New Boro Beads....It's Been A While

Borosilicate glass, aka boro, is so different to work with compared to "soft" glass, or soda glass.  Most glass beads are made with glass from manufacturers like Effetre (Italian), Lauscha (German), or Bullseye (American).

Borosilicate, or Pyrex, glass, was developed by Corning and is the glass that "Corningware" used to be made from...it can go from cold (refrigerator) to hot (oven) without cracking.

Coloured borosilicate glass yields beautiful, ethereal hues and is a very different palette when compared to soda glass, where most of the time WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get).

Here are some new boro beads I have listed in my Etsy shop:

 Deep & Hazy Blue

 Dark Amber Purple & Hazy Violet

 After Midnight

Deep Purple & Hazy Blue

Boro beads are wonderful design elements in jewellery...here's a bracelet using shades of violet with copper.

Violet & Copper Bracelet

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

New Glass Beads for Jewelry Designs

It's been a busy month with committee work and other employment-related things taking precedent, so I have been "itching" to get to the torch more often. Isn't it funny how when you can't do something as much as you would like to...you crave it even more.

Here are some new pairs of borosilicate glass beads now listed in my Etsy shop....
Light Green and Blue Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads
Blue and Caramel Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads
Blue and Light Green Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads
Blue and Jade Green Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads

Borosilicate Glass Leaf Pendant...Look What Came Out of the Kiln!!!

Well, you can imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I opened the kiln yesterday...

...I had sculpted this leaf pendant and when I finished it was a rather dull brownish colour with some bluish streaks running through it.
I thought...sigh, I'll probably have to melt it down and start again...

I was astounded to open the kiln this morning and find this vibrant beauty inside...thank you kiln fairy!!

This beautiful leaf is in my Etsy shop now...goodness, no it's not. It just sold!!

I Just Can't Get Enough....Boro Beads

Well, I can admit that I have a serious boro (borsilicate glass, aka Pyrex) addiction going here!

I go to bed thinking about it, and wake up thinking about it...planning my next torch session.
Sunday was busy with all things Easter, and we had 21 people over for turkey, ham, and lasagna...and during supper what was I thinking of? ....you guessed it, boro, and the next beads I wanted to make.

Here are some pretty boro beads from Saturday's torching session....they are available in my Etsy shop.

Pretty Sculptural Borosilicate Glass Leaves

I just can't believe how versatile borosilicate glass is....time-consuming, but well worth the effort.

I'm making the foray into off-mandrel work, and I'm happy how these leaves turned out!
They're listed in my Etsy shop as pendants...you can use them with up to a 5mm cord, chain, or beaded necklace.

Going To The Dark Side

Just before Christmas I decided to upgrade my lampworking torch to give me more heat and power. I bought a Nortel midrange torch with a minor torch mounted above it. I tell you the first time I fired up the big torch I almost singed the back wall of my glass studio, LOL.

I bought some borosilicate glass, aka "Pyrex", and decided to practice. Well, as anyone who uses "boro" can tell you, it's a whole different beast than Italian "soft" glass, or soda glass.

It's much stiffer, uses WAY more heat, takes more time at the torch and in the kiln...
...but you can sculpt with it because it can get cool without cracking, just like your Pyrex casserole dish (from refrigerator to oven).

Here are some of my beads that are made with borosilicate glass...they have a real "ethereal" quality to them, and the colours in natural light are just amazing!

I've been listing these boro bead pairs in my Etsy shop, and they have been selling very well!