Time to start thinking SPRING!  I love to create with happy, bright, springtime colors.  It's sooo cold and cloudy in Michigan lately, but this brightened my day, and I hope it brightens yours, too!

<3 <3 <3

["It's your glass. It's your kiln. You won't hurt either of them. Go ahead and try it and we'll see what happens"]

My "GG" (grandma), was a gifted glass artist.  I learned many things from her, more than anyone can imagine.

She is a free Spirit now, but with me always, especially in my studio.

Playing with glass was my favorite pasttime with her, and she'd been fusing glass WAYYYYYYYYYY back in the day, before there were "rules".

Anyhow...whenever I had a great idea that I wasn't *quite* sure about, I'd run it past her.  And do you know what she would tell me?

"It's your glass. It's your kiln.  You won't hurt either of them.  Go ahead and try it and we'll see what happens"

SO...don't be chicken.  Experiment.  Try it out.  Take a chance.  Waste some time.  Get creative.  Play.  Don't ask first, because someone will just say "OMG NO, you can't DO that!"   All of these *rules* cause everything to look exactly like everything else.  Fusing is MUCH more than sandwiching a piece of dicro between 2 pieces of glass.    Don't listen to the nay-sayers.

Do it anyhow, and see.  I hear my GG's words every time I go to my studio.

If you have followed this advice, I'd love to see some of your unique, crazy stuff.

K

Here's the whole gang...I got a little carried away:



And here's my VERY favorite one ( it has a purple hue to it, a Purple Heart for a Courageous Girl )


...but I really like this one, too:


I have this "thing" about transparent glass...love it.

Whatcha think?

Karen

How cool is this?  This vase is made by actually heating a circular piece of fused glass over a mold, and allowing the center to drop out!  It can be done several ways, but I chose to allow the glass to hit the bottom of my kiln.  This vase can stand alone, or be suspended in a stand!  Cool, huh?

I took this to a gallery downtown, and it sold the same day!  WOOT!

The birch trees along the river gave me inspiration to paint in my studio!  Here's what I came up with...hope you like this...



This is a solid white chunk of glass, painted with enamels and various frit and confetti!

*karen

I wish *I* could take credit for these, but, alas, it's my dear hubby who has the strength to bend these tines, and make them do whatever he wants them to do.

As for me?  I'll stick to melting glass!   Anyhow...how do you like this one?  It's made with 2 vintage forks!





The best part about these?  They're recycled.  We're going to really concentrate on giving back to Mother Earth with our art.



Karen

Hiya!  My hubby made these this weekend!  Like 'em?  They are sooo funky! 

They're made from vintage forks (silverplated) and gemstones!

Turquoise Twins:


...and THIS one is MY favorite!



Tell me what you think!

Karen

[Here's the verrrrrrry light green one:]

Here's a fun fusing project!  I'm so tickled with these!  The most fun was embellishing the necks of the bottles.

I used a verrrrrrrry conservative fusing schedule on these.  Why? Because the COE of this glass is unknown, so, it's very hard to predict what these buggers will do in the kiln!  I love 'em!  YAY!

Here's the verrrrrrry light green one:


...and here's a less "artsy-fartsy" shot of it ( I LOVE THIS ONE!)...


[/b]...and here's a prettttty dark green one that I made, too![/b]




Well!  Tell me what you think!  I love all of your thoughts and comments!


Karen

[CANDY GIRL]

hi hi hi!  'Tis been a busy summer for me!  But I *HAD* to show you these new goodies!  Which one is your fave!??!

CANDY GIRL

MYSTIC SWIRLS

VIOLET GARDENS

Hope you like 'em!  These were all created using the same technique, an Aperture Pour, and an open-kiln raking technique....glass is melted in a vessel, and allowed to drip, forming these swirling designs! 

K

...made of clear glass and frit.  A groove was ground (VERY CAREFULLY!) around the edge, then, the pieces were wire wrapped.

It's not possible to glue a bail...they show through from the back and look awful!

Whatcha think?