I've been an Oceanside glass user since my entry into fused glass art. I've thought about trying Bullseye and what accelerated the move was that I contributed a small piece to a glass project which required using Bullseye. Oceanside and Bullseye are COE96 and COE90 which makes them incompatible.

At the same time I was experimenting with Bullseye glass, I was commissioned to create a tray with an unusual design and color combination. I showed my customer a picture of BE Cascade glass and she loved it. I explained that I wasn't sure how the colors would fuse but I knew they would react and most likely the image would be darker.

What is Bullseye cascade sheet glass?

Bullseye cascade glass is a type of kiln-fired glass that features a beautiful gradient of colors. These colors can range from transparent to opaque and shift through hues of blue, green, amber, or other vibrant colors, depending on the specific Cascade sheet you choose. The beauty of Cascade glass lies in its color flow, which creates natural visual movement in your artwork as the colors transition across the surface of the glass.

Cascade glass sheets are generally used in fused glass projects where a more dramatic or layered effect is desired, offering great depth and a natural, flowing aesthetic. These sheets can be cut, layered, or shaped to create mesmerizing patterns and designs.

For this project, I cut some smaller pieces and fused them to see the results with my firing schedule for COE90 contour fuse. Then I cut a section out of the pattern on the sheet glass and placed it on a base layer of clear tekta and fused it to a flat then slumped to a tray. The turquoise blue turned to a green and the browns darkened due to their interaction with the french vanilla background and blue. In some areas, I saw a painterly effect, so I cut another section and fused a second tray to compare the two. I read the label on the sheet of glass and learned the sheet also contained some striker glass.

What Is striker glass?

Striker glass is another fascinating material used in glass fusing. Unlike reactive glass, striker glass contains metal oxides or compounds that, when heated, shift from one color to another. The “striking” process occurs when the glass is exposed to specific temperatures, causing a color change that is typically irreversible.

What I learned.

Fusing a sheet of Bullseye cascade glass is a rewarding and exciting process, offering endless opportunities for creativity. With its beautiful color gradients and versatile application, cascade glass is an excellent choice for anyone looking to add movement, depth, and vibrancy to their fused glass projects.  Photos of the two trays are below .... compare them to the sheet glass photo above to see the color shift.