Sugar Beads

[mummydude]

Ok, so I have just got some frit from Beady Sam (thanks hun btw) to make sugar beads, and so far so good, made the bead , rolled it in the frit, looks good, frit seemed to have stuck, popped bead into annealing bubbles, cooled, removed from mandrel and frit comes off 

I am making white beads and am rolling in the frit just as the glass starts to turn milky white so the frit seems to stick ok.

So question is, if I anneal in a kiln will this make the frit stick better (I'm waiting for delivery of my bead cube and its killing me!!) or do I need to appply the frit when the glass is even hotter, if I do this it distorts the shape quite badly 

Any advise would be greatly appreciated as I have been wanting to make these beads for ages and am gutted I can't make them..


Vicki

[SilverGems89]

I've only recently got some of this frit from Sam also (a big thankyou from me here as well!) and i've had some play time with it, the best way to apply it i find is to let the bead cool, then just reheat the surface slightly so the frit sticks, roll in the frit, then flash through the top of the flame a few times before putting it in the annealing bubbles/kiln
You have to remember like dots if they are not properly melted to the surface of the bead they will come off! it takes some practice to get it right and not melt the sugar frit in too much but the results are still gorgeous!
HTH

[elburnzo]

yip was just about to suggest flashing it in the top of the flame once you have applied the frit. i keep managing to reduce everything just now, but the frit sticks lol

[helbels]

I have been making sugar beads all evening this evening thanks to Sam!

Really just to reiterate what everyone else has said - after rolling the bead in the frit, give it a couple of twirls in the tip of the flame just to melt the sugar frit in very slightly.  Mine have all come out ok and I batch anneal too.

Helen x