be delicate & glass is really quite strong.

I used Photoshop [Ps] to design simple wooden frames for my bed & side tables. Using photos of the fabric, I could place the bedding [bedskirt, duvet, & pillows], fabric headboard, & glass panel in the bed frame.

Dawn Over Water [Project 1 / Creative Act XVII – Photoshop]

I created a new pattern for a stained glass project.  My very first project about 17 yrs ago was this dawn scene:

The original pattern & glass were provided by the instructor — a small business owner in Vanderhoof, BC.  But the glass available was mostly scraps she had — I liked the multi-orange piece for the sun but