A Bit of Alchemy

Magic? You Betcha!

I love to add a bit of silver to my beads. A nice silver core, some clear, and some color action over it all is a lovely effect, and it adds that 'bling' that so many folks crave.

But a funny thing often happens when I work with silver. I can't help thinking of it as a kind of alchemy. When I put the hot clear glass over the silver foil, it often turns a beautiful gold color. What makes that happen? Well, like the alchemists of old, I really can't say. My feeling is that it has something to do with the heat of the glass that is applied over the silver. But I don't know for sure. Usually, if I apply the silver foil, burnish it on well, and apply some nice hot clear on top of it, it will turn a lovely gold color, but sometimes it is a mixture of gold and silver, and once in a while it stays just plain silver. You can see how different it can look in the photos above.

P.S. Check out the newest issue of The Flow- There's a tutorial by me about scissors- my favorite tool, along with a lot of other great tutorials.

Enamels- a quick tip

I'm not saying anyone should use enamels in their beads. And I am saying to use a mask and proper ventilation if you do. I do use enamels, so here's one little thing I've learned about them that has a cool look. Make your core bead. Roll in enamel- white works well. Wrap with a nice lightly colored transparent. That's it! You can see how cool it looks in the pics. No need to fully encase. I think it actually looks more interesting if you don't.

By the way, I don't care how many people say to do it, I DO NOT recommend putting your enamel in a shaker or sifting it onto your beads. Talk about some airborne micro particles that you can breathe! Ugh!

La Vida Loca!

Hey there. most of y'all probably don't even realize I've been running about the country for the last few weeks. But I'm finally settled for the moment in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York. And I've started making beads again. Believe it or not, it's been almost hot since we've been here. That's scheduled to change this weekend, and I bet I'll be in shock.

Good thing I've got a torch and kiln to keep me warm! I'm gonna be thinking about things to blog about in the near future. Bead-related stuff, not things about the nonsense otherwise referred to as my life! Stay tuned for an exciting announcement....

Feel like I'm Living La Vida Loca!!!!