Vetro 989 Topaz Odd Lot - DO NOT ENCASE

DO NOT ENCASE this glass. It just won't take it. I can't speak for the other streaky colours that came out at the same time, but on the left is a bead with only two glasses in it, Vetro 989 and Vetro Clear (the same clear I have successfully encased many other beads with.)

Below are two more beads, made with 989, and not encased.

Very pretty glass, but if all you can do with it is wind off spacer beads, it limits it's usefulness (although, doesn't eliminate it.) You could use it as a great accent bead for a set.

BTW - the streaky centre of this glass is more greyish than creamy.

CIM Lapis, Lapis Unique, and CIM Thai Orchid

These three new colours from CIM (Creation Is Messy) came in at the same time, and when laying around in bad light, can look pretty similar.

On the left you see all three - the 2 beads on a mandrel are Lapis and Lapis Unique, (531 and 531-1)from left to right, and the bead in the front is Thai Orchid. (632)

The "-1" and "Unique" indicate an odd-lot - an Oops, if you will. The Lapis and Thai Orchid join the increasing line up of colours from CIM.

The Lapis and the Lapis Unique are very close in colour, with the Unique being slightly more violet.

Here they are again. In each picture (the white and greybackground) - the Lapis is on the left and the odd lot on the right. The paddles, however, got reversed in moving to a new background. On white, the odd lot is on the top. You can see that in contrasty light, it's hard to tell them apart.

Adding more light, does show more of a difference though.

The Lapis is darker and more purple than the colour that I usually think of when I think of Lapis - which is more like the Moretti Lapis. There is too much red in this colour to evoke the coloured gemstone of antiquity. But it's a nice colour and would add well to a sophisticated earthtone palette.







And this is the Thai Orchid, it is a more violet colour, and reminds me of the Moretti Dark Violet. It has a slightly metallic sheen, which may have developed as a result of my accidently double-annealing it. (I never start my kiln w/o checking to make sure it's empty - honest!)

You can see on the paddle that there is some colour variation. I haven't tried duplicating this in a bead yet - but I suspect that rapid cooling may be part of the answer.

There is a pleasant streakiness to the glass too. I think I'd like to try some sculptural work with this one.

He he he - My pretties. CIM Elphaba and Elphaba Unique

And your little dog too!

These two new greens are a stab at getting that witchy skin colour just perfect. The one on the left, and the paddle below, is the 430 Elphaba, and the slightly bluer green to the right and above is the 430-1 indicating that it is an odd lot. (Elphaba Unique they style it.)

And, in fact - this green glass named for Glinda the Good Witch's evil sister and star of "Wicked" is a delightfully witchy green, with a nice streakiness to it. The Elphaba Unique is more blue, and equally streaky. Also a nice green, if not quite as "be-witching."