360 Fusion: Year in Review; What's Ahead for 2012

This year, one of my goals was to use up my excess scrap (i.e. small pieces) glass. I fused enough glass to make 20 melts (pot melts, shelf melts and high temp melts) which made their way into plates and platters.

I also made frit, coaster sets and my window pendants as well as two new ornament designs (stars and snowflakes).

However, I didn't make as much of a dent as I wanted because as I was using up the smaller pieces, I was also creating additional scrap.  And, when you think about it, the scrap was created over four years so it's probably unlikely that I will use it up in one.  So next year, I'll still continue to look for ways to use up my excess glass.

There's also a couple of things that I did not get to this year that will be on the list to make for 2012.  Specifically, my fusing New Year "resolutions" are as follows:

• Create pattern bars and use them in plates, platters and panels
• Experiment with bowls using high temp shelf melts, frit and small glass pieces
• Make small plates from pot melt centers
• Create dichroic frit and consider using it to decorate boxes
• Expand into new types of jewelry: wire-wrapped almond shaped pendants, wire-wrapped coiled pendants with gemstones, stretch and charm bracelets, rings, and new earring designs
• Experiment with new holiday ornaments (hearts and a new snowflake design)

My favorite part of fusing is create new designs.  As you can tell, I already have in mind everything new that I'll make for 2012, including next year's ornaments!  Often, I have the design created long before I am able to make it, which is why I might not get to something.  The first part of the year is mainly for experimenting and creating while the rest of the tends to be production focused.  I'll keep you posted as I start making these.  Pattern bars are scheduled for next week after I cut up some kiln shelves to make the dams.

In the meantime, best wishes for a blessed 2012!

Making Merry with Fused Glass Holiday Pendants

With the official start of the Christmas season starting on Friday, I thought I would share some the new pendants I made for the holiday season.  The first are variations of my window pendants that include bits of nipped glass or glass chards and holiday fracture/streamer glass.

When I purchased the fracture/streamer glass, I noticed that there were bits that didn't include enough green or red, so I augmented the glass with bits of red and green glass confetti or chards.  The pendants with the fracture streamer are on the right.

The second style of pendants are a variation on my wire wrapped heart pendant, adapted for Christmas of course!

I first make frit balls out of red glass as the ornaments.  Next I tack fuse them to the base glass before I grind a channel to hold the wire and refire them to polish the glass.  Then I wire wrap the pendant and finish by adding a red Swarovski crystal to the bottom and silver star to the top.  The above picture is of my prototype, which didn't include the star as I was still waiting for them to arrive.

While I don't have any holiday sweaters, I do have a green sweater and a red cardigan that I wear during the holidays.  I'm looking forward to adding the pendants for a more festive appearance.

My husband especially likes the Christmas trees.  Let me know what you think.  And, happy holidays!

Fall's Here: New Fused Glass Plates in Autumn Colors

For those of you who are familiar with my work, you know I tend to prefer bright colors - blues, greens, purples or neutrals like black and white, with some red.  Over the past few years, I've been accumulating a fair amount of light amber glass (left over from making my Christmas angel ornaments).  As I hate to waste glass, I decided to expand my color palate so I could incorporate some of the amber glass.  So, in addition to amber, I've added olive green, persimmon, terra cotta, and a range of amber colors.  Here's the first fused glass pieces out of the kiln.

However, as I still had a fair amount of excess amber glass left, I also made a batch of star ornaments.

I'm especially happy with how the plates turned out.  And, as I still have a fair amount of amber glass left, you'll be seeing more variations.  As this is new for me, I'd be interested in your thoughts about the colors.

Gearing Up for the Holidays with Fused Glass Ornaments

Every year, it seems that Christmas comes earlier and earlier. Well, if you're making items for the holidays, then it comes even sooner as you need time to make everything. For me, it's also a nice change to what I've been making this year. I've gotten to experiment with a few new designs and learned some things in the process.

New for 2011 will be a different snowflake design and poinsettia ornaments. I've been making snowflakes since 2008 and they've been fairly popular. Although each snowflake is fairly labor intensive with 17-18 individual pieces, I enjoy making them as I accumulate a lot of clear glass over the year and this is a great way to use up some of the excess (although I really haven't made too much of a dent). I start with drawing out several design options on paper and then pick the one I like best to make. As the snowflakes are rather detailed, drawing out designs tend to work better than coming up with something in my head. However, what I learned is that what may work on paper may not work in reality. Here's my first stab at a snowflake based on my design.

Not bad, but not quite at the same level as my original snowflake design and not quite the same look fired as pre-fired. Viewing the finished snowflake, I see that the design was not as tight as I would have liked and left room for error. So, I continued to play around with the design and came up with a new one that I like much better. What do you think?

My poinsettia ornaments were really an inspiration from one of my customers who commented that she could wear one of my red flower pins like a poinsettia. I was able to use some of the frit I had made too for the center.

These two new ornaments will be added to my existing ones: the original snowflake design and angels. I have a love-hate relationship with my angels. I love how cute they are when they're finished but the process of making them is laborious (lots of circle cutting, grozing or trimming the circles and then grinding or smoothing the circles) and precise (cutting and placing the stringer and glass chards for the face). While I made enough for this year, we'll see how I feel next year...

These ornaments are fresh out of the kiln, with the last load going in today. I have yet to drill the holes and attach the hanging ribbon but wanted to share with you what I've been doing the past two weeks. Hopefully they will be up on Etsy in the next week or so.

Frit Cast Experiment

During the year, there are times when you have more time to experiment on new work. For me, this typically happens at the beginning and end of the year when there are no shows. You may recall my post at the beginning of this year about making frit.

Well, one of the projects that I hoped to make was frit cast bowl. I had taken a class and made a 4.5" frit cast tile using only two colors of glass.

So, I hoped to use the technique to make a 12" bowl. I weighed the frit and fired the kiln. Unfortunately, this did not turn out as expected. This is because I measured the frit based on having 2 layers of glass, whereas my tile was based on a more than 2 layers. The technique was based on mounding the frit and having it spread out. Thus, I didn't have enough frit to nicely melt to the edges and the glass was at least 1" shorter than the intended 12" circle and of course, not uniform in thickness (thinner at the edges, thicker in the middle).

But not to waste anything, I've cut up the glass and incorporated it into the center of a plate.

I like the detail that you get from from the frit and could see doing more of these but adding more colors and making the frit more random (e.g. think of various colors of frit shaken up).

And, I'll still try to make that frit cast bowl. But, next time, I'll be more intentional at laying out the frit so it completely covers the base rather than mounding it and adding more frit overall. Once I get that done, I'll post it but most likely not until the end of this year or beginning of next, when I'm back to experimenting :)