Sunny, relaxing summer days are here! It’s time for delicious family picnics, breezy boat rides and warm sand between your toes. This series of bowls combines simple lines, a pleasing color palate and a whimsical touch of nature with classic seaside style. Beach Day Bowls are perfect accents for creating beach style comfort in your home all summer long.
When I come across a pattern that really brings me joy, I like to recreate that design in different sizes. Then I display the companion pieces around my kitchen and family room to set a seasonal mood throughout our living space. If you’re attracted to this pattern, consider making it in a few different sizes to get the most out of the simple, yet stylized ocean theme.
How-to make the bowls.
These bowls are made with two layers of glass. The base layer is clear glass. The second, design layer is made up of cut glass pieces. Start by cutting the clear base.
Enlarge the pattern to your desired dimension. Use the pattern as a guide to cut the design layer. Cut the paper up. Glue it to the glass with a glue stick. Cut the glass as close to the paper pattern as possible to minimize the amount of grinding needed.
There are some deep, inside cuts in my pattern. Cut the glass as accurately as you can. Grind the pieces to improve the edge quality and overall fit of the design. Assemble the cut glass pieces on top of the clear base. Use fuser’s glue to affix the design layer to the base layer. It’s okay if your pieces don’t fit perfectly. Let the glue dry. This will prevent the glass from moving when you apply the frit.
Use a spoon and pour fine blue frit on top of the glass. Use a paint brush to move the frit into the gaps between the pieces to fill in the space and add a linear detail. Remove any excess frit by sweeping it off the glass. Be meticulous about your cleanup. Attention to detail make a difference. Doing your best work on every step will dramatically improve the quality of your finished artwork.
Use a razor knife and cut a bird footprint stencil out of stiff paper. I use file folders or poster board. You can also use plastic stencils available at your local craft store in the scrap booking department. Place the stencil on the area of the design that represents the sand. Sift powder brown frit over the stencil. Carefully lift the stencil off the glass.
Fire the assembled project to a full fuse temperature using the firing guide below.
Place the fused glass on a slumping mold and fire it to a slumping temperature using the guide below.
My bowls measure 10 inch x 10 inch, 6 inch x 6 inch and 4 inch by 4 inch. You can make these bowls in different sizes and get the same beautiful results.
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Happy Fusing!
Lisa
Upcoming Class!
Advanced Glass Fusing Class
4-Day, Hands-on Class, Wesley Chapel, FL
February 4-7, 2025
YOU can make gallery quality fused glass art! You’ll love the personalized instruction in this exciting advanced technique, artistic awakening and skill building workshop. This is the turning point experience you’ve been waiting for.
Someday is here! What are you waiting for? You’re in your prime. You’re at the peak of your interest in glass fusing. Take the next step and raise your artwork to an exciting new level of sophistication.
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Wesley Chapel, Florida, 4-Day, Hands-on, Class size is limited.
In this class, you will push the boundaries art glass imposes. Students will explore innovative approaches to design and combine multiple advanced techniques to construct original art that reflects their own personal style. You’ll enjoy: the one-on-one instruction, making multifaceted projects, the well-equipped classroom, and the intimate class size.
You’ll love the concentrated, in-depth study and creative momentum you’ll gain while actively producing, nonstop for four consecutive days. You’ll leave class with a working knowledge of kiln operation, custom project specific firing guides, and the inspiration you’ve been craving to go bigger and do more elaborate works of fused glass art!
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