If the Glass we fuse is our paint, our canvas is our kilns, heating glass to a near liquid state at 1485 to 1500 degrees; the pieces of glass begin to merge, many pieces now are becoming one, a single piece of fused glass with the pattern or design we created.

Moving to the "Slumping" phase, we put our glass back into the kiln, using molds, sheets and or ropes made of a special heat resistant fiber, we position the glass on the mold or fiber and we heat the glass again, just to the point where it starts to become less rigid, approximately 1250 degrees,  shaping  the fused glass to the shape of the form  we have beneath it.

During all of these processes, glass goes thru an "annealing process' something like "stress zones";  times when the glass can develop stress due to the annealing process which can ultimately lead to breakage and heartbreak.  However, fusing and slumping slowly, patiently ramping the kilns up and or down in temperature, soaking the glass at critical points, our dreams will beomc realized. Our vision of what we wanted to create from a pile what can be hundreds of pieces of glass in a multitude of colors is finally realized -

 A wonderful one of a kind work of

Fused Glass Art from Shimmering Glass!

What is "FUSED GLASS"? The answer is simple enough; two or more pieces of glass that have been heated to a near liquid state, at 1485 degrees begins to 'fuse',  fusing  into one single piece of glass. The Fused Glass Art at Shimmering glass is often made from hundreds of pieces of  precisely cut glass, pieced together to create a special design or shape, slowly ‘ramped up’ to a final fusing temperate of 1485  degrees and fused into a single beautiful piece of Fused Glass Art.

Cooling the piece of fused glass to room temperature, the fused glass is then placed into or on a mold of some shape or design; round, square or octagonal, deep or shallow sloped. Slowly heating the kiln to a temperature between 1200 and 1300 degrees the glass will begin to take the shape of the mold you have chosen or created. Often additional elements like specially treated fiber ropes or sheets of fiber can be used to create custom shapes.  Carefully cooling the glass back to room temperature, opening the kiln lid or door will reveal success or failure to achieve the desired shape without allowing the glass to break in the process.

I've learned something new that seems really strange to me;  Glass, when cool at room temperature or at any temperature really, is considered a liquid! Some scientist said so, so it must be true, right? I don’t know if I believe that or not because I know if you drop glass on concrete it doesn’t splash very well, know what I mean?  But I suppose if you took your electron microscope and examined a piece of glass very carefully, molecules would be moving and would demonstrate the characteristics of a liquid and then you would have justification to say it was in a liquid state.

So, what does that mean to you or any aficionado of “Warm Glass” –  I can’t say that I know for sure but I do know when you look at the fused glass art we create at Shimmering Glass, there is movement in each piece. The glass seems to flow from one color to another, shifting, changing, shapes, designs and patterns can be tantalizingly beautiful. In the right light movement becomes even more pronounced, it shimmers and dances giving new life to the art you behold, and thus our name Shimmering Glass.

Today, Shimmering Glass will help you bring the beauty of Fused Glass into your home. Vases, Plates, Bowls and jewelry are far from ordinary through the magic of Fused Glass - unique one of a kind works of art from Shimmering Glass.

Artists have worked with glass for thousands of years, since the days of the Pharaohs in Egypt, fused glass has fueled the imagination, catching the eye with it's almost mystical appeal. Colors shift and merge, dancing and shimmering as light adds depth and beauty to the fused glass art. Far from ordinary, every piece special and unique, Fused Glass from Shimmering Glass is carefully crafted, lovingly created and is just waiting for you to take some home.

Each piece of Fused Glass is custom designed by  the Fused Glass Artists at Shimmering Glass. Unique shapes, colors and styles are fused and molded to become a one of a kind work of art that gives you form, function, style and beauty!  If you like what you see here make sure you tell your friends!

Custom Designed  Fused Glass Jewelry, Vases, Plates and Bowls from Shimmering Glass!  It's better than just 'ordinary', it's a work of Fused Glass Art from Shimmering Glass.

Put a little "Shimmer" into your life with Shimmering Glass!