Dichroic glass artist of the week Judy Anderson

I am a retired family counselor. I moved from Arlington Heights, IL to AZ a couple of years ago with my husband and my 2 Pembroke Welsh Corgis. My son and daughter-in-law and my 2 adorable grandchildren live here also.

I love glass fusing and use art glass and dichroic glass in my designs. It is so exciting to open the kiln and see what it has created. I cut the glass and layer and fuse it, but the kiln has a mind of its own. The new decals I have been firing into my glass are beautiful and add a whole new dimension to my glass work. I especially like the decals that reflect nature.

My other joy is that my grandchildren are fascinated by my glass. When they are old enough I know they will want me to teach them the process and nothing makes me happier than spending time with them.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5219638&ga_search_query=firefly&ga_search_type=seller_usernames
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Thank you for sharing Judy. Your 10 free decals will be in the mail on Monday.
Judy will also be named in our news letter. Please take a moment to click on the link above and view Judy's work.

If you want to be featured as an artist of the week, email us at info@aaeglass.com with 2 pictures and a blurb about you and your business. We are having a great time with this.

Tip #4 Coldworking with Dichroic Glass Jewelry

Cold working: Revolution XT Tile Saw review

I usually save all my cold working on my dichroic glass jewelry for one day of the week and do it for about 8-10 hours straight. Cold working is not my favorite thing to do. I often receive emails on how I shape my pieces since my fused glass pieces are so thick.

I would not be able to have such thick pieces and cut them without some serious equipment. I thought I would share with you my personal opinion on the Revolution XT Saw by Gemini. This saw allows me flexibility with my pieces. I have been using this saw for 2 years. It is a workhorse and can cut through anything, however, this is a high maintenance saw. I paid 1350.00 for the saw. The replacement parts are hard to find and they are expensive. A blade costs about 150.00, replacement kit is about 300.00 and I would suggest replacing the saw blade 3-4 times a year. www.hisglassworks.com has most of the parts. There customer service is excellent and they have fast shipping.

Cleaning this saw, is not fun. It is a major chore, but doable on your own.

The good stuff...this saw can cut through 6 and 7 layer pieces with precision and little glass chipping. The diamond blades last a long time and I usually cut 100 pieces or more. It is very safe and comfortable to use. In addition, this is a heavy, sturdy piece of equipment and has a self contained water pump. What does this mean? It means I use it INSIDE my studio with little water mess.

Does anyone else use this particular saw, or a similar one? Please comment if you do. I would love to hear your experiences.

Visit www.aaeglass.com to view examples.

Refer a friend for 15% off your next order

AAE Glass would like your help in recruiting more followers to our blog. So, for a limited time, if you refer a friend who signs up and follows this blog, you will receive 15% off your next order of glass fusing decals.

We will also give your friend 15% off their first order of glass fusing decals. It is very easy. Just mention the coupon code "blog15" and tell us who you referred and we will adjust your total. If you want to email us and let us know, info@aaeglass.com will work as well.

We hope we are providing helpful information and products to you. We would love to hear what you have to say as well. Click on the "comment" button below the post and tell us what you think. If you have any tips that will help other artists, we would love to hear those as well.

We will have a new tip for you in the next couple of days.

AAE

Limited edition, only 500 available, never to be printed again, glass fusing decal

Only 500 of these white iris decals will be in circulation. When they are gone they are gone. They can only be found at www.aaeglass.com

We are releasing this brand new glass fusing decal NOW. White iris garden can be used on dark color glass. Visit www.aaeglass.com to purchase your decals today. These decals are sure to enhance your dichroic jewelry and pendants.

If you have used these fusing decals, you know how fun they can be. We enjoy looking through artfire and etsy each day to find new creations made by you.

If you have any questions email us at info@aaeglass.com

Check back in a day or so for tips on coldworking.

Dichroic glass jewelry Artist of the week Elisabeth from www.glisteningglass.etsy.com

Our second Dichroic Glass Jewelry Artist of the week is Elisabeth from www.glisteningglass.etsy.com

Elisabeth makes some beautiful dichroic glass jewelry using fusing decals. These are some pictures of her work. We love it Elisabeth. Thanks for sharing. Decals were purchased at www.aaeglass.com

Elisabeth will be featured in our next newsletter and will receive 10 FREE tree of life fusing decals. Here is some information about Elisabeth's business:

What a privilege to be a featured artist! My name is Elisabeth. I live in Southwestern Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, a full time mother of two girls.. and a chocolate lab that I consider one of my children also :) I really enjoy peace and quiet when the kids go to bed!! That is my time to concentrate on glass. I am a perfectionist and quality is very important to me. Each piece is a fine balance of colors, textures and shapes. When combined, expresses it's own unique story. Creating and sharing these stories is my inspiration :)

Side Note~ I am currently taking classes at the Pittsburgh Glass Center to expand my knowledge in glass and to learn new techniques. I have just started a new line of Earth Friendly, Recycled Glass. I was so excited to use these decals from A.A.E. on my Recycled Glass Pendants and they look beautiful!! Thank you!! www.glisteningglass.etsy.com

To enter your business for dichroic glass jewelry artist of the week please email your information to info@aaeglass.com. We look forward to learning about your business.

New website is done!!! www.aaeglass.com

We have been working day and night for 3 weeks to get this site completed and here it is... http://www.aaeglass.com/

This site is much more user friendly and easier to order from. We invite you to take a look and tell us what you think. We have built websites before, but this is the best one by far.

We will be adding custom jewelry as soon as possible, but we wanted to get the fusing decals up ASAP. Again, we are very excited to share this with you and we hope you find it worth your while. If you have any questions, shoot us an email at info@aaeglass.com

Thank you all for your continued patronage and we look forward to doing business with you in the near future.

AAE

Firing instructions for glass fusing decals

Application Instructions:

1. Clean the glass surface where the decal will go.
2. Remove any wax paper barrier, if any, from the decal surface.
3. If desired, cut decal to desired shape using xacto knife or scissors.
4. Soak the decal in a shallow pan of warm water until they easily slide off the paper. It is easier to apply decal directly from the paper to the glass piece. Leaving them in water too long will result in them floating off the base paper and it will be difficult to apply.
5. Use a paper towel to blot excess water and gently smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles. If air bubbles are not gently rubbed out, a tiny hole will pop through the decal when fired.
6. Change water frequently after soaking several decals to remove impurities.
7. ALL MOISTURE MUST BE REMOVED PRIOR TO FIRING. OVERNIGHT DRYING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Firing Instructions:

Preheating is particularly important in decal work. Materials from the medium on the decal must be burned off gently. Good ventilation allow for a clean final product. Leave the kiln lid open 1-2 inches, plus any peepholes. Preheat slowly to 1000 degrees to prevent pinholes or blisters and then procede with normal ramping. Heat-soak the decals at top temperature for approximately 8-10 minutes. THE FIRING SCHEDULES PROVIDED ARE FOR A REFERENCE POINT ONLY! GET TO KNOW YOUR KILN! Need additional assistance? Email us at artisticaccentsetc@yahoo.com with any questions you may have. Remember, it is always better to under fire than over fire!

Low-fire schedule

250 DPH to 350 HOLD 20 minutes

500 DPH to 1000 HOLD 10 minutes

AFAP to 1034-1074 soak 8-10 minutes

High-fire schedule

250 DPH to 350 HOLD 20 minutes

500 DPH to 1000 HOLD 10 minutes

AFAP to 1280-1320 soak 8-10 minutes

New glass fusing decals available today!!!

We have released a new TWO color tree fusing decal. This is the best one yet. We also have gold and silver plated bails as well as several cords. Square and round bottle stopper blanks are located in the supply store as well. Not to mention several other fusing decal images. This supply store can be your one stop shop. http://www.artfire.com/users/AAE-artglass

Again we congratulate Mandy Codd as glass artist of the week. Get to know a little bit about Mandy and her store below. Get your emails in asap to be the next featured glass artist of the week. info@aaeglass.com

We will be sharing tip #4 this week which will review different cold working machines and how they work best.

Dichroic Glass Jewelry Artist of the Week Mandy Codd

Our very first dichroic glass jewelry artist of the week is Mandy Codd of www.dichroic-creations.com

Mandy will be featured in our weekly newsletter and she has also won 10 tree of life decals. You can visit her store by clicking on the above link. The pictures seen here are dichroic glass pieces Mandy made using fusible decals from our store. If you would like to be considered for artist of the week, simply send us an email at info@aaeglass.com. We will randomly select a new artist from the submissions we receive.

Here is some background info from Mandy about her and her business. Congratulations Mandy!

***My name is Mandy Codd, I'm a glass artist living on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

I have an extreme passion for dichroic glass.
A lot of thought for colours and design goes into each one of my handmade
Dichroic Creations.

I would have to say I am very addicted to glass and don't think I could ever lose the excitement that I feel when I open the kiln after each firing.

I am a stay at home Mum and have been creating my pendants for 2 1/2 years now, I work around my three Children, their ages range from 3 to 13.

I am always learning something new and just having fun experimenting too. I was so very excited to have been able to purchase these new decals and look forward to creating more beautiful pendants with them - my next lot are already in the kiln LOL.***

Tip #3 Keeping bubbles out of your dichroic glass jewelry pendants and decals

AAE GLASS DECALS
One of the biggest enemies to any dichroic glass fused pendant jeweler is the dreaded bubble. No matter how hard we try, sometimes a bubble creeps into our pieces and is it unavoidable. It is frustrating when working with fusible glass water slide decals and a bubble appears just above the decal. Hopefully we can offer you a few tips on how to avoid the curse of the bubble in your decals. While there is no sure fire way to avoid a bubble, following these 4 steps should help.

1-Once the decal is applied, blot out any excess water with a paper towel.
2-When the excess water is removed, wrap the paper towel around your fore finger and GENTLY brush the entire decal design after the excess water is removed. Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles or folds in the decal.
3-You must let the decal dry for at least 12 hours before firing the glass.
4-***HOT TIP*** If you are in a hurry and can't wait 12 hours to fire, use a blow dryer at close range for 20 minutes.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@aaeglass.com. 

***Stay tuned for a complete new style of decal that AAE Glass has developed.  They will be released in early 2014!  We have received the proofs and Tanya has adjusted to her specifications.  They are currently in print and when available, will be announced to all.***

AAE Glass

Help is available

We have received a few emails from glass artists asking for help and advice with their jewelry making. We are more than happy to answer any questions you have and we welcome them. The email address is aaeglass@gmail.com

Several dichroic glass artists are using these fusible decals for the first time. We can advise you how to eliminate air bubbles as well as offer advice on what background colors work best for each decal. I enjoy helping people make the best jewelry they can. There is no such thing as a dumb question. If you run into any problems at all, email us at aaeglass@gmail.com

I will be posting tip #3 this week and it will focus on how to eliminate air bubbles (see bubble in the top of the calla lily picture above). We will get into more detail about this in tip #3.

Also, if you want to email us about being a featured artist, there is still time. We have had several inquiries about this but people are still in the process of making their pieces so pictures are not available.

I have stocked my store with several new pieces this weekend. http://www.artfire.com/users/AAE-artglass

Thank you again for following our blog.

AAE

New gold butterfly water slide fusing decals available

We have released some new decals. These gold butterfly decals fire beautifully on dark glass. It is hard to find glass fusing decals that show well on dark glass. Well here they are. We have had many requests for more decals that fire on dark glass. Give these a try with your next jewelry pieces.

Also, starting today, we have decided to give all of our blog followers a PERMANENT 10% discount off glass fusing water slide decals. Just use the coupon code BLOG when you order and we can refund your 10% discount through paypal. Visit our shop today for these and other hard to find glass fusing supplies. http://www.artfire.com/users/glassdecals_fusingsupplies

I have also listed several new pendants as well as the best piece I have made in a long time. It is a linked bracelet and I love it. Visit my etsy store to view. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28881138

Thanks again for your patronage.

AAE

Glue On Tube Bails

Hello Everyone.

I wanted to get your opinion on the new glue on tube bails we are going to offer.

We are currently manufacturing economical glue on tube bails.
We will be offering gold and silver plated bails. My question to everyone is this...

Would you have use for copper bails? Please click on the "comment" button below and let us know what you think.

We appreciate your help.

AAE

Looking to feature artists

We want to give you artists yet another outlet to promote your jewelry. We are looking to feature a glass jewelry artist per week on this blog. You may ask; What will this do for me and my business? Here is what it will do...

1-We will devote a blog entry just to you and your jewelry.
2-We will post 2 pictures of your finished product (using water slide decals purchased from AAE).
3-We will share a "blurb" about you and your business.
4-We will post a link to your store.
5-You will win 10 FREE tree of life water slide decals.

The first featured artist will be selected on Monday Aug. 10th.

Here is how you enter for a chance to be featured:
1-Click on the "comment" button below this post.
2-Give us some history on you and your business.
3-Give us a link to your store or web page.
4-Email us 2 pictures of your finished jewelry using these water slide decals.

We can't wait to see what everyone has to offer.

AAE

The 3 day decal sale has begun

Several people have taken advantage of 20% off dichroic water slide fusing decals this morning. We still have some new designs available and the sale goes through Monday. http://www.artfire.com/users/GlassDecals_FusingSupplies We have sold out of a few designs so be sure to secure yours today.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you, or if you have any questions.

AAE