Fab day!

Well yesterday was fab! I went to Liverpool to go on a glass fusing course run by Phil of Glass Kanvas. I admit that I had no idea how to make the lovely pendants that he makes and didn't know what I was in for - I imagined lots of polishing etc but it was more a case of cutting glass and layering it. We also had time for free play after lunch so we could experiment more! We sat down first thing (there was a lovely couple Harriet and David there too) and Phil showed us how to cut the glass (with safety advice) and told us the golden rule of glass fusing - the layers have to add up to 6mm or the finished item will pull in the middle and you won't get the lovely domed shape. Of course I forgot to take my camera so I didn't take any photographs of the making stage!

Then after lunch Phil showed us how to make dichroic items. Ours were still being fired so we couldn't bring them home but as soon as they arrive I will show them off! Here are a couple of the layered pendants I made! What do you think?

This one is my favourite despite the blobbles of blue at the end - I was aware that that would happen though as the stripy bits (can't remember the technical term!) that I chose were longer than the base layer.

And here are the other 3 I made. I used frit to make the blobs in the top 2 - frit is basically ground up glass made into 'sprinkles'.

So all in all it was a fab day and I would heartily recommend it - both for what you learn and Phil's great teaching. Now how much were those kilns again? I will post pictures of the other things I made once they have been fired and sent by Phil!