Murky SIS

[Amber]

Why?! Am I burning it? And if so, how can I avoid that?

I love the look of silvered ivory, so I really want to get it right! 

[LesleyMac]

Can you explain more?  How you are making it and what it looks like?
Might help us know what you are doing wrong.

[Amber]

I'm making it the way I saw in a tutorial on here - heat approx one inch of ivory until it glows slightly but doesn't melt, roll it in the silver foil and burnish it so no air bubbles, put back in the flame and continue as I would for ordinary stringers (melt blob on end and pull stringer). When I apply the stringer to the bead, it is mostly a grey/black colour with hardly any ivory showing and only a couple of glints of silver!

Hope that helps - I don't have any pics at the mo.

[*rowanberry*]

Just checking here.... it is Effetre Ivory that you are using?
Because if you are using Vetrofond it will act totally different indeed.

If it helps, SIS can differ each time (for me anyway) and will depending on the batch of ivory, whether you are using dark ivory or just ivory, and whether you are using silver leaf or foil.

[Shirley]

If it is vetrofond odd dark ivory it will definitely go black. I find Effetre light ivory works best.

[Amber]

It is Effetre - I've tried it with dark and light ivory and I'm using silver foil.

[LesleyMac]

I replied but my computer crashed, well FH crashed, anyhow I will try again.
It seems to me that you are not using enough Ivory, personally I use a big blob, I would describe it as a small to medium sized barrel, then coat in foil and do as you are already doing.  Make sure to melt it in well before you pull the stringer but apart from that I think you are doing it perfectly okay and I can't see what else could be wrong. More ivory will give you more of the effect you want.  Hope it works 

[Redhotsal]

Sounds like you may possibly be using sterling silver foil  (92.5% pure) as opposed to fine silver foil (99.9% pure)?
SIS won't work with sterling silver - if the stringer looks like a lumpy grey stringer as opposed to a green/brown homogenous smooth stringer you almost certainly have sterling silver. Looks like someone has rubbed cigarette ash into your beads!  when it's melted in. Been there, bought that T-shirt.
SIS will work with both light and dark ivory but you get more "lacey" effects with dark.

[Redhotsal]

Rereading the thread...have you tried working the bead really hard? You will get a much more pronounced effect if you heat and heat the bead. One of the few occasions when it actually pays to over work the glass. As the ivory is worked more the silver will collect in the middle of the melted in stringer to form a dark line.

[LesleyMac]

Oh good thinking Sal, never occured to me that it might be sterling, diden't even know you could get sterling silver foil. That could be it though.
Oh and Sal, thank Emm for the letter and tell her I said I know she makes beads because I have seen one and its brilliant and she is going to be an ace beadmaker, like her mum. 

[Redhotsal]

Hi Lesley,

Oh yes, P+T happily sold me a huge wad of "silver foil" quite a few years ago. Well, I suppose it was my fault for not specifying what I wanted.? ?
Actually, it must be the way I ask for things because only a month or so ago a precious metal company sent me a bobbin of very very thin sterling wire. Well, I asked for fine silver wire - what.........is it me?

I'm glad Em's letter got through to you - one of the few things that wasn't affected by the postal strike. She loves her little pendant and was chuffed to bits. You lovely lady x

[Amber]

Thanks guys! It should definitely be fine silver, I got it from Martin! Using more ivory makes sense though, and I will try working the bead for longer.