Pendragonfyre Etsy Shop is NOW OPEN!

Hello, everyone! 

I have some exciting news to share with you today. 

The Etsy shop for Pendragonfyre is now open!

My new shop is for the bead collector and jewelry designer with lots of selection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads.

I have always loved dragons and everything related to them. They are such majestic and powerful creatures, but also mysterious and playful. I wanted to create a shop where I could express my passion and creativity, and share it glass bead lovers like you. 

That's why I named it Pendragonfyre, which means "dragon fire" in Welsh.

All of these items are made by me with love and care, using high-quality materials and techniques.
I hope you will visit my shop and enjoy browsing through my creations. I would love to hear your feedback and suggestions, so please leave a comment or a review if you like something. 

And don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for updates, sneak peeks and giveaways.
Thank you so much for your support and interest in Pendragonfyre. 

Please let me know if you have any questions about my beads. I do make each one by hand in my glass studio in New Brunswick, Canada. Each bead set is unique in it’s combination of glass and design!

I can't wait to share this next step in my journey with you!

Smiles,

Darlene

Below is a quick peak of some of the +200 items posted. Click here to visit the Etsy shop!

#creationismessy

#cimglass

#nortel

#doublehelixglass

@creationismessy

@nortel_glassgirl

Silvered Stringer - More Than Just for Ivory!

Happy Friday!

As I posted back last Friday, I enjoy creating beads with silvered ivory stringer.

Today's post, I have one more set to share as well as 2 new bead sets using a variation of silvered stringer.

I created the coral silvered stringer using CiM - Creation Is Messy's Phoenix glass and silver foil. These stringers are created in the same way as the ivory ones.

Silvered stringer gives beads a gorgeous organic look to them. Silvered coral on its own “webs” or “curdles” giving it a beautiful organic look.

Here are today's bead sets each created with CiM - Creation Is Messy glasses currently available to order.

On a base of CiM's Canoe Ltd Run simply decorated with silvered ivory stringer dots. These would be great with an etched surface for a faux stone finish and tactile feel.

 

 

Silvered coral stringer on CiM's Poi, an opaque grey toned purple. 

 

Smurfy, CiM's opaque turquoise blue is the base of this set of beads on which the Phoenix silvered stringer decorations are abundant in dots, streams and swirls.

 

 

Glass availability at the time of this post may be available through Nortel. Canoe, Poi and Smurfy are showing as available in their online cart.

I purchase my CiM glass from Jennifer and Jean at Nortel in Toronto. Reach out to them for your glassy needs.

#creationismessy

#cimglass

#cimsmurfy

#cimpoi

#cimcanoe

#silveredivorystringer

#silveredcoralstringer

#nortel

#pendragonfyre

#handmade

#handmadeincanada

@creationismessy

@nortel_glassgirl

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

Revisiting Silvered Ivory for a Spring Session to Relax and Restore!

As we hopefully anticipate spring in here New Brunswick, I spent a session at the torch revisiting a bead technique that I return to when I need to clear my head and relax and restore!

I pull out a few favourite CiM - Creation Is Messy glasses from my "favourites" shelf and pair it with one of my favorite organic “glass tools” and I like to create hand pulled silvered Ivory.
Silvered Ivory is either dark or light ivory glass rolled in pure silver leaf and pulled into tiny “stringers” of glass for embellishing beads.

Silvered Ivory stringer, or SIS, gives beads a gorgeous organic look to them. I have a preference of using silver foil and Effetre Light Ivory when creating stringers as I seem to be able to better control the dispersion of tiny speckles of silver with this combination.
Ivory glass on it’s own “webs” or “curdles” giving it a beautiful organic look. When you add silver not only does it react with the Ivory glass, but it sometimes reacts with the beads base as well!

I am always excited to sit down at my lampwork table and create because I tend to learn new things every time. I use this blog as my journal of my sessions and often look back at favourite combinations to plan new bead sets. Note: all glass is different. Each color has its own chemical make-up that may cause it to react differently with different glasses.

Within this post I have used this wonderful type of stringer with some of my stash colors of CiM - Creation Is Messy.
On a cores I have used dots and stream of silvered ivory stringer on both round and zulu shaped beads.

So pretty for summer jewelry designs. 

Let's see this week's sets!

First up, this set of round beads was created on a base of CiM's Lady of the Lake. 

 

This glass is a pale green milky opal that stays translucent after annealing- same hue as Sea Glass.

 

I wrapped a stream of silvered ivory around the centre of each bead on which 2 wraps of fine silver wire was added. 

The spacers of pure Lady of the Lake complete the set. 

 

 

This glass should be available for purchase through CiM Resellers.

CiM Mulberry Limited Run with SIS dots. 

 

 

Notice the micro-dots of silver in each of the ivory dots.. So pretty. 

 

 

The spacers are pure Mulberry.

I have noticed that when I use silver or silver glass with Mulberry, it will darken to a very dark purple which from some angles look like black so I assume it absorbs some metal through fuming.

 

CiM Thistledown Limited Run with SIS dots. 

 

This glass is a unique run of CiM's Plum opal which I tried many years ago as a limited run glass. 

 

 

It also will fume silver to it's base glass if silver glass is worked through several warming and cooling cycles. 

 

Within this set of beads, I kept the glass at an even temperature as I wanted it to capture the SIS dots along with the striations that this glass creates naturally as the bead is formed.

 

The spacers are pure Thistledown.

CiM Sea Mist glass was created as a limited run glass with a core of clear, encased in transparent blue, encased in clear. 

 

For this bead set I paired it with SIS streams and twists and shaped the beads in the Zulu press to create this unique shape. 

 

 

 

This glass also likes silvered ivory stringer. 

 

 

The round spacers are pure Sea Mist.

 

Each of the last 3 glasses within this post appear to be Sold Out on the CiM website archive. I primarily purchase my CiM glasses from Jennifer and Jean at Nortel in Toronto so I am not sure if they have any in their back stock.

You are welcome to reach out to them to check or they may have suggestions of similar offerings for your needs.

#creationismessy
#cimglass
#silveredivorystringer
#cimseamist
#cimmulberry
#cimthistledown

#cimladyofthelake
#nortel
#pendragonfyre
#handmade
#handmadeincanada
@creationismessy
@nortel_glassgirl

Glitter - A Little Goes A Long Way - Sharing New Experiments

In my last post, I shared my initial testing of a few of Lori Riley's dichroic strips.

On her site she describes these as "premium dichroic strips are fused and ready for flame. These prefused dichroic strips help prevent scumming and are much easier to use."

I was also blessed with some Lumiere Lusters glitters that I have only started to experiment with.

I wanted to share a few more focal beads that combined some various new glasses that I am trying out from Double Helix Glassworks with these various glittery treats!

First up, these two focal were created over a clear base with encased layers of Double Helix Oracle Violet Opal (I am not certain which one I have, but click here to review them)

Streams of Double Helix rare silver glass known as BE-462 Purple Luster was added along with Dots of Riley Dichroic Pink & Teal Crinkle strip. 

A final encasement of Double Helix Zephyr completely the bead before the final shaping.

These would be lovely pendants.


This next bead was created on a base of CiM - Creation Is Messy's Maroon, a dense maroon red. Streams of Riley Dichroic Pink Teal Crinkle and Double Helix TC663 test glass. 

Zephyr clear encasement was added to capture the glitter and the mother of pearl luster of the silver infused glass.

Finally, just a couple of first tries at adding Lumiere Luster's Ion Opal glitter to a simple bead base of CiM’s Midnight. 

This glitter is much easier to manage than the pixie dust of the "old days" of my lampworking beginnings.

I look forward to testing and trying to find the best way to use this glitter to it's best potential without adding any burnout or scumming that sometimes results from working the bead with too much heat.

Nortel Glass in Toronto has a wonderful selection of these little treasures, so definitely contact Jean or Jennifer to purchase some for your next bead making session!

#creationismessy
#cimglass
#cimmaroon
#rileydichroic
#lumierelusters
#nortel
#doublehelixglass
#pendragonfyre
@creationismessy
@nortel_glassgirl

Why have I never tried Dichroic glass strips before?

On my visit to Nortel back in October, I was blessed with a couple of strips of dichroic glass to experiment with.

These strips of sparkly goodness are the creation of Lori Riley Designs. 

On her site she describes these as "premium dichroic strips are fused and ready for flame. These perfused dichroic strips help prevent scumming and are much easier to use."
They are easy to apply and I have a fun time creating the focal beads in this post, trying out a different one on each bead.

Nortel Glass in Toronto has a wonderful selection of these little treasures, so definitely contact Jean or Jennifer to purchase some for your next bead making session!

All of the beads were created with CiM - Creation Is Messy's Midnight Ltd Run, a dense transparent that color shifts between purple in daylight and navy blue in fluorescent light.
For each of my beads, I feel that the base glass appears more as a black. 
Midnight is a great base for silver glass as well, so I added a few streams of it in each bead as well as I really couldn't resist!

First up.
A base of CiM Midnight with melted Violet dichroic strip and streams of Double Helix Melia 2015. The bead was encased with Effetre Super Clear and hand shaped into the round barrel bead.
The ends of this 35.6mm long bead were decorated with Melia and reduced to a shiny metallic finish.



This 29mm long round barrel focal bead combined Riley's Dichroic strip simply named G/Magenta Crinkle and reams of rare Double Helix KA 357 on the base of CiM Midnight.
The bead was fully enacsed in Effetre Super Clear.

Riley's Dichroic strip named RBA GN Magenta Blue and Double Helix Psyche glass were streams on CiM Midnight. This handformed barrel focal measures 36mm after fully encased in Effetre Super Clear.

Last but certainly not least...

CiM Midnight excelled as the base for Riley Dichroic Aurora C/DK Red and Double Helix Elpis silver glass. This round barrel focal is 34mm long after being encased in Effetre Super Clear and handformed.

Aren't they so pretty and so different?

I recommend trying something new is a great way to finish out 2022 and expand your beadmaking horizons for 2023.

Next post will explore a few more glittery beads that I recently created.

Til next time,
Darlene

Sharing Favorite Bead Styles - Goddess Portal Beads

One of my favourite style of beads to make is what I have named my Goddess Beads. 

Way back starting in 2010, I had a series of beads with unique combinations of glasses within the style of these “bumpy” portal beads. 

Each set was a unique combination of glasses with silver glass portals captured under clear bubbles each named after a Goddess name.
You can see these sets on my blog searching under the Goddess category or following this link.

I have recently revisited this style again out of the sheer pleasure of creating them.
This post highlights 2 new sets created recently.

This first set started on a base of CiM - Creation Is Messy’s Limelight, a light transparent green that is beautifully fresh green tone.

Layers of CiM’s Ra, a rare creamy opaque yellow laden with silver, and Eden, a dense transparent pine green with aventurine, were placed and capped with Double Helix silver glass named Chloe. 

The silver glass was stormed and reduced and captured under clear portals of Double Helix Zephyr.

The Chloe silver glass is a speckled silver glass that when reduced brings out various speckled mother of pearl reactions in shades of yellows, blues, pinks and purples.

To complete each bead, dots of silver infused OX-376 was added and reduced to a metallic shine.

Below, is a set of 3 Goddess beads started with a base of CiM’s Maroon, a dense maroon red.

I have created several other sets of beads with this glass and they are highlights on CiM’s website. This glass loves silver so it was a natural to try it out with the Goddess style.

Starting on a base of this glass, I layered dots of CiM’s Painted Hill, an opaque yellow, and CiM’s rare Black Currant, a very dark transparent purple that appears almost black . 

For silver glass, I used some rare TAG Golden Emerald from my archive stash. It is a great glass to storm and create various hues from blues to pinks. 

Unfortunately, Trautman Art Glass (TAG) appears to no longer be in business, so I will cherish and hoard my stash as a result.

If you are seeking out this glass, check with Nortel in Toronto or google suppliers in the USA.

Clear portal dots of Effetre clear were added to capture the stormed reaction of the silver glass.

Dots of Double Helix Hyperion complete each bead with hues of purples and blues.

#creationismessy
#cimglass
#cimlimelight

#cimeden
#cimmaroon
#cimblackcurrant
#cimra
#cimpaintedhills
#nortel
#doublehelixglass
@creationismessy
@nortel_glassgirl