Two Ways to Win a Copy of: Frit Secrets by Valorie Cox

A Review

Frit Secrets:  A Flameworker’s Guide to Using Reactive Glass Frits by Valorie Cox is by far one of the most beautifully presented books I have ever read.  Before I received my copy I knew that would be the case; that is how Val does everything.  Precise, perfect, thorough and top notch quality.

What hadn’t crossed my mind was that a technical book could be so beautifully written.  I’m flabbergasted.

Val is the person who first brought us frit blends.  If you’ve ever tried to make your own blend you know that it is no easy feat.  While I love my frit, reading Frit Secrets makes me appreciate custom blends even more and has inspired me to jump back in and to go deeper in my own experimentation.

Val is also responsible for discovering the magic of R-108 (Iris Orange) and introducing it to flameworkers. Raku Jitterbug. Remember that? You can thank Val!  And you can learn more about it in Frit Secrets.

In Frit Secrets Val lays it all out, or at least, as much as one brain can handle from one book!  She explains furnace glass, which is what the frits are and were originally intended for, their sizes, reactions, how to work and combine them, what other glass they work best with and what to avoid.  Learn how to achieve ‘faux boro’ effects, blow shards and apply them, devise your own blends and how to layer colors and use silver foil successfully.

In addition, Frit Secrets covers color theory, glass chemistry, tools and work station set up, annealing schedules and the importance of annealing.  She discusses how and why different types of cracks in beads occur, why devitrification and scumming happen and how to avoid all of that.

I have to repeat…the depth of research and knowledge in this book is mind-boggling.  Who knew that something as seemingly simple as frit could be such a deep area of study? Leave it to Val Cox to cover every base while working with her beloved frit.  The beauty of it? She has done the hard work and lets you know what does and doesn’t work but also lets us know that there is so much more to be discovered.

Frit Secrets is a definite must for your glass library.  It is a reference book that can be referred to over and over.  It’s not just a pretty book…it’s an amazing resource on a topic of which only the surface has been scratched.

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Val was gracious enough to send me two books, when only one was needed for the contest.  I’ve debated with myself whether to give the second away too because, that would be the generous thing to do.  However, I can’t let it go.  I know I will need, want and use this book for years to come. SO…I’m having a second contest where I will purchase another book from Val and have her ship it directly to you if you win. She doesn’t know this yet but I bet she’ll be ok with that.

Contest 1:
Comment at the bottom of this post and be entered to win a signed copy of Frit Secrets:  A Flameworker’s Guide to Using Reactive Glass Frits by Valorie Cox.  This contest runs through March 31st at midnight (Arizona, USA time) and a winner will be randomly drawn on April 1st.  No fooling.

Contest 2:
Email me a picture of your best frit bead or set of frit beads.  I will put them into a separate page highlighting your work and linking back to your site.*  All you have to do is link back in a blog post or a link from your site saying that you joined the frit challenge.  The deadline for this contest is also midnight (Arizona, USA time) and a winner will be randomly drawn on April 1st.  Please submit images at 72 dpi and 250px x 250px.

*No links to individual eBay or Etsy or other selling venue products that will expire upon sale will be accepted.  You MAY link to your eBay or Etsy main page, as it will not expire like individual items will once sold.

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Would you like to see your product reviewed here and have a similar contest run?  Email me.  Or let your favorite vendors know that you’d like their product reviewed.

Tagged as: Frit Secrets, reviews, Valorie Cox