How’s It Made?

We create the lantern using multiple steps, for the paired feature sides. For the textured sides of the Sailing Away Lantern, we prepare a casting mold with a spray to allow the glass to release from the ceramic mold. Next, we layer coloured glass frits onto the texture on the mold. Carefully layering the colours to create a blended effect, while ensuring the colours do not react with each other. Once the colours frits are placed, we carefully top the frits with a piece of sheet glass, cut to size and polished. Then, the casting mold is placed into the kiln and fired to fuse the frits and sheet glass together.

For the anchor sides, we create the design for the screen we want to use. We coat and dry the screens, then expose the emulsion using our designs and rinse out the unexposed emulsion. This creates the screen stencil we use to print with. Next, we cut the glass to the size required, ensuring it is cleaned before we print on the glass. Using fusible glass enamel as paint, we pull the enamel over the screen which allows the enamels to pass through the open designs on the screen and contact the glass. 

Once we have examined each print for quality and have touched up any defects, we place the glass into the kiln. We fire the panels at a low temperature to ensure the enamels are sintered into the surface of the glass. 

Because the colours are the glass itself, and the enamels are fused into the glass, they can never wash off or fade. During the firing process, we anneal the glass to strengthen it for durability. Because of this, you can be sure to enjoy your lantern decor for many years to come.

Did you know?

The design in this lantern is also featured in the Sailing Away Stand Up, Frameless Sailing Away Window Panel, and the Sailing Away Summerscape!

See the full Sailing Away Collection here.