All suncatchers start with a design. The one we're going to follow began as a design from a book of old English tile patterns. One square from this pattern is reproduced to the actual final size of the piece and then a template is cut from paper. In the Home Décor section of my website, you'll see this suncatcher design referred to as the Fan Series, because the pattern reminds me of the ribbing of a lady's hand-held folding fan.

This template is used to recreate the design onto a sheet of 3/32" thick fiber paper treated with rigidizer. Fiber paper is a cousin to the fiberglass used in insulation and is made from binding very fine alumina with silica threads, which allows it to resist high levels of heat. A treated fiber paper mold will usually last up to as many as 6 firings.

Next, this design is cut from the fiber paper using an exacto knife. Doing so creates both a positive and negative of the design; it can be fun to experiment firing both to see which results in a more appealing impression when fired into the glass. The fiber paper cut-outs have been carefully arranged on a 12" diameter kiln shelf prepared with kiln wash, which gives it the blue color you see here and prevents the glass from sticking to the surface of the shelf.

Now we're finally ready to cut some glass! I need to cut two identical square pieces of glass, one from clear glass and the other from colored translucent glass. I cut the glass by measuring out the size required (here 4½ inches square) and scoring the glass with a carbide cutting wheel. Here, I've just scored a piece of royal blue translucent glass, which will form the second layer for our suncatcher and provide its final color. Scoring glass creates a scratch that disturbs the surface tension and allows you to "run" the score, or split the glass along that scratch using a special pair of running pliers that create tension on either side of that line.

Once the glass has been cut to its final shape and thoroughly wiped down with glass cleaner, I can start assembling the individual pieces over the fiber paper cut-out. I start with my layer of clear glass so I can ensure the glass is exactly centered over the design. I next apply fusing glue to the top of the clear piece of glass and insert a circle of high temperature wire at one corner, which will become trapped between the two layers of glass once they fuse and serve as the hook from which the suncatcher will hang.

Next we add the top layer of royal blue translucent glass and now the suncatcher is ready for firing. The glue will hold the two layers in place long enough to get the piece safely into the kiln and burns away during the firing process. You see now why we start with the clear layer of glass—you can hardly see the fiber paper cut-out underneath!

The kiln shelf is carefully placed inside the kiln and is supported by short ceramic columns. This allows the heat to circulate evenly both above and below the kiln shelf. I close the lid and set the electronic thermostat to run a full fuse program. Over the next 14 hours the glass will gradually heat to 1480° F and then slowly cool, or anneal, to a hardened state. The heating and especially the cooling process must take place slowly over time so the glass doesn't break as a result of thermal shock. Also, slow heating ensures fewer air bubbles get trapped in the piece.

Here's what our suncatcher looks like when it's just come out of the kiln. When the kiln was at its highest temperature, the glass liquefied just enough to melt over our fiber paper cut-out. The corners have rounded somewhat, but the piece has kept its basic square shape.

Once the glass has cooled to room temperature, I gingerly remove the fiber paper cut-outs from the bottom of the suncatcher. Here, looking at the suncatcher from "underneath"—that is, from the side that was directly against the kiln shelf—you see the pieces of fiber paper have left a three-dimensional indentation. This is how the design of the fiber paper cut-out remains imprinted in the glass. What also remain, however, are small particles of fiber paper, and these need to be scrubbed away under running water.

During the firing process the bottom layer of glass may form a sharp edge or points at the corners. The last step that takes place in my workshop is to grind these edges slightly with a dremel tool so they're not rough to the touch.

For the finishing touch, I string clear fishing line through the hook and secure it with a small crimping bead, and then our suncatcher is ready to hang. Not only is our original design captured three-dimensionally in the glass, but the design actually appears slightly lighter in color than the rest of the piece since the glass is thinner where it stretched over the fiber paper cut-out. Two cool effects for the price of one!