It is finally here! What’s here, you may ask. Why it’s the first issue of Art Glass News Weekly, of course, my brain child, my fait accompli!! Okay, it’s really just an idea I’ve been kicking around the past few months, but I am super proud to have a check next to this in my “To Do” list. Since the first day I began melting glass, I’d learn, after the fact, of cool new glass, or cool new tools, or cool new whoozitmawhatzits THAT I HAD NO CHANCE OF GETTING because I didn’t know about them. Well, no more I say, NO MORE!! Here’s the deal, my fait accompli, “Art Glass News Weekly”, is where I will strive to create an up to minute clearinghouse of all the glass information, everywhere, on every forum, on every site. Okay, that might be a stretch, but I’ll by golly try to glean every morsel of information from the far flung corners of the world wide web so that all of us get a chance at the newest, latest, and greatest.
 

 

What would Halloween be without a potion or two? Maybe some toad soup for that creepy kid down the street or some love potion #10 for that hottie at Starbucks.  Here is a quick and easy recipe for a bubbling cauldron full or whatever concoction you can create.

Supplies List: Black, Clear, and Transparent Glass to color your concoction, Black Stringer and Baking Soda.

Before you start: Lay down a small pile of baking soda on a marvering pad. Make sure there are no clumps on the pile. Make sure that your ventilation system is turned up as high as it goes. While I found mixed information on the dangers of using baking soda in glass work, I always err on the side of caution.  

Step 2: Cover the flattened part with a thin layer of clear. Make sure to leave a small border of black on the outside edge of the flattened area. Slightly flatten it then reheat it to a light glow. While it is still hot, dip just the clear area into the top of the baking soda. Do not get the Baking soda on the black glass. It is hard to see in the photo but you want to get a thin layer of baking soda across the top of the clear layer, no clumps. You can carefully tap the mandrel against your marver to get the excess off, but make sure you do not break your bead release.

Step 4: Using the black stringer, put a lip around the top of the cauldron. I start on one side of the cauldron, right above the mandrel and wrap it all the way around the bead. The wrap should sit on the small border of black glass you left in Step 2 and should rest up against the bubbling clear in the center.

Step 5: Put on some feet. For these pictures, I used ivory but usually I do them in the same color as pot. Put 3 large dots on the bottom of the pot in a triangle pattern. While all 3 dots are evenly heated, press down on a flat surface to create the feet. Flash the bead in the heat and put it in the kiln to anneal.

 

Please send us your photos of your bubbling cauldrons, we will try to feature some in our halloween issue. If you want to make some ghosts to complete your coven, please check out this tutorial. In the notes it shows how to make the Angels into ghosts. 

 

 

If you have not checked out Avenue Beads recently, then you have been missing out. Joe and Barry do an amazing job with stringers and shards. The only raku I have ever been able to get to pop is their raku shards. I get wonderful color from them every time. They have some new shards on their website that I can't wait to try. "Janet's Motley Shards" pictured on the right are COE104.

For those of you who love the flower beads, check out the stamen cane that Joe has for sale. In black and yellow, each 11 inch rod is enough to make dozens of stamens.

If that is not enough to get you to go check out Avenue Beads' website, I want to let you know that they will be having a 20 % off sale on their Dicro Strips from October 5 through October 9.