Featured Sponsor: Glassy Cuts
Lisa Stirrett shows off a piece made with float glass at her studio in Silverdale WA.
Glassy Cuts was born out of a big creative risk and one very determined artist. Before glass, Lisa Stirrett was immersed in Gyotaku painting, but that changed when she was commissioned to create a permanent art installation for the Kitsap Conference Center. The project required materials and techniques she’d never used — glass and metal — so she tracked down a Bullseye rep and a local metalworker to teach her what she needed to know. It was trial-by-fire, but she pulled it off. And somewhere along the way, she caught the glass bug. Big time. Within weeks she bought a 6-foot kiln and dove headfirst into glass fusing.
But even as she got deeper into her new craft, one problem stood out: the cost. Bullseye glass was too expensive for a young artist trying to build a career. When she asked around about using float glass — the stuff from windows and frames — people told her not to bother: “That’s crap glass,” they said. Lisa’s answer? “Watch me.”
She hunted down a compatible float frit supplier in Europe, started experimenting, and never looked back. Today, she’s the founder of Glassy Cuts — the U.S. distributor of System 82 Float Glass.
Glassy Cuts is about possibility. We create products that make float glass fusing more accessible, more affordable, and more versatile, without ever cutting corners on quality. Our COE ~82 frit (compatible with 79–85 COE float) comes in dozens of vibrant colors and sizes from powder-fine to coarse, letting artists achieve full saturation without excessive layering or firings. We’ve also developed a full toolbox of float-compatible materials: pre-cut shapes, MyDots, stringers, dichroic, mica, mosaic bits, even ready-to-use kits and educational resources.
System 82 isn’t just a line of products, it’s a way to rethink what float glass is capable of. With high-quality, richly pigmented frit and an ever-growing range of float-compatible materials, artists can explore familiar techniques like kiln carving, layering, texturing, casting, and vitrograph — all with the flexibility and affordability of float. From single-layer suncatchers to intricate, dimensional sculptures, System 82 gives glass artists the tools to push creative boundaries without compromising on quality or color.
Lisa Stirrett Creative Warrior Studio
And behind it all is a purpose bigger than glass. Glassy Cuts is based out of the Lisa Stirrett Creative Warrior Studio in Silverdale, WA — a women-run space that empowers women locally and globally through art. A portion of every purchase supports the Creative Warriors Nonprofit, which funds agriculture programs, microloans, and skill-building programs for women in Burkina Faso, West Africa. For Lisa and the team, every bit of float glass that ships out is a step toward something bigger: creativity, community, and lifting women up through the power of creating.
If you’re new to float, curious about mixing things up, or just want to make more art with fewer limits, Glassy Cuts is here for it. We’re proud to be a part of this vibrant community of artists — and we can’t wait to see what you make next.
See GlassyCuts.com for more info.
Lisa will be our speaker for the November 16th General Meeting at 3:30 on Zoom. Come explore Fusing with Float Glass!