Enamels

[NewCreation]

I have been playing with enamels quite a bit lately, and I wanted to share my results. Please feel free to post any pictures of beads you have made with enamels in this thread!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Jul-2002/rainydayret.jpg
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Jul-2002/blueenamelret.jpg

[anasazistudios]

Excellent Amy!!!:clap: :clap: :clap:

What colors enamels did you use?

Elizabeth

[MarySarah]

Very pretty, Amy! I love the blues family.

Sorry if this is a 'stupid' question but how do you put enamels on/in beads? Are they a powder or .... ? I'm totally new to beadmaking so everything is unfamiliar to me. Also, what precautions do you take when working with enamels (for ventilation, etc.)?

TIA for the info and keep posting pics! I love seeing them.

Cheers,
Mary

[sagehen]

OK here's one of my enamel vessels. I am trying to get the sandstone look, and am getting pretty close! :angel:

[laughing glass beads]

Wow, Sagehen, I love your stuff! Been watching when you list items on ebay. Mary Sarah, where are you in Iowa, I am in the SW corner.

[sagehen]

awww shucks, thanks for the compliment...you have me blushing profusely! ;)

Katie

[ELZbeads]

I have to second MarySarah....I have been curious about enamels too....the beads are so fabulous! This would be a good "article" topic maybe....or just give us a real easy beginning step for now and then we can work our way up to having beautiful beads too..

[ValorieCox]

Wow...those are beautiful Amy! I always love to see your new work, so nicely photographed too!

Katie, wonderful vessel, great texture and design, I'd love to see more!

As Mary Sarah asked, I'd like also to hear a little about the enamel application technique, and what precautions are taken for safety, such as respirators and ventillation.

Best, Valorie

[craftylady]

Very nice beads Ladies. I have not got into enamels yet but would like some input on how to do it. I'm willing to try something new.:cat:

[Lenda]

Amy, they're GORGEOUS!! I especially like the Periwinkle looking set. Please do tell us more about the enameling process and safety precautions we need to take.


Lenda:D

[Ann*S]

Katie,
Love, love, love the vessel. That is an ancient looking piece...a style I love.
Nice on the enamels Amy.
Ann

[MarySarah]

Katie, great vessel! I love the rustic look of it.

Laughing Glass Beads ... (that sounds almost Native American! And since we both live in Iowa, I know you know how to pronounce Maquoketa!) ... I live in Waterloo, waaaaayyyyy on the other side of the state. It's great to 'meet' another person from Iowa who makes beads. Iowa beadmakers seem to be pretty few and far between! I am brand new to beadmaking, but I already love it.

Looks like we need a tutorial thread on enamels ... in fact, I'd love to see tutorial threads for many different techniques. That would be a lot of fun!

Cheers!
Mary

[Lara]

Amy:

Just wonderful! Those beads are very elegant. I love them.

Sagehen:

WOW - how did you get the little drawing on the bead.



Here is a bead that I made for the charm bracelet exchange. It is very small (10-12mm wide and 7-9 mm tall). I made about 50 of the silly things, but only sent 30 off. I now have a nice watch of seconds that didn't make the cut into the exchange. This bead has a base of sky blue and blue (can't remember actual name of enamel color), apple green and orchid enamels, then ivory dots placed on the equator, melted in and twisted with a stringer. BTW this is no yellow glass or enamel in this bead, it is the green enamel reacting with the ivory glass. Pretty cool. Sorry if I have posted this picture before.

L

[Shirley C.]

Amy, those beads are delicious! I love those blues!

Katie, your vessel is great - I really love the feel of it! I'm really into the earthy type stuff, and your vessel makes me feel good!

Jennifer Geldard is an expert on enamels, but I'll chime in here a bit. Enamels are powder and you need to wear a respirator when working with them. There are different ways in which you can apply them.

- Spread the enamel on a flat surface, heat the area of the bead on which the enamel should go, then press the bead onto the enamel. This works well when you want to put the enamel on a raised portion of the bead, such as raised stringer design.

- Place the enamel into a spoon and roll your hot bead in it. This works well for round beads on which you want a fairly even coating of enamel.

- Place the enamel into a small sifter (these are available through Frantz and probably Arrow Springs). Get the bead hot, then place it over some sort of container. Sift the enamel onto the bead by scratching the handle of the sifter. This method provides a fair amount of control over where you place the enamel.

- Coat a gather of glass in enamels, pull it out into stringer, then use the enameled stringer to decorate your beads.

Hope this gives you a few tips on where to start.

[laughing glass beads]

That is the neatest bead! I can't get over the little bead you sent for the charm bracelet bead exchange. My sister deemed it her favorite of all the beads I received, I love it, too. You did some for the enamels exchange, too, didn't you?

Mary Sarah: I can pronounce and say Maquoketa!... such talent ;) I live so close to Nebraska that I work in Omaha. It is a wonderful life. Right now we are building a house, my DH has a flatbed in our back yard that he is building a temporary studio in. It will house my glass work until the garage is built. It is going to be great!

[BAM]

All of the beads are beautiful, thanks for sharing.
Betty

[MarySarah]

Laughing Glass girl ....

Well, DUH! ( I am really having a lot of "DUH!" moments lately!) I misread your post and thought you said NW Iowa, not SW Iowa. You're not all that far from me ... and my son lives in Omaha (though lately he seems to be living here more, LOL)

ENJOY building your house! We built ours (well, not "we", the contractor built it but you know what I mean). And I loved the whole process. Soon you'll have a new house and a new studio ... that will be great!

If you're ever up this way, be sure to let me know!

Cheers,
Mary

[Lori Robbins]

Those are all great. I love the look of enamels. Maybe I can crank up the ac to stand it when I wear the mask.

[b2beads]

One other technique someone told me about (and I have never tried, but sounds good) - "draw" a design in enamel powder on the marver and then roll the bead across it or press a tab style bead down on it. Still waiting for a better set up before I really get into enamels, but as I LOVE the startlingly intense colors you can create with them, I'm getting impatient...

Mary, Cindy, Sage Hen, MikeE and others in the "area" - sounds like a party in Omaha!

B2

[Red*Dog*Designs]

Enamels really expand the color palette, great beads everyone !

Here is a small set that I did using a variety of blue, green and yellow enamel stringer over an ivory base. I called the set "Painted Pot"

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Jul-2002/pot.jpg

[bluhealer]

Oooh, nice cool water colors...
Makes me want to dive in!
Carolyn

[bluhealer]

Last summer's painted orchids....someday I will take watercolor classes.
Carolyn

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Jul-2002/a2t.JPG

[craftylady]

bluhealer

What kind of glass did you use? Those beads just jump out at you. Therelovely. Post more.

[Shirley C.]

Geez, Carolyn, looking at those beads, you could probably GIVE a watercolor class! :clap:

[Shirley C.]

Debi, those beads are so pretty! :clap:
I love those colors together, and the enameled stringer makes them look very impressionistic (is that even a word?).

[Shirley C.]

Lara - I sure wish I had signed up for that exchange. That bead of yours rocks! :clap:

[Ann*S]

Gosh everyone, It makes me want to get my enamels back out. Yours are all beautiful. These I went crazy on back when I first got them. Plus, I was a beginning beadmaker so they are a little, or a lot, off.
Ann

[bluhealer]

Originally posted by craftylady
bluhealer

What kind of glass did you use?
it's Moretti, with layers and layers of enamel--then etched.
Carolyn

[Jennifer Geldard]

Enamels are absolutely an essential for me...
it's very hard for me to make a bead without them because of their ability to stretch the color palette and also because they can make the actual appearance of the glass seem to become
aged and softened. I use it a lot as a layer between transaprents and lightly dusted to add texture. I have never used a sifter, though I'd like to try it someday. It just never seems to make it onto my glass order somehow. My best suggestion is just to play...play...play!!!
A lot of my techniques are from " Oh Sh*t!!" mistakes :)
Here's an enamel bead from my heart series:


http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Jul-2002/july16-02e.jpg

[MarySarah]

I am so amazed and impressed with the beads posted on this thread! I can see that I am going to have to get into enamels one day.

Debi, I remember seeing that blue set on eBay ... probably I even bid on it. One of these days I am actually going to WIN something I bid on and stop getting sniped at the last minute!

Jennifer, I saw that heart on eBay today, I think? You have several hearts up for auction right now so I may be confusing it with another. It's gorgeous! Since you use enamels a lot, can you tell us more about safety precautions to use with enamels? I am setting up a work area (I'm too new to call it a studio yet!) and I'm trying to get the ventilation "right" (I realize everyone has a slightly different set up though!) I'd like to cover all bases so I don't have to redo anything.

Carolyn, I have been admiring your beads for a while and again, one day soon I am NOT going to be outbid at the last minute and will own some!

Shirley, thank you for the mini-tutorial in enamels ... that was very helpful! BTW, your dog is HILARIOUS! I love the photo with his head in the ground. He's the same breed as Wishbone, isn't he? I watched Wishbone with my kids just because I thought he was the cutest thing!

Beth (B2), there are more of us Midwestern bead people than I thought! When I first found the ISGB forum, it seemed like most people were from the coasts ... and not in the "fly over zone." It's good to know there are others 'round these parts who enjoy glass.

Cheers! (literally, I'm just opening my bottle of beer) :evil:

Mary

[Jennifer Geldard]

I have a stove hood ventilation setup and I wear a dust mask with the little breathing button so it's more comfy (which it's not anyway:)

I think it's different if you're doing a lot of sifting, which I don't, so I'm not sending up much in the way of clouds of enamel.
My enamel is all applied from the marvering pad.

[mistymade]

Wow! Beautiful beads everyone! Now I'm gonna have to buy some enamel!
Misty:D

[laughing glass beads]

B2, I do enamels, and get along fine. The ventilation and the mask are the two most important things, of course. A party in Omaha? Sounds fun!

For those interested, the Step-by-Step magazine that is put out by Lapidary Journal has an article in it about doing the engraved enamel beads. Lots of great lampworking techniques in that magazine! It is on sale until August 2002. I got mine at Michael's.

[bluhealer]

Originally posted by MarySarah


Beth (B2), there are more of us Midwestern bead people than I thought! When I first found the ISGB forum, it seemed like most people were from the coasts ... and not in the "fly over zone." It's good to know there are others 'round these parts who enjoy glass.

Cheers! (literally, I'm just opening my bottle of beer) :evil:

Mary

Wahh! I moved from AK to NE, and I shoulda driven about 10 more hours!:crying:
Carolyn

[Kathy Champion]

Beautiful beads, love the different effects everyone gets using these! What colors do you suggest if I wanted to buy them to try out?

Kathy:confused:

[BAM]

Kathy, Frantz sells a sample pack of enamels. I don't have the price in front of me but, this is a good way to get them all. I used enamels for the first time today. Hope to post a pic later.
Betty

[Kathy Champion]

Thanks...I'll add them to my next order. Please do post your beads, I'd love to see how you used them!

Kathy

[Shirley C.]

Here's a bead on which I used enamels. The base is white, sprinkled with various shades of blue and green enamels. I thoroughly cooked the enamels before I drew in the tree. You can see on the back of the bead where the enamels actually boiled, but in this case it was intentional. Looks kind of like a mackerel sky.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jul-2002/EnamelTreeBead.JPG

[WhiteHotGlassWorks]

Shirley that is an incredible vibrant bead and photos. I may have to try enamels. I have all the samples but am a little afraid of the hazards right now and need to get a really good respirator. I love the look of boilded glass, it gives it another dimension. "WOW"...that is one cool tree.
Bobby

[Shirley C.]

Thanks, Bobby! I have always loved trees, and have been making various types of tree beads since I started making beads. I'll be doing more of these enamel-based trees this weekend. Gotta play around with more background colors!

[WhiteHotGlassWorks]

And you would be selling one of these beads to me??????
I have been over to the photography section admiring the pictures that everyone takes......Talk about eye candy....some of them are incredible....Serious.... I would like to have one of your tree beads.

Bobby

[WhiteHotGlassWorks]

Almost forgot.....I showed Norm the picture of your dog and thought he would never stop laughing...especialy when he figured it out......he thinks your dog is so cool.
Bobby

[craftylady]

Shirley I love the tree bead that is so cool. you could use that as a family tree. Maybe put some birth stone drops on the trees. Ex pink for October ruby for Jan. Just a thought my mother in law has a family tree pin. It is a gold tree with birth stones. Really nice piece.

[laughing glass beads]

31 colors for $30. Lots of fun using these! You can do so many things.

[Kathy Champion]

Thanks for the info and sharing your beads all of them are beautiful. I'm heading to Frantz's website...there goes my allowance!!

Kathy

[Ann*S]

Shirley,
I love the bead and I love that green enamel. It is my favorite of them all. The sky is fabulous!
BTW...I'm mailing my bead today!
Ann

[Judy in MN]

Originally posted by laughing glass beads
(snipped)
Mary Sarah: I can pronounce and say Maquoketa!...

Is that Maquoketa as in Iowa? I've spent the night there a time or two.

obGlass: experimented with new (to me) colors last night: powder pink and tongue pink. Can't achieve anything but white or grey. Hrumph.

Judy

[MarySarah]

Hi Judy,

Welcome to WC! Yep, that's Maquoketa, IA ... my grandma lives there and I remember how excited the entire town was when they got a Hardee's!

You're in Rochester? That's just 2 hours north of me (I'm in Waterloo).

Wish I could comment on your color problems but I'm too new to all of this ...

Shirley, that is a great bead! I love the tree and the way the sky & grass look.

Cheers,
Mary

[Jillie Beads]

What an amazing group of beads! If the temperature on the porch was less than 120 degrees I would be out there practicing! Such inspiring pictures, I love them all! Jill

[glassdude]

Goregeous beads everyone! I agree with Jill, it's 105 in the shade/haze here.... no torch today!:crying:
Hugs!
Jacqui

[Jillie Beads]

I probably wouldn't even need the torch, just let the glass sit outdoors!! It's that hot! :) Jill

[macbeth7]

Wow, beautiful beads everyone!! :clap: I take a break for a few days, & now am never going to catch up with all of this eye candy! :(

Hi Judy, welcome to WC! :clap:

Beth