Glass testing - Bullseye glass and bubbles

Bullseye tints with brass "frit" inclusions. The brass creates bubbles when encased and heated. Only a very little bit of brass is required to get quite large bubbles. The more heat you give the bead the larger the bubbles grow.

Top left - Neo-Lavender
Top right - Aqua blue tint
Bottom left - Light leaf green tini
Bottom right - Erbium pink

Bullseye tints with copper oxide powder inclusions. The copper oxide creates bubbles and leaves a blue residue when encased and heated.  This reaction is very difficult to control, less powder is more effective and easier to manage in terms of keeping the bubbles small.

Top left - Light aqua blue tint
Top right - Erbium pink
Bottom left - Light leaf green tint
Bottom right - Neo-Lavender

Jolene xx

Glass testing - Schott clear with metallic inclusions

Yesterday I started looking at how different types of metallic inclusions can add colour and bubbles to clear glass. These beads are made with Schott clear which is compatible with Bullseye glass as it is CoE 90. Each of these beads has a core or clear glass that has been rolled in or burnished with some kind of metallic substance with a heavy layer of clear encasement over the top.

Top left: no inclusion, just lots of poked holes using a florist pin frog.
Bottom left: Brass "frit".
Top middle: Silver leaf encased outside of the flame and super heated.
Bottom middle: Reichenbach Iris Gold frit.
Top right: Copper oxide powder (a tiny amount).
Bottom right: Copper leaf encased outside of the flame and super heated.

I have used a neutral flame only, none of the colour in these beads comes from adjusting the flame chemistry.

Thanks for looking, Jo