A customer has asked if I can make a focal to match this pair of beads she bought from an American beadmaker who has now given up lampworking (and has given permission for her to seek a match elsewhere).
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/lisa_sharik_beads41.jpg)
This is how she describes them The two beads look like dragons scales...they were made on dark purple amethyst glass and the dots were made with rubino glass or gold ruby glass so that they look like dragon scales. The reactive glass has turned almost green with bronze hints
These are my attempts so far but they're not quite green enough. I think my first one was transparent amethyst with silver foil and rubino dots. The second one has no silver. The bottom two have something underneath the rubino but I think I've forgotten what exactly! (One is probably copper green :D)
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/PB160589.jpg)
Any ideas of how to get a better match, please?
Have you watched this http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-lampwork-a-dragon-scale-glass-bead-157778/
They look a bit greenish ???
I might be wrong Julie but I think you put the rubino 'UNDER' the silver foil, I know that sounds weird but think it's worth a try. The gold in the rubino reacts through the silver.
Kate xx
I think there is a dragon scale tut on LE somewhere, and I think there's something about rubino and silver reactions in Passing the Flame or the silver pamphlet thingy that Corina did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIobh-SsyVE&feature=channel
hth?
I love dragon scales these were made using the above tutorial - copper green base - silver foil wrapped ivory stringer and raku stringer (pulled from rod of 104 coe iris orange) :)
(http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k329/Blueflamebeads_photos/dragonlight.jpg)
excuse old pic I have had better reactions withthe iris orange ;D
I don't have a clue, Lush, just wanted to say your beads are great :D
The first one looks quite similar, though, if you don't let the dots melt in quite that much...
Sorry, no help as usual ::)
Thanks for all the super speedy replies guys!
I know the tut you give links to and the LE stuff from Naos but that's using opaque glasses whereas this one is definitely transparent.
Quote from: sublimekate on November 25, 2009, 09:34:44 PM
I might be wrong Julie but I think you put the rubino 'UNDER' the silver foil, I know that sounds weird but think it's worth a try. The gold in the rubino reacts through the silver.
Woah, by jove I think you've got something there, Kate! Where do you get these radical ideas?!!
I actually read these replies last night when I was torching and got stuck straight into this idea. Foil seemed too heavy, I think I got better results with silver leaf. Kiln's not cool enough yet - I'll report back in a bit when I can get my hands on me beadies ;D
Quote from: Lush! on November 26, 2009, 07:55:38 AM
Woah, by jove I think you've got something there, Kate! Where do you get these radical ideas?!!
You'd got me thinking I was a genius there J, but alas no ;D just flicked through my books and as suspected I must have logged that little nugget from Corina's Barley Lentil tut ;) As it's there in black and white, the rubino goes green :o hope they work, and btw you're test dragon scales beads are gorgous, I love the bottom two.
Perhaps if you put leaf on, then rubino then more leaf you'll get what you're after.
Hope it went well last night Julie :)
If I remember rightly you don't need much rubino - its one of those less is more things.
Sarah
xxx
I think I must have come across a reference to the Barley tut cos I think I spent some time the other day trying to find it (don't know about everybody else, but I spend so much time surfing around looking for stuff it all merges in my mushy head!).
I'm pretty sure I didn't find it though!
Sarah - thanks, that's interesting. I was actually finding last night that I needed less silver - too much on the surface was nasty, so there are a couple of beads still cooling where I added more rubino over the top of the silver, yikes!
Yes Sarah is right, you need teeny weeny blobs of rubino on your base bead.
The tut is in the back of Passing the Flame Julie :)
I made these ages ago - they are encased, on a cobalt base & have SIS so are nothing like what you are trying to do but they do show the green!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/flameforcefive/2212518219/" >(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/2212518219_07702fb1e0.jpg)</a>
Sarah
xxx
Love those, Sarah, and I've found that tut now, thank you!
Here's my results from last night, all with rubino under the silver.
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/PB260177.jpg)
The first one was with silver foil, so then I switched to leaf. I added an extra row of rubino dots on top of the silver on the 2nd and 4th (top middle, bottom left).
I think top right is probably the closest to what I was aiming for - but I really like the bottom two.
Think I've had enough now!
I'm liking them all :D Watch out for a rash of dragon scale beads now that you've got us all looking for long lost threads ;D
I think you've crackeded it :)
Quote from: dinah46 on November 26, 2009, 11:32:05 AM
I'm liking them all :D Watch out for a rash of dragon scale beads now that you've got us all looking for long lost threads ;D
::) he he
I like yours much better than mine especially that top right one must try this out :) :)