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Confuzed Dichroic Blog
Hello Everyone,
Our Customers have been asking us to share something about how we do things, so here goes.
We will be at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show at the Manning House (in the Ball Room) Feb 5th thru 10th 2008. Please come and visit with us as we love to meet out customers and we will have a large stock of pendants with us for you to see.
I will try to add more as time goes on about our successful experiments and those that are not so successful in the hopes that you understand that we are real people too.
Ok, we live in Tucson Arizona and have been involved in making 'unusual' jewelry for about 12 years. When Dichroics hit the scene we were extremely excited and saw the huge potential of this new technology. These days there is a huge range of colors and designs and the only limitation is that of our own imagination!
Each new arrival of Dichroic glass designs has everyone chattering about what we could create with these amazing glass products.
Maybe I should explain how we do things here......
We work with several talented fused glass artists. Each Artist is given a 'free hand' to create whatever they wish to with the materials we have on hand. Out of this freedom come the most delightful multicolored wearable art available! Look at any of our creations, and you can see the love and care that goes into every piece!
Our Mission is very simple.....to create a wide and diverse range of dichroic glass products, the very best that we can, in an environment where everyone benefits and above all has fun along the way!
Sure, there are times when we all have to work extremely hard to fulfill a large order, or to prepare for a major Show but we all try to have fun along the way.
This is a great environment for creativity for all who work with us and I will do all in my power to keep it that way.
I feel that if something is not fun there is no point in doing it day after day...don't you agree?
So, back to how we do things.....
You will see the pictures of "BIG BERTHA" our huge kiln. Bertha has a huge appetite for our product. She can swallow up 600 or more pieces for pendants or create single pieces up to 63" x 21".
It can take 4 hours to load a single batch of 600 pieces!
As I am sure you appreciate, 600 pieces of this quality represent a large amount of creative effort, but the final finished pieces speak for themselves!
Until recently, we only dealt with a few select clients who bought all we could produce, however, as more artists come on board with us the range is growing and so is the quantity we can produce.
Finally I gave in (kicking and screaming) and agreed to establish this Website so that more people can find us and purchase the products we have to offer, and here it is!
Websites were always a bit of a mystery to me but with help and encouragement, here we are online.
I have been asked to tell more about our day-to-day operation and how we do what we do.
Our glass comes in a bulk. Some is clear capping glass and colored glass for the base glass. This typically arrives as 2ft x 4ft sheets. The Dichroic Glass is in smaller pieces typically 4"x4" up to 6"x6" or as strip.
Initially, the base and clear glass is cut to smaller more handleable sizes and the Dichroic is carefully cut into small pieces and strip. Other special 'Noodles' and rods are labeled and stacked.
I never have a shortage of enthusiasm with unpacking the new stock as everyone wants to be the first to see the latest batches of dichroic. Our suppliers send us samples of their latest creations in Dichroic glass so we never quite know what we are going to get. Then everyone squabbles over who is going to have the latest designs to play with!
Being Creative
As I said, everyone has the freedom to be creative within limits. If we need pendants then that is what is made. This is the reason that you will find we have quite a variation in the products we offer, indeed, every single piece is unique!
So each artist goes off and does their 'own thing'. They cut their base glass to sizes to suit them and 'populate' the pieces with carefully designed and placed dichroic glass and place the clear capping glass over the top. Each tray is them cautiously taken to the kiln for placement and are they cautious!
The initial firing is a staged step up to 1500 degrees which fuses all of the layers together. In case you have never seen inside a kiln at 1500 degrees, the glass literally glows brightly at red heat.
The Kiln is then 'stage' cooled to ultimately room temperature before the fused pieces can be removed.
After removal each piece is inspected and "batched" which is where the photographs are taken which we will be displaying on this Website so that our regular customers can select pieces even before the final processing stage of fitting bales occurs.
Become a Member of our "First-Pickers" and see each batch before they are even added to our On-Line Store.
If you would like to join our growing band of "first-pickers" please email us at info@dichroinfusion.com and we will include you in our mailer so that you will be advised by email that our latest batch is up for viewing.
I hate email spamming and I promise that we will never give out your email address.
When things go wrong!!!!
We are constantly experimenting, trying out new ideas and products. Sometimes it goes wrong!
A Native American friend suggested we make traditional "fetish Bears" which are the symbol of power and strength as pendants.
So, I personally spent all of one day carefully hand cutting about 50 bears. As they were hand cut I had to be incredibly focussed on what I was doing, but I was so proud of my cut out Bears in all sorts of colors.
The Bears have to have a zig-zag shape on them so I pondered the best way to achieve a gold zig-zag and a black one.
I chose enamel Black and a special gold high temperature paint. I set up a 12 piece test batch in the small experiment kiln and fired up to 1250 degrees.
When they came out all looked great! However, to fuse on the capping glass the kiln has to go to 1500 degrees. I set up the kiln, hit the magic button and off we went.
Next morning I opened the kiln full of anticipation.................DISASTER !!!!!!!!
The Gold had burned off, out gassed creating bubbles and the pieces were ruined! I was so disappointed....all that work had been wasted!
I will find a way but at the moment they are still sitting in a box marked "Re-Work" on my shelf.
If you have any bright ideas I am always willing to hear them.
So you see our world is NOT perfect but, we do have fun!
Every Morning is like Christmas because when you open the kiln you never quite know what you are going to get. Most times we have a beautiful batch of brightly colored, pristine pieces of truly remarkable jewelry which even now still makes me go........WOW!!!!
I hope that you enjoyed ready our first blog (don't like that word but my webmaster says I must use it)
We will be at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show at the Manning House (in the Ball Room) Feb 5th thru 10th 2008. Please come and visit with us as we love to meet out customers and we will have a large stock of pendants with us for you to see.
Thank You again for visiting with us and may we wish everyone a Happy 2008.
Kindest regards,
Tony CEO - Dichro in Fusion
Our Customers have been asking us to share something about how we do things, so here goes.
We will be at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show at the Manning House (in the Ball Room) Feb 5th thru 10th 2008. Please come and visit with us as we love to meet out customers and we will have a large stock of pendants with us for you to see.
I will try to add more as time goes on about our successful experiments and those that are not so successful in the hopes that you understand that we are real people too.
Ok, we live in Tucson Arizona and have been involved in making 'unusual' jewelry for about 12 years. When Dichroics hit the scene we were extremely excited and saw the huge potential of this new technology. These days there is a huge range of colors and designs and the only limitation is that of our own imagination!
Each new arrival of Dichroic glass designs has everyone chattering about what we could create with these amazing glass products.
Maybe I should explain how we do things here......
We work with several talented fused glass artists. Each Artist is given a 'free hand' to create whatever they wish to with the materials we have on hand. Out of this freedom come the most delightful multicolored wearable art available! Look at any of our creations, and you can see the love and care that goes into every piece!
Our Mission is very simple.....to create a wide and diverse range of dichroic glass products, the very best that we can, in an environment where everyone benefits and above all has fun along the way!
Sure, there are times when we all have to work extremely hard to fulfill a large order, or to prepare for a major Show but we all try to have fun along the way.
This is a great environment for creativity for all who work with us and I will do all in my power to keep it that way.
I feel that if something is not fun there is no point in doing it day after day...don't you agree?
So, back to how we do things.....
You will see the pictures of "BIG BERTHA" our huge kiln. Bertha has a huge appetite for our product. She can swallow up 600 or more pieces for pendants or create single pieces up to 63" x 21".
It can take 4 hours to load a single batch of 600 pieces!
As I am sure you appreciate, 600 pieces of this quality represent a large amount of creative effort, but the final finished pieces speak for themselves!
Until recently, we only dealt with a few select clients who bought all we could produce, however, as more artists come on board with us the range is growing and so is the quantity we can produce.
Finally I gave in (kicking and screaming) and agreed to establish this Website so that more people can find us and purchase the products we have to offer, and here it is!
Websites were always a bit of a mystery to me but with help and encouragement, here we are online.
I have been asked to tell more about our day-to-day operation and how we do what we do.
Our glass comes in a bulk. Some is clear capping glass and colored glass for the base glass. This typically arrives as 2ft x 4ft sheets. The Dichroic Glass is in smaller pieces typically 4"x4" up to 6"x6" or as strip.
Initially, the base and clear glass is cut to smaller more handleable sizes and the Dichroic is carefully cut into small pieces and strip. Other special 'Noodles' and rods are labeled and stacked.
I never have a shortage of enthusiasm with unpacking the new stock as everyone wants to be the first to see the latest batches of dichroic. Our suppliers send us samples of their latest creations in Dichroic glass so we never quite know what we are going to get. Then everyone squabbles over who is going to have the latest designs to play with!
Being Creative
As I said, everyone has the freedom to be creative within limits. If we need pendants then that is what is made. This is the reason that you will find we have quite a variation in the products we offer, indeed, every single piece is unique!
So each artist goes off and does their 'own thing'. They cut their base glass to sizes to suit them and 'populate' the pieces with carefully designed and placed dichroic glass and place the clear capping glass over the top. Each tray is them cautiously taken to the kiln for placement and are they cautious!
The initial firing is a staged step up to 1500 degrees which fuses all of the layers together. In case you have never seen inside a kiln at 1500 degrees, the glass literally glows brightly at red heat.
The Kiln is then 'stage' cooled to ultimately room temperature before the fused pieces can be removed.
After removal each piece is inspected and "batched" which is where the photographs are taken which we will be displaying on this Website so that our regular customers can select pieces even before the final processing stage of fitting bales occurs.
Become a Member of our "First-Pickers" and see each batch before they are even added to our On-Line Store.
If you would like to join our growing band of "first-pickers" please email us at info@dichroinfusion.com and we will include you in our mailer so that you will be advised by email that our latest batch is up for viewing.
I hate email spamming and I promise that we will never give out your email address.
When things go wrong!!!!
We are constantly experimenting, trying out new ideas and products. Sometimes it goes wrong!
A Native American friend suggested we make traditional "fetish Bears" which are the symbol of power and strength as pendants.
So, I personally spent all of one day carefully hand cutting about 50 bears. As they were hand cut I had to be incredibly focussed on what I was doing, but I was so proud of my cut out Bears in all sorts of colors.
The Bears have to have a zig-zag shape on them so I pondered the best way to achieve a gold zig-zag and a black one.
I chose enamel Black and a special gold high temperature paint. I set up a 12 piece test batch in the small experiment kiln and fired up to 1250 degrees.
When they came out all looked great! However, to fuse on the capping glass the kiln has to go to 1500 degrees. I set up the kiln, hit the magic button and off we went.
Next morning I opened the kiln full of anticipation.................DISASTER !!!!!!!!
The Gold had burned off, out gassed creating bubbles and the pieces were ruined! I was so disappointed....all that work had been wasted!
I will find a way but at the moment they are still sitting in a box marked "Re-Work" on my shelf.
If you have any bright ideas I am always willing to hear them.
So you see our world is NOT perfect but, we do have fun!
Every Morning is like Christmas because when you open the kiln you never quite know what you are going to get. Most times we have a beautiful batch of brightly colored, pristine pieces of truly remarkable jewelry which even now still makes me go........WOW!!!!
I hope that you enjoyed ready our first blog (don't like that word but my webmaster says I must use it)
We will be at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show at the Manning House (in the Ball Room) Feb 5th thru 10th 2008. Please come and visit with us as we love to meet out customers and we will have a large stock of pendants with us for you to see.
Thank You again for visiting with us and may we wish everyone a Happy 2008.
Kindest regards,
Tony CEO - Dichro in Fusion