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I have been viewing the Bullseye lesson on putting clear powder on irid glass. At the end they have suggested uses including making your own sheet of patterned glass and have a sample. The process throughout the video is to sprinkle clear glass over the irid and it changes the appearance. At the end the patterned sheet they show is so complex that I don't think it is sprinkled on, but perhaps screen printed. Can anyone tell me if it matters whether the clear is sprinkled or screen printed? And if it is screen printed is it fired on a single sheet? Or is it placed on another sheet with the printed side to the air? I'll attach a screen capture of the piece in question, and thank you in advance for any insight.

You could achieve that effect by screen printing, by sifting powder over a piece of lace/paper doily and carefully lifting it off, by spraying adhesive onto the glass through a stencil and sifting/sprinkling powder over the entire glass, then shaking off the excess. Or you could use a vacuum pen or wax vac to remove powder...or meticulously push powder around on the glass to achieve the pattern you need (and probably go slightly nuts in the process).

I think the main thing is getting the powder to cover the irid coating during the first firing, however it's achieved. Screen printing would probably give the most even application of powder, which would in turn give the most uniform effect...I think. But I'd more than likely use whatever method was handiest in my studio.

Cynthia,
Thank you. I didn't know if the clear was used with some media, rather than being dry if it made a difference. Now I see it doesn't. Off to purchase some large patterned lace. Thanks for the tips.

Happy New Year.

KaCe

I've been screen printing powder onto glass for several years now (thanks to Lesley Nolan, who showed me the technique at Pilchuck in 2009).

I often screen print designs in clear powder over irid as a last step before firing a standard two-layer piece. But I've also created plenty of 'parts sheets' which are single layer irid with screen printed designs.

Leslie,
If it is just a single sheet, how do you keep it from shrinking up?

KaCe

I fire single layer work to about 1385-1400 degrees.
I'll often leave a margin of sacrifice glass too and just cut clean edges after firing.

This board is the BEST! Thank you for the help. I just got my hubby out of the hospital... that phlegmy cough that is going around sidelined him. So I was spending a lot of time sitting and/or reading down there. NOW I can cut loose and try a couple of these great tips. The best New Year to YOU!!!