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Turkey Candle Shelter or Flower Vase How-To

6” x 8.5”

Let the festivities begin! Fall is a season for celebrating family, friends and feasting. At my house, the dining room table is the center of attention at this time of year. Accordingly, I like to decorate the table with a special piece of art that brings cheerful energy to our gatherings. This brightly colored turkey is the perfect adornment for such joyous occasions. It may look complicated, but it’s actually fast and easy to make.

To get started, cut out the paper pattern with scissors. To make the base, trace the turkey shape on clear glass with a marker. Cut as much of the clear glass as possible by hand. Use a glass saw to detail the inside cuts. The clear base layer can be made up of pieces if you don’t have access to a saw. Grind the clear glass to remove sharp edges and improve the shape.

For the colorful design layer, cut the pattern up with scissors. Affix the paper pieces to the appropriate colored glass with a glue stick. Cut the pieces as closely to the paper as possible. Cut a second turkey body out of patterned dichroic on clear. Then grind the cut glass pieces to improve the shapes and remove any sharp edges.

Place the clear base on a second pattern. Apply a small amount of fuser’s glue to the clear base and then assemble the colorful design layer on top. Stack the dichroic body on top. Allow the glue to dry until the pieces are secure. If you move to the next step too soon, the glass pieces will slide around when you apply the frit. This causes blurred edges that I feel distract from the design.

Using a spoon, pour a small amount of fine frit onto the turkey. Work the frit down into any gaps with a paint brush. This step gives the finished artwork a nice added detail. I selected a complimentary yellow to highlight this bold color palate. When using this technique, I intentionally pick fine frit instead of powder. The excess fine frit is easier to clean off the surface of the project than powder which tends to stick.

Next add a dichroic dot for an eye and a yellow triangle for a beak. Now for a little bling. Nip wavy Firestrips to size and place them on the turkey’s feathers for a flashy zinger.

The assembled turkey is fused and then slumped over a barrel shaped mold. The slumped turkey is then glued to the front of the clear candle shelter. Colored fused glass strips cover the remainder of the clear candle shelter to give it a festive flare all the way around.

Using a strip cutter cut 16 strips total ½” wide, 5 7/8” long out of red, orange and green glass. Cut 16 strips of iridized clear the same size. Stack the clear iridized strips on the color strips.

Fuse the turkey and strips to a full fuse temperature using the guide below.

Slump the fused turkey over the ceramic mold.

Glue the slumped turkey to the clear candle shelter with E6000 adhesive. Tape the fused glass to the clear shelter to ensure it doesn’t slide off. Let the glue dry overnight.

Glue the fused glass strips to the remainder of the clear shelter. Tape them in place. Let the glue dry overnight.

Double duty. This fancy turkey project can be used as a candle holder or a flower vase. Either way, it’s a beautiful seasonal addition to any decor.

Turkey candle holder as seen in Glass Patterns Quarterly

Fusing Guide

Segment 1: Ramp 300 F/hr to 1300 and hold 30 min.

Segment 2: Ramp 500F/hr to 1465 and hold 10 min.

Segment 3: Ramp 9999(AFAP*) to 960 and hold 40 min.

Segment 4: Cool to room temperature.

*As fast as possible

Slumping Guide

Segment 1: Ramp 300 F/hr to 1265 and hold 10 min.

Segment 2: Ramp 9999(AFAP*) to 960 and hold 40 min.

Segment 3: Cool to room temperature.

*As fast as possible

NOTE: Kilns fire differently. Test fire these guides in your kiln and then make adjustments as needed.

Oceanside 96 Glass

100SF Clear for the turkey base layer, ½ Sq. Ft.

Oceanside 96 Glass

60-2700-96 Orange/Clear for turkey and strips, ½ Sq. Ft.

60-6120-96 Grenadine/Clear for turkey and strips, ½ Sq. Ft.

60-7550-96-4 Fern Green/Clear for strips, ¼ Sq. Ft.

61-00-96-IR-4 Clear Thin Iridized for strips, 1 Sq. Ft.

F2-2602-96-8 Yellow Opal Frit, Fine

CBS System 96 Dichroic Glass

Pebbles Pattern on Clear 4” x 4”

Wavy “Firestrips”, 2 – 14-inch-long pieces

Tools and Materials

Ceramic Slumping Mold 10 ½” x 9” x 4”

Clear Candle Shelter 6” Tall, 4” Wide, 12” Around

Fuser’s Glue, Marker, Glue Stick, E6000 Adhesive, Masking Tape

Pillar Candle or Flowers

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa

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NEW WEBINAR DATES!

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Fusing with Frit Webinar December 7, 2021

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This is the turning-point workshop you’ve been waiting for.

This is the turning-point workshop you’ve been waiting for.

It’s hard to describe what it’s like when I’m feeling the creative flow. Time flies. Hours pass in what I thought were minutes. My naturally distracted mind is focused on what my hands are doing, and nothing else. I get lost in my own world. When I return to reality, I feel rejuvenated and spiritually uplifted. That’s why I like sharing my studio space with others. I try to give them that experience and hope they feel the same inspiration and fulfillment I do. -Lisa

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Materials are included, that’s a $150.00 value!

May 2021 Student Testimonials 

“My favorite thing about the class was the creative freedom – we were not required to make the same thing the same way. I was surprised by the variety and number items we made and the flexibility we had to go our own way with our projects. The glass studio was very comfortable and very clean with plenty of room.” -Ron

“My favorite thing about the class was the projects were tailored to our interests with user specific glass choices and design options. This makes the best type of learning environment. I loved the continued technical information that was used in daily discussions. Loved the amount of space we had for working and the use of top-quality tools and the hands-on assistance Lisa gave each one of us. You will hear and see me again. Thank you for your time and talent.” – Donna 

“My favorite thing about the class was the creativity – putting things together in new ways – using different materials – and how welcome I felt. I was surprised how much we were able to get done and by Lisa’s ability to coach those of us on different levels. My least favorite part was that the class ended. The classroom setup was excellent – well organized. I really feel like Lisa gave me the tools to advance to a new level. It was worth the cost of the workshop, airfare, B&B, animal care and house sitting! Can’t wait to put what I leaned into practice and return for another workshop.” -Sue

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Advanced Glass Fusing 4-Day, Hands-on Workshop March 22 – 25, 2022

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