Bullseye luster glasses - gallery and tips

LyndaJ · #1 2010-08-01, 7:45pm

So, I was working on some ideas for big hole beads last night for the exchange in the patio, and started messing around with blue and green luster.

Note: I am ok at encasing, but I've never really successfully encased silver foil, my encasing glass is too hot, I get my bead to hot, blah blah blah = disappointment every time. Well I tried that again last night, because I really need to get this particular look. So I was thinking about other things that I tried a long time ago, but due to lack of skills, they didn't turn out so well.

So I tried encasing the luster glasses, reduced with regular and reactive clear.

O.M.G. !!

I'll list what I *think* I used, but once I started just sort of messing around, some of the first ones are a bit iffy.

ok here we go
1) Blue luster (I think I put green over that) reduced, encased with regular clear, and melted smooth. As this melted in, all the shininess went away and the milky opalescence was left. Anywhere that the original encasing overlapped itself and air was chased out left the lines with tiny bubbles (cool effect)

2) Same treatment as above - only blue luster, but I tried to melt a little cooler. This left in much more of the sheen under the clear

3) Blue luster as above, even cooler. I went with a much smaller bead to try to give it less heat.

4) Blue luster reduced stringer, (please ignore the terrible stringer placement) Heated only enough to adhere the stringer, re-reduced.

5) Blue luster as above, but no final reduction. There is opalescence and sheen under the stringer.

6) Blue luster with reactive clear. Reduced then encased - regular heat. There isn't really any opalescence in this one, but there does appear to be some striking.

7) The same as 6 but decorated. There isn't really any opalescence in this one, but there does appear to be some striking.

Green luster reduced. Reactive clear on left and regular on right. I did a poor job of reducing this one in the first place, so it doesn't look as cool as the others. There was no visible opalescence in this one.

9)Amber luster reduced and encased. I *think* this was reactive clear. There is opalescence in this bead.

10) Hematite reduced VERY lightly and encased, again, I think reactive clear. I was not able to capture the opalescence of this with my camera.

Most of these are on a base of dense white or baby blue. The amber luster is on a base of petal pink.

Kiln, set at 970, annealing cycle is held at 970 for 30 minutes for beads this size, ramp 1 degree per minute etc...

Also note, the blue luster was striking into shades of blue and green even without encasing. I will have to work with this more by getting a very thin layer of it over white to better see how and when it is striking.

danielle · #2 2010-08-01, 9:39pm

Wow. This is fantastically useful and inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing!

Puddy Tat Glass · #3 2010-08-01, 10:25pm

Wowzers...this is a great thread. I didn't know BE had a reactive clear, gotta get me some. I once made the mistake of using one of my luster stringers for a cats eyes, it turned out gorgeous! Problem was I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing because I thought I was using a dark blue stringer...so I have no idea how I did it.

Leslie Dana · #4 2010-08-01, 10:35pm

You rock Lynda !!! Thanks for sharing

janetcameron · #5 2010-08-02, 2:07am

Wow! Great beads! I'll have to get some reactive clear, too.

StephBonniwell · #6 2010-08-02, 2:36am

Very cool, Lynda!!

LyndaJ · #7 2010-08-02, 4:08am

Thank-you

I'm going to have to sneak in some torch time during this week.

Please everyone, post pictures of your luster glasses here, encased and non-encased, so that we can have a good tips thread.

beadbroad · #8 2010-08-02, 6:26pm

Really, really, really nice of you to post all this.

LyndaJ · #9 2010-08-02, 6:27pm

I'm hoping everybody breaks out some of their luster glass and starts encasing so we can see LOTS of examples...

MaryBeth · #10 2010-08-02, 7:03pm

Lynda - those are great examples. I haven't tried to encase any of the lustres yet but here are some unencased examples:

The handles and the neck of these vessels are the amber lustre. I work it in a neutral flame. Right before I am ready to put the vessel in the kiln I turn up my gas. I then kiss the lustre with the flame for a very short period of time - maybe 2 to 4 seconds. More than that overreduces it.

This is blue lustre. I applied silver foil over a portion of the bead and then very lightly reduced it.

More blue lustre lightly reduced.

Amber lustre lightly reduced.

Leslie Dana · #11 2010-08-02, 7:09pm

Mary Beth, those are fabulous !!

MaryBeth · #12 2010-08-02, 9:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesliedana1

Mary Beth, those are fabulous !!

Thanks, Leslie!

These are so fun to make - you get to pull glittery shiny things from the kiln. I need to make some more!

janetcameron · #13 2010-08-03, 2:38am

Beautiful beads!! This is going to be great. Too bad it's only Tuesday - I can't try anything now until Saturday!!

Lynda - your amber beads have some pinkish tones. Is that from the amber or the reactive clear?

danielle · #14 2010-08-04, 6:59am

Not my work, but I just have to link this thread to this spectacular and inspiring disk that Avery made out of copper green lustre

squid · #15 2010-08-04, 7:20am

wow, that CGL disc is amazing.

DPete1104 · #16 2010-08-04, 7:37am

...

bousky · #17 2010-08-04, 7:59am

Thank you for sharing your talents Lynda. You are amazing!

LyndaJ · #18 2010-08-04, 8:14am

not talent, just a happy accident.

Janet, yes there is quite a bit of pink/magenta in bead #9. The amber luster does not seem to be transparent under it, the pink color is from the encased reduction. Now, I do get a pink cast to my amber luster sometimes but I think this was gold before I encased it.

There is also a bit of purple to the luster in bead #2.

I tried encasing a lightly reduced cgl bead last night as well as very thin and very lightly reduced blue luster. The results final results were blah. However - before I really heated the cgl bead to get it completely shaped it looked FANTASTIC. Must try again. But I don't think I'll have any torch time before the middle/end of the month so everyone needs to get on their torch and try this so we can get the technique nailed - pretty please???

I also went back to this thread on the reactive ice clear, but we hadn't done encased/reduced beads in that thread.

bousky · #19 2010-08-04, 12:59pm

Don't discount your talent Lynda! You really seem to have the brain for figuring things out. You have developed some great beads and methods. It is extraordinary that you share your finds so clearly. You are very much appreciated!

Let me just add that I have been sitting on my lusters for a long time. You are also motivating!

SuzyQ · #20 2010-08-04, 1:08pm

I played with a bunch today. But from what went into the kiln I'm thinking a base of antique white might have been a poor choice.

Has anyone ever made something pretty with the uranium luster?

LyndaJ · #21 2010-08-04, 1:30pm

I have no uranium luster

. I have a little brandy that I haven't tried, though.

I chose unreactive bases - white, clear, powder blue (or baby blue, they look about the same), petal pink.

KJJames · #22 2010-08-04, 5:51pm

I tried some that came out of the kiln this AM. Not so lovely

Everything was very washed out. I think I worked a bit to hot. I will give it a another shot tomorrow. However, my beads made with Aurora and Dk. Aurora encased came out sweet!

SuzyQ · #23 2010-08-04, 5:57pm

I think I'll stick to using them on the surface. None of mine looked good. The peacock got a hazy look under the reactive clear but nothing I love.

danielle · #24 2010-08-05, 7:14pm

I just tried to encase struck amber lustre on a hothead, and it ended up super boring. To strike lustre glasses I have to use a leather glove to cover the intake holes on my torch, and I have to stop that to have that second hand back to do the encasing. I think that issue caused my lustre to, well, de-lustre-ify while I was encasing it, so it went back to basically clear with a slight yellow/gold-ish tinge. BORING. Woe, hothead, woe.

SadiesJewels · #25 2010-08-05, 10:43pm

Danielle ... I think most hot head users get a reducing flame by covering their intake holes with foil (rather than a glove)?

Please correct me someone if I'm wrong about that ... just hoping to help someone do some free hand encasing!

Sadie

danielle · #26 2010-08-06, 5:19am

Sadie - That hadn't occurred to me, interesting! Thank you. I'll give it a try (with encasing some lustre for science) and report back.

LyndaJ · #27 2010-08-06, 6:13am

You have to be VERY careful to keep the bead under the flame (not in it all) during the encasing - otherwise your reduction will come right off.

danielle · #28 2010-08-06, 1:37pm

I think that's hard with the hothead because it just takes so long for my clear to heat up enough to encase without flashing the bead while heating the clear. Maybe I'll try pre-heating the clear rod in the kiln first to speed up the process, too.

gubnavnania · #29 2010-08-06, 3:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielle

I just tried to encase struck amber lustre on a hothead, and it ended up super boring. To strike lustre glasses I have to use a leather glove to cover the intake holes on my torch, and I have to stop that to have that second hand back to do the encasing. I think that issue caused my lustre to, well, de-lustre-ify while I was encasing it, so it went back to basically clear with a slight yellow/gold-ish tinge. BORING. Woe, hothead, woe.

Danielle, you can make a aluminum foil to cover the holes on HH. I think it's easier to use than wear a gloves.

KJJames · #30 2010-08-07, 6:25am

I'm going to get in some good torch time today. Well I plan to unless my DIL goes into labor which would be even better

I am going to give this another try. I'll let you know how it goes!