How to Drill Holes in Glass

Since purchasing my bench pillar drill, I have been busy drilling holes in my glass pieces. I first created my wave clocks, then moved on to the 'True Blood' Hearts (above). I have to say, the thought of drilling glass petrified me. But, with the right tools, it's quite easy. And you do not have to buy a flushing head kit to drill holes. I create wells around holes by using clay:

Fill the well with water:

Here you can see I have drilled eight holes in the heart:

Some useful tips on how to drill holes in glass:

1) User diamond drill bits, not carbide. Sintered drill bits have diamond content throughout the tip of the drill, so when it wears down, you can run it through a dressing stick to expose new diamonds. Thus extending its lifespan.
2) Use diamond hole saws to drill holes 1/4" or larger, but also for drilling thick glass. I drill 6mm, so I use a hole saw.
3) Use plenty of lubricant (water) to keep the drill bit cool and clean.
4) Use less pressure - the drill will work at its own pace. Don't be hasty!
5) Diamond hole saws work better at 600-900rpm.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Tutorial - Earring Cards/Display

This tutorial will show you how to make earring cards for display purposes. Many people ask about the best way to display their earrings, and this is a very economic option. My earrings are 4cm in length, including the fish hook and this earring display is perfect for this size of earring. If your earrings are longer, you will need to increase the size of your template.

Materials:
Card stock
Scorer
Ruler
Scissors
Pricking tool
Double sided sticky tape

Step 1 - Choose an appropriate card you wish to display your earrings. I used 220gms of card stock, it is sturdy and will not bend under the weight.TIP - do not choose card that has a busy pattern as this will detract from your pretty earrings. If you have a logo or theme, choose a card that compliments it. It is a good idea to make your first template out of scrap card, if you make a mistake, you haven't ruined your good card stock.

Step 2 - Cut out a piece of card - 4.5cm x 14cm. Measure and mark scorelines as follows - 5cm, 7.5cm and 12.5cm. Fold along the scorelines so you now have a shaped piece of card.

Step 3 - Measure two holes where you would like to hang your earrings, depending on the size of your earrings. Measure equal distances from each side so the holes will match and using your pricking tool, make the holes. I have made four holes; a set for studs and drops, but you can make only one set if you wish.

TIP - you can use your scrap card template to line up new cards to prick your holes. This will save alot of time as you will not need to measure further cards.

Step 4 - Apply the sticky tape to one end of your card template (the smallest section). Fold over the card to make a triangular shape and stick the small flap to the card. You earring display card is now complete. I have incorporated a daisy patterned card, but it is more tricky to measure and getting the pattern in the right place. Plus, there is more waste. To minimise the waste from the daisy card, I made small daisy gift tags. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and think the earring cards look as good as I do.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Tutorial - Glass Tile Pendant

This tutorial will show you how to make glass tile pendants (as above).

Materials required:

Glass tile (7/8" x 7/8")

Paper (scrapbook paper, scraps, photo)

Dimensional glaze (Diamond Glaze, Glossy Accents)

Bail

Square cutting template (made from card)

Pencil

Glue (to fix bail)

Scissors

Paintbrush

Step 1 - Choose your pattern paper. I have chosen Japanese pattern paper in the pendants above, but you can use your scraps of paper or even print a photo for a personalised pendant (great for mothers day, fathers day, birthdays etc).

Japanese Paper

Step 2 - Make your square cutting template by measuring a 7/8" square from card (I recycled a food cardboard box), cut out the square using a craft knife. This will be used as a 'viewfinder' over your patterned paper. Move the viewfinder over the paper and select an appropriate section that makes a pretty frame. Try to select near the edge so as not to waste paper :

Square Cutting Template (Viewfinder)

Step 3 - Draw a square on to the paper, cut the paper square out and snip small rounded corners (because the glass has rounded corners, your paper will need to match):

Step 4 - Apply a generous layer of glaze to the back of the glass tile (the flatest part of your tile). Make sure to coat all the surface and slightly over the rounded edges. Place your piece of paper over the glass tile (remember to place the paper face down on to the glass), move the paper into place with your fingers and turn the tile over. Push down firmly on the tile to rid of any air bubbles that may have occurred. Leave to dry. Your tile may slide over the paper slightly, if so, move it back into place. TIP - use a grip seal bag as a base, this will prevent a sticky mess on your work surface:

Step 5 - Once dry, apply another generous amount of glaze on top of the paper. Spread the glaze over the paper, paying particular attention to the corners and edges. TIP - lightly glide your brush over the paper to minimise brushstroke marks in the glaze. Let to dry and set. Once dry, the texture is very smooth and shiny, like glass.

Step 6 - Apply glue (suitable for metal) to the back of the pendant and apply your bail. Let to dry/set.

I used E6000 glue for attaching the bail - this is an industrial glue I use for my glasswork. There are a couple of options for bails. You can use a flat bail (right in the photo) or an Aanraku jewellery bail (left in the photo). If using the flat bail, you will need to attach a jump ring to hang from a chain, the Aanraku bail already has a loop for a chain.

Two different bails (above)

(two bails - front view)

You can create all sorts of pendants - here are some examples:

You can even add a touch of your own artwork or personalise by drawing on the prints. You can see from the pendants below that I have added the word Diva in bright pink. I used a Sakura glaze pen for this as these are very bright and do not run when the glaze is added:
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx