When I made the red and black glass lace, in the center of this glass bowl, I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I was just playing around with using two colors in my glass lace. To make this glass lace, I poured some clear glass frit medium size on the kiln shelf. Using my powder sifter, I sprinkled red glass powder on parts of the clear glass frit and black glass powder on some other places.
I really liked the results, but still didn’t know what I was going to do with it. After some contemplating, I decided to fuse it to some white glass, which I did. However, there was something missing, so I added more red and black powder and a few pieces of medium-sized red glass frit around the edges to give the white glass some interest. I full fused the glass lace and the glass frit powder to the white as well as a layer of clear underneath the white. I slumped the fused glass into a 9″ Ball Mold. I am very happy with how it all came together!!
Christine — Glass Artist
Masters Glass Art 
August 14, 2007 at 9:56 am
Ok this plate is just cool, I love the colors and the whole funky look of it. It’s kind of rustic and modern all in one.
Ali
August 15, 2007 at 6:55 am
Hi Ali,
Thanks so much for your compliment about my bowl!
I don’t understand the “rustic and modern all in one,” since they are almost complete opposites in design, but I will take the compliment anyway!
Thanks again,
Christine
October 16, 2007 at 10:22 am
HI, Christine,
I’ve enjoyed your web-site very much and have been taking some glass fusing classes. I’d like to know where you buy your black cords for the pendants. Are they silk or satin? Do they have sterling clasps?
Thanks,
Esther
October 17, 2007 at 2:14 am
Hi Esther,
I’m glad you like my website!! I buy my black satin cords from riogrande.com. I tie a knot, because some people want to use a different necklace for their new pendant.
Christine
October 17, 2007 at 11:52 am
Thanks, Christine, I’ll look into that. I appreciate your sharing of techniques and ideas. It’s obvious how your enthusiasm comes through in your work.
Esther
November 1, 2007 at 6:17 am
Hi Christine! I am starting a glass fusing project and I like your bowl. We have blown glass before, but not slumped before so it is very exciting.
I want to create a lace effect with gold frit to fuse over a solid color similar to what you did. What size frit do you find works best? I am using System 96 and want to lay the ‘gold lace’ over the cherry red irid. glass base. Any tips you can give me? Does the lace retain it’s detail when fused underneath a clear?
Thanks for what ever help! IT is a project for my dad’s birthday next month…
November 2, 2007 at 5:28 am
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for the nice words on my glass bowl!!
Slumping is very exciting and fun. You ought to be careful, because it is very addicting.
The glass piece you are planning to make sounds very beautiful.
Here is a link to a great tutorial about making glass lace, http://jimwolverton.com/html/lace.html. It is what I used to learn how to make it.
I usually use System 96 frit size medium. However, I also will use clear frit size medium and then sift powder over it. The tutorial explains how to do this.
I have always full fused the glass lace to the base glass and haven’t fused a clear over the top. However, I don’t see why you couldn’t do it and still retain the detail. You’ll have to do some experimenting 🙂
Let me know if you have any more questions!
And, send me photos of your glass pieces! I’d love to see them!
Christine
February 25, 2008 at 6:15 am
What exactly is frit? Is it possible to make frit by smashing glass bottles into different sizes to use or does it need to be purchased?
February 25, 2008 at 9:57 am
Frit is small pieces of glass. There are various sizes of glass frit, from powder to fine to medium to coarse to mosaic. You can purchase frit in COE of 90 and 96.
However, you can make it, too, like you mentioned. With smashing bottles, I wouldn’t fuse the smaller pieces to any other type of glass. There is the possibility that it will crack. If you smash glass with the same COE, then you can fuse it to other glass that is the same COE.
For this bowl, I used purchased frit that is System 96 and I fused the frit to a piece of white glass that is also System 96.