Taming Terra
 

I'm excited to announce that my next tutorial, coming March 31, will be a comprehensive look at Double Helix Terra. Now that DH is again manufacturing the original Terra formula in hand-pulled batches and the glass is available and affordable again, I'm going to tell you everything I know (and probably more than you ever wanted to know) about coaxing the best range of colors from Terra -- and how to best stabilize those colors while the beads are in the kiln.

"Taming Terra" will include a detailed step-by-step on exactly how I make the beads for my "Essential Terra" series, detailed striking and annealing instructions for both encased and unencased Terra beads, and instruction on other fun ways you can use Terra as well.

I'm writing the tutorial now. If you have specific problems or questions about working Terra, please feel free to post them in this thread and I'll make sure they're covered in the tutorial. Thanks!

Your color work is so extraordinary! This tutorial is sure to be a huge hit, especially with all the questions I've seen about working Terra since DH started making the handpulled version again!

Thank you, Kalera. I've noticed a return of the Terra questions, too, both in the forums and in my email, which is one of the reasons I decided to put out a tutorial. I'm really thrilled that Jed is making the original formula again and that a new generation of beadmakers will have access to my all-time favorite glass.

I used my very first bit of terra on ivory... Ooh that was ugly. What are a few of the never ever do this tips?

Pretty much any silvers on ivory will have the potential for instant fugliness.

Sounds exciting Kim! Always loved your colors in your terra beads!

Except on Vetro Light Ivory - that works. If you can get it. . .

I'd love to get a pre-order for a discount - any chance of that Kim? Cheeky, moi?

:love::love::love::love: Wonderful!

Thanks, ladies!

Anna, I'll probably have a discounted presale the week before the release. I would go ahead and start taking orders now, but because I'm still writing and I'm not sure of the tutorial's final page length, I'm not sure what the price will be. I'll post an update to this thread when I have all the details about the presale.

That's great Kim! Your Terra beads are amazing. Thanks for sharing with us!

Thanks for the kind words, Mary -- and it's absolutely my pleasure! This tut is definitely a labor of love.

Count me in! I love all of your tutorials, Kim!

Thanks Kim! I'm in too.

Me too please!! I am SOOOO striking glass impaired-it's ridiculous!

Fantastic news Kim! Can't wait : )

Oh yay, count me in. I still have the original Terra that I was too scared to use.

Me too Carmen. Though I have started using a bit since the 'Nope, can't use that glaas' thread.

Well Anna I am not as brave as you :hide:, I am just going to have to wait till March.

Oh, I'm with Anna!! Presale discount!!

I can't wait for this tutorial - I believe that your terra beads are among the most beautiful beads I have ever seen.

Thanks, ladies! I'll keep you posted on progress.

I can hardly wait.

Can't wait! Just got the Color Archive and I've been dazed ever since. You are so talented!

Kim...

What a fantastic idea for a tutorial!

I am so glad (along with all of the rest of us silver glass impaired types) that it is this subject on which you've chosen to write a tutorial on.

Count me in.. (especially if there is a pre-order discount.. I have to save every penny since we've just moved so recently ;}.

:love: your tutorials!

~Rachel

Boy, I need this one. I tried a couple of beads and just got brown. About the only striking glass I have any luck with is Multi-dark. Your beads are so colorful.

Yay! Your tutorials are so well done Kim.

:-D

Yes, I just got the Color Archive too and I sit and drool over it! Amazing work - such talent!

Just an update to let you guys know what's going on with this tutorial.

When I announced the tutorial and started writing it, I was under the impression that the "original formula" handpulled Terra that Double Helix is selling was made with exactly the same formula as the original Terra produced by DH in 2007. But when I got some of the new handpulled Terra in last week, I noticed several differences in working and striking characteristics between the new Terra and the original Terra. I wrote to Jed at DH and he confirmed that something is being done or added to the new Terra to "stabilize" it. Whatever is being done to stabilize the new Terra, it causes it to behave differently in the flame and to strike very differently than the original, at least for me.

I've been enjoying the new Terra and getting good colors from it, but even annealing at 870, which is about 50 degrees cooler than I ever annealed the original Terra, the colors come out of the kiln dark and muted unless the new Terra is encased. For this reason I haven't been able to duplicate the "Essential Terra" series beads that were to be featured in this tutorial with the new Terra. The beads I made with the original Terra were always unencased, and they just aren't the same with the encasing that is required with the new Terra in order to keep the vibrant colors.

My assumption is that those beads are the ones most people would be primarily interested in. Since not everybody has original Terra and after a full week of testing I haven't been able to successfully duplicate the Essential Terra beads with the new version of Terra (at least not without encasing the beads), I'm going to need some more time to decide how to handle the differences between the two Terras in the tutorial, and whether under the circumstances it's even worth finishing and releasing this tutorial at all.

One thing I'm considering is teaching both the original and the new Terra in the tutorial. This would consist of a section on striking original Terra, including a step-by-step on making the Essential Terra beads, and then a separate section on the current Terra showing how to strike and get the best color range from that, with a step-by-step on an encased design or two using the new Terra.

Could I ask for your input here? Would you guys be interested in a tutorial covering both versions, or should I just scrap the idea entirely until there's a version of Terra available that behaves exactly like the original? I'd really appreciate your opinions.

Thanks!

Ah booey - I was wondering exactly that this morning. . .
It's a shame that the 'new' one isn't reacting the same as the original.
I have some rods still of the original and would really appreciate your tips on it to be in the tutorial.
I would also really like if Jed would take out whatever it is that 'stabilizes' it and went back to the original.
But take your time Kim and do whatever you think is best.

Terra Tutorial
 

It would be wonderful if you could include some instructions on working Terra with natural gas. I'm finding there are more and more of us natural gas users out there, and often the techniques are very different between the different heat sources. I hope you find enough information to make writing the tutorial worthwhile.

As someone who misses the original Terra and doesn't have any left, it would be frustrating to read half a tutorial on a glass that isn't available. That would probably keep me from purchasing. However, it seems that lots of people still have some. (Sigh...)