I have been asked to make a bead and include a lock of hair. Has anyone done this before- any tips? x
The hair won't survive unless you make a vessel or hollow bead and then insert it. If you include the hair into the hot glass, the hair will burn away (with a horrible smell!) but it will leave a silvery trace behind it of tiny bubbles, which I guess are carbon dioxide. Works best if then encase this quickly. The longer you work the glass the larger the bubbles will get, like when you do a bicarb bead. I've made hair beads before - here's a picture of some. Sometimes I make them for people who want a memorial but haven't got any ashes - or for small children keepsakes (like bronzed baby shoe type things):
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3741/11365484946_5a918e9fcf_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31197390@N08/11365484946/)
Hairbeads2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31197390@N08/11365484946/) by redhotsalbeads (http://www.flickr.com/people/31197390@N08/), on Flickr
Thanks Sal x
PS - always good to have a few practise runs first - which is easily done by using snippets of your own hair. Beware though - if it's for a baby or small child their hair is really fine and difficult to control!