How to Make Fused Glass Shelf Melts

As mentioned, my 2011 plan is to use up my excess glass. I've made a few shelf melts before with a nice swirly effect.


So, I was hoping to replicate the results. To make the shelf melts, I take the temperature to a level where the glass becomes molten so I get some movement. Because of this, I placed the glass pieces in a stainless steel ring, which acts as a "dam" to contain the glass. The ring is lined with fiber paper, so the glass does not stick to it. Also, on the bottom half, I placed small scoops of bubble powder to see if it would help create the swirly effect. Then, I topped it with clear glass.


Unfortunately, the results did not quite have the same swirly effect I had hoped. And, the bubble powder really didn't do much. So, I tried again. With glass, it often takes several to many attempts to get the results you want. The second time, I used bigger pieces of glass to trap more air, which should create more bubbles and thus, a swirly effect when the bubbles surface. Again, the results looked pretty similar to the first.


When I checked my firing schedule against those I made in the past, I realized that I was using a different schedule. I basically use the same schedule as I do for making pot melts but realized that in the past I increased the speed that the temperature ramps up because I don't have to worry about the pot cracking. The third attempt (again with some bubble powder on the bottom) was better but still did not have the same amount of swirling as the originals. I'll have to keep playing and post again once I figure it out.

However, when I cut up the glass (to be used in plates), I actually liked those with less swirls to the one with more. There's more contrast between light and dark. The first two from the left are the two pieces of glass I just made shown above and the column on the right is the glass I made earlier (also above).


What do you think? I'm excited to include these in some plates. I have the first one in the kiln right now and will post some photos once I get a few of these finished.

New Year, New Fused Glass Projects

The great thing about the beginning a new year is planning out what you hope to accomplish for that year. This year I am especially enthusiastic about all the new fused glass projects I plan to do. Not only do I hope to make some cool new glass but I also plan to use up the excess glass that I've been accumulating.


You may not be able to tell from the photo but some of these bins are stuffed and the shelf is bowing out a little!


The nice thing about using up excess glass is that you can make some pretty interesting designs from melting smaller pieces of glass together.




Okay, so here's what I plan to make this year:

Fused glass bowls using cut up shelf melts. I started making a few plates with this technique last year. I hold these at a higher temperature to get the glass to flow more.


I'll also play with making shelf melts at lower temperatures where the glass does not flow and cut them up into plates.

Frit cast bowls using frit that I make myself (this should be interesting as you heat the glass and then plunge it into cold water so it shatters easily upon impact to make frit)

Picture frames

New jewelry designs, although jewelry doesn't really use up much excess glass

And, later in the year I will hopefully experiment with pattern bars and new holiday ornaments (poinsettias and new snowflake designs).

Of course, I'll keep you posted as I'm in the process of experimenting with and creating the new work. I'm looking forward to seeing how the projects progress and getting started!

Making the Holidays Merry with Fused Glass

I love the holidays and making the house festive. I realize how much I miss this now that I'm in a apartment in the Seattle area and all of my Christmas decoration are in storage. In the spirit of Christmas, I thought I would share a could of decorating ideas for the holidays using fused glass, of course:

Use fused glass coaster bottoms under candles to add color. I typically do this with 3 candles (one larger and two smaller) and use the 4th coaster under the soap dispenser. This is especially nice with holiday coasters and red, green or blue candles and a great way to add color. Another alternative is to spread out the candles and coasters (rather than group them as three) or give a candle and coaster as a holiday gift. And, of course, coasters can be used just as they are too ;)

Make entertaining special and serve desserts on fused glass plates or platters. Last year, I had a holiday open house and used platters for the breads and cookies, a nice touch!

Decorate the tree with fused glass ornaments. I enjoy making ornaments, even though they can be very time consuming. It can make the tree a little more special to have something handmade and original on it. Ornaments can also make very nice hostess gifts.

And, for those of us who are space constrained or decorating minimalists, it's still nice to have a tree of some sorts in the house :)

Happy holidays! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, filled with the joy of the season.

So You Want to Be A Fused Glass Artist. Part III: Determine How to Sell Your Art

For most people, if you decide to become a fused glass artist, you will need to decide how to sell your work. Why? First glass can be expensive. And, as you learn, you'll want to invest in more supplies and tools to help you create new pieces of work. Also, as you make more, you'll need to figure out how to get rid of all of your creations. There's only so much you can give away, so selling makes sense.

There are many options for selling your work. The main areas are listed below:

1. Online - This can be your own website or an online sales site such as Etsy. I notice many fused glass jewelers sell via online sites. However, effectively maintaining a presence on a site can be a full time job as you must constantly list and relist to be shown on the first few pages. There are also people who sell functional fused glass plates and art on online sites. While not as competitive as the jewelry category, relisting is also important. An important thing to consider is the pricing and quality of your work compared to what's listed on the site. Another option is to sell via your own website. However, for most artists starting out, it's difficult to have a large enough base to generate enough traffic and sales.
2. Shows - There are many levels of shows from local craft shows, to juried art fairs, to the higher-end juried prestige shows. This is what I choose to do. In my opinion, it's much less work than what is required to support an online shop (each show is typically over a weekend) and I enjoy interacting with my customers. My ideal show is one that is juried with a similar quality level of artists (about 150). Since I don't participate in many shows, I can be a little selective. I prefer local shows with overnight security (so you don't have to pack up every night) and where all the artists are grouped together on the main street (so you don't have to worry as much about having a bad booth location). If you decide to sell via shows, I suggest you visit them in advance to get a sense of the traffic and other artists. Applications are typically due 3-6 months before the show date and require a booth photo as well as photos of your work.
3. Wholesale to shops - this can range from visiting your local artisan shop to see if the owner would be willing to sell your work to participating in national wholesale shows that attract shop buyers. This isn't an option that I've explored mainly because shops tend to take 40-60% of the sales price. This is because the shops provide the marketing and retail space. Wholesale is a good option if you don't like participating in art shows or if you decide to make glass fusing more of a full time job. Wholesale can open up sales opportunities if you participate in national shows as these shows attract buyers from across the country. However, national shows also require a higher degree of professionalism and cost, especially in your booth presentation. You also should be sure that you can make and deliver a large volume of merchandise in a timely manner.
4. Galleries - similar to wholesale, galleries tend to take a 40-60% of the sales price. However, rather than buying the merchandise upfront, some galleries may offer your work on consignment, which means that you don't get paid until your work sells. Galleries tend to attract a higher end clientele, which is great if you create higher end work. It should be noted that typically what you sell through wholesale will be different than what you sell through a gallery. Gallery work is more one of a kind or limited edition art whereas wholesale work is more mass produced work at a lower price point. Selling through galleries can also help bolster your reputation.

There are many ways to sell your work. You need to find the way that works best for you. A couple questions to ask yourself:

• How much do you want to make and sell?
• How much effort you want to put into selling?
• Do you like interacting with people?

Hope this helps. If you have any additional questions or thoughts, please feel free to contact me.

So You Want to Be A Glass Artist. Part II: Tips for Developing Designs

Because glass can be expensive, especially when you have to buy a separate sheet of glass for each color you use, it's best to start with a design to minimize waste. The benefits of using a design include:

• Determining the right proportions before you start cutting the glass
• Determining the right color combinations before you start cutting the glass
• Speeding up the time to create the glass piece - a lot of time can be spent figuring out how you want to put a piece together when you don't have design. This becomes more important as you make glass for a business rather than a hobby.

One key lesson that I've learned is that if a piece doesn't look good going into the kiln, it won't look good after it comes out. Although having a design can minimize this, it still can happen - which is due most of the time to the color of the actual cut glass compared to the color in the design. If it does, it's worth re-working the designs and colors to get a piece that'll make you happy. While many believe that the firing transforms the glass, I've never had something that I didn't like "magically" transform in the kiln to something better.

To create my designs, I like to draw them out on graph paper to get a sense of proportion. Some people also create sample tiles of the fired glass to determine the right colors to use. This is especially useful for those glasses that strike or change color when fired. I didn't take the time to do this when I first started and found out the hard way that some colors that look like they work together unfired, do not afterwards :(

Because of the many forms of glass, glass artists can create any design that appeals to them. Cut glass is more prone to blocks of solid colors. Glass powders and frit add the option for blending and the use of shapes would be difficult cut (notice holly leaves below).

A more advanced use of frit is called frit-painting which uses glass powder and frit to create a picture or painting over multiple firings.

Kiln-carving adds depth as well as design. This technique involves cutting a design out of fiber paper and letting the glass slump into it.

For more complex work like with glass powders, may artists develop test tiles or miniature pieces to test the colors (because the color of powders become darker in proportion to amount used) and techniques. In fact, I would recommend creating test tiles for any new form of glass fusing. At the beginning, most glass fusers create test tiles of how the glass fuses together at different temperatures. Fusing temperatures also contribute to the design. Glass fused at lower temperatures will have a raised design while those fused at higher temperatures will have a flat design.

While it can be fun to try a variety of disparate designs, consider developing a set of designs that you can explore. This gives you a body of work that's more cohesive and allows you to delve deeper into the technique. As you continue to explore, you may find this work inspires new designs. Exposure to other glass artists and learning new glass techniques also opens you up to new glass designs. I know I already have a year's worth of designs that I'd like to do. Glass is one of those areas where there's always something new to learn and something to inspire you to create something different.