what do you use filigrana for?
 

I've got a few single rods of filigrana and can't figure out what to do with it. I've made one bead so far and it's pretty and swirly but is that it? I don't get it.](*,)

Well, a lot of people use it for stringer work. You can control the lines easier because it's thicker than a fine line of just stringer.

Disks, hollows, and if you put a bundle together it pulls out into nice flower stamen stringer. There's more I'm sure.

Maybe it's the colors I happen to have. I have a really pretty beachy type turquoise, a yellow and a bright red one.

Got this all at a local garage sale this summer.

I use the white core turquoise in a LOT of my beads. I use it for foliage and vines in my florals. I pull it down to stringer size.

I used some for a goddess vessel (which DeAnne now owns)

That's a pretty cool lady you've made!

Hmm, makes me think I should just USE it and see what happens.

Thanks for the tip to pull it into stringer - things to try this long weekend! Yay

Originally filigrana was made for glass blowing, you are supposed to cut it into same legth of canes, and place is on a kiln washed metal plate in a desired pattern and warm it up in the gloryhole, you will get stripes in your piece. Take it out occasionally to tighten it up, so you wont have any gaps between the canes for air to leak out, and finally wrap it around the maria on the pipe. With jacks cut the tip, and back to the cloryhole to blow something out of it.
But that was just the original way of using it... the earlier comments about pulling it first to stringer is the ultimate adaptation to the lampworking! This way you will get thin stringer work without the color bleeding and spreading, since it has already been encased. It has also kinda cool look to it, since it looks more like a vine than just a line. The encasing gives it a look, like it would be floating on the glass. Just go for it, you might just fall in love with filigrana!

Tentacles
Vines
Ribbons
Stamens

My husband uses it for hollows. I use it to make DNA twisties.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...DSC_0007-2.jpg

To make your own latticino! Follow the same process as twisties using 3 or more stripes of filigrana.

Just watched an episode of How It's Made that showed some Canadian glassblowers making and using Filigrana & Latticino. Pretty cool.

Shawnette, I saw the same episode. I love that show.

Im a know how geek... I love that show too! Even when they are making something super simple like plastic bags or what not, I still find myself glued on the screen. Funny how such monotonic voice and pure information can be so enchanting!

The white core filligrana is my favorite, because it has such a sharp definition when pulled even very fine. When you are making twisties or whatever with it, make sure you seal any cut ends with clear so it doesn't leak out and devitrify all over your bead. Cuz that's just plain ugly :)

Ribbon Hearts

I would sure love to know how to use this stuff! I see the point about stingers and making it easier to draw, etc... but for them to mass produce it, I feel like I'm missing something!

They make fun clams. Make two disk beads close together and join on one side. You can add eyes. when I made them into pendents or earrings I would string a pearl in the middle.

Fun idea, Kate!

Honey, try making latticino. That’s my favorite. The other uses mentioned above are also great—I am going to try some of them out. If you haven’t used it before, keep in mind that it’s shocky.

I make disc beads en masse which are sewn on my other projects.

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