Silver Leaf / Foil - Help

[WillfulOne]

I am one of us who likes to figure out techniques by myself. This is one of the things I find enjoyable about working with glass. Adventure. I need help with using silver leaf or foil I have tried without success to figure it out. I have read a couple of tutorials but still cannot get it right. I have seen so many beautiful beads using it. So what is the 'trick'?

I have successfully burnished the foil onto the bead. I have burned it off. I have applied transp. stringer to it. I have encased it. I have pulled silvered ivory stringer with it. I have worked it in the flame, under the flame and far out in the flame. All were failures. The glass seems to boil. It gets air bubbles in it. The stringer looks like some one rolled it in soot. :-k

Help please. It will be gratefully appreciated.

[pierces*designs]

What kind of torch are you using?

If I want to get the pretty color reactions then I use ivory and cover in leaf and burnish. I then apply trans. stringer before burning off the foil. I usually can get greens, blues...etc.

[WillfulOne]

I am using a minor now. I have also tried on a mini cc.
What part of the flame do you use?

[FlameDancer]

What colors are you using? When I use Silver, I usually make sure that I am wayyyy out, at the back of the flame and not close to the head of the torch. Silver burnishes in very easily. Try encasing it, that really brings out some different colors too.

[WillfulOne]

I should have said that I work mostly with Moretti glass. I tried using a base of light ivory and a base of black. Stringer or surface application of med. aqua and med. amber.

[DesertDreamer]

Not just what colors, but what kind of glass are you using? And what are your torch settings? You need an oxygen-rich flame to start working the silver. And are you positive you're using fine silver leaf or foil?

[WillfulOne]

Karen, I am sad to say your question about the 'fine silver' was the right one. I did some checking and found that what I have is Silver "Aluminium" Leaf. S**t. I have been fooling with this off and on for about 9 months. :twisted: I do not know where my husband bought it. He just heard me say I wanted to try working with it. So surprise, one day I was gifted with it. It does say Silver Leaf on the outside of the packaging (Big Bold lettering). Why would this fact been hidden in the insert and not on the outside of the packaging? Oh well, I am sorry for the trouble. Thank you all for your responses. Does anyone know of a reputable dealer of silver foil/leaf? Or a safe brand?

I will post word of success (hope no failure).

[alexm]

No wonder you were not having any success, aluminum doesn't work.

PM me your address and I'll send you some.

Karen, I am sad to say your question about the 'fine silver' was the right one. I did some checking and found that what I have is Silver "Aluminium" Leaf. S**t. I have been fooling with this off and on for about 9 months. :twisted: I do not know where my husband bought it. He just heard me say I wanted to try working with it. So surprise, one day I was gifted with it. It does say Silver Leaf on the outside of the packaging (Big Bold lettering). Why would this fact been hidden in the insert and not on the outside of the packaging? Oh well, I am sorry for the trouble. Thank you all for your responses. Does anyone know of a reputable dealer of silver foil/leaf? Or a safe brand?

I will post word of success (hope no failure).

[WillfulOne]

Alex, how very lovely of you to offer to send me some of the correct silver leaf/foil. You have made my day. I have never before received a random act of kindness like this. I hope to be able to repay the favor one day. Thank you.

[WillfulOne]

Here are my first beads with Silver Foil and Leaf. I was gifted with both foil and leaf by Alex. I need practice but am very happy with the results so far. :-D

8998
8997

[Cosmo]

Debbie,

Give me a call. I have a very good video by John Winter that is all about using silver and gold leaf. I'll be glad to let you borrow it. Or, I'll be down at Beads Indeed all day Saturday making marbles if you want to come pick it up.

Here it is in case you aren't familiar with it...
http://winterglas.com/videos.htm

[WillfulOne]

Thanks Chad. I am suppose to be off this weekend and would love to come by and watch for a while. Are you giving a class or just playing? I will try to get a list of my books and videos together for 'The Library'.

[Cosmo]

Just playing around. A friend of mine is coming by to take some pictures for our web site, but that's about it.

[WillfulOne]

I decided to add a few pictures of the beads I made with the Aluminum. Nice and bubbly with pitted surfaces. The encased ones have cracks, except for the Aqua one (5th from the left).

9048