I started dipping my toe in the glass fusing pond a few months ago by taking a couple of lessons with the wonderful Katherine Seal of Felix and Tabitha (felixtabitha.co.uk). So far I have managed to create some abject failures and one or two really pleasing items. I suspect that, as an absolute beginner, when you are just starting to hone your cutting skills, the use of inclusions is an excellent way to produce pleasing results.
I first experimented with some simple inclusion projects
I was a bit annoyed that the frit and stringers both managed to move in the kiln
The copper tends to turn brown or even blue and in future I intend to work on keeping it more shiny.
The fish bowl was my first piece that I was truly proud of. It was the largest piece I had produced so far.
I sat one evening, first of all making some cardboard templates, then cutting loads of simple, tiny fish out of copper foil (I bought mine from warm-glass.co.uk and it’s not too expensive, £1.75 a sheet). It is very easy to work with, all you need is a sharp pair of scissors.
I sandwiched the fish between two layers of clear glass and put it through a full fuse. (As a newbie, I relied on the preprogrammed kiln schedules). I then sifted a layer of blue glass powder over the top. I drew squiggles with my finger and then added another layer of aqua glass power on top. I then put it through another full fuse and then finally slumped it to produce a bowl.
If you are new to glass, do make sure you use the same COE (coefficient of expansion) glass in any one project. Otherwise stress builds up in the glass and it could crack at any time in the future. I use Bullseye glass, as it is all guaranteed to be compatible.
The copper changed colour during the fusing, but I liked the effect. There were also bubbles trapped, but again that always looks good with under water scenes. I reduced the number of bubbles by applying a ring of clear fit around the edge of the bottom layer of glass.
My kiln was delivered two days ago and I am desperate to start using it, but they forgot to include the peephole plug so I will have to wait for the postman to bring it, as I gather if you run the kiln without it, it can cause cracking due to a cold spot.
Exploring Fused Glass 