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Fusers Guide to Frit – 5 Sizes, Limitless Possibilities

Frit is your friend!

Fusing glass is amazing. We fusers cut glass and super heat it to make cool designs all our own. Solid colors make bold projects, but once you start playing with frit and see all the new and exciting possibilities, you’ll be eager to add this small material to all your big projects.   

Frit is crushed fusible glass. Oceanside Compatible frit comes in 5 grain sizes: powder, fine, medium, course and mosaic. Each size is available in 8.5 oz. and 4 lb. jars. Each frit size has unique visual characteristics that you can push to ramp up your fused glass projects. Let’s go over the many possibilities one size at a time.

Powder

Powder has the silky consistency of confectioners’ sugar. It appears smooth and has uniform color coverage after fusing. Powder can be used as filler between cut glass pieces, to add shading, to add patterns and even as a repair tool. I use powder when I want super strong color saturation along with multiple color blends.

Shere Power by Lisa Vogt

Shere Power is a great example. Wherever I wanted tight control over my line quality and solid color saturation, I used cut glass to represent the design. The cut glass was fixed to a clear base glass with fuser’s glue. The glue keeps the pieces from moving when applying the frit. Once the glue was dry, I poured powder frit between the pieces and blended the colors with a wide, dry paint brush and a palate knife. The blended powders give the art a beautiful painterly quality that dramatically contrasts with the solid color fields surrounding it.

Other fun uses include using powder to add shadows to a solid base color. Apply medium and dark green powder on top of light green glass to add shading to your design. Or sift the powder over a stencil to add a crisp and intricate pattern to your project.

One of my favorite uses for powder is to fill inconvenient gaps between my cut glass pieces. Think of it like grouting tile. It’s easy and affective. Work a small amount of powder into the gaps with a narrow paint brush. For added pop, use a bright color that contrasts your design’s color palate.

Powder Pros: It’s fast and easy to create subtle or dramatic color blends that support your specific creative vision. Adding shading and pattern is a snap.    

Powder Cons: Cleanup is time consuming. The powder requires meticulous cleanup to ensure the surrounding solid glass color isn’t muddied. After removing any excess power with a brush, I go over the surface of the glass with the corner of a damp towel or a damp Q-tip depending upon the size of the surface area being cleaned. 

Tips for working with powder.

Don’t be skimpy when you use powder frit. For bright vivid colors, it’s necessary to fill the space between your cut glass pieces to the top edge, in effect making the frit 1/8 inch thick. 

Be daring and use high contrast colors, they display better in the finished piece.

Opal glass colors tend to give a more dramatic effect than transparent colors. 

Know your glass colors. Powder frit specifically, looks lighter in the jar than the actual glass color. Light blue and dark blue look the same just as transparent light green and opal dark green look the same. If you’re not sure of the intensity or opacity of a powder, look at a larger size frit like, medium or course. Or find a piece of sheet glass with the same color code number, compare it to the frit and the frit color and shade will be obvious.

Powder in high concentration, like in a casting mold, looks milky after fusing. If you want to use powder in a mold, layer it with clear in medium, course or mosaic size frit. Using this technique will improve the transparency of the cast glass project.

Poppy Sink by Lisa Vogt

Fine Frit

Fine frit has the consistency of granulated sugar. It appears grainy, like small uniform dots after fusing. Like powder, fine can be used to fill gaps between cut pieces of glass. The larger grain size makes it faster and easier to clean up than powder. Fine is also great for shading when you want a slight textural look to the shadows.

Fine Pros: Cleanup is fast and easy. In the same application, it takes less material to do the same job with fine than it does with powder. Fine is a great filler to use between larger frit. It gives you complete color coverage and prevents the base glass from peeking through.

Fine Cons: Color blends within this same size have a grainy appearance after fusing.   

Tips for working with Fine.

Use both transparent and opal frit glasses together for greater visual depth and to create shading.

Use fine frit together with other frit sizes to produce visual textures.

Sea Turtle by Lisa Vogt

Medium Frit

Medium frit has the texture of course sand. When fused, medium frit retains the sand-like visual appearance. I use this size frit when I want to fill in larger areas with strong color quickly. It can also be used to create shading and color blends provided you welcome variations in the coverage which depend on how much frit or how little frit is applied.

Medium Pros:  Medium frit provides you with quick, easy coverage of large areas with strong color saturation.

Medium Cons: This frit has a grainy look, and the base glass may peek through the frit unless your layer is thick.

Tips for working with Medium.

Use both transparent and opal glasses in combination for greater visual depth and to create shading.

Use medium and fine frit together for new color blends and to add visual texture.

Party Animals by Lisa Vogt

Course Frit

Course frit has the consistency of small pebbles. The pebble look remains after fusing. This frit is great for filling large areas where you want visual texture to contrast solid fields elsewhere in the project.

Course Pros: Course frit covers a lot of area fast, and it leaves an appealing pattern behind after firing.

Course Cons: The base glass will be visible between this larger size grain.I fill in around course with both medium and fine frit to intensify the color and hide the base.

Tips for working with Course.

Use both transparent and opal glasses in combination for greater visual depth and to create shading.

Use fine and medium frit together with course to produce pleasing textures.

Flowering Tree by Lisa Vogt

Mosaic Frit

Mosaic has a wide variety of glass shapes and sizes within the jar. This frit leaves a vein-like impression after fusing. I use mosaic size when I have a lot of space to fill and when I want to create an organic pattern.

Tips for working with Mosaic.

Clear glass layered on top of a color dilutes the color below. It’s like adding water to paint. I like to put clear mosaic pieces on top of select elements in my work to create subtle, lighter variations in the original glass color.

During assembly, glue the mosaic pieces down with fusers glue so they don’t move when you fill in the spaces in between.

Use both transparent and opal glasses in combination for greater visual depth and to build interest.

Use fine, medium and course frit to fill gaps and produce interesting color combinations and exciting textures.

Paisley Dish by Lisa vogt

Put it all Together.

Frit is a terrific medium for making landscapes or other images where you want to create an engaging depth of field. In nature, objects in the distance are lighter in color, and they visually have less detail. When making landscapes, I use the different frit sizes to emphasize those subtle differences.

I use powder to render the sky because I can get smooth, gradual color changes. I use fine frit to create the tree line and other filler foliage in the distance. The grain size stands out in front of the powder and yet doesn’t compete with the foreground. Medium frit works well for the mid-range elements that require more intricate detail, like bushes or flowers. Course frit is well suited for objects in the foreground, such as flowering plants or sweeping trees. These design elements carry more visual weight and tie the design together. Mosaic frit is great for specific up-close subject matter like a path or bridge. Such solid, recognizable focal points lure the viewer into the design.

Oceanside Compatible frit comes packed in 8.5 oz. and 4 lb. jars. For the larger sizes like course and mosaic you may consider crushing your own frit. The advantage to working from the jars though, is you have uniform sizes within the jars and one single color throughout. Plus, there’s no risk of contaminants like dirt or metal shavings that are present when you crush your own glass. Personally, I prefer to jump right into the design and fabrication phases rather than spend time swinging a hammer and sifting glass.

I hope this round-up entices you to start incorporating frit in your new work. It is such a versatile and easy to apply material. You will love the creative flexibility it affords.

Want to learn more?

Join me TODAY in my LIVE Fusing with Frit webinar.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to SEE how you can use frit to jazz up your artwork. Join me and I’ll show you how to work with frit in a LIVE Fusing with Frit Webinar. I look forward to seeing YOU today!

LIVE Webinar!

Fusing with Frit Webinar

November 28, 2023

Ramp up the visual intricacy of your glass art!

Clever glass fusers know that using strong line quality and bold color saturation in combination is an effective way to create stand-out works of art.

Now take such trustworthy techniques and sprinkle in gradient blends and subtle shading achieved using frit. You’ll be amazed just how quickly your artwork advances to a new, exciting level of sophistication.

In this comprehensive webinar, I’ll show you how to apply several methods I employ to add the striking, painterly-quality I have developed to improve the impact of your glass fusing projects.

Sheer Power by Lisa Vogt

I demonstrate how to make SEVEN projects in this Webinar including a sea turtle, flowering tree, to beach scene and more!

You’ll learn: how to evaluate a design to maximize the imagery, steps for successful fabrication and practical tips for building professional quality, finished pieces.

Along with my step-by-step instruction, you’ll also receive complete material lists and project-specific firing guides.

I hope to see YOU today!

Happy fusing!
Lisa 

Get FREE advanced glass fusing tips and trick in your inbox. Follow my blog for weekly inspiration.

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Fusing with Frit

Upcoming LIVE Event!

Fusing with Frit Webinar

November 28, 2023

Sheer Power by Lisa Vogt

Ramp up the visual intricacy of your glass art!

Clever glass fusers know that using strong line quality and bold color saturation in combination is an effective way to create stand-out works of art.

Now take such trustworthy techniques and sprinkle in gradient blends and subtle shading achieved using frit. You’ll be amazed just how quickly your artwork advances to a new, exciting level of sophistication.

In this comprehensive webinar, I’ll show you how to apply several methods I employ to add the striking, painterly-quality I have developed to improve the impact of your glass fusing projects.

I demonstrate how to make SEVEN projects in this Webinar including a sea turtle, flowering tree, to beach scene and more!

You’ll learn: how to evaluate a design to maximize the imagery, steps for successful fabrication and practical tips for building professional quality, finished pieces.

Along with my step-by-step instruction, you’ll also receive complete material lists and project-specific firing guides.

I hope to see YOU Tuesday!

Happy fusing!
Lisa 

Get FREE advanced glass fusing tips and trick in your inbox. Follow my blog for weekly inspiration.

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5 Reasons Pro Fusers Take Notes

Being artsy and creating original art is exciting. It feeds the mind, body and soul with inner joy and peace.  

Glass fusing has broad appeal due to the ease at which plain sheet glass can be transformed into flashy pieces of art. It’s this facet that makes this medium attractive to artists and crafters who love hands-on immersion.    

But glass fusing is different from other mediums. Kiln operation and following firing guidelines make glass fusing a science as much as art. Of course, you can ignore that reality. Stay in the safe zone, using pre-programmed kilns and adhering to standard firing schedules. Copy and make the same reliable projects that everyone else is sharing. But the real exciting creations are inspired by stepping outside the box. To stretch your imagination and take your art to an all new level of amazing, you must take your work more seriously.

Approach your hobby like a pro.

Get organized. The best way to master the technical aspects of science, and benefit from your process is to take notes of your work in progress. Once the technical aspects are under control, the artist is free to focus on the creative development of the art.

You argue, why stop the creative flow to take boring notes?

Here’s why the pros take notes.

1 Creative inspiration.

We’re human. We forget intricate details. Remembering the big, broad strokes is easy. It’s the tiny nuances that drift away like fluffy dandelion seeds on the wind. These seemingly insignificant concepts are what make your art your own, unique creations.

Pros take notes even when making routine pieces. They know that new design ideas come from recycling and reorganizing old tried and trusted design ideas. Often, my groundbreaking innovations are the product of combining an unlikely variety of tiny concepts. I pull minor techniques from previously made art and merge them to develop a single new creation.

Plus, if you’re consistent and establish good note talking habits, you’ll free up mind space previously dedicated to remembering your methods. This open-air gives new ideas room to live and grow.         

2 Find encouragement.

A notebook is black and white proof you’re making progress. No matter how small, every entry is positive reinforcement that you’re learning new things, trying new techniques and growing your creative style. It’s a tribute to hard work and an ego boost whenever you need encouragement to forge ahead.

Success is a terrific confidence builder. When you have a notebook full of great success stories it promotes cheerful production. At any time, you can flip through those messy pages and marvel over all the beautiful pieces you’ve made.

It’s a thrill to revisit simple projects you thought you’d outgrown. You remember how much fun it was to lose yourself in the creative zone and consider remaking old favorites for the joy of it. That’s priceless.  

3 Build self-confidence.

By taking detailed notes of a project’s progress as its made, it’s easy to repeat successful projects with confidence. I consult my notes when I want to quickly and easily repeat projects with accuracy.

Notes are also a great reference for new project development. With them I can plan new design directions knowing what outcome to expect from certain advanced techniques. This knowledge frees me to focus my full attention on creating a revolutionary new design.  

4 Learn from your mistakes.

Another, huge benefit to cataloging your methods is you can retrace your steps backwards when disaster strikes to pin point where it went wrong. It’s a valuable teaching tool you can use to learn from your mistakes. With notes you can efficiently repeat your successes and avoid failures in the future.

In my experience, taking notes drastically improves the overall quality and success of my projects. Documenting assembly and firing methods minimizes problems and gives me the self-confidence to experiment.  

5 Trail blaze new ideas.

Pioneering new design concepts is exciting and scary. When I’m commissioned to design original art, I consult my fusing notebook for guidance. I look up projects that are similar in size and thickness to the new job. I study projects that are larger and projects that are smaller. With that information, I develop a custom firing schedule for the new job. I write a program that’s conservative, to avoid breakage, and yet gives me the desired results I promised the client.  

Like you, I don’t want to waste time, money or material on failures. We all want to start a project knowing that the finished artwork will bring our beautifully imagined vision to life. If it doesn’t, the failure is devastating. By taking notes, you can approach new design ideas with greater confidence. By knowing the parameters that have worked successfully in the past, you can take on more challenging projects and enjoy success in the future.    

Pros make it a habit.

Taking notes is the best thing you can do to improve the quality and increase the complexity of your art. Good habits are as hard to break as bad habits.

Be a pro.

Happy fusing!
Lisa 

Get FREE advanced glass fusing tips and trick in your inbox. Follow my blog for weekly inspiration.

Upcoming LIVE Event!

Fusing with Frit Webinar

November 28, 2023

Sheer Power by Lisa Vogt

Ramp up the visual intricacy of your glass art!

Clever glass fusers know that using strong line quality and bold color saturation in combination is an effective way to create stand-out works of art.

Now take such trustworthy techniques and sprinkle in gradient blends and subtle shading achieved using frit. You’ll be amazed just how quickly your artwork advances to a new, exciting level of sophistication.

In this comprehensive webinar, I’ll show you how to apply several methods I employ to add the striking, painterly-quality I have developed to improve the impact of your glass fusing projects.

I demonstrate how to make SEVEN projects in this Webinar including a sea turtle, flowering tree, to beach scene and more!

You’ll learn: how to evaluate a design to maximize the imagery, steps for successful fabrication and practical tips for building professional quality, finished pieces.

Along with my step-by-step instruction, you’ll also receive complete material lists and project-specific firing guides.

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How to Find Inspiration

Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy outdoor activities and breathe in the beauty of nature. It’s refreshing to be away from my glass studio in environments rich with color, pattern and new scenes. I cherish time cooling off on the water and the exhilaration of hiking in the woods. The outings clear my mind of old design themes, they rejuvenate my spirit and inspire new design ideas.

I may be off work, but my creative subconscious is on duty collecting tidbits that’ll later be integral parts of my new art. I seek exciting new compositions by studying tiny details like the delicate curled shoots of ferns. I imagine the extreme color combinations studying the broad strokes of a spectacular, cotton candy pink sunset. Even familiar settings, seen with renewed artistic curiosity, offer new appeal.  

Fairy Tale Forest by Lisa Vogt

Fairy Tale Forest was inspired by a path I frequently walk in the woods. It’s an enchanted place with specked shade, inviting curves that promise adventure and the musical sounds of nature alive in the brush. Tall pines and century old oaks form a canopy overhead. The cathedral-like tunnel makes me feel small, at ease and safe. It’s as if the trees are guarding me with the wisdom of their age. It’s such a magical place, I half expect to see a white unicorn trotting around the palmetto bushes.

The truth is the path doesn’t really look like my design. I exercised my artistic license. I designed the art to convey the way I feel, the comfort and joy I have when I’m strolling down the leaf blanketed trail.

I never would have stretched my artistic vision to that extent without the actual experience of walking down that path.

Paradise Bay by Lisa Vogt

Paradise Bay was inspired by a favorite lagoon on a lake. Again, the artwork loosely represents the landscape. It’s really a representation of good times and fond memories of time spent with my family.  

River Bottom by Lisa Vogt

River Bottom was inspired by the ditch that lines my street. Really. I was walking one morning and noticed the sunlight shining on the water in the retention ditch on my road. The sun pierced through the clear water down to the bottom where it lit up the tiny green leaves of mossy plants. They sparkled like glitter covered light bulbs. It was so captivating I then noticed some lacy tree leaves suspended in time, and the striking shadows of tree trunks stretching across the placid surface of the water. I thought, this is a beautiful scene, how can I render this in glass?

The project is simple. You must see it in person, after hearing the story, to really appreciate the true beauty and depth of River Bottom. The takeaway, the invaluable lesson, is that beauty is all around us. We just have to look for it and then let it inspire us to be creative.           

Take it outside!

This fall while you’re exploring beaches, mountains and cities open yourself to discovery. Then, when the artistic spark flares, you’ll have an exciting collection of new ideas to fuel what you fire. 

Happy fusing!
Lisa 

Get FREE advanced glass fusing tips and trick in your inbox. Follow my blog for weekly inspiration.

Upcoming LIVE Event!

Fusing with Frit Webinar

November 28, 2023

Sheer Power by Lisa Vogt

Ramp up the visual intricacy of your glass art!

Clever glass fusers know that using strong line quality and bold color saturation in combination is an effective way to create stand-out works of art.

Now take such trustworthy techniques and sprinkle in gradient blends and subtle shading achieved using frit. You’ll be amazed just how quickly your artwork advances to a new, exciting level of sophistication.

In this comprehensive webinar, I’ll show you how to apply several methods I employ to add the striking, painterly-quality I have developed to improve the impact of your glass fusing projects.

I demonstrate how to make SEVEN projects in this Webinar including a sea turtle, flowering tree, to beach scene and more!

You’ll learn: how to evaluate a design to maximize the imagery, steps for successful fabrication and practical tips for building professional quality, finished pieces.

Along with my step-by-step instruction, you’ll also receive complete material lists and project-specific firing guides.

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How to Cut Glass

5 Tips to Improve Your Cutting

One of the fastest and easiest ways to improve your fused glass art and dramatically expand your design style is to develop your glass cutting skills.

The beauty of working with fusing is the simplicity of the medium. Many people come to the craft with little or no glass cutting experience. Due to the ease of fabrication and wealth of readily available information, they’re successfully producing attractive pieces from the start.

But if you’re now tiring of the simple cut and assemble methods that got you started and longing to move in a more advanced direction, a small dose of technique is the jump start you need.

It may seem like a trivial topic to address, but your project complexity is in direct relation to your cutting confidence. In other words, the better you cut, the more likely you are to venture outside of your comfort zone and take on more challenging projects.

Here are some tips to get you started. 

1 Consistent pressure.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take a heavy hand to make a good score line on glass. What it takes is consistent, medium pressure from the very beginning to the very end of the score. The glass cutter should, “sing” as it rolls over the surface of the glass. It’s a pleasant, consistent sound beginning to end. It’s not a cringing grinding noise. A good score is visible its entire length. But it’s not messy and littered with thin splinters. The grinding noise and splinters are signs you’re applying way too much pressure.

Many beginners start strong but let up the pressure as their hand moves farther away from their body. In this case, breakage tends to occur ¾ of the way down the score line. Beginners believe the score comes solely from the hand. A good score comes from making your wrist, elbow and shoulder one rigid tool. This combined strength and rigidity helps you apply consistent pressure the entire length of the score even at an awkward distance from your body. 

When cutting an unusually long piece, I turn the glass so I can run my score right to left instead of away from my body. This way I can move my body along with my hand and more easily maintain the consistent pressure needed for a successful break.    

2 Cut on the smoothest side of the glass.

In some cases, I prefer the look, color or pattern on the textured side of a sheet of glass. I turn the glass over and cut on the smoother side and then simply turn the glass back over when I assemble my project. The glass cutter wheel will have better, more consistent, contact with the glass the entire length of the score if you cut on the smoothest side. 

3 Beginning and end.

Try to start your score as close to the leading edge of the glass as possible without falling backward off the glass. Apply consistent, medium pressure from the very start. End the score as close to the far edge as possible without falling off the glass. Repeatedly falling off the glass edge will damage the cutter wheel and could possibly cause the glass to shatter.  

4 Use the right tool for the job.

Use a strip cutter or circle cutter when applicable. Accuracy is key for professional quality artwork. These tools give your work consistency. Plus, they save material by reducing waste and breakage.

When cutting strips, I cut a few more than I need and select the best, straightest strips for my project. The extra pieces find their way into smaller projects, pot melts or free flows. Nothing goes to waste.

Whenever possible, I opt to use running pliers over grozing or breaking pliers to break glass away from a sheet. Running pliers give the most reliable results. They work best if the glass being removed is at least as wide as the rubber tipped plier jaw. When breaking narrow or small curved pieces away, I choose grozing plies because the narrow jaw fits in tight places and allows me to get close to the score line.     

5 Use paper patterns.

Don’t hesitate to cut around a paper pattern to include an intricate shape in your work. This is a terrific way to transition away from strictly geometric designs and into pieces with lively organic elements.

Glass wants to break in a straight line. To cut rounded shapes, we make a series or gradual curves and break the excess glass away in steps until we have a glass shape that closely resembles our pattern.  

When cutting around a paper pattern piece, cut as close to the paper as possible without running into it. Beginners tend to cut a wide safety halo around the paper. It just postpones the inevitable. Be brave. Go for it. If the glass is going to break unfavorably the halo, no matter how heavenly, won’t prevent it.

Something to build on.  

The more time and effort you put into each step makes the next step easier and the finished product that much better. Don’t rush a project just to get it in the kiln. Give it the time it needs and produce your best work, every time. If you have to ask, “Is this good enough,” it probably isn’t. Do yourself a favor, re-do that piece or step. You can thank me later when you’re doing the, my piece came out awesome, happy dance.  

Go ahead. Cut it up!

Happy fusing!
Lisa 

Get FREE advanced glass fusing tips and trick in your inbox. Follow my blog for weekly inspiration.

Upcoming LIVE Event!

Fusing with Frit Webinar

November 28, 2023

Sheer Power by Lisa Vogt

Ramp up the visual intricacy of your glass art!

Clever glass fusers know that using strong line quality and bold color saturation in combination is an effective way to create stand-out works of art.

Now take such trustworthy techniques and sprinkle in gradient blends and subtle shading achieved using frit. You’ll be amazed just how quickly your artwork advances to a new, exciting level of sophistication.

In this comprehensive webinar, I’ll show you how to apply several methods I employ to add the striking, painterly-quality I have developed to improve the impact of your glass fusing projects.

I demonstrate how to make SEVEN projects in this Webinar including a sea turtle, flowering tree, to beach scene and more!

You’ll learn: how to evaluate a design to maximize the imagery, steps for successful fabrication and practical tips for building professional quality, finished pieces.

Along with my step-by-step instruction, you’ll also receive complete material lists and project-specific firing guides.