Pictured above is an original Tiffany Butterfly which was the inspiration for this little project. Tiffany’s hanging butterfly and moth ornaments were hung from the side of lampshades as a decorative addition. Here is a link with some further information https://www.theneustadt.org/collections/collection-catalog?id=67 . Dragonflys were also widely used for these ornaments which were produced circa 1910 and can now command high prices at auctions. Examples here https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/tiffany-studios-a-dragonfly-leaded-glass-and-5154561-details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5154561&sid=86e9b97b-aa9b-4469-89b9-624da5f76ee0 . Coming back to my project I thought this would work just as well if it was hung in a window. Where it would enhance the view and also make quite a posh sun catcher.
This was the design I came up with and I would have to say it involved quite a lot of work. There are sixty- nine pieces of glass here and quite fiddly keeping them together while I soldered them into place.
All the glass used here is Uroboros which I thinks works quite well. The body is 00-74 Emerald, Yellow Green and Light Green, the eyes are 00-21 Ruby, Golden Yellow, Red on White, I cut the centers and surrounds from the same sheet. The inner wings are 00-78 Light Green with Spring Green, one of my favorite glasses. Finally the red tips are 60-25-5 Red,Orange and white.
At this point I’m not sure if I will make another as time was a big factor here. It was a good way of using up small pieces of glass though, those pieces that are just to good to throw away. I used a 14 swg tinned copper wire to make the stamens which also serve as hooks from which to hang the chain.