I alternate between two methods of working. For kilned glass, after smoothing the edges of a cut glass pattern, it is washed and put in a kiln to be fused. The kiln works through many stages to heat and then cool the glass very slowly, making sure it doesn't crack or distort. The combination of times and temperatures I programme change the outcome. It's important not to mix glass COEs (how quickly each glass expands with heat), something I did regularly at the beginning. I thought moving from stained glass to kilned glass would be seamlessly easy! However, the results have often been disappointing. A single fuse takes nearly 24 hours, plus a lot of preparation, so the learning curve and financial cost have been steep - a consequence of learning to kiln work glass without formal training.

All of my glass processes and techniques, apart from the initial short course in stained glass, have been learned through trial and error and online tutorials. A minefield of working glass to its limits, rethinking designs, honing electrical skills and working with the science and alchemy of hot glass. The mistakes I’ve made have revealed little nuanced details I can achieve by melting iridescent and patterned glass, that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.

And so to today. I’m experimenting with colour and putting back in some texture once melted, it becomes a smooth thing. Final pieces are kilned and reworked by hand, sometimes ten or more times, before I make a hanging loop and fuse for the final time.

The glass I use is made by Bullseye Glass Co. in Portland, Oregon, a family-run company started in 1974. They produce beautiful artisan glass, mouth-blown and hand-rolled. Bullseye work tirelessly to reduce emissions and protect their local environment. They very recently won the Coolest Thing to be Made in Oregon. I voted all the way from Cornwall, so I am very pleased for them. One day I will visit.

Bullseye supply Warm Glass UK, where I purchase glass. They are a B-Corp company, which isn’t won lightly, and have strict codes of conduct to ensure glass is supplied ethically. I also use Creative Glass Guild occasionally, to purchase glass and equipment.

Stained glass

The stained glass technique I use most is the copper foil technique. This involves cutting sheets of coloured glass to fit a pattern. Grinding the glass so the pieces fit together and sticking copper-backed tape to the edges. The pieces are then soldered together. I edge it in lead came, which is used in church windows.

Stained glass roundels are hung with steel wire and copper ferrules from a boat chandlery.

Packaging

My packaging and padding is reused corrugated and shredded cardboard, bubble wrap, and packaging nuts from the packages I receive glass supplies in.