MONTHLY COLOUR CHALLENGE - MAY/JUNE 2012 WINNER NOW UP!!!

[Lilley]

Lovely, lovely beads people!  I haven't had any time to torch recently but seeing all these makes me feel I need to find the time 

[Ant]

Sadly the raku on this heart didn't produce the most amazing colours but, inspite of that, I quite like the colour combination and have just sent this bead off to Shirl's bead swap.  The base glass is Larkspur.

[Skyblue]

Ciel I love those beads !! and Lilley that heart is really pretty 

[Magpie]

My final entry. I did what everyone has suggested, I blew on it, I reduced it (didn't know it was meant to reduce as well as strike), then encased it (I need to encase to magnify all those gorgeous colours).....


And I got GREY!!!!!!!


IMGP2239 by HelenPetersBeads, on Flickr

I think I'll stick to just using it on the outside of the bead.

[Kaz]

Don't reduce! It just goes metallic grey? It's a striker - heat, cool, heat, cool and so on!

[Magpie]

Yeah, but doing that all I get is pastel shades, I wanted something darker, more like I get without encasing, so I thought I'd try. Though I could make a few more and put them on Ebay as '50 shades of grey'.  

[Kaz]

I am adding these here because I wanted to show what Diane Cook has done with iris orange - no tricks just striking and encasing and to enter her in the draw!!!

Saturn set by dilunah, on Flickr
Kazx

[Kalorlo]

Yeah, but doing that all I get is pastel shades, I wanted something darker, more like I get without encasing, so I thought I'd try. Though I could make a few more and put them on Ebay as '50 shades of grey'.  

Have you tried encasing at the first strike, when they're dark brown? Might get brighter colours that way?

Those beads by Diane are lovely.

[dinah46]

Look what happens when my back is turned
Thanks Kaz

[helenfc]

Wow Diane, they are amazing!! Having totally missed this thread, I'll put in some old ones, if it doesn't count don't enter me in the draw Kaz x


Striking Raku by helenfchalmers, on Flickr

[Magpie]

Yeah, but doing that all I get is pastel shades, I wanted something darker, more like I get without encasing, so I thought I'd try. Though I could make a few more and put them on Ebay as '50 shades of grey'.  

Have you tried encasing at the first strike, when they're dark brown? Might get brighter colours that way?

Those beads by Diane are lovely.

Yep, they're dark brown when I encase and pastel colours when they come out of the kiln. But the bit that sticks out the end of the encasing if I don't get all the way to the mandrel comes out dark brown. Maybe I should play with different clears to see if that makes a difference.

[Donna@Rockin' Beads]

Last minute entry. 

Raku Nuggets by Rockin' Beads, on Flickr

[MadelineBunyan]

I have a last minute one too, my new bird design in raku.

Bird Earrings by madelinebunyan, on Flickr

[Donna@Rockin' Beads]

oooo, I love those birdies 

[MadelineBunyan]

Thanks Donna 

I love all the different effects everyone is getting out of this glass!

particularly like Lotti's spotty tube and the Colours Tina got out of it on the ginger!
and Helens discs, and the encased ones (I dont do well encasing it! dont think it likes me!)
Donna I dont know how you managed to get such pretty blues out of it, I usually just manage the odd streak of blue amid brown beige!

therefore I sculpt in it, things that don't matter if they come out brown, like bunnies, and now birdies!