Is it possible to use a photo in fused glass?

[Rascal]

Hi All,

It's my folks Golden Wedding Anniversary and I'm struggling with what to get them, I was lucky enough to buy some of Julie's fused fish today before they all sold on facebook and whilst feeling happy with myself for catching them, I had a brainwave and wondered if you can fuse a photo into glass. Sounds wrong putting a photo into a hot kiln but wondered if the glass would protect it.

I wouldn't even think about having a go at this, but wondered if anyone knew whether it was possible, has done it or knows someone I can speak to?

Julie is doing some asking around and I thought I'd post on here as well just in case.

Thanks

Karen

[Shirley]

It's certainly possible to use a photo image, but I have no idea what the process is. I would guess it involves transferring the image onto the glass itself, but I might be totally wrong. You can probably tell I'm not a fuser.

[flame n fuse]

I think a photo would be converted to ash, but you can convert images to decals which are a terracotta colour and fusible. I think If you look at Warmglass nr Bristol's website, you'll find some info. So you could create some nice commemorative wording and fuse it.

[Zeldazog]

Or you can have digital decals printed which are colour and can be fired onto glass - I've successfully applied colour as well as black and white images to glass this way.

(I once put photocopied paper sandwiched inside glass, it didn't turn completely to ash, but it did crumble - and weirdly, it shrank with the photocopied image still on it, but some paper has a china clay content and I think this was why)

[Zeldazog]

Not a brilliant photo, but I did this as someone who wanted the image of the actual van on a dish as a gift.

[Rascal]

Thanks everyone,

Dawn - that looks fab, I'm based in Oakwood, Derby and I think you are close by in Ilkeston, the anniversary isn't until 2nd October.  perhaps I could combine a lesson in fusing and if you are interested in making it for me,  a chat about what is possible and your ideas?

At least I think you do beginner lessons in fusing?

Drop me a pm if you are interested and have capacity with your other commissions/work.

Karen

[Trudi]

You can get your own pictures made into sepia decals at warm glass

http://www.warm-glass.co.uk/print-your-own-decal-p-3263.html

[flame n fuse]

Dawn, where did you get the coloured decals made?

[Lush!]

As Karen said, I did a bit of asking around but I'm only a member of an American fusing forum so all the info that came back was ..erm .. American!  This link is useful though, it was really interesting to read through the process http://sassyglassstudio.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/how-did-i-do-that-fusography-full-color.html

Karen, I think you and Dawn will have a wonderful time together using Trudi's information 

[Blue Box Studio]

Dawn, where did you get the coloured decals made?

So far I've found http://www.ceramicdigital.co.uk/digital-printing.php but it's £18 a A3 sheet (possibly + vat) delivered

You can get your own pictures made into sepia decals at warm glass

Saw some when I was at Warm Glass and they seemed quite pale.  Just in case you were looking for something as strong as an old sepia photo.

[Zeldazog]

Julie, that link is great, but my goodness she doesn't half make hard work of the process! Heated electric pans, warming up the glass before applying.... nah, too much faffing!

Dawn, where did you get the coloured decals made?

There's a few out there - Digital Ceramics, Ceramics Digital, and someone told me about Fotoceramic, but I haven't tried them (yet)

[Lush!]

That's good to know, Dawn - it certainly sounded like too much faff for me to want to play!

[Zeldazog]

Saw some when I was at Warm Glass and they seemed quite pale.  Just in case you were looking for something as strong as an old sepia photo.

I did a sepia image as part of a large sheet of coloured decals - by converting the original image into sepia via Photoshop - I only wanted the one image, so it made more sense to add it to a sheet of others :-)

[Zeldazog]

Thanks everyone,

Dawn - that looks fab, I'm based in Oakwood, Derby and I think you are close by in Ilkeston, the anniversary isn't until 2nd October.  perhaps I could combine a lesson in fusing and if you are interested in making it for me,  a chat about what is possible and your ideas?

At least I think you do beginner lessons in fusing?

Drop me a pm if you are interested and have capacity with your other commissions/work.

Karen

Karen, yes I do do beginners classes, as well as tailored classes depending on what you want.   I am also in the process of trying to sort my studio so I can run a series of shorter classes over several sessions, rather than a one day, so that people can try a range of techniques and develop some ideas.  Just need more storage space and a good sort out!