Raven Sky = Sardonyx

Raven Sky - totally looks like Sardonyx.


These are a black base, roughly encased with Raven Sky, some with a trail of white, and mashed.

For comparison - here's what the real deal looks like. Less blue, but the shading of the banding is a nice match. 

As to why I'd want to imitate a fairly inexpensive stone with my expensive time ... ? Because it's cool, that's why.

Effetre 758 Raven Sky

Effetre Raven Sky - a streaky very dark colour that looks like Sardonyx (the stone) when worked. I really like this colour - despite it looking very dark in these photos - it is much more obvious in real life. Black and white and grey streaks.

I can totally see doing entire jewelry pieces in this - using it like you would a stone bead, but in shapes, or in sculptural pieces.

Anyhoo - I like this one a lot.

Those photos aren't actually out of focus by the way - it's just such a glossy glass!

Comparison Effetre: 739 Bonnie Blue, 738 Capri, 227 Caribbean Sea

A comparison of these three gorgeous streaky glasses from Effetre. These are specially designed rods of glass constructed in layers with an opaque core, a transparent layer, and a thin opaque skin. Sure - you could make your own - but frankly - this is a much better use of your time!

The top mandrel - with the purple marker - is Bonnie Blue. The middle and bottom mandrels are Capri, and the middle mandrel has a Caribbean Sea at each end - dramatically greener.

All are fabulous!

Effetre 739 Bonnie Blue

Bonnie Blue - another lovely streaky blue from Effetre - again achieved by making a cored, encased rod - much like a filigrana, but with an opaque outer layer. The core on this one seems larger than the Capri, and the overall effect is paler and a little more like Eff Light Sky Blue.

Very attractive, and I think that spacers made in either Bonnie Blue or Capri will sell like mad. You could just sit there and wind these off all night and not have to struggle or engage your brain in any way, and still have a perfectly lovely pile of beads in the morning.

And some days - you just need that.

CiM 426 Muskmelon

CiM Muskmelon - a super-subtle, desaturated green. Like a very pale sage or a - well - you can't quite call it a grey-green, but leaning that way.

Only the barest hint of a reaction with the turquoise too.

Another one of those "supporting" colours - not the main attraction - but still with an important role to play.

CiM 714 Antique Lace

Antique Lace. I believe CiM is trying to make an ivory - and this might be part of their quest.

If I wasn't already imprinted on the Effetre Ivories, I might have identified it as an ivory colour. Certainly - it is an "off-white." I'm just having trouble identifying which it leans - as it seems to pick up the colours from what ever is around it -  but if I had to say - slightly pinkish?

From the turquoise dots on the right hand bead, you can see that there is only a minor fuzzing at the border, not a true reaction.

So if you are looking for an ivory/bone colour that is not particularly reactive - this might be your answer!

CiM Limited Runs

As you probably know by now - CiM - Creation is Messy - has their primary line of colours - which they are committed to keeping in production all the time - and their auxiliary line - which is colours that, as they say: 

Ltd Runs are either colors we mis-melted (cannot intentionally re melt) or colors we are not committed to keeping in stock because sales are slower (in which case, we will only melt them intermittently).

Consequently - these following colours are being moved to "Ltd Run" status - which means that your supplier may run out and you may have to wait to find restock or scrounge through all your short pieces. 

511109 Bordello Ltd Run

511407 Cardamom Ltd Run

511413 Peacock Green Ltd Run

511478 Oz Ltd Run

511481 Split Pea Ltd Run

511492 Sherwood Ltd Run

511550 Chalcedony Ltd Run

511562 Ming Ltd Run

511589 Zachary Ltd Run

511742 Sepia Ltd Run

511788 Mink Ltd Run

511807 Linen Ltd Run

511915 Pink Champagne Ltd Run 

I like Chalcedony a lot - any of the translucent colours, really, and Mink - which does interesting things with silver. I will have to stash some of these two. 

Effetre 738 Capri

Eff. Capri - Streaky Blue.

Drop.dead.gorgeous.

That is all.

That is enough.

An opaque core, transparent layer, opaque outer skin - you could slice it up for murrini if you were so inclined. Some variation in rods - but if you are loving this, it's not because you are into consistent results.

Dreamy and effortless! Love it.

Effetre 723 50 Shades

50 Shades of ... Mud.

Not really a bad colour - very organic - but you couldn't call it grey. Or Gray.

Streaky, which is nice, and really a very warm grey if you are being charitable, otherwise it's 50 Shades of Taupe.

Looks like it might get a little darker the more it is worked. Or lighter. Or something.

CiM 306 Honey Mustard

Yep - CiM Honey Mustard is just that colour - or maybe Dijoinaisse. Certainly not the virulent yellow of French's (gack!) Mustard - but a soft, warm beige. Like antique paper.


The bead on the right was not struck before going into the kiln - it was significantly lighter, but has come out of the kiln functionally the same colour as the bead on the left, so while it looks different going into the kiln, apparently it will darken up by itself.

Nice creamy organic colour. Try this for ponies or a substitute for Ivory. Don't know if it reacts with turquoise. Might be interesting to try fuming it or working with silver with it.

Effetre 752 Antique Green

Hmmm - reminds me of Copper Green. Paler - but similar family.

Oh, and look at those ivory dots on the right bead. That's some serious copper/sulphur reaction going on there.

Streaky too.

Nice - bet there are lots of reactive possibilities here.

Effetre 066 Intense Black NOT!

I was just asked to test some Eff 066 Intense Black rod - pulled into stringer - because someone was getting some odd results.

My conclusion. Intense Black this is not.

Intense Black should NOT go purple.

And black rods priced at an arm and a leg shouldn't go purple.




From the top - core of clear, layer of black, encased clear; white cylinder base, trails of black, black on ends; white base, trails of black - heat till it starts to rotate, mash. All of these show purple - this is pretty definitive - this is not intense black.

 Same beads, different view.

 And on dark ivory - there's that purple again.

If you recently bought Intense Black Rods - do a test bead before you do a production run of 30 beads, m-kay?

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Intense Black Stringer

Intense Black - a true black. A black that is supposed to stay black. The trade-off is its higher price and that it does some funny things when reacting with other glass - particularly when given a lot of heat.

But this batch - or rather two batches - seem different.







These two are a white base - sorry, don't know which white -  but it's not Anice, with intense black dots. Batch 1 on the left (which was unpackaged) and Batch 2 on the right - which came packaged and labeled. Both have webbed quite spectacularly, and both are showing rather more colour than I expected. Both of these got a lot of heat. I noticed that the packaged Batch 2 glass is a lot softer, and melts faster - even though they were both the same diameter.

 Here, on ivory, Batch 1 on the left, Batch 2 on the right. Oddly - very little webbing - just a smidge on the left bead, and these got a lot of heat.

 This bicone tablet bead is an ivory base with the batch 2 glass streaked, heated and swirled. Again, oddly less webbing than I would have expected.

 I am really digging the Grumpy Owl image that appeared, however.

 I dunno - have I gotten rusty? Are these some subtle variant of Intense Black? Is my memory playing tricks on me?

Which is ultimately why I write this blog - so I can look stuff up on it!

CiM 209 Alleycat

CiM Alleycat is a vibrant, opaque orange that reacts very strongly with copper-based colours. It is slightly streaky and qualifies as a happy, bright colour!

The Elements of colour

Here's a nice little article about what metals are used to colour glass. Remember - this is geared towards collectors of historical pieces. Cobalt is not used to colour modern blue glass, neither is uranium.

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/601658/Take-a-look-at-the-science-behind-your-colored-glass.html?nav=5016