My Little Chickadee....

I was so happy to be doing glass again. I'd found a sweet little pattern of a chickadee on a branch, with a few flowers and leaves. It was a small pattern, roughly 8-inches diameter, and I'd had it for a long time, I'd just never seen it in the same light before. Patterns are like that for me, and I almost always have to change them up a bit. But this one, it didn't need any enhancing in my opinion.

Picking out the glass took longer than it should have, but I finally found the perfect colors. I barely had enough of the color I wanted for the flower petals, but managed to squeak them all out. I was so happy with it, all cut out on my light-box. I got all the pieces wrapped with the copper foil, then covered it with Saran-wrap, since I didn't want it laying out in the open to oxidize, and God only knows when I'd get the opportunity to solder it.

Life is just busier for me now -- I swear I could use at least three of me to do all that I want to do in a week. Anyway, day after day, weekend after weekend passed, and my poor little chickadee just laid there, waiting to be brought to life.

One day, after working all day at my day job, I came home, determined to solder the little bird together. Gathered all the materials, heated up the soldering iron, got all the pieces secured together with push-pins so as not to move during the process. Got a few tack welds in place, then the phone rang......then it rang again.....ok, just stop answering the phone for a while. FINALLY, I held the piece up to the light and I swear..... that little bird chirped at me! Tomorrow, I would get the outer lead around it and give it the finishing touches.

Well, I didn't have the kind of lead I wanted to use, so daughter , who was going to be in the area of the stained-glass store, agreed to stop in and get me some. She brought home exactly what I thought I wanted, but it was a little larger/thicker than I'd used before, especially on a piece that small. Got it measured out and from the first tack solder, it went down-hill from there. Don't ask me why, but it was as if I couldn't do anything right. I ended up with a huge mess! I turned off the iron, washed it thoroughly to remove the flux, etc, and turned out the light. Grrr.....that was a complete waste of time, not to mention materials.

The next time I ventured in there, it was simply to remove the outer lead. However, since I had soldered it to the piece pretty thoroughly, it was NOT easy, and I broke two pieces in the process. I was about ready to see how well the little Chickadee could fly, but honestly, I had already bonded with him. I gently and lovingly removed the broken pieces, cleaned the surrounding edges of glass so I could re-foil them, cleaned all the remaining glass very carefully, and I am now ready to re-cut and make it right.

This is the original piece before being soldered and destroyed, ha ha.

Stay tuned for the finished product, which, when ready, I will upload a picture to ETSY. Well....providing I can part with him, that is.