Tuesday, 31 August 2021

Fun with fusing

Hello again

Back today to share a little more of what I have been up to over the summer. There has been a strong glass theme running over the last few weeks.

For my birthday I was given vouchers for a glass fusing workshop at Fired Works in Chalfont St Peter. I went with my sister at the end of July for an evening workshop. Marie Cavanagh is the owner and artist and some of her works are in the shop for sale. On the introductory workshop you get to make a couple of small sun catchers (I swapped mine for an additional coaster) and four coasters. Some people paid a little extra to make panels for a lantern. We used frit or glass granules to form the designs. I used stencils to draw my shapes on paper and then put the paper under the glass so I could sprinkle the frit on top. It takes a few days for the pieces to be fired before you can collect them.




I got a little muddled with some of my whites on the polar bears and some of them seemed to react together.

My sister went for the lantern option (I only have a little snap).

It was a lovely evening, so much so that when my mother-in-law expressed an interest in going for her birthday present I was all too happy to have another go. Marie was absolutely fantastic and accommodated us at short notice in a workshop on our own and she also fired the glass really quickly so that it was ready for pick up before my mother-in-law had to go home. We both opted for lanterns this time...

...my handiwork, inspired by the northern lights and summer sunsets...



...and my mother-in-law's...inspired by the seasons.

 


Coincidentally a friend (friend's husband) has got into fused glass and now has his own kiln. Being a bit cheeky I asked if he'd think about letting my sister and I have a go at his home. He was so generous with his time and taught me how to cut glass. His style is more geometric and so I wanted to try something a bit different.

We made a couple of cocktail sticks each.

 I took inspiration from a recent trip to Southend, with a little poetic licence!

 
I did a rough sketch on paper which I used as a template to cut the pieces.
 

We made an arch which is formed by first fusing the glass on a flat piece of clear glass and then firing it a second time over a form. As the glass melts it slumps over the form to take the shape. And the finished result is one of the best things I think I have ever made. Love it!


My sister went with an Icelandic theme.


I'm hugely grateful to my friend and her husband for being such generous, wonderful hosts. This summer may not have been the travelling adventures we would have liked but the creative adventures have more than made up for it.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by xxx

2 comments:

  1. We have had a lovely crafty summer- now we need to carry that into the autumn with the glass vouchers I had for my birthday!

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