Sunday, May 31, 2009

Glass 101: What is Dichroic Glass?





What is Dichroic Glass?

What is Dichroic Glass?

Fusing glass - getting it so hot it melts together and thus fuses - is an art with a long tradition. In my studio, I use art glass specifically designed for kiln fusing. Many of the "special effects" are created through the use of dichroic glass. It's visually beautiful, mesmerizing, and depending upon the angle you look at it, you see a different color.

But what on Earth is it?

Dichroic glass is the result of placing a multi-layered coating on glass using a highly technical vacuum deposition process. Quartz crystal and metal oxides are vaporized (zap!) with an electron beam gun in an airless vacuum chamber. The substance then floats upward and first attaches and then settles on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure. The glass has many layers of these materials, yet the thickness of the total coating is very, very thin. The coating that is created is very similar to some gemstones, and careful control of the thickness creates different colors.

While originally created for the aerospace industry, dichroic glass is available to the artist community through several specialty manufacturers. Dichroic glass is specifically designed to be hotworked, but it is just as beautiful in its original form.

The main characteristic of dichroic glass is that it has a transmitted color and a completely different reflective color (di=two, chroic = colors, dichroic = two colors!). Light passing through dichroic glass transmits one color, while light bouncing off dichroic reflects another color. And to make it even more amazing, these two colors shift depending upon the angle they're viewed at.

One special way to work with dichroic glass is by etching a design onto it before firing. A special acid is used to burn away part of the colored dichroic glass (leaving it as a black base). When it's clear capped with a thin layer of clear art glass, the design really pops!

When you combine the play of light with the vibrant colors of dichroic glass, the visual beauty will delight you! Pictured are exposed dichroic earrings, an acid etched pin and also a pendant with a fully fused topcoat of clear. I'm sure you'll agree that all ways are beautiful!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Who's got some Monkey Bread???





So, I've been missing from blogging for the last couple months, but I'm back and ready to write! A few of you in the Etsy forum were asking about my Monkey Bread recipe (get ready for some serious Oh My God Yumminess), so here it is! Quick and easy and you'll have a new addiction!

MONKEY BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
3 (12 ounces each) packages of refrigerated biscuit dough (I'd suggest getting a name brand)
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

(walnuts and raisins are optional, but hey they add another texture of yumminess)

HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)and spray one 9" or 10" tube or Bundt® pan with Pam .
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the cinnamon sugar mix and arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using walnuts and raisins, mix them in and among the biscuit pieces as you're going merrily along. (I'm sure pecans would be equally delicious).
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 35 minutes. Let the Monkey Bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. You don't need to slice or cut it as the bread just pulls apart.

So are you ready? Go make some Monkey Bread of your own!!!