Kline Art Studio

I am still completely addicted to making beads. I could spend hours and hours at the torch every day. I've stopped watching TV during the day. All those shows I Tivo are being neglected!

I also have been fusing a lot. Faster. Quicker. Better. I started using a fusing schedule from a glass goddess on a Yahoo glass fusing list I belong to and am having a lot of success. I had been using a really long and drawn out schedule that was taking so many hours! Like four! Now I am in and off in just about an hour. So nice! And everything has turned out great.

I have a few pictures here. I need to take a lot more. So many more. I have beads coming out of my ears. And some drop ring things. And some things I've done with glassline paints.

Oh! For birthday/mother's day I got a Taurus 3 Ring Saw. Cuts glass like butter. I used it to cut up my messed up pot melt into cool shapes. Now I have no idea what to do with them...

I also used some of my present money to get part of a sandblasting system. After reading all the things I can do with one, I had to have it! Yesterday I got the compressor and medium and now need to wait for the cabinet to be in stock again. It should be in Tuesday. I wonder how they would feel if I parked myself in the warehouse and waited?!

I got everything together today (with Jim's help!) and blew up Aaron's bike tire. Not in a bad explosive sort of way. In an inflated tire quickly and firmly kind of way! Too bad one tire has a leak--because he would have been off and riding in a snap! Tomorrow I think I'll get out my airbrush equipment. I have this rocker on the porch that I want to turn into a watermelon. I'm thinking I can do it with the airbrush. Or in a pinch I could always paint some of the silk scarves I have lying around here.

The top picture is what I sent in for the swap on the KilnGlass Yahoo list. It's a 2" x 2" tile. I sandwiched frit (aqua, cobalt, and another color) between white and clear and then topped with some stringers. Some were from my pot melt mess, others were made from rods and strips of COE 96 glass--done with the torch.

The second picture is of two bracelet blanks I made. The top one is pieces of stringer and scrap on dark blue and clear. The bottom, 22k gold decals on the same glass. I have since drilled holes in the ends and slumped on my bracelet mold. I still haven't made the bracelets. I'm a little stumped on what to do. Seed beads? Chain? I really need to do something with them because they are awfully cool. They are about 2" long x .75" high.

The bottom picture is of some prototypes I had done for a friend who wanted 10 pendants to give as presents. She since changed her mind, but they turned out very nice. I used the dark blue glass and clear, and topped with 22k gold decals. I love the decals. I haven't had a single one not work out yet. They are easy and classy looking. They really look a lot harder than they are. They are about 1" square.

A word about holes in glass. I am thrilled to pieces with the drill press and carbide glass bits from Harbor Freight. I can drill a hole in anything glass! And I do. So easy. I've lost a few pieces, but I'm getting better every time.

I promise to get more pictures. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow so maybe I can get some outside. I was going to do it tonight...but I was too busy making beads!