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From "Richard La Londe & Friends: Book II", in his introduction to the Botanicals Chapter:

Botanicals Multi-Layer Technique:

I originally made 24 "botanicals" between 1985 -- 1986. This was my favorite vessel series; they were created from cut pieces of sheet glass, glass threads and chunks of crushed glass. These pieces were very tricky to make. I used my large kiln with an inside dimension of 44 in. (112 cm) X 44 in. (112 cm) X 24 in. (61 cm) deep to fuse and then slump into my large fluted metal mold. I lost a few pieces during this process and felt that they pushed me to my technical edge, at that time.

For over twenty years I revisited this series and tried to recreate it using my latest technique. I tried with frit and then later with the liquid glass line. They just didn't look quite right and didn't have the magic of the original series, and I never exhibited these experiments. Then during the summer of 2007 I created six botanicals using silver foil and ripple glass. Once again, they are the most technically challenging pieces that I have done. It takes three firings to make them.

I am very excited about my new "botanicals." They use just about every technique that I have developed and written about in my first book, "Richard La Londe: Fused Glass Art and Technique." I use "frit on the shelf," the "liquid glass line," "multi-layer technique," silver foil, flipping the piece over, and slumping in my handmade fluted stainless steel mold. This chapter in this book is an extension of my first book, and I thought you might like to see the steps that it takes to make one of these babies.

"Making the Liquid Glass Goop" From: Richard La Londe: Fused Glass Art and Technique:

In 1993 I developed this technique in order to create an outline that could be filled in with colored frit. Many years later, I realized that this is similar to the wire and enamel technique used for cloisonné.

Make the Liquid Glass Goop:

To get started, go to a ceramic (glass) supply place ... and purchase a one-pound bag of CMC (carboxyl methyl cellulose). This product is used for ceramics and also as a food additive (check the ingredients list for tortillas).

Boil water and then pour one pint of the hot water into a heat proof container. Add five heaping tablespoons of powdered CMC and stir for about thirty seconds. You will have to experiment with the amount of CMC because it differs between manufacturers and comes as either granules or flakes. Mash the lumps, but don’t worry about those chunks that don’t seem to want to break down. After the mixture cools and sits, say overnight, it will be a clear gel; the chunks should have dissolved. As with a good cup of coffee, I prefer to make it thicker rather than thinner. You can always thin it with water, but you can’t make it thicker; if it’s too thin, start over.

To mix the “liquid glass,” I mix a ratio of about 1/3 CMC goop to 2/3 glass powder (I use 08 Bullseye powder) in a squeeze bottle. Experiment with this ratio to get the right proportions until you can lay a nice even round line onto a piece of glass. A mixture that is too thin will flow and spread out. A mixture too thick will be too hard to squeeze through the nozzle. You can achieve some nice effects by spreading this mixture with a pallet knife or smearing it with a paintbrush. Fusing the line to stick will produce a dimensional line, and, of course, full fuse will make it flat. Either way, the CMC burns off clean.

Thanks to Richard for allowing us to reproduce sections from both of his books!

And don't forget your CMC powder!