Looking Back… Looking Ahead…

The New Year is a week old already. I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions, but I have been reflecting on the past and the future.

In looking back at last year, most of my focus was on fused glass. I’ve come a long way in my fusing. I started with a small 8 inch kiln. I made some pendants, ponytail holders, and pocket vases. I also learned a lot about firing schedules. I quickly outgrew my small kiln, however, and by midyear I got a bigger 22 inch kiln. This is when I really learned about the importance of a good firing schedule and proper annealing. I made sushi dishes, platters, and handkerchief vases. I also explored recycling glass making flattened wine bottle cheese boards, and soap dishes. I’ve just barely scratched the surface of this art. There is still so much to explore in the world of glass fusing.

Looking ahead this year, some of the things I want to explore are pot melts, screen melts, pattern bars, and maybe drop vases. I’m sure at some point; I will want to consider making my own molds too. There is a glass convention that I plan to attend this year. I always come home from these energized and my head spinning with all kinds of ideas and things to try.

I also hope to blog about my glass adventures more regularly this year. My goal is to post at least every other week about something going on in my world of glass. It might be about something I’m working on, great tools, or a fellow artist.

So stay tuned, and if you have questions about stained glass, or fused glass, let me know.