Elegant Glass Bath Accents

Going beyond your comfort level in trying new techniques and applications is always exciting.  It started with the creation of a practical craft show item, fused coasters, which I introduced at the holiday craft shows and NJ galleries in November and December.

Bill and I had been wanting a major master bath makeover. I had a vision of coming home from a day of skiing and soaking in a warm bubbly bath. We bought an Ultra Bain air bubble tub with computerized controls and started gutting the room.

 Then I thought why not add glass tiles to combine with ceramic tiles and Danby, Vermont quarried Eureka Marble?! There were a lot of trials and experiments before getting it right. That's how you learn.
Below are the tiles fired and ready for installation in both the shower area and the bath.

Thanks to careful planning and the fine craftsmanship of our talented installer, it all came together.

The next details were the cabinet hardware. This was done with molds into which I piled smashed glass called "frit". A space was created to insert the hardware. It was kiln fired to 1465 degrees F and slowly cooled. Then a Dremel tool was used to fine tune the opening before cementing the hardware into the glass. I held my breath hoping the installation into the cabinet would go as planned. It did.

                                      

And then, finally, I couldn't stand seeing a cardboard tissue box on top of the lovely granite countertop, so a few extra test pieces became the inspiration for this box cover.

Hot Stuff in the Kitchen

The top image shows the installed scenes of Allentown, NJ, focusing on the old mill on Main St. where I spent nearly 32 years operating Off the Wall Craft Gallery. To the left is the lake, and to the right is Doctor's Creek in Heritage Park, my new favorite woodland playground.

Each tile was created from Spectrum System 96 glass, and fired to 1450 degrees. Then each piece was painted with vitreous glass paint and fired to 1250 degrees.

The installation is in my own home on S. Main St. This was my first time making and installing tiles and I was quite happy with the results!