organic bead tutorial anyone?

[truegem]

Would anyone be willing to give me a "recipe" for an organic bead? I am trying to branch out. I kind of know some things that would help me with making an organic looking bead, (like SIS, ivory, silver foil, frit), but I'm clueless as far as actually putting it all together and coming up with an awesome organic bead.
p.s. I use a hot head.
Thank you!
-Patti

[Hayley]

There are lots and lots of way to make organic bead - hopefully others will chime in. Dark ivory base is a great start - any silver glass such as DH, R4, some of the ASK (especially the ones with names Silver something), Moretti Copper Green, Silver Plum, Turquoise, Uranium Yellow, etc. etc.

To add more webbing effect, add very thin stringers of Intense Black and heat till it starts webbing.

Have fun playing! Hope that helps.

[Phoenix]

Shawn T has a great recipe in the tutorial section somewhere -


I love using the silvered glasses in mine

I like dark ivory more than light in mine- Vetro if I want the cool crackle with silver leaf, Effetre if I want to use intense black for webbing

Any transparent can be used- I don't like the rich greens- but love pale purples, browns and aquas

I like using an aqua/copper rod I mix before hand- just mix the copper right into the rod

I stay away from anything that "halos" on ivory in these as it can muddy them up or make them too busy looking

[Phoenix]

Process- in the beginning- I just spun and applied- I plan some of them out a bit more now and know what I am looking for- maybe I can't call those organic anymore? Anywhoo - it really is letting go of needing to monitor where each piece of color lands and applying with abandon

Have fun!

[Curly Irish Girl]

Guess mine are quite similar.....ivory base....wrap in silver foil...burn it off.....add other shades of transparents....squiggle them all over....heat....gravity move the glass into your final shape...an ORGANIC is born

[CorriDawn]

From Shawn T:

More on Organics:
Materials needed:
Dark Ivory
Silver Foil- Yes, leaf could be used
Transparent Aqua, OR, Teal, Emerald green, Grass green
Intense Black Stringer
Marver or BBQ Mashers

1. Make a base bead out of Dark Ivory. Since this bead seems to look better in a tabby shape make sure you have enough base bead of the ivory in order to flatten in the end. An egg shape to start with will end up looking better than a dounut shape.

2. Roll base bead of dark Ivory with the silver foil, and burnish the silver in well. This can be achived by running the silver on your marver to make sure it is stuck well to the bead. Do NOt melt in the silver.

3. Now pick up your color of transparent glass, in the pic I showed I used dark Aqua stringer and the other bead is done with Dark Grass Green stringer. Make swipes with your stringer right on top of the base bead with the silver still on th bead. The amount of color depends on you. But I do suggest that you add more then you think you need.

4. Step four is optional try it with and without. Thread on intense black stringer. To thread on stringer, you hold the bead, (still with the silver on and the transparent glass) behind the flame, your black stringer in the tip of the flame till it is molten, not touch the bead to the stringer and twirl the mandrel, The intense black stringer will go onto the bead in little threads.

5. Melt all in. You may want to use your marver to spread the transparent glass, as it will melt slower then the other colors and so it does not all end up in one place. let the bead cool slightly. Heat only one side of the bead and flatten on your marver. Now let that side cool and heat the other side and smash it flat on your marver. Or if you have BBQ masher just flatten it that way.

Same bead different way:

Step 1 is the same

2. Add silvered ivory stringer to the bead, and the transparent stringer, and intense black stringer threaded on the bead. Melt all in at the same time. Flatten the bead as directed above. This will give you a slightly different look, as the silver will not cover the entire bead, and only where you decide to put the SIS.

Variations: Add goldstone stringer, topaz and intense black.

Just add intense black and heat low in the flame,
the black will give you the "webbing effect"

Try on a black base, adding silver and Dark ivory
along with transparent glass.

Start with a transparent glass, add SIS, (intense black if you choose)
Or transparent glass, roled in silver then add ivory and intense black

[truegem]

Wonderful info. Thanks to all who helped me! I'll get there!
-Patti