Heating Things Up with Fusography

"Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they wake to make their dreams a reality. "

I am a dreamer, I suppose that is why I am so enamored with travelling. Even waiting in the airport excites me, building my anticipation for the destination, allowing me to dream of what awaits me. It has long been my dream to own my own business and do something I truly love and I am excited to announce that I am finally making that dream into a reality!

As you probably all well know by now, I have many passions. Travelling and photography top the bill, but writing and creating fall just below them.

"There has to be a way," I thought to myself, "to use these passions in a way that I can support myself and continue to share them with the world."

One day, while photographing the stained glass windows in Chichester Cathedral, I came to the conclusion that there had to be a way for me to put my photographs onto glass to sell for people to enjoy at home. Once this little bee had landed in my bonnet it was only a matter of time until I stumbled upon Sassy Glass Studio. Lisa Gifford Mueller, fused glass genius and owner of Sassy Glass Studio, offers classes to teach curious minds like mine how to create their own fused glass masterpieces from her studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Not just a brilliant fused glass artist, Lisa is a professional fusographer, meaning she is successfully fusing images onto glass in a manner that is built to last. It was official I was going to have to find away to travel to Knoxville and take this class!


Lisa has a fun bubbly personality, that displays her kind heart right out on her sleeves and I knew when I met her that not only was I going to learn a lot but I was going to enjoy every second learning with this lovely lady.

Fusing glass on its own is a complex process. You can't just use any old glass, you have to use one type of specific glass for your creation to fuse together properly. The first real challenge is cutting the glass, scoring it with confidence before snapping it in two parts. Once you have cut the pieces you want, you then get to begin layering the glass until you have it set up in the way you want it to fuse together. This is the fun part, where you get to be creative and make your vision come to life before your eyes.






















I designed two coasters & one large sushi plate purely using glass and the rest of my pieces I dedicated to mastering fusography. Having placed my fused glass pieces atop kiln paper in the kiln along with the glass we had cut for the fusography, we shut the kiln and phase one began: fusing the glass together.

The next day I arrived with the building anticipation of opening the cooled kiln to see how everything had fused together. It is fascinating to see how the glass works together to form one solid piece, morphing into a beautiful creation. Two coasters complete, and one plate ready to slump, it was time clean them and begin prepping the fusography pieces.

Fused platter placed on the mold in the kiln ready to slump.

 I had ordered some fusography decals from InPlainSight Art and was excited to pull them out and begin the process of adhering them to the coasters we had prepared. The decals are printed on a peach colored paper that disappears during the firing process leaving only your image left behind fused to the glass. Having cut out my pieces, I placed them on their respective coaster and waited for the water heating in the skillet to reach 170°.

Once the water had reached the perfect temperature, it was time to begin preparing the decals to adhere to the coasters. Once you have immersed your decal in water it does not take long before you need to remove it, so I found myself keeping my chopsticks close to the decal, so I wouldn't have to waste time chasing it around the skillet, and hence potentially ruin the decal. 

Once the decal begins to separate from the backing, it is time to carefully slip it off the paper and onto the glass in one cohesive movement, minimizing the risk of bubbles forming between the decal and the glass. Once the decal is positioned, you simply use a plastic card to press firmly on the decal to remove any bubbles and ensure that it has fully adhered to the glass. 

The more I did, the better I became, and after preparing several pieces, I found my rhythm and was able to prep the pieces without too much difficulty. 

Having prepped all of my pieces successfully, it was finally time to take them all to the kiln where we would begin the custom firing schedule for successful fusography. 

Once again returning to a cooling kiln with bated breath, it was with nervous anticipation that we opened the kiln to find the finished pieces of glass art. Funky peach paper melted away, the coasters were left smiling up at me with my very own images forever fused to them in all their glory. I had such a fabulous time in Knoxville, learning all of the ins and outs of fused glass and it is something that I hope will continue to bring me joy for the unforeseeable future. 

With no doubt left in my mind, this is what I want to do in correspondence with my blog, what I want to create to share with all of you. So stand by! Inspiration From Abroad will soon be opening for business, selling handcrafted home goods & gifts featuring custom crafts & fused glass designed using inspiration from around the globe!

The Little Things in Life

Sometimes people forget how important it is to take a moment to enjoy the little things in life. In this day and age, people are so busy with their noses buried in technology that they rarely take a moment to take their eyes off a screen to observe the beauty of the world they live in. It is amazing what you will see if you just take a moment to sit back and watch the world live and breathe around you. One of the things I find so inspiring about photography is you can capture that moment which may have otherwise gone unnoticed to share with the world. I hope you enjoy this set of photographs from around the world of beautiful things that caught my eye.

The Ocean Star

Lotion to keep your skin silky smooth.

Antihistamines to keep your allergies at bay.

Lipstick to make you feel even prettier.

Guitar strings that pluck at your heart.

Umbrellas to keep you dry.

What do all of these items have in common? They are made using petroleum.

Living in Houston with a brother in Aberdeen and a boyfriend working offshore, my life is surrounded by the oil industry. Therefore, I felt it only fitting to take the time to visit the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum in Galveston to better acquaint myself with the word surrounding me.

Parking off 20th st, it is a short walk to Pier 19 where the jack-up now sits mat down on Galveston Bay. Having paid in the gift shop, you walk towards the now retired Diamond Offshore drilling rig, an impressive sight, growing in grandeur as you get closer. Entering the first deck of the rig you are greeted by wonderfully friendly and intelligent docents who will gladly answer any questions you may have for them as you work your way through the museum.

The Ocean Star is one of the most educational museums I have ever been to. It was absolutely fascinating. Here you are able to see the different size drill bits & pipe used learning how, why and when they are needed. Watch a video or enjoy one of the scale models to obtain a better visual of how petroleum is obtained from the Earth.

The museum is a three leveled educational jewel. The first floor teaches you about the geology & science behind drilling as well as the drilling equipment and technology used. Along with the geological exhibits the first floor houses subsea equipment and the legendary Billy Pugh.

It is no mystery that to get out to a land rig you drive, but ever wonder how the crew get onto the rigs offshore? Wonder no more! See a real Billy Pugh, the basket that hoists personnel from work boats below 50 plus feet up onto the rig. Hold on to the ropes and imagine what it would be like to hang on for dear life hoping it's nickname "the widowmaker" is just a bad joke. Those who don't get hoisted into the air off ships get to take a much more luxurious route in on helicopters from the shore.

Wanting to keep my feet on the ground, we headed outside onto the lower pipe deck where you get your first glimpse of where the real magic happens. On your starboard side the life boat is buried between the wireline control cabin and directional drilling shack. On a functional rig the lifeboats would be attached to a davit over the side but for educational purposes it was cool to see it on the deck. Walking around the aft of the rig towards the port side you are slapped in the face by a massive Halliburton label written along the side of the cementing unit. The large red machine however is dwarfed by the port side crane looming over you. Heading back towards the door to the rig we passed a tall green pole covered in valves where the crew, with any luck, celebrates Christmas year round (as it is called the Christmas tree.)

Back inside and moving up the stairs you find yourself swimming in the deep blue, surrounded by an exhibit dedicated to life under the sea. Here you learn about the ecological impact of the offshore rigs and peer through windows into the underwater half of a two story offshore model. The models in the museum are amazing and walking through the rest of the second level you get to see massive models of various aspects of a rig from well completion to subsea equipment. In fact, the models are so detailed that little imagination is necessary to understand their purpose or size. There is even a depth comparison of offshore structures display to help you grasp a concept of the rigs size.

Now that you have learnt about the process of finding and obtaining petroleum it is time to make your way to the third floor to peer down upon the model you had just been observing from down below. However, the top level is not just a fabulous model, here you learn about transportation of the rigs and the petroleum they produce. The top level also has a fantastic display of life on a rig. Try on a hard hat and coveralls, see the rooms the crew sleep in and examples of the food they get to eat. You can even sit in the drillers plush Recaro cyber chair and feel like Bruce Willis in Armageddon for just a moment. A major part of life on a rig is safety, and here you can also learn about the safety measures and procedures on an offshore rig that get the hardworking crew to the end of their hitch so they can make it home in one piece.


Leaving the crew quarters you head out onto the top deck where you walk along the cat walk stopping to glance down upon the equipment on the main deck. Arriving on the Rig Floor you can peer into the doghouse to see where the driller sits and look at the various parts needed to actually drill for oil from the vital BOP accumulator and choke manifold to the travelling block and the kelly.

Standing at the bottom of the derrick looking up it is impossible to deny the beauty in this industrial machine. It is flabbergasting to think of the impact rigs, just like this one have on humanity. No matter how hard you try it is almost impossible to use or consume something that has not in some way, shape or form been positively touched by the production of petroleum. That is what makes this museum interesting. You get to see how rigs are managed and maintained, how the oil is found and extracted, and what happens from there. We fill our cars with petrol and eat our food that traveled halfway across the country in trucks fueled with petrol without truly knowing where that oil comes from and what it takes to obtain it. The Ocean Star museum makes learning about the nitty-gritty world of oil and gas fun and intriguing. I highly recommend that anyone who finds themselves in Texas, make their way out to Galveston to visit the Ocean Star. It is a trip that you will not regret.

(Offshore drilling rigs are beautiful and finally getting to see one in person I felt inspired to buy paint and canvas to do a couple paintings of offshore rigs in the setting sun that I could enjoy looking at year round.)

The Fabric of Mumbai

Red, Yellow, & Green. Orange, Purple, and Blue. Every possible shade surrounding you. Standing in the middle of a bustling street in Mumbai you are swarmed by stunningly vibrant shades of every color in the rainbow.

One of my favorite parts of traveling is immersing myself in the culture. Meeting the people, eating the food, having a go at the language, and experiencing the history. There is no better way to enjoy a country then to join in with the population.

In a fabric shop in Delhi on a previous trip. (2010)

On my travels through India I never failed to find a fabric shop chock-a-block floor to ceiling with magnificent material. So on my last trip to Mumbai I felt inspired to have a few dresses made that I had looked for in the States but had yet to come across. My dear friend was in Mumbai for research and had a charming tailor she went to with various fabric and designs with which he crafted uniquely beautiful attire.


We went to a local fabric shop to hunt for the perfect material. I wanted a few playful summer dresses so I found some light material with beautiful patterns for the skirt portion. One was black with colorful confetti raining down it and the other looked like a feathery mosaic of various shades of red and orange. It was then time to hunt for the top half, a jersey knit fabric in a beautiful crimson and jet black that was stretchy and comfortable. Once we both had our selections we handed the shop keeper our Rupees and headed to Mohammed's.

Mohammed's shop was on the corner of a relatively busy little road. It had a little hole in the floor bathroom

My best friend with Mohammed wearing her own tailor made creation!

in the corner behind a curtain, three sewing tables and two wooden storage cabinets. The building was two concrete walls and two massive aluminium doors that rolled down to close up shop. Open unpredictably from about 11 til 10 the shop was run by a hard working, incredibly sweet man with a great sense of humor.

We walked up to Mohammed's shop and I gave him my fabric describing my vision to him as he took down the details on paper, carefully drawing some basic sketches of the design. However, when putting my fabric away Mohammad paired them incorrectly putting the black jersey knit with the black pattern and the red jersey knit with the red pattern. I had decided on them being paired red with black and black with red but our creative minds were at odds. After a humorous discussion Mohammed repaired them as I desired and took my measurements for the dresses.

Several days had passed before we went back for my dress fitting and as we began to approach the shop I could barely contain my excitement. Mohammed was obviously happy to see us when we arrived and he quickly produced four dresses! Having only requested two I was shocked to see four beautiful dresses appear each hand crafted for me. Mohammed decided that since there was enough fabric he would pair them both per his vision as well as my own. I went into his curtained bathroom, careful not to fall in the hole, and tried on each of the dresses. They were beautiful but the fit was just slightly off in certain places so we left them with Mohammed for the final alterations.

One of my dresses having the zip fitted

The next night we went back to the shop for the final fitting. I went in to the bathroom with the first dress and it fit like a dream. The second dress however, was not quite as much of a success. The material used for the bottom half had no give and as the waist had been sized for my waist which is smaller than my top or bottom it created a slight problem. Now this would not have mattered if I had not been so determined to get it on, but in all of my excitement I pulled the dress over my head, wedged it down over my shoulders and realized very quickly that I was well and truly stuck. The dress was not going any further, up or down! I tried desperately to tug it back off but would not budge. Arms in the air, eyes and nose poking out of the top of my dress I shouted for my friend to come and help me. She poked her head in the curtain and burst out laughing. She slipped in to the tiny square of a room with me and started to weasel the dress off my shoulders. There we were, two people in a bathroom barely big enough for one, tugging in either direction while desperately trying not to fall in the hole in the ground which served as a toilet. Having been friends for 20 years we couldn't escape the humor in the situation and ended up gasping for breath in between fits of giggles which only made the fit tighter. Luckily, however, we managed to catch our breath after several minutes and with some coaxing she managed to free me from my threads. I put my shirt back on and we emerged from the bathroom to curious faces trying to hide their amusement. With cheeks burning I explained the problem to Mohammed and after a little bit of confusion and lots of giggling he decided to add zips to the sides of the two dresses with the inflexible material. We stood and watched as he made the final alterations. The dresses were exactly what I had wished for and when he only charged me the equivalent of $4 a dress I made sure to overpay him and not accept any change.

Now that I am back in the States I wear my dresses all the time and every time I can't help but smile as I think of how they came to be.