FAQs

Hard Edge glass art has a distinct style, with hard edges. It relies on cutting lots of coloured glass pieces to an exact pattern, so they all fit exactly together to make the final image - like a jigsaw. There's an in-depth article here - The Hard Edge glass art style explained

Yes! Please get in touch and tell me your ideas.

There's a great blog here, Commissioning Hard Edge glass art explained which covers the stages of commissioning, and lets you know what to expect.

All prices on the website include secure delivery by tracked courier.

Please be aware that outside the UK, the customer is responsible for any additional customs/taxes that may be charged in their country.

Yes, I can arrange for delivery to almost every country in the world. Should your address not be accepted at checkout, please contact me and I will find a solution.

Fused glass items can be hand-washed in warm water with a mild detergent. Do not put them in the dishwasher, or the microwave.

There are a wide range of ways to display glass, so I've created a separate page to go into the details. Please take a look here: How to display Hard Edge glass art in your home

I don't sell my stained glass patterns ... I put many hours into my designs - they're very much part of what I do, and my style - and so they're only ever for my own use.

I don't teach glass art, or offer any online classes or tutorials. I have far too many ideas of my own to get through yet :)

I'd recommend finding a local one day course to learn the basics of cutting and handling glass. This is what I did ... I learned to cut, to work safely, and what tools I actually needed to buy.
Also, if you're on Facebook I recommend joining these two groups:
FusedGlassHOW?
and
Fused glass Enthusiasts UK
The first one particularly is very good for new fusers - no one will mind beginner questions!
There's one key rule in fusing ... you must fuse the same glass together ... so, only bullseye glass, or only Oceanside glass.
Many people paint on glass and it, so this can be horticultural glass. This is the kind of stuff you'd cover in a short course to get you going in the right direction!

I use Oceanside 96 glass, purchased in the UK from Creative Glass Guild and Pearsons Glass

I have a Pro-Fuser kiln from Kilncare

I redraw my pencil sketches in Affinity Designer so they're scalable vector files.

Once this black & white version is perfect, I'll colour it in Adobe Photoshop.

And when I've finished everything, I use Adobe Lightroom to fix my photos.

I'm using Silberschnitt running pliers. They're fairly expensive but I think they're really worth it. The head swivels, and it's important to keep it at right angles to your cut line. They don't need much pressure ... hold the very end, press gently until you hear a "click" then move along the cut and do the same again.

That's a big question 😁
There's plenty of basic cutting rules you'll find in any number of YouTube videos.
Beyond that, I practice a lot - I've already cut almost 200 pieces this week. I think about what I learn - why the glass broke in a certain direction, which glass is easier to cut, which always breaks in the wrong way (ruby red 😁).
So I know which glass to cut exactly on the line, and which to cut a little wider, and grind afterwards.
I keep the glass warm and clean.
I use good tools - a Toyo Super Glass Cutter and Silberschnitt Cut Running Pliers. I keep them clean and oiled.
And each day I try to improve ...

Fully fused glass naturally wants to be 6mm thick, so a single 3mm coloured layer would "draw in" and change shape. So in order to make sure my straight lines stay straight, it needs a layer either on top or underneath.

I always put the clear on the top. While it takes a lot longer, it has the benefits of
- adding depth to the piece
- keeping my hard edges straight
- avoiding devitrification

Yes, after experimenting, I print on the Papyros paper. I don't recommend it though
- it will ruin the printer
- there's obvious health & safety issues
So there's things I do to mitigate this, but I don't think it's a good thing to teach other people!

I do a few things that help reduce the risk of bubbles ... First, I make sure the glass is very clean.
Then I sprinkle glass powder between the layers (the finest grade of frit)
Finally I have a good bubble squeeze schedule.