Silver leaf vent!

Lisi · #1 2012-04-27, 1:56am

Just bought a new book of silver leaf, and this is supposed to the the medium weight (Monarch) which is the one that doesn't stick to your fingers. I don't think this is what I have. I know what the Monarch leaf is supposed to be like, and it's not like this crap!

It's been a really long time since I've bought any, but I remember the last time I bought it, I got it from Breezy who used to own Bridgetown glass. She wrote in her description that the Monarch leaf was the kind that was a little heavier and less likely to stick to your fingers. Something like that, but I definitely had the right stuff. I like it because I can cut the whole book into sixths. That's what I did with the new crap, and it's ruined. A whole f***ing book of leaf. Each piece is stuck to the edges of the cut paper really bad, and barely touching it, it's all over my fingers. I am hopping mad!

Now I dread having to make silvered dark ivory! I have to make it for many of my sets, and now I don't know what I'm going to do. It's not like I have the $$$ to run out and buy more (again!), and I'm afraid of getting the same shit again. Would I be better off with foil?? But isn't that really thick? I don't want my silvered stringer to have too much silver and get that blackish look.

These two pictures show what I like my silvered dark ivory stringer to look like. Nice and webby. I did make stringer with the "crap", and it was smeary pale yellowish with hardly any webbing at all.

jellybellykelley · #2 2012-04-27, 3:43am

That would be frustrating! Looking at your beads shows how much you do use!

5betsy · #3 2012-04-27, 7:19am

I would still call customer service.

I'm sorry this happened.

Poet? · #4 2012-04-27, 7:28am

Monarch makes several different thicknesses of leaf. It sounds as though you received the Extra Fine Leaf. Try using two layers of it when you roll your gather. I hope this will help, but other than this, I have no other advice.

clan tabby · #5 2012-04-27, 8:10am

I've never used silver leaf because of its delicate nature; I'm too heavy handed & clumsy. I've always used silver foil for my silvered stringers, & it's never been too much; they've never turned blackish. I've never heard that anyone uses the leaf, at least from all the threads I've read on the subject. You must have a very delicate hand!

Pat · #6 2012-04-27, 8:30am

You wanted silverfoil not leaf!

rdbeads · #7 2012-04-27, 9:05am

Foil is definitely the way to go. The leaf is a pain in the ass.

AKDesigns · #8 2012-04-27, 10:11am

Not a fan of silver leaf. I only use silver foil.

ElizabethCreations · #9 2012-04-27, 10:24am

I am also a silver foil fan... I just hate the leaf...
The more you'll put silver foil on ivory, the darker the silvered ivory will get.
So with silver foil, you just need to use less to get the ''color'' you want.

gemsinbloom · #10 2012-04-27, 10:45am

I only use silver foil as well. For awhile there, I was using it in all my beads, ask Amy LOL

*Naos* · #11 2012-04-27, 10:52am

I understand your pain, Lisa! I do the same - cut the sheets. Silver Leaf for stringer and foil for heavier silvering needs. I've noticed that not all silver is the same either. Some melts into little mirco dots which I love and some melts into a yellowy smear on the glass. When I find a good vendor for it, I stick with them.

Angie09 · #12 2012-04-27, 11:56am

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Naos*

I understand your pain, Lisa! I do the same - cut the sheets. Silver Leaf for stringer and foil for heavier silvering needs. I've noticed that not all silver is the same either. Some melts into little mirco dots which I love and some melts into a yellowy smear on the glass. When I find a good vendor for it, I stick with them.

So who are you buying from now????

essiemessy · #13 2012-04-27, 4:13pm

I've only used silver foil, which is easy enough to cut into strips on their own, not between the paper.
The rest of it would just be too much faffing around for me.

Kalera · #14 2012-04-27, 4:48pm

There are several weights of foil, and at least two weights of leaf... each has a distinct effect. I know the heavy leaf Lisi's talking about, and it's perfect when you want SIS with a lot of striation but no balls of silver.

It sucks that you ended up with light leaf, Lisi... I agree about calling customer servive at the place where you ordered it. Maybe someone accidentally shipped the wrong weight of leaf.

Lisi · #15 2012-04-27, 9:13pm

Thank you for all for your input! I think I will use two layers of this stuff and it should be okay. But I might have to have a shot of whiskey or tequila (ha..and I rarely drink!) before I head into the studio. I need to have a little fog of calm in my brain before I begin to fight with this stuff! Ugh...getting it off the damn paper! lol

I will try silver foil, as soon as I place another glass order. My husband said, "If you are worried about the foil being too much silver for the pull, why don't you just get it on a larger gather of the ivory??" Wow, he's probably right! He doesn't do lampwork! But he knows a lot of the lampwork language, in words like "gather", "pull", and many others he's heard me speak of over the years. I talk to him a lot about the things going on in my work day.

spixton · #16 2012-04-28, 9:22am

As to the silver leaf sticking to your fingers, rub your fingers over graphite first. Then it won't stick to your fingers.

Very thin silver leaf is best for some applications like on the whole bead when you want to "burn it off".

simvet02 · #17 2012-04-28, 10:52am

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Naos*

I understand your pain, Lisa! I do the same - cut the sheets. Silver Leaf for stringer and foil for heavier silvering needs. I've noticed that not all silver is the same either. Some melts into little mirco dots which I love and some melts into a yellowy smear on the glass. When I find a good vendor for it, I stick with them.

Oh dear me....this is my problem!!! I sold a BHB and the buyer says there is a small chip, not going to argue with her, just need to make her a new one. Suffice to say that I have made six now and can NOT get those pretty little micro dots in the webbed silver bead.

Oh man, I just changed to a new book of silver foil AND silver leaf (yes before I knew the difference I bought leaf and am trying to use it up.)

Now I don't know what to do, I can't get those pretty little dots...darn it!!!

glasslass2 · #18 2012-04-29, 8:24am

Then does anyone have a reliable vendor to purchase the heavy weight silver leaf from?

Lisi · #19 2012-04-29, 9:18am

Quote:

Originally Posted by glasslass2

Then does anyone have a reliable vendor to purchase the heavy weight silver leaf from?

I would like to know this too. Thanks!

I made the ugliest damn SIS beads yesterday. Not one of them looks matching to one another! The worse damn set of these I ever made. Now I'm pissed about the crappy leaf again. But I don't want to bother the vendor. I ordered some other things with the leaf, and it wasn't in the box when I got it. So I had to email them to let them know that it didn't come with my order, and then they sent another one. The sleeve that the leaf comes in has a sticker on it that says "medium weight". But there is no way that it can be. I think it was mislabeled.

Eileen · #20 2012-04-29, 9:22am

If the leaf is too thin, can you (using your husband's logic) make a smaller gather when you use it so the ratio is better?

Lisi · #21 2012-04-29, 9:32am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eileen

If the leaf is too thin, can you (using your husband's logic) make a smaller gather when you use it so the ratio is better?

I can, but I can't get it off the paper pieces. The whole book has been cut into sixths. Can I roll it anyway and burn off the paper? Or will it get into the stringer as "ashes" and screw it up?

clan tabby · #22 2012-04-29, 9:50am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

I can, but I can't get it off the paper pieces. The whole book has been cut into sixths. Can I roll it anyway and burn off the paper? Or will it get into the stringer as "ashes" and screw it up?

I might at least try that since it sounds like kind of a loss anyway. Who knows, you might get some new crazy cool effect! (or not)

Eileen · #23 2012-04-29, 9:51am

Hmmm, maybe if you put it silver side down onto your marver, then you could wiggle the paper gently with your finger to loosen it, then pick the paper only up with your tweezers?

Eileen · #24 2012-04-29, 9:53am

I think I read somewhere to very very lightly dampen the marver in a spot to make the silver stick to it while you take off the paper, but I may have imagined that.

glasslass2 · #25 2012-04-29, 10:17am

I'm much more technical than that. Usually lick my finger, swipe on my marver or bench top and stick the foil to it. Maybe gross but it works. But I could never do that with the leaf I have. It's too fly away.

philomena · #26 2012-04-29, 10:28am

Did you get fine silver leaf or 925 silver leaf?
It makes a big difference in the colour your SI stringer get.
With 925 silver leaf you can take many leafs as you like, the stringers will be yellowish and ugly.

There is a lot copper in the 5% that are not silver in the 925 silver. That brings the issues.

I prefer fine silver foil too.

Or do you have new Ivory batch?