ADDIE'S FLAMINGO

This is a special piece of stained glass that I've been working on for the last few days. It's for my mom's 80th birthday present. Why is this pink flamingo special? Well, there is a story behind it.....

About 25 years ago my mom mentioned that she hated when people would put the plastic pink flamingoes in their front yards. She thought that they were gaudy.

Not long after that, I came across 4 plastic pink flamingoes at a yard sale. I bought them and held them until the time was right. That time came a few months later when she and my dad went on vacation. Imagine her expression when they pulled up to the house in the transfer van from the airport and found that they now had 4 plastic pink flamingoes in their front lawn for all to see. My dad told me that her expression was priceless. And the fun torment began.

Since that time I have bought numerous pink flamingo items for my mom...a coffee mug, a pencil with a flamingo on top, a pen in the shape of a flamingo, bubble bath in a big pink flamingo bottle, Christmas ornaments, sugar & creamer set, etc.

After 25 years of this, she has come to expect the funny flamingo gift. And has apparently kept almost all of them (the flamingo bubble bath bottle was thrown away after the bubble bath ate through the plastic), though most of them are kept 'safe' in a box in her guest room closet.

So, of course to celebrate my Mom's 80th birthday and the silver anniversary of this flamingo fun (for me, anyway), I HAD to combine this fun with my art. I searched 'Flamingo' on the internet and looked at many photographs, paintings, and stained glass pieces. With all of these images I came up with my idea. I sketched it, printed it out and went to work.

First stop, to see Lee or Danny at the Glass Art Studio in Las Vegas where I buy all of my glass supplies. I needed to get the perfect piece of pink glass, something that would capture the look of the bird’s feathers. After going through most of their pink glass, with the help of Danny, I found it and hurried home. I tacked down the pattern, traced the pieces onto the glass and began cutting the pieces out. I found, to make the curves of the neck without breaking the glass, I would have to grind out the glass rather than cut it, in order to shape each piece just right. Once that was done, I wrapped the edge of each piece of glass with copper tape, then placed it on top of the tacked down pattern and put it together like a puzzle. I then soldered the copper tape with a flat bead of solder until all the pieces were now one. It went together beautifully. The next step was framing the piece. My husband, Ed is my ‘Master Framer’. He has the strength to cut the lead and to form it around the glass so there are no bumps. He had it done in no time and did a great job as usual. I then added the rings and the chain, washed it, put on the pewter patina and polished it to a nice shine.

Voila, Mom's 80th birthday gift, "ADDIE'S FLAMINGO".

Hopefully, this one hangs in a window and is not added to the 'safe' box in the closet.

** Note: I received an email today from my mom, “Addie’s Flamingo” is now hanging in the guest room. Though, now that I've read the email again, it doesn't specify where it is hanging in the guest room.