Open the Fusing Kiln

11/27/07 - Open Fusing Kiln

So, at what temperature can you safely open the fusing kiln? When doing the process of glass fusing, there are times when you need to observe your piece. Usually this is when heating up the object.

Glass is brittle and vulnerable between room temperature and 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Never open the hot kiln when the temperature is beneath 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it has reached above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, the glass is hot enough that it is save to peek and view the glass. You will need to protect your eyes during this process, so be sure to wear your protective glasses. Not only the harmful rays, but sizzling hot air escaping from the unit can damage and harm unprotected eyes!

To read about this and more information about opening the fusing kiln, please visit Open Fusing Kiln.

The Secret to a Hot Fused Glass Christmas

11/20/07 - Fused Glass Christmas

What is the secret to a sizzling fused glass Xmas? How about individualized pins , fused glass decorations and ornaments, or holiday platters. These and so much more can be done in your kiln.

Warm up your home as you turn on your kiln and make some fused glass Christmas delights. This is the time to be delve into those creative juices. Adorn yourself wardrobe or make personalized gifts for your friends. You can design and create lots of projects for the holidays.

To learn more about how to make these Seasonal pieces, please visit the page on Fused Glass Christmas. New pages are being added all the time. Time permitting, I want to add even more holiday pins before this season passes. Today, I have also added new pages on How to Make Holly in 6 Easy Steps and Making a Personalized Christmas Pin

Seasonal Pins

11/13/07 - Seasonal Pins

Added a page to the site with seasonal pins. New pins and ideas will be supplied as the assorted holidays come around. The site presently has a bat pin for Halloween and a turkey for Thanksgiving Day. These may be formed into pins for wearing, or use them to embellish a fused platter, bowl, pocket vase, and so forth.

To discover further about forming these seasonal art items, please visit the page on Seasonal Pins.

11/13/07 - Whimsical Turkey Pin

Attire your Thanksgiving time of year with a whimsical turkey pin sure to shovel in lots of attention. This lovely pin is full of dimension and colour.

Before Thanksgiving or on the day itself, give your guests and friends a distinctive keepsake with this fused glass pin. This pattern demands using a glass sawing machine to make the morsels of glass.

To learn the bit-by-bit instructions for building these seasonal pieces, please visit the page on Turkey Pin.

Glass Bottle Art

11/08/07 - Glass Bottle Art

Inexpensive and simple to make, these broken glass bottle artwork make extremely unique pendants or slumped fused glass artwork. Use only one bottle for each firing so you don't mix your glass pieces. These can be made out of any color of glass, but you can't mix the bottle glass because of a variation of COE's.

These pieces make interesting gifts, or fabulous art pieces to sell. This set is for a craft fair I am attending this weekend. Plate stands will be used to display the artwork pieces. The pendants will be displayed on black velvet stands.

To find out more on making these elegant yet easy pieces, please visit the web page on Glass Bottle Art.

Getting to Know Your Kiln

10/29/07 - Getting to Know Your Kiln

When first starting out on the adventure of learning to do glass fusing, you are going to want to purchase a kiln. This is one of the most expensive items you will purchase, so you will want to be sure that what you buy is adequate for glass fusing.

Check out the different parts of a kiln and then determine what will work for you in your space and within your budget. Find out what all the different parts are of this unit before you purchase.

Glass Fusing Workshop

10/25/07 - Glass Fusing Workshop

Adding a space in your home to do your fusing projects is as individual and unique to you. For a longer version of this article an to learn more about setting up this space, visit my page titled: Fused Glass Workshop.

A workshop will help you organize your fusing items as well as keep them and your family safe. It is fantastic to have a place where you can have all your supplies within arms reach and when you are finished, you can close the door and walk away.

Fused Glass Donut

10/14/07 - Fused Glass Donut

There are several ways to make a fused glass donut. These can be made by free-forming the shape, drilling fused pieces, or by using adorable tiny fused glass molds. To learn more about these different techniques, please click on the link above.

10/14/07 - Jewelry Fusing Molds

Using a technique called "glass fusing frit casting" and a purchased mold, you can make wonderful jewelry pieces to wear, sell, or give to family and friends.