SUN CATCHER

I definitely have ADHD or so I think, because I like to switch between at least 2 projects at one time.  This way I can let one glass project cool properly while working on the next or at least think about the next.  So here I am with a sun catcher.  I had remnants of an emerald green fractured irid glass which I used on the spiral pattern fuser.  The glass looks pretty and looks especially nice when slumped over the pattern fuser.  But I did not have enough to do another one of that so I turned it into a sun catcher instead.  I just fired two panels to be included in the suncatcher with the irid glass on top and clear glass as a base.  In order to create the two panels I fired the pieces using the panel firing schedule for a project listed on Coleur de Verre web site.  It seems to work quite well when fusing two pieces of 3mm glass together:

Panel Firing Schedule:

300 dph................................1250 degrees.................hold 30 mins
300 dph................................1420 degrees.................hold 10 mins
Full.........................................900 degrees.................hold 1 hour
100 dph...................................600 degrees.................off

Next I am creating 2 decorative pieces with clear base and am putting scraps of the emerald green fractured irid on top and tack fusing them, I hope, with this schedule:

Tack Fusing Schedule

400 dph...............................1000 degrees.....................hold 10 mins
600 dph................................1350 degrees.....................hold 5 mins
Full........................................900 degrees......................hold 1 hour
100 dph.................................700 degrees.......................off

So hopefully this firing schedule will leave some texture on the two clear pieces.  That is what I am hoping to achieve and latel I have not been able to and all my pieces full fuse.

Took a break and dont know whether or not I actually did this piece.  So instead I am working on a flower on a panel of transparent glass, one layer that can be hung outside or perhaps in a window.  Maybe I will get a chain to hang it with after drilling two holes or using bales.  And maybe next time I do this I can try curving the stringers first.

I am firing the above with following firing schedule:

400 dph............................1000 degrees................hold 10 mins
600 dph.............................1400 degrees................hold 5 mins
Full......................................900 degrees...............hold 1 hour
100 dph................................700 degrees...............-0-
off

The firing schedule worked.  It tack fused the flower to the base and did not distort the one layer of glass underneath.  I did wind up using and irid piece of glass with the irid side down and I also used yellow striker glass that turned warm orange.   All are mistakes that don't seem so bad.

 The color it turned is not so bad, warm orange.  I should really start noting the colors that I use.
The guy at the gift shop on main street in Damariscotta really liked the glass so I would like to get so more irid and make a couple more of those plates.