Show me your UN-encased & UN-etched beads & pendants.

uniqueleigh · #1 2007-01-15, 12:35pm

Okay all, I will not lie - I can NOT encase my beads worth a crap. I hate trying. I hate losing. I give up for now, BEFORE I run out of glass. I am sure you can imagine all the things that go wrong when I try to encase. Plus, currently I just do NOT have the extra patience for it. I need to spend more of my time learning what colors do not make mud and how to work the glass and what not right now. Later I will return to the practice, patience, and please someone pass me the prozac on the ins and outs of encasing.

But, for now -- Show me your UN-encased & UN-etched beads & pendants.

I am working on trying to have a pretty and smooth surface that isn't cloudy or dull. I am trying to figure out - is a bead still nice and beautiful without encasing it?

Yes I know, some beads look SO much better with that thick luster of clear over it. But, come on everyone SHOW ME THE MONEY (well I mean the un-encased and un-etched)

Leigh

Lisi · #2 2007-01-15, 2:03pm

I have never encased any of my beads (the ones I put up for sale, which is nearly all of them!) and I hate encasing too. They don't come out with a dull finish, they are shiny. Check out my ebay, and for more pictures (I don't have a website) you can check the ones in my feedback.

Are you on a HH? Sometimes colors can get dull if you work too close to the torch head, esp, the turquoises and copper green. Try working farther out in the flame, where you may not even be able to see it. Past the "blue cone", and it's good and hot there, plus it's clean burning.

tasminann · #3 2007-01-15, 2:07pm

Here's a set I just put up last night.

uniqueleigh · #4 2007-01-15, 2:18pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

I have never encased any of my beads (the ones I put up for sale, which is nearly all of them!) and I hate encasing too. They don't come out with a dull finish, they are shiny. Check out my ebay, and for more pictures (I don't have a website) you can check the ones in my feedback.

Are you on a HH? Sometimes colors can get dull if you work too close to the torch head, esp, the turquoises and copper green. Try working farther out in the flame, where you may not even be able to see it. Past the "blue cone", and it's good and hot there, plus it's clean burning.

Ahhhhhhh! Beeeeeeautiful. I have seen alot of your beads in your posts. Especially your frit beads. They are all wonderful. I am wondering also how to go about the plunged bubble without encasing I am not sure it would work though. I am using a Hot Head. And you know what? I am constantly telling myself move away, move away from the torch head. So, that is one that I ned to work on badly. I do need to find a better place to work in the torch that is for sure.

Thanks for sharing your eye candy, most wonderful. Leigh

P.S. I forgot to tell you that one of the sets that you sold called "Sunny" is my favorite.

uniqueleigh · #5 2007-01-15, 2:21pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasminann

Here's a set I just put up last night.

Yummy! Those are great. Thanks for sharing, Leigh

Lisi · #6 2007-01-15, 2:22pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasminann

Here's a set I just put up last night.

Oooo I like these!!

tasminann · #7 2007-01-15, 2:24pm

Thank you both -- they were fun to make (love that intense black).

Lisi · #8 2007-01-15, 2:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by uniqueleigh

Ahhhhhhh! Beeeeeeautiful. I have seen alot of your beads in your posts. Especially your frit beads. They are all wonderful. I am wondering also how to go about the plunged bubble without encasing I am not sure it would work though. Thanks for sharing your eye candy, most wonderful. Leigh

Thanks!!

You can do plunged bubbles on a black base bead because it's a transparent! Make a black base bead, add small dots of white, melt in, heat each dot and plunge. Then, choose a transparent color and dot over the plunged white dots entrapping the air bubbles. Make sure your transparent color dots cover the white ones all around. Melt in, round out, and you have your bubble beads. You can do that with opaque colors instead of white, and applying clear dots over that.

uniqueleigh · #9 2007-01-15, 2:28pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasminann

Thank you both -- they were fun to make (love that intense black).

Yeah! I so love intense black. Not sure what I do to get it to do its things but, it does turn out wonderfully.

What are we doing to get it to bloom? Just cooking it?

Thanks, Leigh

uniqueleigh · #10 2007-01-15, 2:33pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

Thanks!!

You can do plunged bubbles on a black base bead because it's a transparent! Make a black base bead, add small dots of white, melt in, heat each dot and plunge. Then, choose a transparent color and dot over the plunged white dots entrapping the air bubbles. Make sure your transparent color dots cover the white ones all around. Melt in, round out, and you have your bubble beads. You can do that with opaque colors instead of white, and applying clear dots over that.

Ahhh! I wonder if that is what I am doing wrong. I am guessing the base should always be a transparent? I know that when I do a plunge on my flower centers and then encase the bubble area only, of course the clear/transperant that I put on that area pushes the center down even with the surface and messes up the flower. Should I putting clear/transparent over the entire flower? Jeeze do I still have a lot to learn. It does get frustrating for sure when the whole bead turns out wonderful except the center of the flower. Then it is only pitch worthy. thanks, Leigh

Dave · #11 2007-01-15, 2:46pm

Hi Liegh,

It's high-oxygen that gets the intense black to web. It causes the metals to actually break down and oxidize, releasing gas which spreads the color out. You have to turn both the oxy and the propane up, but turn you oxygen to a loud 'hiss' and bring the bead to a super-red hot glow.

As for casing, well I must admit... I encase almost all of my beads and [shameless plug: am teaching a new encased floral class at Heritage Glass in May in Austin for those interested.] But to actually get to the point of your thread... there are 100s of beautiful beads in the gallery section that are unencased, I would suggest browsing there, it's well worth your time, if you haven't. Anyway, here are a few of mine that are un-encased, un-etched...

Cheers!

tasminann · #12 2007-01-15, 2:51pm

I think intense black just likes heat, and lots of it -- I used to make the webbed beads on my HotHead...they just took longer. (I'm on a Bobcat now and get the webbing lickety-split.)

Love the color combo on that pinkish bead Dave -- what did you use as a base color?

artwhim · #13 2007-01-15, 3:31pm

What about encasing only part of the bead. This one has a band of clear added around the middle and melted in. The rest is unencased.

The next two are unencased and unetched:

I like encased beads, but I like unencased beads just as much.

JenP · #14 2007-01-15, 4:33pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by artwhim

What about encasing only part of the bead. This one has a band of clear added around the middle and melted in. The rest is unencased.

The next two are unencased and unetched:

I like encased beads, but I like unencased beads just as much.

Kathy -
What yellow did you use on that bottom set? Is it opal yellow and raku? Gorgeous color!
Jen

Lara · #15 2007-01-15, 8:44pm

I hardly ever encase either. I grew up on a HH and it took so bluming long to do so. ICKY.

Some of my favorite unencased beads:

artwhim · #16 2007-01-15, 11:08pm

Jen, the green is either Vetro Yellow Ocher or the oddlot Vetro Khaki green. I don't remember which, but they are pretty close in color.

Great beads everyone!