Glass Cabochons

Cabochons are actually gemstones that have been shaped and polished rather than facetted. This gives the stone a softer and smoother appearance than facetted gemstones have. Most cabochons are oval or round in shape.
Fused glass cabochons are glass nuggets that have not been made up into jewelry yet. Like the gemstones they also have a smooth, rounded shape which is due to the firepolishing they receive in the kiln. Once at full fusing temperature all sharp edges smooth down as the glass first pulls itself up and then slumps.


Buying fused glass cabs is a great way to create your own jewelry as they have many possibilities. They can be set, like gemstones, in precious metal or metal plate pre-formed settings to make rings, earrings, pendants, brooches or cufflinks. By grinding a ridge along the glass with a dremel (drill) they can be wire wrapped and they can be glued to bails or cufflink posts. Cabs can also be set in precious metal clay (PMC) or glued to magnets or even fused to compatible glass art.


All my cabs shown here are compatible to Bullseye (COE90) glass. They are available in sets of 4, 8 or 9 at very reasonable prices and all shipping is free. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5116357&section_id=5094061

Look what she did!

Beautiful books hand stitched and constructed by The Gift Shed using wax batik paper made by me!!! Here's Galloping Gecko (top) and a red Giddy Gecko. http://TheGiftShed.etsy.com


I am now selling batik papers in packs of three http://ILoveRed.etsy.com and don't forget that shipping is free!

Rip out my heart!

Each of these glass hearts has been made as Valentine gifts and they are available for sale at http://glassprimitif.etsy.com All shipping is free.

Bubblelicious

I love making sushi dishes with bubble powder as it creates totally unique dishes each time I use it.
What is bubble powder? It is a fine fusing powder that, when sprinkled between two pieces of glass, will form blisters of colour, pushing up bubbles onto the surface of the glass.



"Ocean Floor" fused glass sushi dishes by Glassprimitif



I sell bubble powder that is COE82. This means that it will fuse with picture (float) glass only. As picture glass is so cheap compared to other art glass, this makes bubble powder a great medium to experiment with. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8354683
Bubble powder comes in two grades: the finest powder is called Bubble Classic (shown above) and forms large blisters in between the glass in deep, liquid colours. Boreal Bubble is a coarser grain and forms small pock marks in the glass in bright colours. I like to mix the Classic with the Boreal to add texture to the glass too. Bubble powder comes in wonderful colours such as yellow, turquoise, cobalt, Boreal red, Boreal orange and ruby gold. By mixing colours together you can add a third colour to your glass. For example, mixing turquoise and yellow will give a rich green sheen to your glass, as seen below.



"Forest Floor" fused glass sushi dish by Glassprimitif

To use the powder: shake a small amount of powder over a piece of clean float glass and cap with another piece of float glass. Fuse to your usual fusing schedule. Where the powder is thicker, larger bubbles will form inside the glass. If you intend to slump the glass then choose a shallow mold or the bubbles will fracture if they slump too deeply.
Caution: when handling the powder, remember to use surgical gloves and to wear a mask. Wash hands immediately after use and wipe up any surplus powder.

"Pink Bubblegum" fused glass pendant using ruby gold Boreal bubble powder http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8296137
Stained glass suppliers Delphi from the United States also sell bubble powder which is co-efficient with all types of glass but, as I have never used it, I can't vouch for it. http://www.delphiglass.com/

Elves Gone Wild Sale

Announcing the CGGE's Elves Gone Wild December Sale! Yes, holiday elves have put in a full year, knitting and sewing and pounding and sawing and soldering and stringing and melting and painting and... you know. And they are more than ready to take a well-deserved break in West Palm Beach, Florida, where they will frolic in skimpy swimsuits in the warm sea, and drink sticky beverages with silly names. WoooHOOOOOO! Let's help them clear the shelves and buy the tickets. See CGGE announcements in the forums and at our website at http://www.cgge.org. Check members' shop announcements for deals - BOGOs, discounts or free shipping - and each shop's sale dates.

OK, so I didn't write that, Getglassy of http://getglassy.etsy.com is the author, but it actually means that the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy is having a Christmas sale until December 18. All new listings in my Etsy store will be reduced in price and I also offer free shipping to anywhere in the world. So make a visit to http://glassprimitif.etsy.com and see what's in the sale. I will be listing more sale items after December 1.

Fourth of July Sale

I am having my very first sale at http://glassprimitif.etsy.com on Fourth July. I will be offering FREE SHIPPING on all items so please wait for a revised invoice before you pay. I will also be making some items FREE throughout the day so keep checking back for these. This is a one day sale so grab yourself a glassy bargain.