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.