Kiln carving, fusing, and slumping involves placing glass in kilns to melt and fuse glass pieces together, to add textures and patterns, and to mould the glass into forms. These techniques are used to create beautiful plates, platters, coasters and objets d’art.
COURSES – BEGINNERS
Fusing and Slumping – BEGINNERS
Our introductory Fusing and Slumping gives students the skills and knowledge required to independently complete simple hot glass projects. Learning outcomes are:
- Awareness of safety issues and procedures.
- Ability to score, break and trim glass shapes using running and grozing pliers.
- Theory of the glass used for fusing, its COE, and how that affects the outcomes of the fusing of glass.
- An overview of kilns used in glass work, including an understanding of firing schedules and their role in creating different effects.
- Preparing the kiln for firing, including cleaning, prepping kiln shelves and use of ceramic fibre paper.
- Design issues for kiln fired glass
For further information, including cost and to enrol:
COURSES – INTERMEDIATE
Fusing and Slumping – INTERMEDIATE
Tutor: Katrina Jackson
Now you have completed Beginners fusing and slumping, why not experiment and create your own designs with a tutor to support? Topics include choosing your project (pattern and mold); project design choices; selecting glass, glass cutting techniques; project composition; and setting the kiln. Come prepared with design ideas and inspirations.
Numbers: Minimum 6 Maximum 8
Prerequisite: Guild membership and completion of Beginners Fusing and Slumping course.
For further information, including cost and to enrol:
WORKSHOPS
Fused Australian Native Flowers
Tutor: Chris Bell
This 8-hour workshop is held over 2 consecutive days to allow for pre-firing of your glass pieces before creating 6 beautiful Australian native flowers. These may be used as inclusions for your mosaics, fused projects, hanging mobiles or decorations. Your final creations are only limited by your imagination. Many pictures of Aussie native flowers will be available for inspiration.
Numbers: Minimum 6, Maximum 8
Prerequisite: Glass cutting skills necessary.
Cost: Includes all materials, adhesive and firing fees. Note: This workshop is not a replacement for the beginners fusing and slumping course. Students will not be learning the use and care of the Guild’s kilns.
For further information, including cost and to enrol:
Kiln Carving – Making patterns in glass
Tutor: Katrina Jackson
Ever wondered how patterns are “carved” into glass? Kiln carving is a simple firing process that achieves a bas relief, textured, or sculpted look in glass. Learn techniques to create “carved” glass, and how to create and cut patterns from ceramic fibre paper; the types of glass to use; and kiln firing processes involved. Safety procedures for using glass and ceramic fibre products are covered. A great beginner course as no glass cutting skills are required. Experienced glass users will also benefit by learning new techniques to add to their glass skills. Participants will make two glass “kiln carved” projects.
Numbers: Minimum 5, Maximum 6
Prerequisite: No experience necessary.
Note: Workshop is not a replacement for beginners’ fusing and slumping course. Participants will not be taught how to care for and use the Guild kiln.
For further information, including cost and to enrol:
Things with Wings
Tutor: Chris Bell
Let your imagination take flight in Things with Wings! Create fantastical fused glass pictures inspired by anything that soars, flutters or floats. It might be a bird, butterfly, bee or mystical creature. This workshop is for experienced makers ready to spread their creative wings and push their skills further. Experiment with layering, colours, and intricate assembly to create truly one-of-a-kind glass art. The tutor will contact you before the workshop to talk about your design. After fusing, you will take home your 20 cm square fused glass picture in a lovely freestanding/hanging frame. Includes all materials, kiln firing and picture frame.
Numbers: Minimum 5, Maximum 6
Prerequisite: Glass cutting skills necessary. This is not a beginner’s workshop or a replacement for beginners’ fusing and slumping course. Participants will not be taught how to care for and use the Guild kiln.
For further information, including cost and to enrol:
Fern Burn and Frit Fun
Tutor: Katrina Jackson
This workshop is being delivered in 2 parts – a morning session where you will use live plants fused between 6mm clear float glass in order to leave a “fossil-like” ghost image in the glass. The fused glass may then be slumped in a mold or left flat and with the addition of legs become a food platter.
After a 30 min lunch break, you will then have fun using glass frit (crushed glass of various thickness) and glass powders create a scene on clear glass. Sunsets, beach scenes, bush trails, rainbows – the choice is yours to explore. After firing, the piece can be taken home to display, use as a plate or to frame.
This workshop is not a replacement for a beginners’ fusing and slumping course. Participants will not be taught how to care for, or use, the Guild kilns. The tutor will fire your work for you to collect later.
Numbers: Minimum 5, Maximum 9
Prerequisite: No experience necessary.
Cost: Includes all materials (glass, kiln paper, frit) as well as kiln firings Note: This Guild workshop has no hidden costs.
For further information, including cost and to enrol:
Fused Glass Christmas Decorations
Tutor: Chris Bell
Great presents for Christmas! In this workshop, the tutor will provide a number of Christmas themed designs to work on, or you can bring your own. Instruction will be given to those who have not cut glass before. Expect to make about 8 to 10 decorations which, after firing, you will take home along with the “bibs and bobs” to decorate them. 
Numbers: Minimum 6, Maximum 8
Prerequisite: No experience necessary.
Note: This workshop is not a replacement for the beginners fusing and slumping course.
Cost: Includes glass cutting instruction, small glass pack, firing fees, adhesives, ribbons and decorations to finish at home. Additional glass is available to purchase.
For further information, including cost and to enrol:
Christmas Tree Forest – Mixed media
Tutor: Chris Bell
Mix media is the feature of this Christmas Tree Forest. During this one-day workshop, you will create five Christmas Trees, three of which will be made from, and decorated with, fused glass. Two will be mosaiced on pre cut acrylic Christmas tree shapes. Combined they will make a decorative table decoration.
Numbers: Minimum 6, Maximum 8
Prerequisite: No experience necessary.
For further information on upcoming courses, including cost and to enrol:
Make your own unique glass colour combinations using the pot melt technique. Using scrap glass we will create some interesting, fused glass pattern mixes and visual effect, by mixing and melting together scrap pieces of fused glass through some “holey” clay pots overnight in the kiln. These melts can be used alone or sliced and cut to make jewellery or other fused creations.