Color combos/recipes needed

fannydotson · #1 2009-10-27, 6:49pm

I am looking for color combos/recipes for my beads. I have a good supply of 104 glass, and some 96. I have some odd colors from the last vetro sale Frantz had. I am always looking to buy more, but I don't know what to buy. I generally buy colors that look nice on the computer screen, but I have no idea what I wam going to do with them when I get them. So, I make round beads, donuts, bicones, barrels, and crappy hearts.
I also have som raku frit (browns and greens)(browns, greens, and purples), chalcedony frit (browns and creams), basic 104 frits, and some dragonfly glassworx 96 frit samplers.

What goes with what? Any suggestions on any color comboes and how to put them together would be SO great!!! Thanks!

ROC · #2 2009-10-27, 6:56pm

I'm usually at a loss, myself. I know Hades has some neat reactions with silver and reactive glass. I think the most recent I did was with Hades and Aion and it had some cool blue colors in it. If you search for things like recipes, reactions, etc. in the tips and techniques, you'll find a lot of suggestions.

houptdavid · #3 2009-10-27, 7:10pm

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=141845

fannydotson · #4 2009-10-27, 7:12pm

I knew you would come through David!!! Thank you! I had no idea how to search my question. You are so awesome!

Carolyn M · #5 2009-10-27, 8:17pm

Fanny do you have any books, been to any classes, have access to any other lampworkers in your area?

There are at least 50 thousand combinations. My advice would be to look in the gallery threads, look through books and copy some of the designs and colours. When you are learning, copying other people's styles and colour combos is essential. Forget buying the tuts right now, you need to play and find out things for yourself. I would suggest you work a little on twisties (if you totally fail I will send you all the ones piled 3 inches deep on my workbench)

Ok, I've just found one of the first bead sets I ever sold. This is a lovely combo to work with. Make a twistie of turquoise and opaque purple (EDP). Make a base of turquoise and wrap the twistie around and melt in, then lay a stringer of copper green through the middle of the spread twistie. Add dots or whatever in opal yellow/EDP/turquoise/copper green.

I can't believe I'm posting this bead, looking at it makes me cringe, but it shows the combo. This twistie can be used on many different glass colours, it spreads beautifully.

fannydotson · #6 2009-10-27, 8:21pm

I would be tickled pink if I made beads that looked that cool! Give me just a minute and I will show you what I have done so far for twisties...it is REALLY sad! BRB.

fannydotson · #7 2009-10-27, 8:34pm

Okay, here they are, in all their glory. The first one I tried was with a red and a pale yellow filigana. Then, there was the cosmic storm and...I have no idea. After that I tried a baby blue and clear...yeah right. And last but not least is an "icicle ornament" I tried to make, but is now a twistie because the handle thing cracked all to Haiti's

. So....about those shorts sittin' on your table...he he he...

Carolyn M · #8 2009-10-27, 8:46pm

I will send you some, but tell me how you are trying to make them. Honestly I've shown several people how to do this and they get it after a couple of tries.

cgreagor · #9 2009-10-27, 8:52pm

Is there a trick to doing them on the mandrel? I have never done them that way!

fannydotson · #10 2009-10-27, 8:52pm

Uhhhh, well, I hold two rods together and heat them in the flame so they stick together. I get them all nice and hot, in a blob. Then I stick a punty (unused end of a mandrel) to the end of the blob...pull it out of the flame, let it set up for 4 counts, and them start to pull and twist. The last one, the icicle, I "followed" the icicle tut for soft glass, and that is what I got. My problem is, either they get WAY too skinny, or I wait to long to pull, and they are an inch to two inches long....*grumble, grumble*
I crack up when I look at them... They are SO sad!!! LMTO (LM tooshie O)!

fannydotson · #11 2009-10-27, 8:52pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgreagor

Is there a trick to doing them on the mandrel? I have never done them that way!

Umm, that was supposed to be an icicle.

houptdavid · #12 2009-10-27, 9:17pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5msCz...eature=related

fannydotson · #13 2009-10-27, 9:27pm

Once again, David, you are awesome! Thank you! Did you see how fast he was spinnin' the rod in is left hand? MAN that was crazy! I'd say I need abit more practice...

princessb · #14 2009-10-27, 9:57pm

It will click Fanny. Keep trying. I do not follow a 4 count rule. I watch the glass and decide when to pull or twist. Softer glass like opaques need a bit more time than a 4 count.

I have been using a mandrel to pull both stringers and twisties. I use to use rods, but I find I have more control with the mandrel

fannydotson · #15 2009-10-27, 10:08pm

Well, it looks liek the "icicle" idea makes a better twistie than the twisite idea, so maybe I should keep with that for a while. "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."

P.S. I made 15 beads toay, and attempted two icicle ornamants. Unfortuantely, I can't keep either icicle, adn 3 beads broke all to crap, but..I made 15 beads and two icicles today! So far, I have only been able to make 2-4 two or three times a week. Can't wait to see what I get done tomorrow!

Carolyn M · #16 2009-10-28, 5:43am

Ok, I do my twisties two different ways. The first way is to heat a gather and press it into a lollipop shape. get your second colour and stripe it to cover one side. You can get a third colour and stripe it on the other side. I then heat only the end part of the lollipop, stick a thick mandrel in and pull slowly, twisting both the glass rod and the mandrel to create tight even twists. I only pull about 6-8 inches of skinny stringer at once. Break this off, heat the next section and repeat.

The second way is to get a hot gather of your primary colour and blob it onto the end of a mandrel. I then roll it on a marver so it is a thick sausage shape. Stripe as many colours around the sausage as you want, then pull as described above. I use this technique to pull twisties for beads like this, this particular bead used a twistie of raku with about five very thin stripes of intense black

Jenfire · #17 2009-10-28, 6:19am

I love my little color wheel that I got from the art store. gives me lots of inspiration.
Jen

peaceofglass · #18 2009-10-28, 6:26am

Hi Carolyn,

If I may ask...you stick a mandrel in and pull....how do you get the glass off the mandrel? Do you heat the mandrel?
Also loved the twistie with the EDP purple...how do you keep it from going "matte"? Is it just your awesome heat control and experience? Your beads are lovely.

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here Fanny...I am learning along with ya!
Jen

Carolyn M · #19 2009-10-28, 6:33am

Jen, I stick the hot mandrel in my water jar and tap it to get the glass off.
By matte do you mean devitrifying? The trick with EDP is to heat it up really well to get rid of any devit then into the kiln

peaceofglass · #20 2009-10-28, 6:45am

WOW!!! Thanks Carolyn

I totally didn't know that about the crazy purple...I am usually trying to heat it really gently or completely encasing it (both of which I haven't mastered-

I can defiantly practice "heating it really well" (heehee)....can't wait to try that...you guys are so cool!

Carolyn M · #21 2009-10-28, 6:54am

This is an excellent site to play with colour combos

http://labs.ideeinc.com/multicolr/#

fannydotson · #22 2009-10-28, 7:42am

Peaceofglass ~ I don't mind at all! I have so many questions, it I posted each one individually, the whole forum would be from me! I am constantly asking questions in other's posts. It's how we learn! How long have you been at it?

Carolyn ~ Thank youf ro the link! That was work, that is! Thank you!

peaceofglass · #23 2009-10-28, 7:52am

Hi Fanny

I have been at it off and on since 2006...I took a beginner course at Panorama,B.C(Canada) - they have a wonderful little glass shop on the ski hill. When I got home I took another class in Edmonton at Bedrock. Just this summer I made a little studio in my garage and try to find time between being mom,chauffeur,teacher,maid,nurse....you get the picture!
I love this site and all the information...I am building up courage to post pictures in the newbie threads...you guys seem like you have fun

peaceofglass · #24 2009-10-28, 7:56am

oh and its Jen

I am still trying to figure out how to work putting a picture on my name thing here, someone told me they couldn't PM me either because of my settings...I thought I changed it but don't know...would you mind checking if it works?

Laura B · #25 2009-10-28, 7:56am

I did a blog post a few weeks ago with a link to some color experiments I did...

http://laurabrackenblog.blogspot.com...goings-on.html

http://srajewelry.com/Blog/colorideas.htm

firedancer · #26 2009-10-28, 8:08am

Yes peaceofglass, come on over to the newbie Gallery, we all give each other inspiration.
Now I just have to get back to the torch.

To much to do, so little time. Don't ya just love lampwork.

fannydotson · #27 2009-10-28, 8:10am

I sent you a pm. Look by your name at the top, adn you will see "Private Messages". This is what I sent, just in case you can't get it for some reason.

Okay, so as you open the pm, if you look to the left, ther eis you User control panel, or if you look at the red strip across the top of the page, where "new posts" is, on the left, you will see User CP. On the left, ot in the User CP, you see all the different things oyu can go in and check/change. "Edit Profile Picture" is to add or change the pic people see when they click to see your profile. If you look down a ways, under "settings & Options", you see "Edit Avatar". This si the pic you see beside everyones name in their posts. Below that is Signature, where you can put in your "siggy", and any other info, like websites, your facebook address, some cute little thing you say...Hint: when you up load pics, you may have to go in and resize them. I always do.

Now, as far as posting pics of your beads, DO IT! Pleople on here are SO supportive! People are always psotnign pics of thier best work, but they also poest pics of new techniques they are trying out. One thing I have learned onhere is NO ONE is perfect. We are all learning constantly. No one can do everything, so we all have theings we aren't the best at. Don't be shy to post pics of your work. We want to see it! It is fun to see a person's beginning work, and them look at what they are doing a a week later, month later, a year later, and so on.

Elizabeth Beads · #28 2009-10-28, 10:23am

I recommend you read Corina Tettinger's book, Passing the Flame. Then re-read it. It is packed with information about colors and reactions.

PaulaD · #29 2009-10-28, 10:26am

You can also work and experiment off of a color wheel. Paula