Oceanside Compatible®, long beloved by glass artists for its Fusers Reserves limited-run, high-quality fusible glass, has just launched some mouthwatering new additions: two flavors from the Desserts Collection – Baklava and Dubai Chocolate – plus a striking new hue called Aurora. These art glass sheets lean into rich tones, reactive effects, opals, and strong personalities. Let's dive into what makes these releases special, how they perform, and how you might use them in your work.
What Is Fusers Reserve?
Before we get into the new pieces, a quick refresher: Fusers Reserve is a line of 96 COE (Coefficient of Expansion) fusible sheet glass from Oceanside Compatible.
These art glass pieces are limited-edition, with experimental color mixes, opalescent effects, reactive components, and a lot of uniqueness between sheets. What one sheet does in firing might differ a bit from another – that's part of the charm.
The Desserts Collection: Baklava & Dubai Chocolate
Baklava
- First up, Baklava is part of the new Desserts Collection drop.
- As the name suggests, the palette evokes the golden browns, amber tones, and warm opals of the dessert. Think caramel drips, nutty browns, honeyed glow. It has richness with luminous opalescent highlights.
- It's fusible, COE 96, and appears in sheet form. So it's ideal for kiln work, glass panels, mosaics, and lighting pieces where warm tones want to dominate.
Dubai Chocolate
- Dubai Chocolate, the second dessert in the collection, takes a deeper, more decadent turn – think rich chocolate tones, luxurious depth, use for accents that veer into dark browns and greens with subtle shifts.
- Operates in the same class: reactive or opalish finishes, limited run.
Why These Feel Fresh
Part of what makes Desserts stand out is the thematic naming: you immediately get a mood. The names suggest texture, warmth, indulgence.
The glass isn't just flat color – there are subtle variances, reactive behavior in the firing, opal elements that catch light differently. These aren't "safe" solids, but pieces that can surprise.
For artists who love color stories, Baklava and Dubai Chocolate offer excellent complements or contrasts to cooler tones, reactive blues, ambers, greens, etc.
Aurora: A New Horizon of Tone & Texture
Aurora is another new Fusers Reserve color / mix. Here are its defining features:
- It combines teal transparent, white opal, and pond aventurine. The mix gives it a layered luminosity: transparent glass intermingling with opal and aventurine accents that sparkle or shift depending on light and how much you fire.
- Because of the transparency + opal combo, Aurora is likely to shine in pieces where light passes through or reflects off surfaces: lamps, windows, suncatchers, fused bowls with thinner edges, etc.
- The "pond aventurine" bits add texture – tiny glints, granulated shimmer, something dynamic under kiln heat. It may behave differently depending on how hot/high the annealing/firing schedule.
Aurora was introduced in Oceanside Compatible's first Stay Glassy Fest, a community event for glass artists. It's one of the featured new Reserves made "especially" for that audience.
How to Use These in Your Glass Work
For artists considering picking up Baklava, Dubai Chocolate, or Aurora, here are some practical thoughts & tips:
- Firing Schedule Matters
Because these are reactive / opal / mixed-finish glasses, your results will depend heavily on firing schedule (ramp rate, peak temperature, hold times). Small differences can affect surface finish (gloss / matte), color separation, how the reactive bits pop.
- Layering & Compatibility
All are COE 96, so they can be used together safely, or with other 96 COE glasses. But because of the opal / aventurine / transparent combos, layering transparent or thin sheets on opal or mixing with heavy reactive can lead to nice visual depth – but also risk bubbles or strain if you don't balance thickness.
- Lighting & Backlight Effects
Aurora in particular will likely look dramatically different when backlit vs solid light or ambient lighting. If you can plan for translucency in your project (e.g. windows, lampshades, panels with light behind), you'll get more visual payoff. - Polishing & Edge Work
The edges can show the inner color layers differently. Consider polishing or grinding edges carefully to preserve optical clarity, especially for Aurora, where transparency is part of the appeal. - Use as Accents
These colors are strong statements. You might want to use Baklava or Dubai Chocolate as accent bands in panels, or contrasting pieces among more neutral glass, rather than trying to build large fields out of them (unless you want bold warm tone dominance).
Visual & Emotional Impact
What these new Fusers Reserve glass sheets do well is tell a story, evoke warmth, richness, indulgence. The Desserts line conjures something edible, sensuous, cozy – something you want to lean into. Aurora, meanwhile, suggests new dawns, shimmering light over water, a hint of twilight or dawn color blending.
For glass artists who want pieces that feel emotional, atmospheric – these colors help carry that weight.
Final Thoughts
If you're working with fusible sheet glass and want something new, these are exciting releases from Oceanside Compatible. Baklava and Dubai Chocolate bring warmth, richness, texture; Aurora gives you a shimmering, layered transparency mixed with opal and reaction that rewards thoughtful firing and light.
If I had my pick, I'd use Aurora in backlit window panels or fused lamps to let its transparent qualities sing. Baklava might be gorgeous in mosaic or fused jewelry pieces. Dubai Chocolate could provide drama in contrast with blues or greens.
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