Things You'll Need
Fusible glass
Tracing black
Palette knife
Gum arabic
Roller or brayer
Rubber stamp(s)
Cotton swab
Wooden barbecue skewer
Water-based color enamels (optional)
Paint brush (optional)
Glass kiln
Take rubber stamping to a whole new level when you add it to your arsenal of glass-fusing skills! Stamping on glass is easy when you combine glass-fusing paints with a rubber stamp, which you can find at any craft or stationary shop. This project stamps on glass using low-fire glass paints and water-based enamels.
Step 1
Gather your materials. Wash your glass with an ammonia window cleaner.
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Step 2
Mix your paint. Put 1 teaspoon of tracing black paint on a large piece of glass that you are using as your mixing palette. Sprinkle gum arabic on top of the paint so that it looks like freshly fallen snow. Mix in water until the paint is a nice consistency, neither too thick nor too thin. The amount will depend on room temperature, humidity and altitude.
Step 3
Using a brayer or roller, roll an even coat of tracing black over the rubber stamp. Stamp evenly on a piece of glass. Let the paint air-dry completely.
Step 4
If you want to add color and contrast to your stamp, paint over the design with a water-based enamel.
Step 5
Place the stamped glass in a kiln, toaster oven or under a heat lamp to hasten drying. Once dry, remove any excess paint from the picture by first using a cotton swab and then using a dry wooden stick (such as a barbecue skewer).
Step 6
Put the completed glass project in the prepared kiln. Fire the stamped tracing black (with or without the enamel color overlay) to no more than 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, using the following schedule as a guide:
Ramp: 1 Degrees Fahrenheit/Hr: 800
Target temperature: 1,250 degrees Fahrenheit
Hold for: 0
Step 7
Slump or incorporate the stamped glass into other fused projects. For example, your stamped glass can be fused into a bead, cold worked and then fire polished in a third firing.
Tip
Note that many glass colors, especially browns, lose their color when fired at too high a temperature. So use the least heat, for the least amount of time possible, to fuse and still maintain the best color.
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