Progress

Today brings progress.

Some good and some not so good.

The first project I'm going to share is one that I thought wished should would have turned out better

I experimented by cutting and placing scrap glass to fill a Patty Gray dam mold in a circular pattern.

The project fused nicely with only a few issues that I thought would disappear when it was slumped into a dish. After fusing this glass piece is about 1/2 inch thick and will require some heat to slump it.

So, I slumped the piece into a drop out mold. A drop out mold is a mold with no center, so the center of the glass drops into the mold and onto the kiln shelf making a dish.

My slump didn't correct all the flaws and it added a few. In the picture above - you can see that the edge of the glass hung over the mold when slumping and will need to be removed. I have a few options for removal, but I haven't used my methods with thick glass. 

Until then this piece may just serve as a plant stand for my Thanksgiving Cactus that is getting ready to bloom.









Another project that I'm working on is garden flowers. I have been fusing the petals and slumping the flowers into a Creative Paradise mold. The next step will be to get these mounted and ready for the garden.

I did an initial mount of one flower, but I'm missing a washer to keep it level. Once mounted I will extend the flexible tubing and 'plant' the flower in my garden or a pot.

 

I can't wait to get a few of these flowers finished. I think they will be a stunning addition to my garden.


Another project . . .

Recycled glass with enamel power slurry.

The enamel offers great color -

Here is the recycled glass right after applying the enamel powder slurry. I have it sitting on my grinder to dry before fusing it.

The project in the kiln. 

This project was fused to adhere the enamel on the recycled glass and then put back into the kiln and slumped into a shallow mold to give it some curvature/dimension.

I love how this project turned out. It is stunning with or without light shining through it.

Keeping the kiln warm.

~ Julie

Happy Saturday!

It is a beautiful day today in front of a possible snow storm in Wisconsin.

The kiln has been cooking recently making glass flowers for the garden. I have made five this week and now I just need to get mounting hardware. My goal is to get these in my garden before the snow falls so that I can enjoy them sticking out of a snow bank this winter.

The above flower is in the kin pre and post slump on the CPI flower mold. I hope to show more about the flowers once they are ready for the garden.

~ Julie

glass -

My office window still doesn't have a mounted stained glass piece. The glass piece is done and waiting in my office to be installed. I thought I would get pictures of the finished piece installed, but never thought that the installation would take this long. Soon, I hope.

My kilns have been warm again. . . . which feels good.



I was gifted a box of thin float glass that I am making everyday plates for the kitchen. No color or ornaments - just function, but I love the blueish, tin color, of the float glass once it is fired. I can't wait to remove my old plates and use my new ones.






I have a new idea for a garden stake that is in the small kiln now. This one will be larger. It will still be framed with copper, but will have two stakes to push into the ground. I saw an example of one similar to this at a shop last week and thought I could adapt it to my design. I am excited to give this a try.

and -


I have made a new small round box. I created a mix of colored frit to create the box.
The dominant color was Grenadine Red -

I also took the time to finish this blue box that I had left unfinished sitting on my shelf - 

The box really looks different cleaned up, polished and sitting in the sun.

~ Julz

Week's work -

Another slow week and many days of a cold kiln.
The only good news was because of a bad cold I had a bit of down time in front of the computer and found some new glass techniques I want to try.

This is a small dish I finished at the beginning of the week.

I wanted raised dots for texture.

Not functional.

Oh well.

I like it.

This oval dish is slumping into the mold now. (Pict taken just prior to closing the kiln lid)

Again, my attempt at some elevated dots for some texture.

Hope it slumps well.

:-)

Happy Friday!

~ Julz

Blue Bowl

I have a small blue bowl that is annealing in the kiln as I type this - I can't for it to cool and let me fondle it. Pics will follow. I hope it is a beauty.

~Julz

Adventurine Green Holidays

Adventurine Green - a new experience for me.

This pic doesn't do justice to the depth of the sparkle - very nice. I have another in the works -

Slumping this one w/ a black side tonight. We will see if I can give these away w/ some homemade chocolate or gift cards. :-)

~ Julz

Tuesday - new glass

I peeked into the kiln this morning before leaving for work and there were no large bubbles (my greatest fear) in my 12" circle for the bowl slump. I didn't get any pics yet, but I will take pics prior to slumping tonight.
Yea!
~Julz

Wednesday

Week has gone fast ~ feels like it should be Thursday . . .

Glass tonight - I will get the kiln heated up tonight. I will get the kiln heated up tonight. It has been too long. I will share pics of my next project; I do need some more photos on this site.

~Julz