Hollows - On My Annual Technique Pursuit of Creating Hollow Glass Beads

About once or twice a year, I spend a day working on making hollow beads. 

Usually I end up with some wonky egg shaped hollows as my technique is not the most efficient for heat control.

I am fortunate to not having any disasters or explosions of glass, but my end result beads are certainly not perfect - Is that what they call One Of A Kind? 😉
I am still in search for the best technique to consistently create hollows. Suggestions from my fellow glass artists is always welcome!

This post will show the various hollow beads from my Easter break.
My goals for each bead was:
- Clean Bead holes
- Some expansion of each hollow bubble
- Each bead survived a night in the kiln and emerged with no cracks.

Let's take a look at the beads!

 

CiM's Lake Baikal is one of my favourite glasses. I love the striations of red and blue that run through each rod that transmit wisps of lavender within the blue base glass.

These 3 hollows are pure Lake Baikal with the centre bead wrapped with 99% fine silver wire. These beads range in measurement of 22.4mm to 28.6mm hole to hole.

On the same blue theme, CiM Jetstream was the main glass in these two hollow beads.

 

 

One bead, egg shaped, was wrapped with 99% fine silver wire measuring 26.9mm hole to hole.
The other bead has CiM Ming added to each bead end measuring 31.6mm hole to hole

This bead was my most success in creating a round hollow bead shape. It was created on a base of CiM Leaky Pen. Leaky Pen is a very dense transparent glass that in hindsight should have been diluted with clear to show the true color in the hollow round. 

 

 

I placed a wrap of Double Helix Psyche silver glass around the centre, a couple wraps of 99% fine silver wire and melted it in to secure the silver droplets. This bead measures 18.4mm X 21.7mm.

These next two hollows are bright for spring composed of CiM Scotch Broom glass with silvered ivory stringer decoration. CiM Scotch Broom is a luminous golden yellow with varying degrees of transparency/opalescence. These range in size of 17mm to 21.1mm hole to hole.

 

CiM's Beeswax Misty is a soft pale misty opal yellow that can strike to a deeper amber depending on the time and temperature it is worked. In this hollow, the centre glass was shouldered with Double Helix silver glass known as OX 459, an emerald green luster that shines to a metallic sheen when reduced. The gentle wrap of 99% fine silver completes the bead.

Finally, two hollows of bright green for sunshine days of summer!
CiM's Budgerigar is a candy colored yellowy green misty opal that creates the hollows of these two beads.
Hollow 1 is a simple one with a wrap of 99% fine silver wire measuring 21.8mm hole to hole.

 

 

Hollow 2 is measured 25mm X 25mm with streams of Double Helix OX 459 melted in and reduced to create the reactive golden streams for this one of a kind bead.

Each hollow bead would look great on a simple chain!

Glass availability at the time of this post may be available through Nortel. I purchased Lake Baikal there recently. Budgerigar, Scotch Broom, Beeswax Misty, Leaky Pen and Ming are showing as available in their online cart. Jetstream may be available at other CiM distributors.

I purchase my glass from Jennifer and Jean at Nortel in Toronto. Reach out to them for your glassy needs.
#creationismessy
#cimglass
#cimlakebaikal
#cimbudgerigar
#cimbeeswaxmisty
#cimleakypen
#cimscotchbroom
#cimjetstream
#doublehelixglass
#99%finesilverwire
#nortel
#pendragonfyre
#handmade
#handmadeincanada
@creationismessy
@nortel_glassgirl

February Flashback - Digging into the CiM - Creation Is Messy Archives - Part 2

More beautiful glass from the CiM Archives to flashback on sets of beads made with colors that are listed as Sold Out on the CiM website, but I have checked availability of these glasses as In Stock on Nortel Glass' online shopping cart.

 

Reach out to Jean or Jennifer to add some of these glasses to your new CiM - Creation Is Messy colors for 2023.

 

CiM's Circus Tent Ltd Run with it’s color streamers suspended within the clear glass. I capped the ends with Double Helix Aurae silver glass.

 

These 2 beads were created on a based on CiM Serengeti. This is an opaque earthy brown with red undertonesI made hand-blown glass shards of a Double Helix test glass named DH OX459. These shine beautiful when added to the Serengeti base bead.

 

 

CiM - Creation Is Messy’s Rosaline Pink Ltd Run is a pale cloudy pink transparent that was very shocky to melt. Double Helix's Kalypso silver glass was added to create wispy flame like waves within this focal bead with a few copper dragonfly encased in clear Zephyr. The spacers are pure Rosaline Pink.

 

This focal bead was created with CiM Jetstream. This transparent blue is a hue that can be compared to a deep sapphire blue which you can see in the spacer bead.

 

 

I paired it with some Double Helix Triton silver glass as well as a wrapping of 99% fine silver wire. After I shaped it into a barrel, I decided it needed more bling. 

I created the ruffle and dipped it into Triton fine frit. After multiple meltings and reductions, the silver metallic shine came through.

 

 

 

This is definitely a unique bead and I am pleased with how it transformed.

 

Have a wonderful weekend and stay tuned for more February Flashbacks until the end of the month.

 

D.

 

#creationismessy
#cimglass
#cimarchive
#nortel
#pendragonfyre
@creationismessy

 

 

Torch Session - Revisiting CiM Colors - The Blue Palette

CiM - Creation Is Messy’s extensive list of colors to a new beadmaker may seem overwhelming. Beautiful colors with amazingly creative names.

The best resource to seem some time getting to know the color ranges is the CiM website.
Kathy’s organization by hue palette has allowed me to mix and match color families easily.
Over the next few weeks, I will be testing  new colors and revisiting some that deserve a second look.

Today’s post are beads from the Blue Palette

This focal bead was created with one half of the bead with CiM Limelight Ltd Run that was sprinkled with Double Helix fine Aurae glass frit.  Limelight is a great base for silver glass.
The other half of the focal along with the two spacer beads are CiM Blueyah Ltd Run. This transparent blue is showing as sold out on the CiM website, but it may still be available via Nortel glass.

CiM Jet Stream Ltd Run is a stunning rich blue. It is a beautiful base for silver glass as well as silver wire as shown in the simple classic set below.

The 3 central beads in this set was created with CiM Slate Ltd Run sprinkled with Double Helix fine Aurae glass frit and reduced to a golden glitter.

As  shown in the two spacer beads, this transparent slate blue stayed true and did not fume in the presence of the silver glass.

Here in this set, the same CiM Slate Ltd Run was complimented with 99% fine silver wire. 
Simple and elegant!

CiM Birthstone Ltd Run is an aqua blue transparent that is currently showing as sold out at CiM.
Check with Nortel as they may have some stashed away in their archives.
The focal cube bead was dotted with dots of Double Helix Light Aurae silver glass. 

CiM Seamist is a limited run glass that is currently sold out and I am hoarding my supply of it as it was created as a specialty formula of a core of clear, encased in transparent blue, encased in clear. The result creates unique beads with a cloudy look that is very pretty.
In testing the glass with silver, I did discover that 99% fine silver wire created a reaction that was most likely because of the outer layer of clear on the rod.
The reaction lends to an antique look that would also work well for natural nautical looks.

I
CiM Seamist and CiM Jet Stream Ltd Run were paired in the focal bead below.
You will notice that the silver wire was added to the areas that were predominately Jet Stream and the reaction that we saw in the previous set was less noticeable.
The two spacers are made with CiM Seamist.

Til next time, the next post will explore the Green Palette.

D.

Necklace bead sets

This post highlights some necklace beads that display a few more new CiM - Creation is Messy colors for 2016.

This watery blue themed set uses CiM’s Jet Stream Ltd Run as a base with silver infused Double Helix glass named Kronos. It was swirled and encased with Effete Superclear. Bubbles were created by implosion dots sealed with clear glass. The spacer beads are made of CiM's Jet Stream and Slate blue transparent.

This photo switches out the focal bead and adds a round barrel bead with a base of CiM Jet Stream Ltd Run with sprinting of Double Helix Gaia frit that was reduced and encased with Effetre Superclear.
























The final set features CiM’s Limelight Ltd Run. The focal bead was sprinkled with Val Cox Rio Nights frit melted into the surface. The spacer beads are simply the lovely lime transparent glass.