Red Santa Pants

12/19/08 - Santa Pants - This Red Santa Pants design will be the final pattern and instruction page added to the The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas page for this year. No need for the glass saw on this pattern. It is a very basic design and really quite simple to cut and assemble. Once the piece has been fused, use Pebeo Vitrea paints to add all the important and tiny details.

Santa Claus Hat

12/17/08 - Santa Claus Hat - A jolly crimson Santa Claus Hat is the most recent holiday design added to the The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas page. This pattern only takes a couple of colors, red and white, to achieve the design. It could also be made out of other hues to represent a winter stocking hat. To find out more about this design or to print the pattern for your own usage, please visit the site.

Ice Skates

12/12/08 - Winter Ice Skates - Continue to glide through the new patterns on the The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas page with this easy Ice Skates pattern. Make this design just for the brisk cold winter days, or they can be enhanced to represent the holiday season. Add a few embellishments like green and red holly to turn this pattern into a Christmas delight, or leave it simple and unadorned to wear all winter long.

Holiday Lights

12/12/08 - Holiday Lights - Another design has been added to the site. It can be found along with other Christmas designs on the The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas. This holiday lights pattern can be very simple and elegant, or add a quirky face to the design and show your comical side for the holidays.

Winter Fuzzy Mittens

12/10/08 - Fuzzy Mitten - Baby it's cold outside! What a perfect time to make this fuzzy mitten design. Make them festive for the upcoming holidays, or simple so that they can be worn all winter long. These can be plain and simple or adorned and enhanced to make them elegant.

Looking for even more fused glass designs for the upcoming holidays? Be sure to check out the page on The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas located on the Glass Fusing Made Easy web site.

Dove of Peace

12/10/08 - Dove of Peace - Wish all your dear loved ones harmony and tranquility during this festive season with this easy Dove of Peace design. Turn them into ornaments, pins or fuse them into other glassware to wish peace on earth and good will to all during this holiday season.

For even more fused glass ornament designs and patterns, check out the page on The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas located on the Glass Fusing Made Easy web site.

Fused Glass Christmas Penguin

12/09/08 - Christmas Penguin - This cute Christmas Penguin design will definitely be waddle into your heart. He has a chubby body, buggy eyes and of course his distinctive coloring. This will enable him to stand out on any seasonal outfit. Personalize him by adding a scarf or some ear muffs to the design.

If you are looking for some Christmas patterns for fusing projects, just visit the The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas page on the site.

Elf Legs

12/08/08 - Christmas Elf Legs - This cute design is very easy to design and assemble, but does require the use of a glass saw. There is a lot of detail in the shoes that would be impossible to cut without the use of a saw. You can add a couple of dots to the toes of the shoes to resemble bells on the tips. After fusing, use Pebeo Vitrea paints to add the details and then cure the paints in an oven according to the directions on the paints.

For even more patterns and directions on how to make this design and other Christmas ideas for fusing projects, visit the The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas page on the site.

Christmas Drum

12/07/08 - Christmas Drum - Conjure up sweet images of the little drummer boy while wearing this adorable Christmas Drum pin. You can use either glass stringers to make the strips, or paint them with glass paints. They will definitely put everyone who views them in the holiday spirit.

For more information on how to assemble these and other Christmas ideas for fusing projects, visit the The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas page on the site.

Christmas Candy

12/05/08 - Cellophane Wrapped Candy - This is the first of a few new fused glass Christmas patterns. This is a pattern that I thought about a few months ago and just had to make for the up coming holiday. Use a little fiber paper around the edges to add that extra wavy detail.

Traditional Turkey

11/19/08 - Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey - This is a pattern that resembles the traditional turkey. He is detailed and colorful that will be desired by all of your family and friends, so be sure to make quite a few. A glass saw is required to obtain the detailed feathers and body. Fuse this design to a tack fuse to keep all the details.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

11/17/08 - Pumpkin Pie - Who wants more pumpkin pie? This delicious pin is a little on the weighty side, but it sure won’t put the undesired pounds on your figure. Because of the multi-layers it takes to make this design, the pin is a little heavy. Be sure to fasten it on your outfit by pinning it through your clothing and also your bra strap.

Puritan Pilgrim

11/15/08 - Pilgrim - Still adding more designs and patterns to the Thanksgiving patterns page. This pilgrim has such an ebullient expression. His bulging eyes, perky nose and warm smiling face just seem to be so welcoming. Want to create these as pins or enhancements for other Thanksgiving glassware? The very simplistic pattern is included on the page.

Cornucopia

11/14/08 - Cornucopia - Adding another design and pattern to the Thanksgiving page. This pattern uses a lot of scrap glass to add all the different fruits, vegetables and vegetation. Check it out!

Pilgrim Crafts

11/12/08 - Pilgrim Hats - I am continuing to add items to the Thanksgiving crafts page. These are very distinctive designs that couldn’t be mistaken for anything but pilgrim hats. They can be made individually, or make them as one piece. They will certainly make superb pins to hand out to all of your friends and family members. The pattern is very simple to cut out using a glass saw, and the elements are also easy to add.

Thanksgiving Corn

11/11/08 - Thanksgiving Indian Corn - Very simple design and instructions for creating tiny Indian corn pins for all your loved ones. These are replicas of Thanksgiving corn, or also referred to as Indian corn. The design does require planning ahead and making the different colored dots that add the texture to this ear of harvest corn.

Fall Leaves

11/10/08 - Fall Foliage - Continuing to add more designs to the Thanksgiving page, this is the newest addition.

With the changing of the leaves from summer green to the crisp fall hues, this design depicts these various shades and outlines. Mix and match different shapes and tints to have an array of tints and figures that can be made into pendants, pins or to adorn any other fused piece.

Glass Fusing Buttons

11/07/08 - Fused Glass Buttons - With the holidays coming upon us quickly, it is time to start thinking about gifts. Once I purchased these beautiful snowy white sweaters for my five daughters. I removed the buttons and then added my own creations. Talk about a simple way to enhance and outfit. Learn more about how to make and design fused buttons for your apparel.

Imaginative Thanksgiving Crafts

10/29/08 - Imaginative Thanksgiving Crafts - Time to start reflecting all the things and people we are grateful for in our lives. Show the individuals that are in your life just how thankful you are for them during this Holiday season. What better way to show off your artistic side by creating and designing a few fused glass pins or dishware to share with your friends and family.

Here is a list of a few suggestions that will soon be added to this page:

• Cornucopia
• Fall leaves
• Indian Corn
• Pilgrim
• Pilgrim Hat
• Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Pie
• Turkey
• Whimsical Turkey Pin - An adorable yet whimsical turkey design that is sure to please all of your acquaintances.

Fused Glass Molds - Stand Up Mold

10/25/08 - Stand Up Mold - What a fantastic way to really add depth and dimension to any fused glass project. These new molds are offered at Delphi Glass and come in four different sizes and shapes. Stand up molds really open up the possibilities for making 3D shapes and figures. Have your pieces stand up and draw attention.

Adding Items to the Halloween Page

10/20/08 - Halloween Gift Ideas - I have been heating up the house fusing items to add to the Halloween Gift Ideas page. Here are some of the newest pages added today to the Halloween Gift Ideas page.

Some of the ideas that are currently listed are:

• Cartoon Frankenstein"> – Added 10/20/08 – Cute in a freaky sort of way, and complete with his bolt sticking out of his neck. Check out this unique Halloween pin.

• Red Candy Apples – Added 10/20/08 – This one makes your mouth drool. The gooey caramel is running warmly down the sides of this apple. It even has a few nuts!

• Tombstone – Added 10/20/08 – Let them know you have a warped sense of humor with this tombstone pin.

• Trick or Treat Halloween Bag – Added 10/20/08 – This pin looks like it is ready to be filled with lots of Halloween goodies.

• Wicked Witch - Added 10/20/08 – Even complete with a wart on her nose and protruding chin. She is ready to adorn any outfit and put spells on anyone who crosses your path.

• Witch Hat - Added 10/20/08 – The witch hat is a very recognizable symbol of Halloween. These are extremely simple to cu and fuse.

Halloween Ideas

10/13/08 - Halloween Gift Ideas - As the cool winds of fall announce the coming Halloween festivities, it is time to warm up the house with glass fusing ideas and creations. Check out the new patterns on the Halloween Gift Ideas page.

Currently listed are:

• Bat – Added 10/13/08 - Simple and easy to assemble, this bat pin is perfect when you want to make a lot of pins for all of your friends and acquaintances. A glass saw is used to create these pins, but you can also purchase pre-cut pieces if desired.

• Wispy Black Spider – Added 10/13/08 - Creepy crawly spiders! Oh my they certainly give you the willies. These adorable pins have big yellow eyes that almost make them look sweet enough to adorn any outfit.

• Candy Corn – Added 10/13/08 - Now for a yummy recognized treat! Make them for your Halloween ghoulish friends, or for October 30th, which is known as National Candy Corn Day.

• Halloween Cat – Added 10/13/08 - A whimsical design for the Halloween season. These are sure to put a smile on your face and on others who see this on your outfit. Hiding in a ghost costume, this cat thinks he is in disguise.

• Scary Cat - Added 10/17/08 - The arched back on this Scary Cat give is the appearance of an animal ready to strike. The black glass on this piece really draws the attention to any outfit you wear.

• Spooky Mask - Added 10/17/08 - There are many basic mask patterns on this page that can be adorned and designed to your liking.

Coming soon on the Halloween page:

• Candy
• Coffin
• Creepy Tree
• Crossbones
• Dracula
• Eerie Bat
• Frankenstein
• Goofy Pumpkin
• Grim Reaper
• Moon
• R.I.P
• Silly Witch
• Spider Web
• Trick or Treat Bag
• Witch
• Witch Hat

Glass Fusing Bails

09/12/08 - Fused Glass Bails - There are so many different choices in how you finish off a fused glass piece. If turning a piece into a cabochon or pendant, what are the different choices for bails? Here are a few suggestions:

• Channel Bail – Make a channel or opening in the glass during the fusing process.

• Charm Bail – Add charms as an actual bail or as an adornment to a piece.

• Glass Bail - Purchase these bails in clear or black to fuse onto a glass pendant, or create them in any color you choose.

• Gold or Silver Plated Bails – Purchased bails that can be glued to a finished piece.

• High Temp Bail – Fuse a high temperature wire into the artwork during the firing process and to be used as a bail.

• Pinch Bail – Purchased bails that are attached by drilling a hole in a finished piece to attach.

• PMC Bail – Use PMC to creative a unique bail.

• Rubber Channel Bail – A very simple and creative way to add a bail.

• Wire Bail – Use wire to either wrap a piece or add a bail.

Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paints

08/25/08 – Pebeo Vitrea 160 Paints - These paints are used after the fusing process to add color and a personal touch to your fused glass pieces. Pebeo Vitrea paints are heat cured and set up to a hard to remove layer inside an oven. There is no need to fire the piece again inside a kiln. Some of the techniques on manuevering and applying these paints are discussed on the following pages.

Art Fused Glass Technique – Emboss the glass then paint the cooled piece using Vitrea 160 paints. This really adds a lot of depth and brilliant colors to fused glass. Emboss the glass inside a kiln and then use Vitrea 160 paints to accent and enhance the embossing.

Glass Painting with Pebeo Vitrea Paints - Full fuse some glass and then paint a design on the finished piece. These pieces need to then sit and dry for a minimum of 24 hours before finishing the process in a conventional oven.

Hand Painted Fused Glass – Use some Glassline paints to transfer an image onto a piece of glass before fusing the piece. Once the glass has cooled, paint the drawn design using Pebeo Vitrea Paints. Then oven set the paints.

Try using these Vitrea 160 paints on your fusing projects. The process does take some time waiting for the paints to dry. The waiting time is a minimum of 24 hours before the paints can be placed inside the conventional oven to finish the process.

Pattern Transfers

08/22/08 – Pattern Transfer - If you are having difficulty putting patterns on the smooth surface of glass, check out some suggested ways to make these transfers.

Prima Donna Pins

08/16/08 – Prima Donna Pins - These Prima Donna pins are divas who are spicy and spunky. They will definitely be a conversation piece to adorn any outfit. Make them to imitate your spicy personality or the personality of your friends.

The patterns and instructions are included on this page. Make these for all of your Prima Donna friends.

Glass Display Stand

08/15/08 – Plate Stand - Have you been searching for just the right stand to display your priceless pieces? Why not create your own stand. These can easily be assembled and made inside the kiln. See these quick and creative ways to display your artwork. These can be made using scrap glass or float glass. Because these are not being fused with your other pieces, there is no need to worry about compatibility.

08/04/08 – Problems and solutions - Added a few pages to assist in helping you to determine and solve problems when glass fusing. These problems range from the outcome of your fused pieces to problems within the kiln itself. These problems and solutions have been addressed on the following pages on the site:

Glass Fusing Problems - This page discusses many of the problems that occur during the glass fusing process. These range from bubbles to sharp spiky edges. Find out what to look for when fusing and how to resolve these issues.

Kiln Problems - This page is dedicated to problems within the kiln itself. From glass stuck on the shelf or floor to what to do when there is a fire in the kiln. Learn more about these issues and how to handle issues that occur inside the kiln.

Fixing the Kiln Coils - Learn the techniques for fixing the coils inside the kiln. Coils will become loose over time. This page will assist in fixing these coils.

Textured Designs on Glass

07/27/08 – Textured Designs - Learn how you can add intensity and dimension to your fused glass pieces. These designs can be accomplished in quite a few manners. Here are a few...

Textured Pad - Purchase these pads to add some simple designs to your fused projects. Find out where these pads can be purchased and what designs are available.

Glass Embossing - Bronze dies and a sturdy handle enable you to impress a design into glass. The glass needs to be molten hot in order to accomplish this technique.

Kiln Carving - A few strips of fiber paper cut and arranged in your desired design will produce the look of carving in the glass.

Check out the Textured Designs page for further information and instructions.

Glass Fusing Bracelets

07/24/08 – Fused glass bracelets make a gorgeous adornments. There is such a variety of options you can incorporate into this idea. Use some dichroic to add pizazz to the piece, or do some glass embossing to add depth and texture.

This technique is definitely not for those that are squimish to place their hands inside a sizzling hot kiln. Follow every safety measures listed when attempting these cuffs. Making these is a little intimidating when first attempted, but once you get the method down, it is quite simple.

This page also discusses the various problems with this process and how these can be resolved. Find out more about the construction of fused glass bracelets, and the different concerns when selling these items to the public.

Vitrigraph

03/03/08 – Vitrigraph is not a new procedure in glass fusing, but it sure is hot! When you have the opportunity to watch and then maneuver molten glass as it wiggles and flow s from the bottom of a raised and well supported kiln. There is a lot of setup and safety procedures with this method. If you want to learn more about this magical way of pulling and cutting sizzling glass as it flows from the kiln, visit the page on Vitrigraph. Once you have all these pieces, they can be annealed or used in other projects and annealed during that process. They will definitely give your artwork that one-of-a-kind look and texture.

02/04/08 – I have received a lot of questions about Fusing Photo Paper. This ceramic decal can be fused onto glass. This turns photos into wearable pieces of fused artwork. Check out this page for more information on accomplishing this technique. Now you can turn old photos into priceless fused glass keepsakes.

Red Hot Valentines Day Pins

01/23/08 – The site has been updated with some pins for Valentine’s Day. Check out the Red Hot Valentines Day Pins page for more information. The page now includes links to the following Valentine’s Day pins:

Bent Heart

Chocolate Dripping Heart

Kitty Love

Puzzle Piece

Red Dress

Simple Heart

Tuxedo

Be sure to stop by the site for some fantastic ideas for Valentine’s Day gift ideas.

National Wear Red Day

01/10/08 – Today a page was added on the Glass Fusing Made Easy site. The page is for National Wear Red Day, which is the first Friday in February. In recognition of this important day and the value of heart disease awareness, I have published a page on the Red Dress. Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women today? This noteworthy day prompts the importance of taking care of ourselves and loved ones. Construct and give red dresses to all the females in your life to tell them how important they are to you.

Added a couple of pages to the Seasonal Pins page.

01/03/08 – Worked on the Seasonal Pins page today. Added a couple of pages...one on a New Years Baby Pin and an Easter Bunny Pin.

The holidays seem to creep up on us so quickly that I thought I would start working on some ideas for the upcoming holidays. I have a list of friends that really enjoy receiving pins for all the holidays, so I need to get working on these pretty soon. I am working on a Valentine’s Day pin that should be up shortly and then will start working on a St Patrick’s Day pin.

I would place most of these pins in the more advanced category, because these do require the use of a glass saw to cut out the patterns. Assembly of the patterns is very simple and quick once the pieces have been cut.