Patterned Shards Tutorial

[Jennifer Geldard]

:D
Enjoy!!

http://www.glassgirl.com/shards.html

:love: -Jen

[Barrie]

Great tutorial Jen!! Thank you! Can't wait to give it a try!

[chrissij]

Well THAT explains alot...mumble grumble mumble...I was attempting and borderline half-ass succeeding using the "bubble maker" method...remember those plastic straws with tubes of goo we had as children...we made big sticky balloons...take it from me, that method leaves MUCH to be desired...

Thanks for the very clear info on what I should have been doing,

Chris

[Dragynsfyre]

Great tutorial!! Sadly, yet another thing I will probably never have time to try! But I saved it for future use.

[Rebekah]

Great tut. Still don't know what I am doing wrong. Keep getting holes even though I am winding thick wraps and adding frit, etc. Grrr. PPP, I guess.

Rebekah

[Jennifer Geldard]

One more thing to remember...
If for instance, you use white and black, remember that the black glass is much stiffer... (and you know how runny white and ivory can get).. the black is going to resist blowing out a bit more than the white, and your bubble will constrict at the black wraps... does that make sense? Try to make the base of the bubble with glass of the same consistency... and add your frit or stringer of a different consistency on top with breaks in between so the bubble will blow out evenly.
Hope that made sense.

[Tink]

One more thing to remember...
If for instance, you use white and black, remember that the black glass is much stiffer... (and you know how runny white and ivory can get).. the black is going to resist blowing out a bit more than the white, and your bubble will constrict at the black wraps... does that make sense? Try to make the base of the bubble with glass of the same consistency... and add your frit or stringer of a different consistency on top with breaks in between so the bubble will blow out evenly.
Hope that made sense.

Exactly!!!!! \\:D/

Great tut, and beautifully done!

Try some enamels in the mix, too!

[alissa]

Nice clear photos and explanation!

But isn't it easier to just stick a big blob of glass on the end of your mandrel? That's what I started doing after I got... well, lazy. : P I began by making nice wraps, but I like to use stubs, workable bits, and leftover stringer to make a big messy glob, so the built-up hollow would get very uneven all around. Maybe the globby-blob method is too hard for a beginner?

[Curly Irish Girl]

Great tutorial!!! Thanks for sharing your time & talent!!! Now for the dumb question....how do you get the remains of glass off the hollow mandrel....if I read correctly, the mandrel is attached to the ball until you break it?????

[DesertDreamer]

Excellent!!!! Thank you so much Jen!!!

[flamemoth]

Thanks Jen...I always love to see photos. I can't tell though...do you leave it in the flame as you blow? or take out during the blowing?

[Jennifer Geldard]

I don't find the blob method easier... some do, but I almost always blow out a side when I try that.
The remains of the glass can be shocked off the mandrel by heating them up in the flame, and then dunking them in cold water. :)
I take it out of the flame when I blow.
The ball should be evenly molten, so you definately need to keep it spinning, but there's no need to hover in the flame.

[Melodie]

Great tutorial! =D>

I'm curious, instead of cooling the bubble and then breaking with a hammer could you simply stick the hot bubble in water? I'm thinking it may give you too small of pieces but was curious if anyone had tried it.

[adovbs]

The ball should be evenly molten, so you definately need to keep it spinning, but there's no need to hover in the flame.

I've discovered that, for me at least, "hovering it in the flame" leads to weak spots and blowouts, almost always! So I always take it out of the flame now before I blow, and have had hardly a blowout since.

Teresa

[adovbs]

Great tutorial! =D>

I'm curious, instead of cooling the bubble and then breaking with a hammer could you simply stick the hot bubble in water? I'm thinking it may give you too small of pieces but was curious if anyone had tried it.

I've tried that, but eesh, the explosion! I like the whack it with a hammer method better, after it's been cooled.

Teresa

[alissa]

I rarely have blowouts anymore - but I did when I was learning. I like to do three puffs with a second in between and that seems to keep any areas which are starting to get thin from blowing out, since they cool. It's all a matter of finding which method works best for your own torching style.

Another method for breaking the bubble off is to just whack the mandrel on your work surface. : ) It's nice stress relief. : )

[PaulaD]

Thanks. It's terrific!! Paula

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Great tutorial, Jen!!! And beautiful shards. It inspires me to try to go bigger and more intricate with mine. I've been avoiding putting my finger over the open end of my hollow mandrel - I'm afraid of hot air coming out and burning my finger! But you've done this and it's safe? I know that one can burn one's self with steam from the open end if there's moisture in the mandrel... But it's safe when it's dry? Please reassure me! :) Thanks for the wonderful photo tutorial!!! Cheers -Heather

[Jennifer Geldard]

Yes Heather.. it's safe :)
Just think of all those glassblowers out there puting their mouths over the tube. As long as there's no moisture, you should be just fine.
And since there's no release on the tube, the chances are better that there'd be no moisture :)

[Heather/Ericaceae]

*blush* Hey, that *is* pretty reassuring! *laughing at myself for being a dunce* :) Thanks Jen!!

[Cherine Perrin]

Super Tut - Thanks! Off to blow some patterned shards.

[Vicki B.]

Jen,

Thanks for taking the time to do such a great tutorial. One of these days.....

[Slaterville]

Super Duper Tut Jen! Your a very kind and generous teacher to share this with us.............THANK YOU!!

[Mr. Smiley]

Awesome technique Jennifer. I may have to add some twisties to mine now. ;) I normally coil pot a single color and then start adding other colors and designs. This helps keep the base glass all consistent when blowing it out. I've got a short video I'll try to figure out how to link to. Shards are a ton of fun! It kind of makes you feel like a real glass blower! :lol: :love:

[Sue H-K]

Very cool!!! Thanks so much for the great tutorial!! I'm going to go give it a try tonight!

[Cinda]

Well at first I didn't succeed.:( I do plan to try again. I can see why folks say that it's addicting.

[LoriBird]

I went to the studio and got busy blowing shards again...thanks for the inspiration :)
xoxox
lori

[shehog]

What do you use blown shards for? Like frit?

[debkauz]

Well, I totally suck at this, but I am going to try again and again until I get it right! Could take a while...

[Moth]

Fantastic!!!! Thank you.

[TessKay]

Is there a tut for using these shards in a bead? I just got some in a val cox box.. and am in love with this stuff.......... I made a couple "stained glass" beads, but adding them one by one is a PITA!

Im definately going to try this.......... I am off to do it now!42860

[Wendyki]

wow cool I cant wait to try this too :)

[SadiesJewels]

Well I've been trying this and still am getting blow outs - I obviously need more practice!

Sadie

[collectiblesbyrose]

Gosh, thanks for doing this tutorial!!!
Anyone have pictures of a bead that has shards attached?
Never mind, found some on another thread. Very interesting!

[Norskiglass]

What do you use blown shards for? Like frit?

I was thinking that myself.......?? does anybody want some of my broken shards?:wtf:

[Jennifer Geldard]

You're supposed to break them. That's what they're for :)
I'll see if I can find some images of shard beads soon... anyone else want to show some of theirs?

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Here's a bead with some silver plum shards. I can't get a good photo of it but it's got a lot of fun peacock colours. You can do lots of fun things with shards! :)

67155

[debkauz]

Well I still suck at the blowing part but boy can I wind it on. I think I'm going to have to just try and try again!

[Jennifer Geldard]

This bead is done with shards:

[volkanokaren]

I just love this tutorial and this thread has answered my questions too.Ive been follwing the "shard bead" thread recently and thought I would reserect this one.
I will make my fist atempt at the shards today,Im excited and a wee bit nervous,teehee.

Karen
Volkano Exotik

[Bead_lover]

Wow, thanks a lot, can't wait to try it. Very nice of you to share this.
Melody

[volkanokaren]

Well, this is fun and a very good excersise in winding coils and heat distribution.I have blown three and each one is better than the last.
Thank you Jennifer.

Karen
Volkano Exotik

[Jennifer Geldard]

Thanks Karen. :)
I've really got to edit that tutorial... I do things a little differently now... (learned a lot),
so my goal today is to re-work that tutorial. :)

[volkanokaren]

Shard art is soooooo kool.

Karen
Volkano Exotik

[bclampwork]

THANK YOU so much for such an informative tutorial!! I'll have to check out the thread for beads made with shards & try to make a few. I've been wondering what to do with all the twisties cluttering up the place. I don't think even incompatability should be a problem in a shard -- It should just break on that seam shouldn't it? THANKS AGAIN

[Reenie]

Where's the tutorial in the first place?

[shawnette]

Where's the tutorial in the first place?

http://www.glassgirl.com/shards.html

[Teena]

Hi,
Could someone tell me where I can purchase hollow mandrels for blowing shards?
Thanks!

[sierracatzlampwork]

Teena - I bought my tubing at a stainless steel industrial supply house. Had to order 12 feet and cut it myself but it was very cost effective that way. I paid about $4 apiece for them - 10 inch long tubes. A group of us went in and shared the cost. Arrow Springs carries them for around $8.00 a piece..they of course do all that work for you!

[Croft Eeusk]

From the Wayback Machine

https://web.archive.org/web/20060626072425/http://www.glassgirl.com/shards.html

dj

[glass butterfly]

Thank you, DJ. Is there a list of tutorials available through the way back machine? Thanks. Lydia

[Croft Eeusk]

I've never seen it if so. But if you go to the Wayback Machine https://archive.org/web/
then all you need do is enter the info/address from which ever tut you'd like to find. It will give you a date when it was saved, if so, and just click on the date.

There's so much older good stuff on LE this happens a bit.

dj

[glass butterfly]

Thanks so much, dj. Lydia