Learning Curve

One of the things that first attracted me to working with glass was the intensity of the transparent colors.  The first piece I made reflects this interest.  It was made using scrap glass from a big bin of discarded bits and pieces.

Scrap project using plate glass, stringers, confetti, and frit from a large bin of discarded pieces - from the top image

Although the colors are not particularly accurate in this image (i.e., the colors on your screen are NOT the colors of the actual glass, you get the idea of the color possibilities I was exploring with this very primitive crab.

Scrap project using plate glass, stringers, confetti, and frit from a large bin of discarded pieces - from the bottom image

This is also the first time I learned an important lesson - glass colors may NOT be what they appear to be.  The three bubbles above the crab appeared to be discarded clear circles in  the heap.  Once fired, I learned that these were clear REACTIVE glass, which looks clear before firing, and turns translucent white after firing.

I have since learned several lessons under the heading of ".....all glass is NOT transparent!"  Solid opalescent sheet glass, for example, may fire the color it appears to be when in a "new" sheet, OR it may become another color.  Pimento red glass coming out of the kiln, for example, begins as a sunny, warm yellow.  Fired canary yellow begins as an unassuming, pale spring green.

Some solid transparent sheets can also surprise you in this before and after transformation triggered by heat.

So, what is the solution to these chameleon-like glass properties?  Keep the code number ON you glass AND keep the company catalog (Bullseye, for example,) within arm's reach!  When you plan to construct with a lovely pumpkin orange (1322,) for example, decide if the magenta color it turns once fired will still make a stunning piece of candy corn for that Halloween decor or will the pale green (1025) feel like a delicate spring stem and leaves in shocking orange.

Recently I made a small pair of button earrings and planned to glue posts on the back and wear them with denim.  The layers of the glass I used started with French vanilla on the bottom, cyan frit in the middle, and 'what I though was a clear cap' on the top.  As you may have guess, the clear cap was really some clear reactive as in the bubbles in the crab above, and so my lovely blue and white buttons were a hazy white - not what I had planned and very disappointing.

I would like to say I learned from this mistake and have been sure not to repeat it, however........

HAPPY PI DAY! (3.14.16)