Fifty shades of beige

Yes, I've been playing with striking glasses again. A striking glass is one that requires special treatment in the flame to bring out it's inner loveliness. The process goes something like this; get the bead really, really hot, then cool it quickly...then get it hot again, then blow on it...back in the flame and get it fairly hot, but not too hot...then cross all your fingers and toes and offer a sacrifice to the goddess of striking glass...you get the idea. Except that the goddess obviously doesn't like me, because all I can get from the glass is the aforementioned fifty shades of beige. And yet I buy it time and time again, seduced by the promises of amazing rainbow colours.

Sometimes, if I pretend to myself that I really want beige with the merest hint of khaki and casually contemplate the numerous cobwebs and spiders' nests in the shedio instead of concentrating on the bead, then I can take the glass by surprise and the odd shade of a colour that isn't beige pops out. I have to pretend not to be happy (blue! I definitely saw blue!) and calmly take it out of the flame and put it in my annealing bubbles. Aaaand relax.

The latest beige glass I've been playing with is called Magic. Having tried and failed to magic some colours out of it, I have discovered that if I whack up the propane in the flame and wave the bead around a bit, it gets a rather lovely metallic bronze hue. And with the various shades of beige showing underneath, the result is actually rather nice!

So...no doubt after all that waffle you'd like to see some pictures, so here they are...the success stories. Phew!

You will find then all on Etsy now and keep checking back over the next few days for lots more new beads being added!  ;o)