This was a special class for a special student. While I normally teach using 96 COE glass, this class was unique. Cindy, who has taken several classes with me in the past, asked if we could work with 90 COE glass again. She had previously enjoyed a one-on-one 90 COE class with me and wanted to share that experience with her daughters, Selina and Solitaire. I was more than happy to say yes. Even though Cindy is a familiar face in my studio, I still have all my students complete liability forms and choose a free gift to start off the class.
Cindy chose to create a fused glass vase, using one of my designs as inspiration. She worked diligently, cutting, grinding, designing, and even placing her piece into the kiln herself. The result turned out beautifully. It was especially fun working in 90 COE glass for this project. While both 90 and 96 COE glass are wonderful to work with, they’re not interchangeable—each has different compatibility and firing characteristics. 90 COE glass often has a slightly different color palette and can behave differently during fusing, making it a unique creative experience.
Solitaire chose a beautiful piece of special production glass that’s only available in 90 COE and not in 96, making her project even more unique. This particular glass has gorgeous colors and patterns, which makes it truly special for creating one-of-a-kind pieces. Plus, she added a couple pieces of millefiori to make it even more special. She decided to turn it into a stunning spoon rest—a challenging shape with some tricky cuts, but she did fabulously. Darn, I didn’t realize until putting this post together that she wasn’t wearing her safety glasses in some of the photos. I’ll definitely need to watch that more closely. I always wear my glasses when working with the grinder and saws to stay safe.
Selina selected a gorgeous piece of specialty glass, available only in 90 COE, to create a beautiful votive featuring aspen trees. The unique colors and patterns of this glass added incredible depth and character to her design. You can see her hard at work cutting, grinding, and carefully assembling her piece—and just look at that stunning moon she included!
Of course, all three of the ladies decided to try a fun free project using the fused glass decal technique. Ironically, they each chose to create keychains—and every single one turned out absolutely beautiful! I love offering this free technique to my students because it’s a simple, creative way for them to experiment with designs and take home an extra little piece of art.
By the way, because 90 COE and 96 COE glass aren’t compatible with each other, I made sure to close off several sections of my studio so my students and I wouldn’t accidentally mix 96 glass into their 90 COE projects. The reason they’re incompatible is that each type of glass expands and contracts at different rates when heated and cooled. Mixing them in the same piece can cause stress fractures or even breakage after firing. To keep everything safe and successful, I also set out extra 90 COE glass for them to choose from, so they had plenty of beautiful options to work with.
It was such a joy spending time with Cindy, Selina, and Solitaire and watching their creativity shine through each unique project. Whether working with 90 COE glass, tackling tricky cuts, or exploring fun decal techniques, they poured so much heart into their pieces. Moments like these are exactly why I love teaching fused glass—it’s all about sharing inspiration and creating beautiful memories together. If you’d like to experience the magic of glass art for yourself, feel free to reach out and schedule a class with me at elegantfusedglass@gmail.com. I’d love to create something special with you!
If you’d like to see more of my fused glass creations, please visit my website: Elegant Fused Glass by Karen. While you’re there, be sure to explore the full site — and don’t forget to check out my Elegant Fused Glass by Karen YouTube channel for videos and inspiration! If you’d like to stay up-to-date with my latest projects, classes, and events, I also invite you to sign up for my monthly newsletter, published on the last day of each month. And if you’re interested in taking a class, you’ll find all the details about upcoming opportunities right on my website! If you have any questions about taking classes or would like to schedule one, feel free to email me at elegantfusedglass@gmail.com. I’d love to help you create something amazing when you’re ready!
Keeping my kilns warm,
Karen
