Let's Build a Snowman Plate!
Design and Fabrication by Erica Biery Collins, Text and Photography by Pat Rizzotto
\[ /hen the first flake falls, we look forward to getting outside
YV to play. Whether it's sledding, snor,vshoeing, making snorv
angels, or building a snowman, we ahvays rvelcome rvinter fun! For
I mainly used
System 96 glass for this project and made my own frit from scraps.
Uroboros Red Opaque is the choice for the outfit, which is trimmed
rvith Coatings by Sandberg's Silver Dichroic for a fancy look, but
you can choose other colors for your snowman, of course. There
are quite a few pieces to cut, but it's rvorth the extra effort. Ifyou
can rvait, add his nose last and rvatch your snowman come alive!
this snor.vman, we combined nerv and scrap glass.
System 96@
633-76SF Crystal Opal Blue/Aqua for Background,
8"x8"
OA/335-5SF Opal ArtrM Nautica for Background,
8" x 8" (optional)
100SFS Clear for Base,8" x 8"
200SF White Opal for Snowman Head (2" Circle),
Tummy (2-314" Circle), and Bottom (3-ll2'Circle) plus
White Frit for Snow
1009SF Black Opal for Hat (1-114" x l-114") and Hat Brim
(2" x318") plus Black Frit for Eyes, Buttons, and Mouth
60-2502-96 Red Opal for Hat Trim (l-1l4" x 1/4"), Scarf
(2" x 3/8"), Scarf Tails (two 1-112" to2" x 3/8" pieces),
and Scarf Knot (Tiny Scrap)
60-2702-96 Orange Opaque for Carrot Nose, Scrap
2ll-145F Chestnut Brown for Stick Arms, Scrap
Coatings By Sandberg
Silver Dichroic for Scarf and Hat Decoration
(12 small strips)
Tools and Materials
Mosaic Cutter Tweezers Toothpick
Hairspray and/or Crazy Glue
8 " Ceramic Mold Kiln Wash
Let's get started by preparing all of the pieces so assembly is
easier. Cut the blue and clear 8" x 8" bases and set aside the clear
piece. A11 of the snorvman parts will be glued onto the blue rvispy
square base.
Cut the circles, hat, and scarf pieces. With the mosaic cutter,
clip the scarf neck and tail pieces for a rumpled look, then make
the small knot, the sticks, and the carot. Carefully cut the dichroic
pieces to flt the scarf and hat trim. You need to make two sizes of
frit for the coal, fine and coarse, plus coarse white frit for the snow.
Sizes can vary, since no t\,vo snor,vflakes are alike.
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When all of the pieces
are ready, start to
build the snowtnan.
First, choose the direction of the r,vind by looking at the pattern
in the blue glass and let the hat and scarf lean as if they are blorving
in the rvind. Next, lay the blue square in front of you and lay the
largest rvhite circle very close to the bottom, either off to one side
or in the middle of the plate. Norv lay the next circle overlapping
slightly, followed by his head. Lay the hat next, tilted by the rvind.
Adjust the pieces to make the snor.vman flt the plate. At this point,
you can glue these in place using hairspray in a squeeze bottle or
Crazy Glue for a quick stick. When you drop the glue, it rvill seep
under the glass and hold it nicely.
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Add the scarf tails and sticks for the arms, using
tr.vo longer
pieces with trvo shorter pieces to get the stick look, and adjust for
a good flt. Add the coal next using coarse for the eyes and buttons
plus smaller pieces for the mouth. Trveezers rvork well here. Caretully use the hairspray to glue these pieces and watch out for frit
floating due to the hairspray seeping under the small pieces. You
might have to adjust. Use a toothpick to help move the small pieces
around. Either add the carrot for the nose now or rvait until the very
end. Let the glue dry.
-l
Slttmp tlte snotvtnan
on the 8" r 8" mold
J
according to tltis
.i
suggested schedule,
but adjusting as
necessary according
to \oLn" own kiln.
Slumping Schedule
Ramp 1, 300'F per hr. to 1000'F, hold 20 minutes.
Ramp 2,9999x to 1225"F. hold 20 minutes.
Ramp 3, 9999* to 1000'F, hold 10 minutes.
Ramp 4, 800'F per hr. to 950'F, hold 45 minutes.
Ramp 5,500"F per hr. to 700'F, no hold.
Ramp 6,200'F per hr. to 120'F, no hold.
*as fast as possible
Tips
. The clear base helps suppofi the weight of the piled up pieces
Add the second layer clesign
pieces on and aromtcl tlrc
stlownlan, la1, tlte blue glass
on top oftlte clear,
so that the finished piece is stronger and more durable.
. Vary colors for the scarf and hat trim so each snowman is dif-
and tack-fuse.
Place the hat brirn on top of the head so it overlaps the head and
very slightly overlaps the hat. Add the hat trim on top of the hat
against the brim. Next put the scarf over his chin so that the ends
slightly overlap on both sides. The scarf should hide the seam betr.veen the head and
tummy. Slide the knot under the scarf and over
the tails, then adjust the pieces. You can decorate the brim and scarf
using the dichroic pieces or any other scrap glass to give a pattemed
look, but a plain scarf rvorks just as rvell. Norv that all pieces are
assembled, glue them in place using the hairspray.
A little snorv makes the rvinter scene complete, so sprinkle the
coarse r,vhite frit around the snorvman and pile it up around him
at the base. You don't have to glue the snow. Just be careful when
moving your plate to the kiin.
Carefully place the blue piece on top of the clear base and place
in the kiln. Tack-fuse according to this suggested schedule, rvith any
variations needed to suit vour orvn kiln.
Tack-Fuse Schedule
Ramp 1 , 400'F per hr. to I 000'F, hold I 0 minutes.
Ramp 2, 9999* to 1400'F. hold 25 minures.
Ramp 3, 9999* to 1000"F, hold 10 minutes.
Ramp 4, 800"F per hr. to 950'F, hold 45 minutes.
Ramp 5, 500'F per hr. to 700oF, no hold.
Ramp 6, 200'F per hr. to 120"F, no hold.
ferent. Chunks of coarse frit, stringers, fine frit, and cut up rods
all rvork rvell, but use only opaque glass.
. You can trim the hat to give it character or make it look old,
or change hats to make him a baseball player, chef, or rvhatever
you like.
. Use Irid White for the snow to make the snor,vman glisten.
. Crazy Glue rvorks for the base pieces, but be careful because it
sets quickly. It doesn't rvork rvell for the coal, because you might
need to adjust as you work.
. Hairspray takes about one hour to dry. You don't have to r.vait,
but if you don't, work carefully so pieces don't get bumped out
of place.
. Make sure all of the pieces are clean and all of the stickers on
the glass are removed before you cut.
Erica Biery Collins is a glass
artist from Northampton, Pennsylvania, who was introduced to the
glass industry man)J years ago while
working at a stained glass warehouse.
During her tenure there, she traveled
the country learning various glass
t e c hnique s from w or ld- renowne d
artists. She now uses her knowledge
and skills to create stlmning glass pieces using fused glass ,
stained glass, and mosaics .
Erica exhibits in local juriedfine art shows, gilt shops,
and art galleries throughout Pennsylvania. She emphasizes
finding ways to integrate the various mediumsfor architecttral pttrposes such as lighting, wall mosaics using fused
pieces, stand-alone stained glass , or mosaic designs with
fused glass accents.
xas fast as possible
@
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PATTERNS
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Copyright 2012by Glass Patterns Quarterly
A11 rights reserved.
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