The first harvest of the year for ice glass is a momentous moment as it means I can start to create more elaborate luminary ice installations for my clients. This year, the sudden cold November temps allowed foran earlier-than-usual first harvest of ice glass and a surprising go-ahead on a large private installation. Yeah!
The homeowners wanted interior displays as well as ice glass sculptures for the main entrance of the home. The mid-November date was risky for ice glass, but we moved ahead with the project and then the weather gods came through big time. First, there was a big dump of snow followed by below freezing temps for the week before the party. There were even some days below 0°F (-18°C). It was too good to be true!
Because the first ice glass harvest is determined by the amount of snow on the ground and air temperatures that hover on or below 20°F (-7°C), I could bring out my hoses and get started. With hefty banks of snow, I was able to make deep ice pools which allowed for more dramatic layers of ice glass. But what people may not know about harvesting ice glass is that it can happen at any time of day or night. This year's first pull happened at 3am - yes - that is in the middle of the night.
I suppose I took the weather gods for granted because they turned on me. The weekend forecast came in with 40°F (5°C) temps on the night of the party. So, I brought all the ice glass out to the home on the last really cold day of the week and built all the ice glass sculptures - knowing that as the temps rose, the ice glass would become more fragile and impossible to move. In its place, the ice glass would become thinner but would stay in place. The positioning of extra large stunning globe ice lanterns that I could keep on dry ice until hours before the party would lead the show for the outside. My favorite aspect of the doorway display is the two globes perched high on birch logs nestled into urns loaded with greens and little white lights. With the globes at eye level, the guests could gaze directly into mesmerizing ice globe lanterns as they walked in the doors!
So with the outdoor ice glass sculptures moved into the this-is-as-good-as-it-will-get category, I focused on the interior displays. The client is a floral designer by avocation, so she and I worked as a team to create fabulous indoor luminary ice displays. All night long, the globes burned brightly at the edge of the dance floor and by the entrance of the dining room area.
I should mention that the night of the party, the ice sculptures were on their last legs, but they still looked beautiful. By the morning, all the sculptures were gone - only the stubs of the glass remained. And in my front yard, a.k.a.my Ice Glass Storage Facility, all the ice glass I pulled from my pools was gone - absolutely gone - down to the grass gone.
I would like to say a hearty thank you to the homeowners (you know who you are) for allowing me to post these photos of their beautiful home and the ice lanterns that hopefully added a little magic to the fabulous birthday night!
Enjoy the glow!
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