Etsy

26/02/2017

Messy testing Pachyderm, Koala and Hemoglobin ltd run

Koala ltd run is a cool opaque grey glass. It is one of two opaque grey colours coming out in the next release of new colours from CiM. The other is called Pachyderm ltd run.

I like the bright crisp tone to this pretty grey, it does not appear to have striations when worked. The heart here is made with a base of Koala decorated with Peace, Hemoglobin ltd run (a new red coming out in this release also) and Reichenbach dense black.

Here is a side by side comparison of Pachyderm ltd run (left pair) with Koala ltd run (right pair). Both sets have been decorated with flowers made with Hemoglobin ltd run.
Pachyderm is a warm brown toned grey which has lots of striations and will strike to even warmer tones in the flame. This set has been made with a base of Pachyderm ltd run with Elphaba and Smurfy decoration.

 And because it was it was an irresistible temptation to make one, here is an Ellie bead made with Pachyderm! This bead is a much better example of the colour variation you can see within Pachyderm. I think this will be a fun glass for sculptural designs.

Jolene xx

04/02/2017

Messy Testing Sea Mist, Yangtze and Cornsilk ltd run

Three more gorgeous colour from CiM coming out soon. From left to right these hearts are made with Sea Mist ltd run, Yangtze ltd run and lastly Cornsilk ltd run.
Sea Mist ltd run is a pretty exciting glass, looking up the end of the rod you cans see concentric circles of alternate layers of clear and pale blue, like veiled cane. When worked you get a lovely soft pastel misty blue.

I found that Sea Mist can bubble easily when the tip of it placed directly in the flame or when flame cutting the rod away from the bead. I found that moving the rod in a small circle when flame cutting sped up the cutting process and cut down any scumming at the tip.
Turning the heat down helped a lot as I tend to work on the hot side (two oxycons on a Carlisle Mini CC). I also increased the oxygen content of the flame and worked a little higher in the flame than my usual spot to slow the melting speed down. Lastly I didn't place the tip of the rod directly in the flame but instead heated the part of the rod just behind the tip in the flame instead. These adjustments practically eliminated any micro bubbles formed by boiled glass. Working a little slower and cooler is no bad thing, especially for results as pretty as this!

Yangtze ltd run is also a veiled cane, this time the layers are alternate clear and pale pastel yellow. I worked this glass in the same way as I did the Sea Mist, as cool as possible and it came out looking lovely. It makes me think of traditional barley sugar boiled sweets, yum!

I popped the Sea Mist and Yangtze nugget beads in a rock tumbler for and hour and half with some glass shot and silicon carbide grit and water to give them a soft velvety matt finish.
Cornsilk ltd run is a very pretty cream opal colour with a gorgeous putrescent lustre. It is very well behaved in the flame, melts easily and on the slightly stiffer side to work with.

Cornisilk looks pretty with silvered ivory stringer. The nugget set has been tumble etched to give them a soft velvety finish.

Jolene x

Messy Testing Safari and Van Dyke Brown ltd run

These beads have been made with Safari ltd run, one of the new colours available soon from CiM. It's a pretty brown that gives several shades within the same bead ranging from french mustard to warm chocolate brown. The darkest areas show where I have formed facets by pressing the hot glass with a graphite paddle. The stripes pair are made with silvered ivory stringer. Safari has not reacted with the silvered ivory in any noticeable way. It looks lovely when tumble etched.

This next collection of nugget beads are made with Van Dyke Brown ltd run. There is less of a range of colour variation within this glass than with Safari. It can give visible striations where later wraps have been melted down over the original base bead. I would describe the colour as dark brown tending towards grey. There is no noticeable reaction between Van Dyke Brown and silvered Ivory stringer (used for the dot beads) and it looks like stone when tumble etched.

Jolene xx

01/02/2017

Messy Testing Inchworm and Chartreuse ltd run

There are two gloriously happy shades of  green opal glass coming in the next release of  new colours from Creation is Messy.

First up is a fabulously bright opal lemon green called Chartreuse ltd run. These hearts are Chartreuse with Reichenbach deep black spots.
Chartreuse seems to have a kind of inner glow of its own. The leaves here show the subtle misty opal effect you get when this glass is pressed thin.
This yummy bright opal green is called Inchworm ltd run. I love the misty semi translucence that this glass has. The colour just looks juicy and delicious like sour apple boiled sweeties.
Inchworm ltd run leaves, so pretty. I'm absolutely loving both of these colours!

Jolene x