Handmade Glass Jewelry

Stacy explains how she made
Kula Creations Handmade Glass Jewelry

The process to create a piece of Hawaiian quilt handmade glass jewelry is slightly different from that to make a piece of Ancient Expressions (petroglyph) jewelry. The first few and last few steps are the same, though.

Each pendant consists of 2 pieces of glass (4 for a pair of earrings), which must be carefully cut to size and shape, then thoroughly cleaned. From the cleaning steps on, I wear latex gloves at all times when handling the glass, as any smudges, fingerprints, or dirt on the glass when it is fired will become permanent, ruining the piece.

At this point, the processes diverge.

For the Hawaiian Quilts series:
I place each colored, base piece of glass under the selected design on the silk screen and line it up so that the image will be centered on the glass. I use a small piece of tape to hold the glass in place.

Then I silk screen finely powdered leaded glass blended with a mixing medium onto the glass and leave it to dry overnight (under a lid to keep it clean). The next morning, I examine each piece and carefully remove any fine bits of lint or other contaminants that may have become attached to the glass during silk screening and double-check that the silk screened designs came out well, making any corrections or improvements that may be necessary.

I put each colored base piece of glass on a kiln shelf - prepared with "kiln wash" to prevent the glass from sticking to the shelf - and, carefully centering it over the color base layer, I place a clear "cap" on top of the color layer.

Once the shelf is full, I gingerly carry it to and place it into the kiln. The kiln is programmed then closely monitored throughout the 9 hour firing cycle, during which the glass gradually heats and softens, finally fusing at about 1425 degrees Fahrenheit. The kiln then slowly cools to about 750 degrees, at which point it is turned off. The kiln stays closed, though, and the pieces remain inside over night, until the kiln returns to room temperature and the pieces may be safely removed.

In the morning I inspect the fired pieces for any flaws that may have been created in the firing process (which are rare but can occur). Then I grind a groove at just the right height and to just the right depth, using a special bit on a grinder, so the wire wrap will stay in place but won’t disappear completely into the groove. (This step and the next one do not apply to post and clip-on earrings, which are not wire-wrapped – in these the glass backs and findings are cleaned and glued together. The glue is allowed to cure for at least 24 hours before the piece is moved to ensure a good bond.)

	finished "Ti" pendant

Once the grooves are completed, I again carefully clean the pieces, then cut, shape, and wrap sterling silver or 14K gold-filled wire around the glass, forming a bail for the chain or cord to go through on the pendants and a loop to attach to the finding on the dangle earrings.

I create the findings (the part the goes through the hole in your ear) from matching precious metal wire using a jig and other tools, then attach the glass components to the findings to finish the pair of earrings.

For the Ancient Expressions series:
Once the glass is cut and cleaned, I carefully center the iridescent glass layer on a black base layer on the kiln shelf.

The pieces go through the same process of firing and cooling in the kiln, but before the grooves are ground and the pieces wire wrapped, I draw petroglyphs onto the iridescent surface from photographs of actual Hawaiian petroglyphs.

	finished "Fishhook" pendant

Using that Sharpie drawing as a guide, I then engrave the images through the iridescent layer and into the black glass below with a flex-shaft rotary tool and a diamond bit. This bit must be kept cool with water to avoid cracking the glass.

After engraving the images, I grind the grooves, and the remaining steps are the same as with the Hawaiian Quilts series.

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Each step in this painstaking process is critical, as an error or problem at any stage may ruin a piece. I take great care in making your handmade glass jewelry in the hopes that you will enjoy it in good health for many years!

Aloha!
Stacy Soderholm