The Delphi Blog

No oneknowstheexactorigins of glass fusing although there is evidence that the Egyptians were familiar withrudimentary techniques. The Romans however arenoted by scholars for developingrefined glass fusing skills. Although technology has changed the way modern glass fuserswork,the technique isessentially the same as those developed by the Romans centuries ago. The basic technique involvesstacking two or morelayers of fusible glass, which are then placed in a kiln and gradually heated to between 1450-1500 Fahrenheit.At these temperatures the layers of glass fuse, or melt together and become one. Unfortunately, glass kilnsare large andexpensive,whichkeeps most Hobbyists from pursuing this art form. Now there are new kiln options, including the The Fuseworks Microwave Kiln . This device works in most household microwaves and can fuse glass in about 3 minutes. Here are some common questions we get on fusing in this modern-day kiln. The following are Q A complied by Diamond Tech , the manufacturer of Fuseworks Microwave Kiln for the purpose of helping current users be successful, and to aid in the decision making of those considering the purchase of a microwave kiln.

Who says that learning cant be fun? The Kay Bain Weiner Foundation, which is dedicated to sharing information about glass art, recently proved that its certainly possible when it sponsored a fun and successful cruise to the western Caribbean to help support its educational goals. Glass Enthusiasts Coming Together On January 10, 2010, the KBW Foundation sponsored a cruise on Celebrity Solstice that set sail for the western Caribbean. This was the Foundations first glass art conference cruise. There were over 148 glass enthusiasts on boardbeginners to experts from Alaska to Florida, from California to New Hampshire to Israelto participate in this inaugural event. Workshops, lectures, and demonstrations devoted to the various types of glass art, the business of glass, and the beauty of glass made up a large part of the experience. The theme of the event, Accelerate Your Creativity, rang true for all of the attendees as they participated in this great chance to improve their techniques and learn new ones. The cruise was a resounding success, with nearly twice the number of expected glass enthusiasts signing on to participate in the cruise, demonstrations, workshop

I had received an e-mail inviting me to Kenya , and a lifelong dream of mine, going to Africa, was about to be fulfilled. My hosts were sharing their latest adventure: Weve been away and something is tearing up the roofs again, probably bush babies (lemurs), certainly baboons, and probably leopards as well! Id heard that Laurel True had just visited Kitengela Glass Research outside Nairobi, and I called on her for advice. You should go. Another friend who had recently visited Kitengela had advised me to get in touch with Nani Croze. I had thoroughly reviewed www.kitengela-glass.com, but there was no way possible- that I could ever have conceived the journey I was about to take. And now, Id like to take you with me! Necessity, the Mother of Invention Thirty years ago on the Maasai Mara in Kenya, Nani Croze, looking for a way to support her three children, started Kitengela Glass. Struggling to make a living as a skilled muralist, Nanis friends suggested that she work in stained glass. (There is a preponderance of churches in Kenya and, thus, a built-in market.) Nani, a multitalented designer, found that there was no glass available. Indeed, it had to be imported from Eur

Here are a few rules to follow when creating your custom booth: 1. Your vehicle size determines your booth dimensions when it is broken down . I cannot tell you how common it is that someone creates a booth that will not fit into their car or van! 2. Keep it simple smooth, clean lines in all wall coverings and table treatments is the current look. Simplicity is key. 3. Dont use materials for your display that will distract from your product line. 4. Keep the opening of your booth at least 6 feet wide (7 to 8 feet is even better). You need people to enter your booth before they will buy. Narrowed-down openings say, dont come in! resulting in less customers entering your booth. 5. Use multiple levels in your display . The more levels you create and display your work on, the more interest you create from the aisleprompting customers to enter your space. 6. Remember, a picture says a thousand words. Put this adage to work for you. Show with large photos in your booth what you dont always get a chance to say. For example, how your functional pottery will look on the Thanksgiving Day table. 7. Use lots of light. Make sure that your booth is we

When youre in a creative slump, try slumping with a new mold! Delphi just added three new molds from Creative Paradise to its selection. Ive attached information on each of these molds, along with project ideas to get you inspired. These fusing molds are made from ceramic clay and are highly durable. But be sure to cover them well with kiln wash before use to prevent cracking. Four coats of kiln wash is recommended. Slumping 3-D Sunflowers Step 1 . Trace the slumping mold onto a piece of paper, so you know how large your glass can be. Begin arranging glass on this pattern, starting with the flower base glass. Step 2 . Arrange flower petal glass in layers and fuse. Step 3. Arrange the fused flower on top of the mold and slump. Slumping Pattern Bar Plates (pictured top left) This unique dam mold makes it easy to make pattern bars or thick fused glass. Interior measures 2-1/2 x 6. Step 1 . Cut up small pieces of your favorite glass or use scrap glass to create a base layer. Step 2. Use long strips of fiber felt (item#4824) to create the channels. Fill around the fiber with scrap glass. Step 3 .

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time in my backyard. My father (a retired horticulture professor and perpetual gardener) has been preparing my quarter-acre lot for a vegetable garden. As soon as I saw this project guide, I could envision stained glass dragonflies peeking out amidst my beans and greens. They are perfect for adding a little sparkle to your summer landscape!  DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN HERE Materials: Wissmach Sky Blue and Crystal Stream X for Wings, 1/2 Sq. Ft. (or other glass color of choice) Wissmach Dark Blue/Medium Green Opal for Body, 1/3 Sq. Ft. (or other glass color of choice) Flux Solder 7/32" Copper Foil 20-, 22-, and 16-Gauge Copper Wire 2 Small Green Nuggets 1/8" Copper or Brass Rod Black Patina Directions: This is one of many of the garden stake designs in Leslie Gibbs' book , Garden Art in Glass . There is a lot more information in her book about wire, rods, and other hardware used in building the garden stakes. Always wear eye protection, keep a clean work surface, and solder in a well ventilated area. When you’re ready to begin, make two copies of the original pattern provided. Number each pattern piece

Why does my kiln make a buzzing sound? Here are some of the sounds that a kiln makes: The heating elements hum when they turn on. That is because they vibrate in the brick grooves due to magnetism between the coils. This sound is normal. It diminishes as the kiln gets hotter, because the elements soften. The clicking noise of a switch-operated kiln is also normal. It is the sound of an infinite control switch cycling on and off. When the clicking turns into a popping noise, the switch is probably about to fail. You should keep a spare on hand. Relays are another source of clicking. To turn on the elements, a digital controller sends twelve volts to the relays. The relays, in turn, act as switches and send full voltage to the elements. The relays click every time they turn on. A chattering noise, however, indicates that a relay is about to fail. A crackling noise followed by loud POP from the kiln's switch box usually means that a loose electrical connection has just failed . If you hear crackling, which sounds like sparks, turn off the kiln. The loose connection creates a tiny electrical arc, which overheats and burns ele

Please remember to continue voting for Beads of Courage to win a $25,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh project. Beads of Courage helps children RECORD, TELL and OWN their stories of courage during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. Through the Program children receive different colored beads each which symbolize their unique and challenging treatment journey. You can vote once every day until the end of July. VOTE NOW!

Your aunt has asked you to make an identical matched set of bowls for her. But Im going to suggest that you try to get her to think differently. Experience tells us you can repeat a design to create a set that is close but chances are they will not be precisely alike (thats one of the appeals of handmade). So instead of identical, work within a design theme then create variations on that design to give each item in the set individual character. In other words, plan to make your designs different right from the beginning and people will appreciate your creativity as a special endowment. Besides matched sets are made by a robots not one-off artists like us fusers. This Randys ProTip brought to you from the book Introduction to Glass Fusing by Petra Kaiser. Visit Wardell Publications.

July 17 and 18, 2009, saw a unique event in Colorado lampworking history. The Colorado Project, a nonprofit organization committed to building the glass community through philanthropy, held its first annual event in Denver, Colorado. Shack Man Glass Studio in conjunction with Glasscraft, Inc., hosted the two-day event. People from all over the country came to participate and show support. Glass Artists with a Mission The purpose of the event was to create a collaborative glass art installation consisting of a four-foot-by-eight-foot mask to be sold at auction to raise money for Learning Landscapes, a University of Colorado program that rebuilds playgrounds in disrepair. Composed of lampworked pieces of crucible-pulled color and a huge bead necklace and headdress, the mask was impressive to say the least. The community aspect of the event was emphasized by having nearly 150 glassblowers rotating through lampworking stations at both Shack Man Studio and Glasscraft to produce the beads for the headdress and necklace. The work for the mask itself was done by Nathan Aweida, Cary Hollenberg, and Adam Graf

The Ring of Fire Artist Challenge , lasting from May-June, sparked the interest of artists of varied media all across the country. While Delphi received entries of paper, glass, ceramics, wire, jewelry, etc., it was a select group of 10 products that united them all. Every eligible entry incorporated at least one of 10 unique products making up the Ring of Fire. These products included copper metal mesh, millifiori, clear glaze, dichroic scrap, recycled glass tiles, metallic tiles, color slide, krafty blok, fine silver wire and pressed flowers. Below is a complete list of contest winners. Congratulations to Grand Prize winner of the Jen-Ken Deluxe EZ-Pro Kiln , Kristin Simpson, with her Garden Whimsie entry. Also, congratulations to Lisa Norvell for her Mountain Meadow Surprise entry which will be featured in an upcoming Delphi catalog. Stay tuned for other great contests like this one in the near future! Delphi Awards Delphi's Favorite: Mountain Meadow Surprise by Lisa Norvell People's Choice: Copper Flowers in Raku Vases by Lindsay Schubel Best Use of Ring of Fire Materials: The American Dream by Brenda Gartman Hottest Project for the Summer: