Finally, Fusing

As busy as I am in January in-between all the birthdays, I am trying something new.  Early last spring I bought a small Paragon kiln from a fellow glass artist who did not need it anymore.  I was planning to try to create cameo insets to be used in my stained glass projects.  Such as textured pieces and painted faces - to give my stained glass works a bit more of an edge. 

Of course, the kiln sat unused for over 6 months while I was thinking how to rearrange my work space to create a fusing station.  The reorg eventually took place and I used the baby Paragon a couple of times before the New Year.  

I am getting back to it now, just experimenting on my own.  Basic fusing does not seem like rocket science, and for now I am not planning to do anything advanced.  Still, I have to figure out how glass behaves at different temperatures. 

This heart tile is the result of one of my little experiments.  At first, I wanted to make a heart out of two different pieces of glass by just fusing them together, without a background, like a pendant.  It was not supposed to work out, and it certainly did not, but I got to see it for myself :) 

So, here is the second try, the successful one, with a background.  It is a cute little tile, a perfect small wall decor piece for Valentine's Day.