Some help please

[anxious1]

I made these about 8 years ago and just ran across them and tried to duplicate and I can no longer remember how I did the dots with the frit? I picked up frit with a clear rod and placed the dots but they smeared and that didn't work.

I have 2 more orders for them too and now I am worried.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Eileen]

I'm just speculating here, but what would happen if you made the raised dots on the beads, then dipped the dots in the frit & melted in already on the bead... or is that even possible?

[anxious1]

I know that is not what I did but I sure can try this. I can't believe I don't remember how I made them

[alcyon]

Gosh, when you do figure it out, I would love to know how. They are very beautiful!

[Onekura]

how about heating the tip of a punty, dip it in frit and then dot this on the bead and melt it in? That's how I would do that

[anxious1]

Yup, tried the dipping punty and the frit smears

[fionah]

Looks like the bead has been made then rolled into clear frit, possibly before the colours were completely melted down.
They are very nice!

[Mary K]

Here is my take on it:
Black base bead
4 dots top and 4 dots bottom of something like ruby strike 4, cherrywood,tequila sunrise, or use a momka striking red, but there is def a red dot there on the black.
Then, on top of the red, dot of DAP on the top, and dot of say...Blue Amber purple??? on the bottom of bead.
you know what kind of glasses you use, think back, what was it?
Then heat it until the dots are starting to collapse, but still raised a bit
roll it in clear in say a small-med clear frit. It does not look like they are incased,
hence the vibrant colors. I may try this myself, those are really beautiful beads for sure.
Anyone who trys to make these should post their results here, I know one of us can figure it out, Susan..where are you? You make wonderful beads, got any ideas?

[Jackson River Glass]

The minute I saw these posted on FB I was completely hooked. They are gorgeous!

Half of the base bead is black, but half looks like it had blue frit as a base under the dots. Then the dots began. I was thinking yes, dip the raised dots of silver laden color in frit - maybe even clear like you were thinking. Whatever the method, these are incredible, very unique and I haven't seen anything quite like them. Yummy!!!

[Celestial B]

Anxious 1 ~ Beautiful beads! I have only been torching glass for 6 months or so and have kept a haphazard written journal of techniques I have learned. Your situation is a great reminder that I should take more careful notes and possibly even figure out a better method to include pictures with the text. So many little details fade over time. Good luck on reinventing the wheel on this one.

[anxious1]

Thank you everyone and now that I think about it they may have been rolled in clear. All the colors you mention Mary are what I use to awesome eye you have there.

Ok, I will try and replicate with this but I do know that they were not done on a black base but a Momka color that was discontinued years ago and it was a striking red but cannot remember the name of it. Black would be a good alternative though.

I will report back on how it goes and thank you everyone for the kind comments as well. Oh, Mary, I am on the Northern Oregon Coast in Seaside.

[KJohn]

Those beads are a real treat, Michele. I hope you get it worked out.

[anxious1]

Me too Kristin and I am headed to the torch now.

[anxious1]

Ack, no luck.... tried rolling the raised bumps in clear and they melted in and distorted. Now I am wondering I am working too hot as this felt familiar and perhaps cooling things down a bit to avoid melting in the color. Ugh

[Jackson River Glass]

Well I did five trial beads today using different colors, we'll see what happens. I'll post pics when the beads are cooled down.

[anxious1]

Thanks Susan I am about at the end of my ideas and anxious to see what you may have found.

[Jackson River Glass]

well the sun's gone so my pictures are dark but let's try anyway...


Beads left to right:
1: ruby k base, purple luster stringer and dots, ruby k and blue lightning topped dots, clear frit, not encased.
2: garnet base, caramel luster stringer down the middle, and dots on both sides. On one side, topped dots with garnet, other side topped with blue moon. Covered entire bead with small clear frit, melted in, did not encase.
3: ruby strike 4 base, DAP stringer and dots, topped with lt BAP and purple luster dots, clear frit, not encased
4: cherrywood strike base, caramel stringer and dots, topped with dk BAP and purple luster, clear frit, not encased
5: pomegranate base, caramel stringer and dots, topped with dk BAP and purple luster, clear frit, not encased







So, the only thing I really gained here is that I really liked the cherrywood base, seemed close. What I didn't remember to do was try to get the blue base color on the right side. Might just be the same base but with a different frit color applied on the right side of the bead.

Back to the drawing board! Do you have any other clues such as if you primarily use one mfr for your glass, or do you have tons of frit, or maybe just a few colors you usually reach for? Also do you have any other angles of these beads in photos?

[anxious1]

These are close and I do a ton of frit and I use Momka and NS and I know that it was an apricot frit and I do believe that it was BAP that I used as well. Susan, these are close and I know that I used a red dot which caused a reaction hence the line around the dots. We are getting really close folks.

The last of these shipped to my customer but I am going to ask her to get some close ups etc when they get there, they are on their way to the UK so probably about a week.

[Jackson River Glass]

do you mean literally apricot frit? I want to say I have apricot from TAG but I could be wrong - but in rod form. or just an apricot color - like maybe even a silver strike frit? I'll play some more tomorrow. Do you recall if the base bead was all one color? Sorry for all the questions. Trying to narrow down the possibilities lol I"m also wondering if the dots might have had a dab of clear to cause the frit to be so defined and magnified? Without clear, I didn't get the effect I was looking for, but that was with clear frit. Will see what happens with colored frit tomorrow. Thanks for the challenge!

[anxious1]

Definitely ask questions and yes the base bead was a wine color and the frit is called Apricot but I don't a manufacturer on the bag but I do suspect that it is GS.

Glad to offer this as a challenge to everyone and will be really happy when this is figured out, I have a ton of test beads as a result and nothing is working.

[Mary K]

Just a question, is Green Exotic a glass color you may have had at the time?

[anxious1]

I don't have it in my stash and likely would not have run out as I mostly work in 104. So probably not....

[Jackson River Glass]

so today I just wanted to nail the left side base color/frit. I really thought it was probably Lt BAP so I used a small white footprint and then the blue, then tried several different frits, unencased. Need to run them thru again to try for blue (sigh), the only frit color that I found really looked similar was garnet. As for the blue not being blue, I think I just pushed my luck doing 3 or 4 on a mandrel, messing up the striking process I usually use (get it white hot, cool, toss it in the kiln). So I'll run em thru one more time just for kicks I am curious what these would look like encased too, might try that next. I did try the apricot color I have, and there was no reaction on the edges at all so I don't think it's the same as the frit you have, although yours was on the red dots so I might try that before it can be ruled out.

[anxious1]

Thank you Susan and I will take a photo of the frit tomorrow. I think that these might be forever gone at this rate

[Jackson River Glass]

yeah you might be right. They sure are gorgeous - I was really tempted to buy them when you listed them - totally regret not going for it right away!

[anxious1]

Spaced the frit picture but I think it is the technique that I used and not necessarily the color. Now I wish I hadn't sold them I am going to keep at it though and it will come back eventually.

[Jackson River Glass]

Good luck to you! Hope you figure it out.

[PamS]

Could you have done hobnails to get the dots rather than using frit?

[anxious1]

Pam, I have never done hobnails so I don't think so but now I am intrigued. If I can get these replicated with a whole new technique I am game.

[PamS]

It's a technique that Sue Ellen Fowler teaches where you pull a stringer to a little itty bitty point and touch it to the base glass. Have to pull the point sharp for each dot so it's time consuming, but gives you lots of control.