Flowers and Dots

As you can see I have had a session of making flowers and dotty beads. I've bought a lovely new top from East and I want to make a necklace to go with it. So practicing my deep encasing I have made some dotty beads in various colours to see what goes best.

From left to right

1: base CIM Heffalump encased with CIM Count Von Count. Reichenbach Porcelain dots. I applied the dots and melted them in but they hardly showed at all so I added some raised dots. They have a lovely pearl like quality to them. Something to explore at a later date.

2: base CIM Cornflower encased with CIM Count Von Count. CIM Peace dots.

3: base Effetre EDP 254 ecnased with CIM Count Von Count. Effetre Dk Periwinkle dots. These dots have got a lovely dark blue dot in the middle. Pure reaction of the glass.

4: base Effetre Baby Pink 680 encased with CIM Count Von Count. Effetre Baby Pink 680 dots.

5: base CIM Plum Unique encased with Effetre Amethyst 040. Effetre Lt Grey 248 dots. This bead cracked. I have read that there are issues with Plum Unique. Either that or I was admiring it too much before I put it in the kiln.

6: base CIM Eggplant encased with Effetre Amethyst 040. Effetre EDP 254 dots.

7: base Effetre Baby Pink 680 encased with Effetre Amethyst 040.  CIM Adamantium dots.

8: base CIM Eggplant encased with Effetre Amethyst 040. CIM Peace dots.

It's interesting how different the colours look with different base glasses. I am so pleased that I am better at encasing now. It makes such a difference.

I wanted to see what they look like etched and here they are. You can't see in the picture but each bead has a tiny shiny spot on it. I'm guessing it is where the beads were touching the bottom on the etching pot. Not noticed it before. Will have to make sure I give them a swirl around halfway through.

I also had a go at making some flower beads which Laura Sparling showed me how to do when I had my lesson with her.

From left to right:

1: base CIM Gelly Sty encased with Effetre Rose Quartz 067.
    flowers CIM peace layered with Effetre EDP 254. Reichenbach Purple Rose dots.
This bead cracked as well.
2: base Effetre Dk Periwinkle 222 encased with Effetre Rubino Oro.
    flowers CIM Peace layered with Effetre Baby Pink 680. Effetre EDP 254 dots.

3: base CIM Plum Unique encased with Effetre Amethyst 040.    
   flowers CIM Plum Unique layered with Effetre Amethyst 040. CIM Plum dots.

4: base Effetre Dk Periwinkle 222 encased with Effetre Amethyst 040.
    flowers Effetre Dk Periwinkle 222 layered with Effetre Amethyst 040. Effetre Baby Pink 680 dots.

I was quite pleased with the way these came out.I especially like the double layer of petals with the transparent on top of an opaque dots as with the bead on the right. Unfortunately I didn't have the beads quite hot enough when I put the center dots on the flowers because a couple of them popped off in the kiln.

Still we learn by our mistakes.