September 17, 2008

Wanna make some glass frit?















Rhonda Willis from www.rwillisglassartist.etsy.com shares with us a great way to make frit:

A friend of mine works at a local glass store, and she is always coming up with wonderful ideas. Well, her dad (an engineer) came up with this idea for a home-made frit maker. After seeing it, I made a quick dash to the Home Depot (Lowe's or Ace should have them too) so that I could make one for myself.

Materials from hardware store:

One 1-1/2" x 8" heavy lead pipe
One 1-1/2" cap
One 3/4" x 10" heavy lead pipe
Two 3/4" caps

From a glass supply company:
Glass Frit Sifter set (I love this set!!)

The coffee grinder just doesn't do it for me, and like many glass artists, I've been hammering the glass in plastic bags to make my frit. Now I just put my glass in the 1-1/2" pipe and use the capped 3/4" pipe to crush the glass. Then I poor the contents into the glass sifter set which separates the sizes of the frit. I then poor the frit into my 2-oz. storage containers (a gold-mine find at a local thrift store).

The caps aren't flat, so I have to store the frit maker on its side. I'm sure you could flatten the cap. But, I'm not particular. I'm just thrilled to have this! The weight of the capped 3/4" lead pipe makes it quick and easy for me to make my own frit. And, to make the "crusher 3/4" pipe" even heavier I threw in some heavy fishing weights (a garage sale find). Rocks, lead balls, or anything else you can find to add some weight to it will work just as well. Smile

Happy crushing!

September 11, 2008

Glass Jewelry

For the women in your life who love a little sparkle, dichroic jewelry is a great gift choice. Whether it is a dichroic pendant, a pair of earrings, a bracelet or a ring, she's sure to love the dynamic color shift of dichroic glass. For the women who enjoy a more subtle look, glass enamel or art glass jewelry and lampwork are the way to go. Here are some of our favorite pieces.



September 10, 2008

Beads and Lampwork Creations

Made by melting glass in a superhot torch, glass lampwork beads, jewelry and sculptures are unique and beautiful. Whether it is a lampwork pendant or a glass vessel necklace, from beads to bracelets, you can't go wrong with the gift of lampwork.

Stained Glass Gifts

EGA stained glass artisans create suncatchers, stained glass panels, and three-dimensional stained glass objects like business card holders and photo frames. Here is a selection of stained glass items that would make a wonderful and unique gift.