Repurposed Molds!

Inspired by a thread in a glass forum, I went searching in my kitchen for alternative molds for fusing glass. Can you guess what the prior use of this cactus mold was? A wrought iron cornbread pan! It took many, many small pieces of glass to create this cactus paperweight and the detail of the mold is terrific! Go on - check out your house and garage and I’ll bet you find a funky object you can repurpose for a mold for fusing glass too!

(sorry about the cornbread mold, guys, you'll have to get your cornbread in a loaf now!)

Use that glass scrap!

 I frequently get asked what I do with all my glass scrap. One great use is scoring leftover end pieces into strips and using a murrini mold like the one pictured. The sample I have shown used 5 thin strips of Bullseye 90COE glass stacked and full fused in the mold. Now all I have to do is cut the cane into slices to use in my designs. So use that glass scrap!

 

A couple of years ago my husband and son made me 2 of these large planter boxes, one for the front of the house for flowers and one outside the kitchen door for herbs and fun fairy chimes. Didn't they do a great job?!

This year they're going to make me a wishing well. They just don't know it yet.
I'd like one with flat sides so that I can decorate the sides with bits of glass, stones, and pieces of whimsy that I've been collecting over the years.

After they stop jumping for joy at this latest request and actually build it, I'll post a photo of it in its naked state. It will probably take me a couple of weeks to finish and I'll post those photos too .... stay tuned :)

Repurposing Glass: Another Reason to Love Flavored Extracts!

Here's a sneak peek into one of my kilns where I was slumping vanilla extract bottles.

I'll turn these into mini spoonrests when they're done and I plan to acid etch some for a matte finish and I'll keep others shiny, beautiful root beer brown!

I love off-time in the studio just experimenting with new designs and techniques and I look forward to using more of these upcycled little bottles in my work (next up will be those tiny syrup bottles you get at Cracker Barrel!) 

 

Another fabulous way to repurpose glass and keep it out of the landfills.