Working on a wholesale order of 25 fused glass monster nightlights today. In order to get a cute facial expression for them, I need to bend some glass stringers. Stringers look like a piece of spaghetti but are made of glass. Heat is required to soften the glass enough to give it a gentle bend. As you can see, I'm using some sophisticated equipment...lol. A candle flame and a couple pair of tweezers or pliers make the perfect tools for bending. It does take some practice but after awhile, you get the hang of it. Facial expressions are simple bends but more intricate scroll work can be done too.
As you can see, more difficult and interesting bends can be made with lots of practice. Here, I was creating a few little scroll like stringer pieces, to be added to a glass plate. I have a small box that holds all of the stringers that didn't go as planned, so I can use them on different projects. Nothing goes to waste! You never know when you will be needing that perfectly bent little piece of glass. The stringers do come in a variety of different colors.
Here is a monster nightlight out of the kiln. He is waiting to be assembled. Notice the slightly bent, black stringer smile. I love to add a little personality to them. I call the monster nightlights line, "Twilight Guardians". I thought that taking the monster from out of the closet and from under the bed, put them on the wall and light em up, they wouldn't be so scary. They each come with a name tag and a cute little description about them. For example: Hi, my name is Chester, I am a member of the Twilight Guardians. I love to chase squirrels and my favorite pizza topping is gummy bears!
The Twilight Guardian nightlights are one of my best sellers. I have created a few hundred of them. If you'd like to adopt one, check out my shop. They will be waiting for you, if available. Glad they are all out protecting homes!