GlassCat

I began my love affair with glass 35 years ago and have been creating stained and fused glass works of art since. I am constantly attending classes, experimenting and reading everything I can about glass. I took a side trip 15 years ago into the exciting, temperamental and always mystifying world of fused glass art. I was immediately hooked and have never looked back. While I still create stained glass art, creating fused glass jewelry is a much needed release from the rules of stained glass. While there are still rules, in fusing they are not as rigid.

Each piece of jewelry is a miniature work of art and is created using only tested compatible glass, the most effective adhesives and quality components. Most of my pieces also include large amounts of Dichroic Glass (this is where the bling comes in to play). Dichroic Glass is glass that is coated with metallic oxides such as titanium, magnesium and silicon. Dichroic means ‘two colors’ and the glass is called such as it reflects one color while transmitting (the light that passes thru the glass) another.

I love this part of the process where my creativity comes into play; I am so inspired by color and really enjoy seeing what works together. Because I like to experiment, I do have some failures, but that's half the fun. After I have designed the pieces they are loaded into the kiln and will be fired slowly to 1500 degrees, after proper annealing and they have come to room temperature, I get to open the kiln to see the results. This is usually the first of three firings as the pieces are then shaped on a diamond wheel or a glass saw. Sometimes I add more glass to get the effect I’m looking for, and then they are fired again. Some pieces will get additional firings if I add painted details, decals or some other type of adornment. I am always trying to push the envelope and created something unique.

My newest works include free hand etching on top of the glass. I layer dichroic glasses, fire the piece and when removed from the kiln the fun begins. Using a diamond engraving tool and various diamond bits, I free hand etch designs onto the glass. Now the piece goes in for another firing and hopefully a work of art for you neckline is born.

Each piece is unique and one of a kind, sometimes I can recreate a piece but most times this is nearly impossible due to the placement in the kiln, the temperature of the kiln and which glasses were used together.

You can feel confident knowing you will never see exactly the same piece of jewelry on someone else. I stand behind all my work; if you ever encounter a problem with a piece, please feel free to contact me.