glass adventure

Some years ago, my mother introduced me to her friend Margie, who is both a potter and maker of glass jewelry. Margie had six of us over last night to try our hand at making some glass art. This was my first time with this medium so I started with the glass bits from her scrap box.

Bounty in the scraps.

I learned how to score and snap-cut the glass into smaller sizes and shapes, but then decided it would be a fun challenge to use only the pieces as I found them.

I was a little hesitant at first, gathering colors and trying to figure out how they looked together. At first I didn't like any of the combinations I was coming up with.

Um... now what?

In the meantime, my friends Noriko and Hiroko (who had just arrived from Japan and were completely defying jet-lag) seemed to know exactly what they were doing. They were cutting tiny pieces for earrings and gluing pretty stacks of colored glass on top; scoring larger pieces for necklaces and making everything match.

Noriko's work in progress.

PJ, on the other hand, had already fused her glass on an earlier day and was now grinding off the rough edges and finding pretty cords and fixings from which to hang them.

A little water is needed when grinding, just like when cutting tiles.

Finally I got my wits about me and made five mini artworks for necklaces. The big white and silver piece had been fused before and tossed into the scrap bin, so I just added a couple accent colors on top. Perhaps it will make a good magnet.

Craft glue holds the pieces in place until they're fused in the kiln.

After everyone's pieces were ready, I closed the kiln and fired it up. It's all digital, so that was just a matter of pushing buttons. By now the pieces are fused and ready for finishing, but I can't return as soon as Hiroko and Noriko, who will finish their jewelry this week while I'm at work.

In the kiln: mini glass collages ready to fuse by Noriko, Hiroko, Yukie and me.

These are some fused pieces that Margie had for us to see as samples.

And here are just a few of her finished earrings made with this type of glass technique.

I'm keen to see how the pieces transformed in the kiln. I wonder how much "spread" occurs and how the colors I've chosen will blend. Looking forward to my next appointment at Margie's to find out!

Thank you, Margie, for a very fun and creative evening. ^_^