Thursday, April 14, 2016

Handmade fused dichroic glass jewelry: dichroic party and a fused glass ring!


One of the greatest advantages of having my own kiln is I don't have to wait in line for a turn. I'm the only artist using it! I also don't have to wait for a once-a-week class, like I do with enameling. My kiln is available every day. I've had time to practice making fused dichroic glass pieces, and while I've had some disasters, I'm happy with most of them:

I call this pile of fused glass focals my "dichroic party." Most don't yet have backings, as I still have to decide what I want to do with them. However, a friend came up with an interesting idea and suggested that I turn some of the dichros into rings. I tried my hand at this -- pun intended, I guess, as that is my hand in the photo -- and came up with that purple and yellow dichroic ring.

The way I made it was to create a wire wrapped band with a spiral centerpiece. I then glued the glass onto the spiral. I like it, but my next ring will be made a bit stronger. For a heavier piece like this, the band needs to be wrapped two or three times. I feel like this ring needs a little more support -- though some people do like thin bands. I usually prefer simpler bands, but kept wishing there were more wire to balance out the glass.

Oh, well, this is why I'm putting in so much practice! I'm a lot better at making fused glass than I was a month ago, but it's still new for me. I'm having so much fun, though, and love this very "colorful" discipline.

Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped, fused glass and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

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