here are some made last week - LOTS of pics
I use 28 gauge brass wire, and usually cut a length about 8 inches and hold it with locking tweezers to apply.
These beads all have a dark base, with some sort of twisty stringer applied. Smooth into a barrel/tube. Then I get the bead hot enough so that the wire will stick, but not hot enough to be droopy. Heat a tip of the wire quickly in flame (it will spark)- attach to bead near bead hole, and spin the mandrel to get the wire wrapped onto the bead. I Usually then give it a quick roll on graphite to just firm up the attachments.
And in the application, sometimes sections break, or spark away. And that is OK. I just try to keep that to a minimum.
Then I encase the bead, being careful to just have my encasing rod in the flame and not the bead. Encase, melt in encasing, and then usually a second full layer of encasing.
These then have surface layer decorations of silvered glasses, which means there is even additional time for bubble growth, as these are heated and cooled a few times to get color development.
I love the golden color of bubbles from using brass. And did try one with a blue glass, putting the wire right on the pale blue, and doo see how then the bubbles are more black and silvery.
