Tips on working with shards anyone?

[pierces*designs]

I made a bunch of shard beads the other nite and LOVED the look of them. But when I got them out and started cleaning the beads, pieces of the shards were flaking off and they were sharp.

Is there a trick to melting them in so they still look like shards, but not sticking out enough to break?

And how do most of you apply them? Fingers? Tweezers?

[Cosmo]

I'd try just rolling your bead in them. They're just large pieces of frit, after all...

[pierces*designs]

LOL Chad, I've been using my fingers. I'll spare you the pics. Who needs fingerprints anyway?

[Mr. Smiley]

I use my fingers too. It gets hot! Try having your bead warmer and really super heat the shard quickly after you lay it on... it will bond without having time to melt in. ;)

[pierces*designs]

bump....I wanna make beads where the shards don't crack.

[pierces*designs]

LOL Mr. Smiley..cross posted!!

[DesertDreamer]

I use stamp tweezers for the larger pieces. Just flash the shard in the flame til it glows on the edge, flash the target spot on your bead and touch the shard to the bead. I just flash the edges in the flame until they melt down enough to go soft and un-sharp. The important thing is to have the base bead warm enough so you're not trapping air under the shards, that's what causes cracking most of the time. With larger shards I do a sort of push-pull to stretch 'em out and get them seriously ONTO the base glass.

I just put some of Val's Apricot shards on a white opalino bead and "flutterized" it. I'm DYING for the kiln to cool down to see how it came out!

[Firelilly]

Hi Debbie :) You might want to check out Val's tutorial on WC...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229490

:waving:

Lil