New Storm Beads for Spring 2025

Welcome to Pendragonfyre Tales for 2025!

Due to the cold weather on the east coast, I take a "restoration" break over a few months to "refresh and rest" my health and creativity. 

The break was wonderful and allowed me to continue to post sets from 2024 on Etsy and share my creations on my IG and FB social media platforms.

We are now ready to jump into 2025 with new spring inspired sets.

For this set of 7 Storm beads, I used CiM's creamy ivory Butter Pecan as the base glass. Layers of ivory glass and several layers of Double Helix silver infused glasses were carefully added.

Each bead was encased in clear glass domes and dotted each bead with more silver infused glass and reduced it to a metallic shine.. 

For this set of 7 Storm beads, I used Red Roof Tile opaque as the base glass. Layers of ivory glass and several layers of Double Helix silver infused glasses were carefully added.

Each bead was encased in clear glass domes and dotted each bead with more silver infused glass and reduced it to a metallic shine.

Four spacers of Red Roof Tile are included in this set. 

Enjoy your week and I look forward to sharing new creations over the spring to summer months!

Smiles,

D.

New Storm Beads - Part 3

My Storm series continues over the next 2 blog posts. I enjoy creating these beads as each combination of silver glasses can surprise me when they emerge from the kiln the following morning.

Set 1

For this set of 9 Storm beads, I used Italian medium blue transparent as the base glass. Layers of ivory glass and several layers of Double Helix silver infused glasses were carefully added.

Each bead was encased in clear glass domes and dotted each bead with more silver infused glass and reduced it to a metallic shine. 
Ten spacers of medium blue transparent are included in this set.

Set 2
For this set of 6 Storm beads, I used Italian #443 glass named Spanish Leather as the base glass. Layers of ivory glass and several layers of Double Helix silver infused glasses were carefully added.

Each bead was encased in clear glass domes and dotted each bead with more silver infused glass and reduced it to a metallic shine.

Four spacers of the red base glass are included in this set.

New Storm Beads - Part 2

In this post, I will quickly recap 3 more Storm Bead sets I created last week.

Set 1
Starting on a base of Effetre Rose Pink transparent glass, I layered dots of Effetre White pastel and layers of Double Helix silver glasses.

Clear portal glass dots were added to capture the stormed reaction of the silver glass. 
Dots of DH Aurae complete each bead.

Set 2
Starting on a base of Effetre Pale Yellow Emerald transparent glass, I layered dots of Effetre Light Ivory, CiM's Barrier Reef teal transparent and Double Helix silver glasses.

Clear portal glass dots were added to capture the stormed reaction of the silver glass. 
Dots of DH Elpis complete each bead.

Set 3
Starting on a base of Effetre Pale Aquamarine transparent glass, I layered dots of Effetre Light Ivory, CiM Hades and rare TAG Taxco Silver Turquoise silver glasses.

Clear portal glass dots were added to capture the stormed reaction of the silver glass. 
Dots of DH Melia complete each bead.

All the new Storm sets are now available in my Etsy Shop!

#creationismessy 

#cimglass 

#nortel 

#doublehelixglass 

@creationismessy 

@nortel_glassgirl 

New Storm Beads! - Part 1

Summer 2024 was busy with many activities in the garden and day-time work. 

As a result, my first step back into the glass studio since early August was this week.

I was getting low in stock for Pendragonfyre Storm Beads, so my first session at the torch was getting a few new sets created.

In this post, I will quickly recap the new sets.

Set 1
Starting on a base of CiM - Creation Is Messy Oliphant grey opaque glass, I layered dots of Effetre Light Ivory, rare CiM’s Black Currant and TAG rare Golden Emerald silver glass.

Clear portal glass dots were added to capture the stormed reaction of the silver glass. 
Dots of DH Hyperion complete each bead.

Set 2

Starting on a base of Effetre Red Roof Tile #440 opaque glass, I layered dots of Effetre Light Ivory with various Double Helix silver glasses.

Clear glass portal dots were added to capture the stormed reaction of the silver glass. 
Dots of DH Ekho complete each bead.

Set 3

Starting on a base of Effetre Black glass layered dots of Effete Light Ivory with various Double Helix silver glasses were added.

Clear glass portal dots were added to capture the stormed reaction of the silver glass. 
Dots of DH Aurae complete each bead.

I see that CiM Oliphant is showing as in stock at Nortel Glass in Toronto as of the date of this blog post. It is a SOLD OUT color on CiM's website, so definitely get some in your next glass order!

Nortel is also a Canadian supplier of Double Helix silver glasses for those Canadian bead makers who wish to purchase glass in Canadian dollars!

#creationismessy
#cimglass
#nortel
#doublehelixglass
@creationismessy
@nortel_glassgirl

Stormy and Bumpy Weather in Beadland!

I had a few hours last week to play with some of the darker new glass colors by CiM - Creation is Messy. 
In some of the colors, I found that they are so dense in color saturation, that using them as bead bases tend to make the bead sets too dark and hard to photograph.

So it was time to experiment to see what would happen if these dark colors were mixed with the neutral silver infused glass. Below are some of the results:

In this first set, I mixed CiM's Barrier Reef Ltd Run with Double Helix Olympia Rain silver glass.
Barrier Reef is a very dark transparent teal which resulted in stormed portals of dark greens and blues mixed with ivory and yellow storm streaks.
It was a challenge to capture the storms with the camera, so I have posted two photos to show in the variety of lighting.
The base of the beads is CiM Musk Ltd Run, a brownish green transparent with the storms captured under clear encasements and highlighted with dots of Double Helix Aurae and rare OK380 silver glass.

In this next set, I mixed CiM's African Violet Ltd Run with Double Helix Olympia Rain silver glass. African Violet is a dense and saturated transparent indigo that is so dark unless it is diluted. Mixing it in the storm technique, some amazing reactions appeared bringing out blues, purples, and golds in the portals magnified under the clear glass bumps.

The base of these beads is CiM's Ceylon Ltd Run, a transparent brown glass with Effetre Light Ivory base dots under the stormed portals finished off with highlighted with dots of rare OK380 silver glass.

The final set for this post is another experiment with CiM's Barrier Reef Ltd Run with Double Helix Olympia Rain silver glass.  This stormed stringer created additional bubbling in the storming process and I did not use a light ivory base for each drop.
The greens really came out in the portals with lots of bubbling. 

The base of these beads is CiM's now sold out Blue-yah Ltd Run, a transparent blue with silver glass highlights to complete each bead.

Silver Glass Storming - Revisiting a Technique

Today's post explores some experiments that I had with storming silver glass.

Storming is based on a tutorial by Amy Kinsch. The principle is to heavily reduce a silver infused glass and by manipulating the torch's mix of propane and oxygen you can create webbing designs when captured under a clear glass encasement.

In this set, I used combinations of TAG's Golden Emerald and Double Helix Psyche glasses.

The base of the beads is a new CiM color named Cleopatra. It is a dense and saturated transparent purple.

As you can see, there are lots of stormed reactions that make each bead unique.

This dense transparent purple base glass is very dark on its own.

For the round bead, second from the left, I used a clear core before adding Cleopatra purple in order to give the bead more definition by diluting purple. It created a great transparency for both the hue and the texture of the twisted storms.

An interesting discovery and a new set of Goddess beads!

In testing some CiM - Creation is Messy glasses, I came across an interesting discovery when combining CiM Cobblestone with a favourite black, CiM's Hades.

On a base of Cobblestone Ltd Run, an opaque gray, dots of Hades were added and the reaction between these two glasses created an interesting metallic halo ring around each dot.The other beads were dotted with Effetre Red Purple and White opaque glass that created no reactions.
For those looking to experiment more, this is definitely something to explore!

In trying out CiM's Mahogany Ltd Run proved it to be another versatile glass, which I love.

This glass is a true red opaque glass whose hues tend on the reddish brown area of the color chart without being orange.

Combined with 99% silver foil and Pendragonfyre blended frit, these Tapestry series beads create golden droplet frames around dots of raku and purple rose. The silver foil creates droplets of silver among the portals of tapestry like colors.

As a base for my Goddess series of beads, this glass is also a favourite of mine.

On a base of CiM Mahogany Ltd Run, storm portals of Double Helix silver infused glasses were captured under clear glass dots.  Dots of silver glass were added to highlight each bead.

New CiM Glass Testing: Zoe, Chateau, Duck Egg and Nimbus

In this post, I wanted to share with you some of the recent glass testing for brand new CiM glass colors.

Using these new CiM - Creation Is Messy glasses as bases for each design, I paired them with silver using either Double Helix Aurae silver infused glass or handmade Silvered Ivory stringers.

CiM Zoe Ltd Run
A transparent blue described by one tester as Zoe is a bright aqua color. With a more intense saturation than Frost, I would classify the color as lighter version of Pulsar.

In this bead set, streams of Double Helix Aurae  was added to create texture and shine.
The result is a beautiful combination ready for any jewelry design!

CiM Chateau Ltd Run
A transparent brown with champagne tones, a lighter version of  CiM's rare Sepia.

Paired with Double Helix Aurae glass frit, the result was a glittery yet delicate texture. The Chateau remained true to its color with little fuming from the silver glass.

CiM Duck Egg Ltd Run
An opaque soft blue that in itself was a true blue, but shifts to a soft green when mixed with silver infused glass.

In comparing Duck Egg on its own as spacers, the color is on the blue side, although these spacers were in the kiln near the silver glassed fumed beads as well. 

When mixed with combinations of silver glass and ivory, the base glass is fumed to shift the color to a opaque golden green pastel.

 In this bead set, stormed portals of silver glass were created and captured under clear glass portals.

CiM Nimbus Ltd Run
This glass is best described as a dark, stormy blue-grey opal glass by one tester.

To create the two sets below, I paired Nimbus with handmade silvered ivory stringers. The 99% fine silver in my stringers seemed to further darken Nimbus as a base glass to a deep navy grey black.

To my eyes, they are a deep navy grey that contrasts well with another grey opaque CiM glass named Cobblestone Ltd Run. The Cobblestone bead was highlighted with dots of Double Helix Aurae and reduced to fume the base glass and turn the dot's surface to a metallic shine.

Hope you try some of these new colors from CiM - Creation Is Messy in your bead designs!

Beads of the past...

All sets within this post are NOW Sold

Spring Appletini Etched Dotties

InnerGlow Series #10

Materials: CiM - Creation is Messy and Effetre Glasses

This 8 bead set of etched beads seem to glow from the inside out! Starting with an inner core of Effetre White, these beads were encased with CiM's Appletini and dotted with Effetre Periwinkle.

Glitter Rounds

Materials: Effetre Glass and Double Helix Frit

This glittering set of 9 beads was created with a base of Effetre golden 14K transparent, on which Double Helix silver glass, Ekho, frit was added and reduced to glittery goodness!

Crobh Dearg

Goddess Limited Edition Series #150

"Myth name of a Celtic goddess of harvest, meaning red claws"

Materials: CiM - Creation is Messy, Trautman Art, Double Helix and Effetre Glasses

On a base of CiM's Creamsicle Unique #2, portals were created using layers of Dark Ivory, mixtures of silver glasses including TAG's Fire Lotus and Double Helix's Clio to create portals in pinks, blues and purple mixes. Each portal was encased in clear glass and dots of Double Helix Aurae Light were added and reduced to bring out the shine of each highlight dot.

Kadlu 

Goddess Limited Edition Series #15

"Kadlu refers to one of the trinity of sisters, the 3 goddesses creating thundery weather. She creates thunder by jumping on hollow ice."

Materials: CiM - Creation is Messy, Effetre, Trautman Art and Double Helix Glasses

This set of goddess beads were created on a base of Effetre New Violet opaque glass. Layered dots of Effetre Dark Ivory, CiM Black Currant Ltd Run, Trautman Art Deep Purple and Double Helix Olympia Rain create the stormy portals captured under clear glass. Double Helix rare silver test glass, BE462 add the highlights and shine to the reduced droplets.