Glass botanical (looseleaf flower), Paul Stankard, Mantua, NY, 1981. CMGL 99145.
It is possible to use flower petals and other organic matter as "inclusions" in fused glass. This paragraph below originally posted on the Warm Glass website explains:
Items as diverse as leaves, twigs, and cellophane wrappers, can also be used as inclusions by sandwiching them between layers of glass and using them to add unusual effects and textures to glass pieces. These inclusions will often carbonize from the heat of the kiln, sometimes leaving a fascinating "ghost image" (also called a "heat signature") behind. For fusers with money to burn, try sandwiching a US dollar bill between two pieces of float glass and heating to 1500 degrees F. The result may surprise you.
Gil Reynolds' article on Inclusions in Stained Glass News provides some kiln instructions. Additionally, I've attached a bibliography of books, articles, and websites that address inclusions. The CMOG website has a brief entry in our Glass Dictionary on Inclusions and links to a few pieces of art featuring inclusions. The Museum also has a collection called Paperweight Pals, featuring 10 paperweights from a children's book, and many of the paperweights feature inclusions of flowers, bubbles, and other objects. We also have information on Paperweights of the World, the Evolution of the Paperweight, and 19th Century French Paperweight Makers.
Reynolds, Gil. “Inclusions.” Stained Glass News, issue 69, Dec. 2004. Reprinted on the FuseNews website: https://www.fusenews.net/articleinclusions.htm
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