Copper Foil ??
 

Roof made of copper oxydize quite rapidly and become green. Will my copper leaf do the same if I don't use it fast enough? Should I store it in a air tight tupperware or something?

Until now my experiments with it lead to burned beads... anyone can show me their copper leaf beads?

I'm not 100% sure, But I got copper leaf the is 2 years old and it did not oxydize and turn green so I think your safe for at least 2 years.

When you use copper leaf you just need a very very thin layer. Don't bother to burnish it, then burn it till it looks like it is all gone. A good color to start trying copper with is white. Good luck!

Patch,
I had the same problem when I tried it. I have ruined many a good bead with it. It just ends up a black, muddy mess :(

I've found that there are lots of colors that just look gross with copper leaf. Yellow for instance is truly hideous. :)

Start with a white base bead and then boil the living snot out of it - it will turn beautiful! Pink frit on top is especially lovely.

Somehow the words "boil" and "snot" do not conjure up the most beautiful of images, but I will give it a try LOL . Thanks for posting!

Try this thread.
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ht=copper+leaf

Kathy

Heheheh! OK, you have a point. But lemme see if I can find some pics...

Thank you everyone. Kalera, those beads are just GREAT! OKay, I burnished and I was wrapping the bead tightly with more than one layer. Will work more on it tonight.

Gorgeous Kalera!!!!

If you used a glass color that just looks awful with copper leaf, try rolling the bead as it is in white enamel. Then heat it up until it starts to bubble and encase.
I will try later to upload a pic of one of my 2saved" beadsGreetings
Maryse

Looking forward to see your bead Maryse

I had to reduce the picture even more to make it fit in here:

this one was made of dark ivory and copper. It looked awful and I first thought of dumping it. But then I rolled it in white enamel and encased it.

Please explain how it works. You make a base bead, then roll the hot bead over some copper foil, and then what? When I tried it, the copper burnt mostly, so I must be doing something wrong. So, after rolling the bead, how do you keep your copper from burning totally?:fireblob:

Hi Karin
I do not use copper foil, but copper leaf. I roll the bead in the copper leaf. It is normal that it burns off, the copper turns flaky and black; that's why it is important to encase the bead afterwards. After rolling the bead in the leaf, you have to heat it very well and for a long time, so that the copper eally burns into the glass. Then I add the enamel and then I heat it again until it "boils". Then I encase it.
If you use white glass, you can omit the step with the enamel. Simply roll the white bead in the copper leaf and heat it up until it starts to boil and then encase it.
Have fun!:grin:

Hi Maryse,

Thank you for your reply. I must say that the bead I made yesterday wasn't all that bad. I'll try it again with a white bead as you suggested. I don't work with enamels (yet anyway), but I understand from your reply that copper only works on a white base (if you don't use enamel afterwards). What does the enamel do? Does it react with the copper?

Hi Karin I am not a specialist for copper beads either; but i realized that with white you can never fail. And the enamel I used to save the bead was white enamel ;-) so I was sure it could help.
I think there was already a post here on making beautiful beads with clear and copper; but I never got decent results with that!

Hi Maryse,

I'll give it a go. I also bought some silver foil I have yet to try. Couple of weeks ago I thought myself smart by trying aluminium foil first, before buying real silver, but I can tell you that doesn't work ](*,) . At first the beads look beautiful enough, but all of them cracked. So, now I've got 'the real thing' and it had better work this time:-\" .

I will try a white based as soon as I've finished this post.........

my studio is open to the Florida heat and humidity. My copper leaf got a little golden but works fine otherwise. I have copper netting that is still its pretty penny color.

Hi Kalera,

How did you make these gorgeous beads??!! I tried a few with a white base, rolled in copper leaf and then encased, but they look nothing like yours....=P~

Have you used other materials, or have you done something extra to them??

Thank you for your reply.