One Day Glass Workshops

This spring Flowerfield Arts Centre will host several one day workshops in glass making techniques.  It's an ideal way to try out a technique.


Contact Flowerfield to book:   telephone:  028 7083 1400 
                                                            email: info@flowerfield.org

Lampworking: Making Glass Beads

Dates: Saturday April 28th 

           Saturday May 26th 
Times: 10am-4pm


Tutor: Catherine Keenan

No experience is necessary, and students will be guided through the very basics how to turn on the torch, getting familiar with the tools and the workspace, as well as guidance on the health and safety implications. Students will then be shown how to make a round bead, and the tutor Catherine Keenan will explain some ways of applying pattern and experimenting with form to make your beads more unusual. 

Catherine will also supply some information on tools and equipment required to make your own beads, a list of suppliers for materials, and some useful websites for finding out more. These one day workshops have been very popular in the past, and since Catherine can only take five students on each workshop, we're offering two of these classes, one on April 21st and another on May 28th.  Students are reminded to bring a packed lunch, something to tie back your hair if it is long and some bottled drinking water. 

Maximum: 5 students

Cost:  £55 (includes materials)

Fusing with Float Glass

Date: Saturday 12th May 

Time: 10am -4pm 

Tutor: Natasha Duddy

We start the session with some brief but essential health and safety. This is followed by an explanation of the hand tools we will be using for the day. This is quickly followed by several demonstrations of the cutting techniques of flat glass. Then, students will be allowed to practice these methods individually. We'll then give you some basic theory on glass compatibility and then we'll experiment with inclusions within two layers of glass, for example different types of metal, woods, plastic etc and many other materials between the layers of plain glass. We will be able to show you previous examples at this stage. You will also be able to work with coloured, compatible pieces of glass and glass powders and frits, to help add colour to your experiments and designs. During the day, we will be on hand to give as much help as you need. We'll guide you through the principles of design, working with colour, texture and light. By the end of the day you will have made some small glass tiles, hanging pieces or jewellery ready for firing and normally available within a week. Later we'll fire your work in our kilns. This is lots of fun and often produces some quite unexpected results. Our studio facilities are excellent and our teaching environment is relaxed, friendly and informal.

Maximum: 10 students

Fee: £40 (includes a wide range of materials, use of your own set of tools for the day)

Intermediate Glass Fusing

Date: Saturday June 9
Time: 10am to 4pm


Tutor: Natasha Duddy
Have you already taken a Beginners Fused Glass Class and want to take your skill to the next level? Then you're ready for an Intermediate Fused Glass Class! In this class we will be working with Bullseye Glass. The Intermediate Fused Glass Class will cover advanced cutting techniques, including circles if required for your project, and slumping glass. There will be more hands-on time than the Beginners Fused Glass Class and one large project will be completed before lunch and one after lunch. Choose to create a bowl, plate, clock or wall art piece. We will guide you through our very easy step by step process of creating a fused glass panel, using your very own design or we can assist if you don't have one, so drawing skills are not essential. You will use glass, copper inclusions, frits, confetti, stringers and oxides to name just a few to create your project. The first half of each session will be spent creating your exact design template, and selecting colours. Then you will choose your glass, cut it and assemble it ready to fuse. You will have already decided if you are using a mould to slump your final piece and this will determine the size of your work. If preferred, you will also be shown how to make a relief mould to just add surface texture and pattern to your flat pieces of work, using ceramic fibre paper. We will give advice on hanging your work and will gladly offer fixings information. We will also give advice on cold working techniques that can be added at a later date to enhance your piece even more, such as cutting into your design, drilling or sandblasting.
Maximum 10 students
Fee: £45 (includes a wide range of materials and use of your own set of tools for the day)