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 majority of 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 hard 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. One day it would be great to visit.

Bullseye supply Warm Glass UK, my main glass supplier. Warm Glass are a B-Corp company ensuring glass is supplied ethically. I also but less often purchase glass and equipment from Creative Glass Guild Both are brilliant, local-community focused, Bristol based suppliers.

Stained glass

I use the Tiffany technique. Cutting sheets of coloured glass to fit a pattern. Grinding the glass pieces so they fit together. Sticking copper tape to the edges. Soldering the glass together. I edge the final design with rods of lead came and 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.