While I was in Texas last month I learned a new skill–fusing glass. I was struggling to find a nice hostess gift for the lovely women who threw my baby shower, and my mother suggested making their gifts. You see, my mother is a very creative and productive person and her latest passion is dichroic glass. I thought it was a great idea, personalized and creative.
Turns out, working with glass is hard—much harder than it looked. First, you have to cut the glass. Then, you layer the glass to get the effect you hope for once the glass is baked in a very hot kiln for a few hours. You can really only guess how it might turn out. It’s a trial and error process. I decided I want to the ones I made to be white with shimmery patterns on them. I also wanted them all to be round, but that was a desire I had to let go of, they came out exactly the shape they wanted to be.
Mom showed me how to cut the glass and I started in, wearing my safety glasses. You know, glass doesn’t cut well, it prefers to shatter. Gah! So frustrating. Her cuts were perfect and mine shattered. But I kept at it. Eventually, with more help from Mom, we got 13 pendants designed and crafted in time for the shower.
It was a neat project and I was glad to learn a new craft from my mother. Here is a photo of a few of the pendants before we attached the backing.
Wow Syd that is so cool! I have alway wanted to learn how to make fused glass jewelry. You have inspired me to take a class.
Working with glass is so much fun, even though it’s kinda hard. I took a stained glass making class a couple of times, and it was amazing. It’s a little expensive, but once you have all the supplies you can do little things for not as much. So cool!
.-= Rachael´s last blog ..Cutting Cuts =-.