How-To

Nothing says classic winter beauty like the wonder of snowflakes. First captured on film by Wilson Bentley in 1885, these hexagonal crystalline forms fall by the millions every winter covering the landscape in delicate white blankets of snow. Just like us, every snowflake that falls to earth is a one-of-a-kind form. This unique beauty has inspired art and artists for decades. Although it seems a bit odd that you would be capturing ice with fire, snowflakes make excellent glass projects. Capturing them in a medium such as glass allows you to enjoy their beauty without ever having to worry about finding your mittens, Kevlar gloves maybe, but no mittens. As a child, one of my favorite winter pastimes was cutting paper snowflakes. Just like the real thing, each snowflake I made was different and as an adult, I still enjoy this craft as much as I did when I was 7. Now I can imagine you are already shaking your head at me saying: "Are you suggesting I put paper snowflakes in my kiln?!?" And my answer is, Yes. Yes, I am. By creating paper snowflakes from fusible kiln paper, you can create these timeless decorations out of paper and capture them permanently in glass. This is a g

"Well, hello there Carlise, my name is Cere. It's nice to meet you!" As a flameworker, the most powerful tool at our disposal is the torch. From raw gas to burning flame, the torch provides the energy needed to take glass from solid state to molten magic. As someone that typically works with Borosillicate glass (32 or 33 COE), I tend to work towards the hotter parts of the flame, however, if you work with Moretti (104 COE), or soft glass, you may find the cooler areas beneficial to you. No matter what kind of glass you are melting in your torch, when properly familiar with the parts and type of the flame, you can bring your work to new levels. Q: Oxidizing, Reducing and Neutral: What kind of flame do I have, and what does that mean to me? A: When being worked, many glass colors are sensitive to the atmosphere or the ratio of mixed gases in the flame. Different atmospheres can produce a diverse array of effects, some desirable and some not as much. It's important to know what kind of flame you are working with and what kind of flame your glass desires. When in doubt, start with a neutral flame and adjust your settings from there. Reducing Flame - a flame

If you're like most fusing artists, you like to try new things all the time. Pot melts fantastic! Raking amazing! Boiled glass stunning! Wait....what's boiled glass? Boiled glass is the hottest new way to get a stunning organic looking design in your fused art. Each piece will be completely unique, and is effortless to achieve. 1. Select several (3-4) pieces of tested compatible fusible glass to use. Both 90 COE and System 96 work well. We recommend using strong, contrasting colors with a layer of white or clear to help keep colors bright. 2. Cut glass pieces to size. Important note: Glass likes to be thick when fused. Because your project will be stacked more than thick, it will spread out during firing. Either dam the glass to prevent it from reaching the edges of your shelf, or cut glass small enough to ensure a safe fit. 3. On a kiln shelf lined with shelf paper, position the bottom layer of glass. Spoon Bubble Powder onto the surface of the glass and spread it out. 4. Stack additional layers of glass onto the base. Depending on the intensity of bubbles and boiled results desired, you can opt to simply add the glass, or to alternate l

Giving an incredible handmade gift can be easy, and doesn't have to take much time from your busy holiday schedule. This season, design a keepsake plate and take advantage of the firing time to whip up some cookies in the kitchen for a special gift that will last beyond the last scrumptious bite. 5 tips for creating quick plates: 1. Apply wash to your mold before getting started on your fused design. This will allow plenty of time for multiple coats to dry before it is time to slump. 2. Using two pre-cut circles (available in 90 COE or 96 COE ) as the base of your plate makes it the right thickness for a full fuse, so you can focus on adding details instead of cutting glass. 3. Fusible pre-cut shapes (available in 90 COE or 96 COE ) and millefiori (available in 90 COE or 96 COE ) make creating fast. Fun designs will add color and personality; all you have to do is arrange them! Note: Don't forget to match your COE. 4. Add details or holiday greetings with Glassline Pens. Looking for an easier way to apply it? Write your message on paper with black marker; place your base glass on top and trace. If it's hard to see, a light box can

Raise your hands if you are totally psyched about what is happening in todays arts and crafts world! In true Arnold Horshack form OOOOOOHHHHH! OOOOOOHHHHH! OOOOOOHHHHH! What has gotten me so excited - the rise of Mixed Media Collage! I have a confession to make, even though I work mainly in the art glass world - I am so the closet Mixed Media Collage junkie ! No wonder, my love of combining tiny pieces of tesserae to create mosaics translates perfectly to combining layers of mixed media to create a similar effect. Mixed Media Collage brings so many techniques together to create wonderful masterpieces. Its all about the layering and composition. And it teaches us so much about what looks right and what doesnt. Now mind you, I said I was a junkie, not an expert! But I would like to share with you my addiction and the method to my madness or the madness to my method. To begin creating a collage you usually start with a sturdy backing, or substrate to create the foundation for your work. For a mixed media art collage, this may be a canvas, a piece of cardboard, a piece of wood, a page of an altered book or my favorite - a sheet of metal. Just mak

Part 2 of a 2 part series on the basics of glass fusing. In this week's article Donna gives advice on indispensable tools for beginner glass fusers. In the beginning, I used one larger tool, and that was a Super Star Grinder . It is still running, running, running! Others have come, and some have gone, but this one is still here. For smaller cold working projects, diamond hand pads do a nice job. The next cutting tool that I bought was a saw. My Taurus 3 Ring Saw has worked extremely well for me, and I love what I can do with it that I couldn't do before, but I worked for 2 years before I purchased this nifty item. As for cutters and breakers, I have many, but for me, the Silberschnitt breaker pliers are a must for small (1/4") strip breaking.....saves so much glass. I use both plastic and metal breakers, and they are not expensive. Toyo is my favorite brand for cutters, but there are others that I understand are wonderful. The pencil cutter is great for my hand, but you need to handle several yourself to see which is the best fit for you. I do love the Morton cutting system ....especially the crates! They are wonderful for catching the shards that eat the s

Your studio is your haven, your cave of creativity, your "me" space! It is as personal as the work that comes out of it. One thing that studios everywhere could probably use is some ORGANIZATION , and thanks to Delphi's second annual studio contest we can all learn some secrets to keeping it clean. In 2011, we featured those of you who had the Messiest Studios. We had 50 photo entries in that contest, and boy we really enjoyed seeing the functioning chaos. This year we explored the opposite end of the spectrum, hoping to gain some insights, tips, and methods to keeping an art glass studio neat and tidy. Whether you have a large dedicated space for your studio, or like most you are repurposing a section of your home to accommodate your ever growing passion for glass, these tips will help you get organized. Tips from the Contest Participants Clean up before you start a project. Use reclaimed building materials or upcycle old kitchen cabinets. Repurpose vintage display or office furniture found at thrift stores. Example record album rack converted for glass storage or commercial baking racks for storage of slumping molds. Use labele

Did you know that Friendship Day and Sister Day are both on the first Sunday in August? Want to do something special for a couple of those special friends or family members in your life. How about making a friendship bracelet that you and your friends will love and cherish for years to come? Each person will get the same or similar bracelet, signifying the unity of people represented. This special friendship bracelet uses fusible glass to create beautiful 'lifesaver candy' beads from glass frit. Supplies you'll need: System96 Medium Frit - Clear, plus any other transparent or opaque colors you might like Nano Beads casting mold Here's how to make your bracelets: 1. Select a colored frit to represent each friend or family member(don't forget yourself) - the number of colors represents how many 'lifesaver beads' you'll make per color. For example, 5 people = 5colors of frit, and five bracelets will ultimately be made. 2. Prep the mold first by spraying with Boron Nitride ( see video ). 3. When using frit molds, it is very important to follow the suggested fill levels to get the best bead. With the Nan

Part 1 of a 2 part blog on the basics of glass fusing. In this week's article Donna will tell us how to set up your work area and gives suggestions on finding the perfect kiln. Often potential fusers ask about the cost of getting started in glass. I found that it isn't as expensive as one might think because the list of necessities for the beginner is not too long. So what would the list look like for someone who had NO experience at all? Well, this is what I began with, and I think you might find these ideas helpful. Space to Work - A place to cut glass can be fairly small. The most important detail is a floor surface such as concrete that will be easy to clean. I tried commercial tile in my first studio, and the shards were soon embedded under the work area. Obviously, you want to keep the surface as clean as possible so that small glass shards are not tracked into other areas. I've found that a pair of shoes dedicated to the glass area is very wise....voice of experience. Where do I put a kiln? - If you live in the south as I do, a hot kiln can make the work area dreadfully hot if it is in the same room. On the other hand, it is great for heating in the wint

My husband and I recently met a spectacular couple, a genuine cowgirl and cowboy. Besides being fortunate enough to purchase a very sweet horse from them, we are proud to be able to call them our friends. While at their home I learned that her one of her best friends, her horse, had passed away the previous year. "Yoda" had carried her though years on the Rainbow Riders drill flag team, taken her to reigning championships, and safety along countless miles of trails. I wanted to do something special for her, and also try something new for me. I remembered seeing an article in the Delphi newsletter about making fused glass silhouettes from a photograph. While at her home I snuck a picture of her and Yoda sliding to victory, on my cell phone. I downloaded the picture and adjusted it to an appropriate size for a 10 by 10 square plate mold from Delphi. I cut out the image and traced it onto my black iridized COE 90 glass. I used amber streakies and amber clear COE 90 glass, behind the silhouette and border, to thicken the plate with color. I traced my silhouette and began cutting it out with my Taurus 3 Glass Ring Saw . I don't have the special separator blade for the

I know I'll never get up the nerve to open my kiln to rake . Instead, I was wondering, can I fake...I mean, rake it? I was recently in Monterey, CA visiting a shop on Cannery Row, where glass artist David Alcala is usually busy at work. The day I visited, he was out (at the Glass Art Bead Expo) promoting his new book and Flexi-Glass . His lovely wife was holding down the fort and I marveled at his landscapes made with fine glass frit. I knew I had a lot of Uroboros frit and powder at home, and it inspired me to try and fake a kiln rake with frit. I laid out a sheet of newspaper, and donned my goggles and face mask . I cut out a 10-inch transparent glass circle, so I would have a double-sided plate. Next, I sprinkled a bunch of purple powder, then white, and purple again, gently patting down the mounds with my fingers. I then added a squiggley line of bejeweled frit. From there, I included Uroboros fine frit in white, purple, then sprinkled on some more bejeweled frit. I used a paint brush to gently move the frit across the plate, blending one color into another. Next came the big move. How was I going to get this thing into the kiln