iris orange/raku 104 method

[mel]

Thought I'd post a reliable way of getting good colours out of this glass after some nice comments on my beads in show and tell.
I first tried to do faux boro with effetre transparent light brown and iris orange (instead of iris gold). Didnt work, yuckity yuck, no surprise there really.
Then, I tried an ivory base, stippled on the trans light brown leaving it all rough and craggy but covered most of the ivory, then stippled on an equal amount of iris orange. Melted in, cooled quickly, still yuck.

Then I super heated first one end, then the other, as in Jim Smirciches gravity bead method, the glass almost runs away, but when you shape on the marver (blowing on it at same time) the colours appear. Re applying gentle heat to refine shape is ok. If you leave some ivory uncovered to bleed up through the raku, you get narrow undulating runs of black through the bead which is also a really nice effect. I have also sparingly added reichenback dark green on top (it's a spreader!) which swirls in with the raku and doesnt scorch or discolour.

It seems like the light brown underneath may somehow stabilise the iris orange, and also feels like the glass stretches as it moves around when super heated which thins it down, so get better results.  (I always use rod and not frit).

This method never fails, and is SUCH good fun as well, so give it a whirl! I'd love to see anyone elses results.

[saffie]

Oh Mel picture please......

[mel]

Here goes, someof you will have seen one of these before..



     This one I applied blobs of clear with raku on top (I think this one used raku), ivory bled up and scorched/reacted to black.

[clasicat]

OH wow I love them

[LesleyMac]

Lovely colours - you have inspired me to try this out tomorrow

[Rosenquartz]

Then I super heated first one end, then the other,

Could you clarify please - is this just raku on the mandrel or ivory and stipple trans light brown and stippled raku?

[mel]

it's an ivory base, with stippled trans light brown and raku 104

[Trudi]

Wow - great beads - will have to give this a go!! Thanks for sharing!

[julieHB]

Thanks for those tips, Mel - great beads!!

[Jolene]

Brilliant thanks Mel

[Cecilia]

The beads are beautiful.... do you think this would work on a hot head? i have not had much success with raku and a hothead....
certainly no blues and purples


Cecilia x

[mel]

I'm not sure, I've never used a hothead, it may be simply a case of patience to get the glass good and hot, or you could try with a small, skinny bead which should heat up quicker. Something else to try would be a really soft base glass, so that it melts easier (maybe white?)and forces the raku on top to move. Another pointer I read somewhere about raku was to use a thin mandrel as it draws less heat away from the bead, I use 1.6mm mandrels.

[sparrow]

What gorgeous beads - thank you for sharing!!!

[Katiequiggle]

Discustingly gorgeous.  Will be trying this when I get home from Wales. 

[Rosenquartz]

I'm not sure, I've never used a hothead, it may be simply a case of patience to get the glass good and hot, or you could try with a small, skinny bead which should heat up quicker. Something else to try would be a really soft base glass, so that it melts easier (maybe white?)and forces the raku on top to move. Another pointer I read somewhere about raku was to use a thin mandrel as it draws less heat away from the bead, I use 1.6mm mandrels.

I wish I'd read this before getting all excited and spending ages heating and cooling and dragging and marvering and twisting and turning and blowing and... ending up with a yukky greeny beigy messy blob!

Perhaps one more time on my HotHead before putting the resigning the rest of the 1/4 kilo of Iris Orange to the "when-I-get-a-proper-torch" pile! I really should keep working on my basics - but I just can't help playing!