Material Girl

I never anticipated that a simple glass fusing lesson would ignite a vibrant new passion within me. After immersing myself in the world of silver jewellery and completing a silversmithing course in Leeds, I found myself joining friends for a fused glass workshop in a nearby town. Given that I already owned a kiln from my silver clay endeavors, I figured it would be an enjoyable and relatively inexpensive venture to explore. How wrong I was!

During the workshop, we delved into the fundamentals of glass cutting and dabbled in decorating techniques that reminded me of the carefree joy of tossing toppings on a pizza. While my initial creations left much to be desired, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a hidden potential in this craft waiting to be uncovered. Lacking any firing guidance, I turned to “A Beginner’s Guide to Kilnformed Glass,” which opened my eyes to the vast array of equipment necessary to truly excel.

Fast forward a dozen years, and I find myself surrounded by an impressive—and somewhat costly—collection of tools that would make any glass artist green with envy. My arsenal includes:

• Glass Cutters

• Breaking pliers

• Glass grinder

• Lap grinder

• Diamond hand pads

• Car polishing papers

• Diamond Files

• Silk screens

• A trusty battery Dremel

• Circle cutting systems

• Molds

• Bowls

• Brushes

• Tile saw

• Drill bits

• Tweezers

• Tubs of silicon carbide grit and polishing compounds,

• Plaster, silica, talc, fibre glass, vermiculite and fibreboard

And let’s not forget about the glass itself—an essential component that certainly adds to the expense of this captivating hobby! And believe or not, all this has to be crammed into my very small home workspace!