All my items start with the same raw ingredient: glass.

For beads and small flowers I use rods of glass that I melt directly in a propane and oxygen flame. Using extreme heat, I can manipulate the molten glass to give me the exact colours, shapes and textures that I’m after. Different glass, with different compositions, will give a lovely variety of finishes.

Glass that has been heated has to be cooled very slowly, so I always put the hot glass into a hot kiln and lower the temperature very slowly until it reaches about 25°C. This process is called annealing and it makes the glass strong and prevents it from cracking.

Sheets of glass

Most fused glass items start with sheets of glass. These can be both brightly coloured or clear, and can be cut up, smashed, pulverised, or painted. They can have metallic coatings, hand-rolled textures or swirls of colour running through them. I generally start with a shape that I have cut by hand and then add other elements, whether it’s broken glass (called frit), enamel paints, powdered glass, or metals such as copper or brass. These layers are stacked up and then melted together. The finished item can then be bent of shaped into a form: a process called slumping.

Glass must be heated up very slowly to a melting or process temperature. The top temperature determines the final texture of the piece - you can just about stick the bits of glass together, or you can melt it all into a puddle, or anywhere in between.

Glass that has been heated has to be cooled very slowly, so I always lower the temperature very slowly until it reaches about 25°C. This process is called annealing and it makes the glass strong and prevents it from cracking.