Another new shard! Borealis 104coe

[AvenueBeads]

I usually try holding off on releasing new shards so close together but I couldn't help myself with this one.

Imagine yourself gazing up in the midnight sky seeing stars dance in mother earths dazzling show of colors. Now you can acheive this effect on your beads. This luscious silver infused color mix is sure to be one of your favorites. To strike super heat, let cool and then reheat in the coldest part of your flame and watch the colors come to life.

Borealis Shards 104coe
http://www.avenuebeads.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=191
http://www.avenuebeads.com/images/shards/borealis.jpg

http://www.avenuebeads.com/images/shards/borealis_2.jpg

~Joe~

[yeepers]

Gorgeous!

[Jayne]

Why, you evil man! Of course I just had to go buy some :twisted:

[AvenueBeads]

:waving: I know you'll love it.

To all those who bought some be sure and post your beads here. I want to see the pretties!

~Joe~

[Cabanlet]

Yeah, I had to have some too!! It was too pretty to pass up!!!

Amy

[Leigh-in-AK]

Ok, I bite! just orded some. Never played with shards before. Anything special I should know about?

[*Naos*]

Oh heck yes, Joe! That's gorgeous - gotta have some! :D

[theglasszone]

Ok, I bite! just orded some. Never played with shards before. Anything special I should know about?

Hey Leigh~~~

Well, there are a few things...you might want to do a search here on LE; it's a technique you'll find takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, you're hooked.

As far as tips, here are a couple I think will help you:

1. Choose your shards and have them out of their respective container and on a tile or marver at the side of your bench for easy access.

2. Choose some smaller pieces, probably no more than a 1 1/2" or so for your first few tries. This, of course, will depend on the size base bead you have in mind.

3. Have a pair of tweezers handy for picking up the shard and applying it.

4. Make your base bead, have it nicely shaped and don't have it too hot when you're ready to apply your shard. In other words, don't apply directly in the flame, or the shard will just curl and ball up. Also, you don't want your base bead "glowing" hot!

5. With your tweezers, pick up a shard by one end, wave it very lightly in the way back of the flame so it doesn't crack when applied, warm a spot on your base bead, and OUT OF THE DIRECT FLAME (like off to the side), touch the shard to the base bead hot-spot. This should cause it to adhere. The heat from the base bead will soften the shard a bit and you can sort of "wrap" it around the base bead, using your tweezers to "tack" it at the end of the wrap.

6. Slowly bring the whole thing back into the flame, in a cooler section like at the back. Depending on how big your shard is, it's shape and how many spots you tacked it to the your base bead, some edges will curl a bit, and the shard will melt onto the base bead.

If you want the shard to look somewhat "textured", don't melt it all the way in, but heat it enough to allow any sharp edges to soften and curl, and insure it is fully and flatly attached to you bead.

You may want to use one shard as a highlight, several pieces for a complete wrap, (some may overlap) and either in one shard color or several to achieve a nice effect.

Laurie of lldesigns and Jayne do some beautiful shard work, as well as many others here. Joe has beautiful shards - I may have to buy some of these myself!!!

Search and you shall find....

Good luck!

De

[AvenueBeads]

Great explanation De thanks for taking the time to type all that out!

~Joe~

[ajmets]

I bought some too. The effect is literally dazzling. Can't wait to try it.

[AvenueBeads]

Thanks for the orders everyone! Can't wait to see the beads :)

~Joe~

[AvenueBeads]

Made a bead with the Borealis shards last night, Yum!!! :)

On black and encased in clear
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/z28cam/borealis_3.jpg

~Joe~

[*Naos*]

OMG That's gorgeous! Like an ocean on some other planet! :D

[lbloomer]

These are so beautiful, I just had to get some, now I can't wait for the mail!
Jaquetta

[Jayne]

Thank you, De! :love: Amber does awesome shard work, too :grin:
Joe, that's a gorgeous bead!

[Beadzz]

Bought me some too, gorgeous bead Joe :smile:

[Sachimi]

Hmmm.... #-o .... I can already see that I didn't order enhough of this new one.

Can't wait untill my packages gets overseas :fireblob::fireblob:

Best regards,

Jona

[AvenueBeads]

Thanks :)

Now I just want to see everyone elses!

~Joe~

[papernclay]

I have some of your shards- they were a gift from smokeylady and here is a picture of some of the beads I made with them. I'm just warming up to them and I'm anxious to try more.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papernclay/2929572007/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papernclay/2929571859/
here they are!!!!!

[AvenueBeads]

I would say you are warming up to them quite nicely :) Thanks for sharing your beads!

~Joe~

[Leigh-in-AK]

Thank you De for the instructions. I am planning on playing with them today! I will post my pics.

[*Naos*]

I just got my shards late Friday but I can't play until monday. :(

[ajmets]

I just got my shards on Friday but since I don't even have my torch yet I can't exactly make a bead with them. Just accumulating supplies for now. :( It's killing me!

[AvenueBeads]

Woohoo the anticipation is killing me! :)

Maybe you could use the burners on your stove AJmets lol.

~Joe~

[Truewealth]

Hi Joe...just got my box of your shards..including your new ones! Just wanted to say that your shards are always huge and packaged perfectly....I love them!

Just in case you're open for suggestions....I'd love some shards with bright fuscia and med blues!!!

Thanks again!
Mikelene

[AvenueBeads]

Glad everything arrived big and safe :)

I'm always open for suggestions. I'll have to play around and see what I can come up with for that combo.

~Joe~

[Truewealth]

Great...I'll keep my eyes open for your announcement of new shards!!!

No pressure though.....[-o<8-[:razz:

[ajmets]

Woohoo the anticipation is killing me! :)

Maybe you could use the burners on your stove AJmets lol.

~Joe~

God I wish I could. Heck I'd rub two sticks together if I thought that would work. lol. Seeing all the beads on this sight is like locking a smoker in a room filled with cigarettes and no lighter. ;)

[fritobsessed]

I just ordered some as well - I love Joe's shards. I do have a question though and probably should've asked before I ordered - when you say super heat, I'm wondering if the HH will get hot enough to get this effect. I know that there are some of the striking silver glasses that the HH just doesn't get hot enough for (DH Luna 2 & Precision Van Gogh come to mind). I'm crossing my fingers that these will work . . .

Also, will you be making any DH Terra Nova 2 shards??? That one is actually easy to strike on the HH. Thanks!!

[AvenueBeads]

You should be able to strike them if you can strike Terranova. I have a hot head but no mapp otherwise I'd give it a try. If you find that you can't make them work let me know.

I'll be adding Terranova 2 and Pandora shards to the stock list very soon.

Ok who has beads to show, come on I wanna see! :)

~Joe~

[jdleigh]

I usually try holding off on releasing new shards so close together but I couldn't help myself with this one.

Imagine yourself gazing up in the midnight sky seeing stars dance in mother earths dazzling show of colors. Now you can acheive this effect on your beads. This luscious silver infused color mix is sure to be one of your favorites. To strike super heat, let cool and then reheat in the coldest part of your flame and watch the colors come to life.

Borealis Shards 104coe
http://www.avenuebeads.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=191
http://www.avenuebeads.com/images/shards/borealis.jpg

http://www.avenuebeads.com/images/shards/borealis_2.jpg

~Joe~
Joe ~ I am a 'newbie', but love color in my beads; can you get these colors with a HotHead (polypropylene/MAPP) gas flame do you think? The shards look awesome & I want some, but wasn't sure it would work with my experience level, which is only a HotHead, at this point.
jdleigh

[fritobsessed]

Hi jdleigh - I'm on a HH also and just received my shards today. I will play with them over the next couple of days and hopefully be able to give you an idea of the skill level required to achieve the effects that Joe shows in the paddle and the bead that he made. I know that Amber *NAOS* has had hers for a while and has been playing with them, so maybe she will pop in and give her perspective as well.

[AvenueBeads]

I'll see if I can find a canister of Mapp in the garage and see how it works on a hot head. Actually I should probably find my hot head first lol.

~Joe~

[*Naos*]

I've been trying it on different backgrounds, including black. I don't think I'm cooking them enough. A HotHead can definitely get hot enough if you're on bulk propane...not sure about 1lb canisters.

Here's what I've been able to do with them so far...

This is with silver OVER the shard...
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20754068/338686420.jpg

This is with silver UNDERNEATH the shard...
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20754068/338684296.jpg

This is without silver entirely...
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20754068/338685182.jpg

I'll be working with them more next week - have custom stuff to do tomorrow. :)

[AvenueBeads]

Ohh Amber I actually like the suttle effect in those. Forgot you were on a hot head. I'm interested in seeing how these strike on one.

~Joe~

[PyroBarry]

I would really like to see some more pictures of these.

[Ali Oops]

My first order!! I love the colors of your shards...ALLLL of them but had to stop myself before I went totally wild!! I can't wait to get these and get started. I was having a problem with motivation...think this might have solved it.
Thank you

[AvenueBeads]

Thanks for the order Ali. Have fun with the shards and be sure and show us what you do with them.

~Joe~

[PyroBarry]

Shards as wonderful as these will tend to get your motivation going.

[*Naos*]

Any tips yet on striking these on a HotHead? I'm not getting the gold out of them.

[Jayne]

Beautiful beads, Amber! My favorite is the black one :grin:

Here's a set of squeezed beads with the Borealis shards
142204

[*Naos*]

Hmmmmm, maybe it's leaving them 1) shiny and 2) not melt them in all the way :lol:

Thanks for the pic, Jayne! They're beautiful! :D

[Cabanlet]

I have only played with one bead so far...
142218\
on a base of med fossil

Amy

[Jayne]

Thanks, Amber! I found that the less I played with it, the more colorful it was.

Amy, sweet bead! I wish I had your stringer control.

[Cabanlet]

THanks Jayne,
I like that purple set!
Amber - I concur - the less you play the better the color.

Amy

[ajmets]

I have only played with one bead so far...
142218\
on a base of med fossil

Amy


Oooh, that's lovely!

[AvenueBeads]

I haven't been able to get the Hot Head out yet, so I don't have any user tips just yet.

Jayne & Amy - Beautiful beads!!

Keep the eye candy coming \\:D/

~Joe~

[PyroBarry]

I think I will make Joe dig out the hothead this weekend and play around with it. Hopefully he can come up with some answers also.

[PyroBarry]

The Borealis has moved to the top selling shard for Avenue Beads as of today :-)

[*Naos*]

Guess I better go in and buy some more Italian Marble! :lol:

[PyroBarry]

The Italian Marble and the Silvered Ivory are definitely a couple of my favorites!

[*Naos*]

Okay, got some of the nice silver fume this time - on top of Odd Quartz Grey - superheated it as much as possible...

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20875031/342158122.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20875031/342158117.jpg

[ajmets]

Gasp. OMG Amber. I can only dream I'll get a reaction like that one day with these shards. That's magnificent.

[PyroBarry]

OMG is right ... absolutely breathtaking.

[Kevan]

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20875031/342158122.jpg

Amber, it's full of stars.

[*Naos*]

Thanks for the kudos! I'm so happy I got the fuming this time. :)

Kevan, ain't it cool!? I love that movie by the way! :D

[Jayne]

Awesome colors in that bead, Amber - wow!

[Cabanlet]

Just Gorgeous Amber!!!

[*Naos*]

Thanks! :D

[AvenueBeads]

Beautiful Amber!!!

~Joe~

[PyroBarry]

If you would see how much glass we throw in the garbage when creating new shards, you would probably be shocked. When we see beautiful beads like these, it sure makes it all worthwhile. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! Amber, I just can't get over how wonderful that bead is.

[Kevan]

I don't know what you named this one, but Seahorse Nebula seems apropos. It looks like a seahorse to me.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20754068/338685182.jpg

[*Naos*]

That one was called Northern Lights I think... :) And thanks for the kudos on the Star Light bead. I still want to get the magical greens that Joe got in his paddle. I'll keep trying!

[lunamoonshadow]

Okay, got some of the nice silver fume this time - on top of Odd Quartz Grey - superheated it as much as possible...

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL248/1116383/20875031/342158122.jpg



There's a really defined cross right dead center in that bead--very cool--no matter what religion/belief you might be of ;)--I think it's neat anytime you get any sort of 'defined' marking without putting it somewhere deliberately!

[PyroBarry]

Kind of interesting how little things like that "just seem to happen".

[Beadzz]

Wow, gorgeous beads everyone!
Here's my first set made with Borealis shards, some encased and some not, i like the little silver sparkles under the clear, great shards Joe :grin:

144803

144802

[AvenueBeads]

Amber that is pretty. Looks like you are really close to getting a full strike. As soon as I catch up with the orders I will dig the hot head out and experiment. Are you working off canisters or a bulk tank?

Tam, those are beautiful. Looks like a string of planets :)

~Joe~