Tornado bead tut?

truegem · #1 2011-01-02, 8:56am

Does anyone know if there is a tutorial out there on these? I'm not sure if they are called tornado beads but inside a clear encasing is what looks like a realy pretty swirling of silver glass. Some of the swirl looks all 3-Dish like it's separating from the main part of the swirling glass. When I say swirling, I mean like around the mandrel. Know what I'm talking about?
Although I love Margaret Zinzer's tornado bead tutorial, this is not the type I'm looking for. I think they also call the type of bead in her tutorial a vertebrae focal. I'm talking about swirling around wildly.

Thanks!

DesertDreamer · #2 2011-01-02, 9:01am

Is this what you're looking for?
http://mzglass.com/tutorials

GlassGalore · #3 2011-01-02, 9:11am

Can you link to a pic of an example of the bead you mean?

truegem · #4 2011-01-02, 2:15pm

Karen, no that's not the one....lemme look for one...sorry, in doing some research, they are calling those types of beads that you are showing me, Karen, tornado beads. I always thought those were called vertebrae beads.
The type I'm talking about looks like the glass inside is spinning wildly.

truegem · #5 2011-01-02, 2:55pm

Wow, I am having a really hard time finding one! Kevan has made them. They are sort of like Olimpia's beads but not exactly. More like what I've seen Kevan make.

GlassGalore · #6 2011-01-02, 10:34pm

Are any of these of Kevan's like what you're looking to make?

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/35862819
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/33359096
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/30590916
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/35371891

kk5336 · #7 2011-01-03, 12:42am

Could it be what you're talking about is a "Vortex" bead...I don't have a picture, but I know a lot of marble people make them, where you take a clear rod and swirl your glass so it's like look down into a tornado.

Kathie

truegem · #8 2011-01-03, 9:45am

All the vortex ones I see are a spiral on one side of the bead, like a flat front where you see the vortex spiraling in a circular motion. These are similar but the spiral goes around the mandrel. I could easily use gravity, make the colors spiral around and encase. But what's special about these is the silver glass has whisps that separate from the core, looking like it's out of control.
Lisa, maybe like the 3rd one, kind of, but more wildly spinning, more movement, almost chaotic movement around. Gosh I have spent a long time searching. Can't find what I'm talking about. =/ About to give up until I just happen to come across a pic of one.

jamie lynne · #9 2011-01-03, 9:53am

ARe you talking about Olimpia's Frozen in Time series? She still posts here, I bet she'd post one for you if you asked... or check the gallery archives. She used to post them in the ST.

kk5336 · #10 2011-01-03, 9:57am

The "vortex" that I am talking about is not like what you've described. It's where you have all these different stringer colors on a base bead that all kind of meet, you melt them in, and then with a clear rod (not a stringer) you heat it up that area, plunge the class rod and swirl. This causes a a clear "tunnel" into the bead and everything else is swirling around. A few years ago there was a Lampwork class at B&B and this bead was taught. The teacher took a leave from lampworking & doesn't teach anymore. I have a friend that took that class and those bead are gorgeous...but people who know it, don't want to part with the info. I've also searched for this and it's almost impossible. I'd have to dig in my B&B stash to find the year it was taught.

Kathie

truegem · #11 2011-01-03, 4:29pm

They are similar to Olimpia's. I guess hers is the basic idea. But she uses colored rods and they can tend to look like just a regular vortex bead described above, by Kathie. They are absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong. Mine are sort of the same, but with silver glass. And crazier spinning. Think of a real tornado, how they are not a perfect looking thing, the sides are not straight and there may be a couch flying out the side, lol! Darn, I thought the bead I'm trying to describe was more common, I guess I'm mistaken.

jamie lynne · #12 2011-01-04, 9:33am

So... maybe like Anouks? Hers are similar to the MZ tutorial, but with more space between the clear.

DesertDreamer · #13 2011-01-04, 12:32pm

Do you mean something like this bead, from Irina? (3rd pic down)

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...0&postcount=72

ellyloo · #14 2011-01-04, 2:18pm

oooo

kk5336 · #15 2011-01-04, 4:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesertDreamer

Do you mean something like this bead, from Irina? (3rd pic down)

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...0&postcount=72

This is what I was talking about when I tried to explain what a "vortextornado" bead meant to me.

Kathie

truegem · #16 2011-01-04, 10:37pm

Thanks for all your research and help. No, not a vortex. Olimpia's is the closest to describe it, only hers are organized looking, like a spiral. What I'm thinking of is more crazy.

So, take this:

and encase it in clear. A barrel shaped bead encased in a thick layer of clear. (in this image, the "bead" is laying down, not standing on its end.) I can encase silver glass in clear, but just wondering how to get those wisps wrapping around. (Imagine the pieces of the wire that are sticking out are wisps of glass, even sticking out further than the image shows. And not just the 3 more prominent ones, I want it to look like the whole thing, where there are some wisps sticking out a little, some a lot and some inbetween.)
I could use gravity, but wouldn't that create only one wisp? I would like lots of wisps.

Art of Hand · #17 2011-01-05, 4:30am

http://deesignedbeads.blogspot.com/2...-tutorial.html
and
http://deesignedbeads.blogspot.com/2...hose-days.html
On my blog

ellyloo · #18 2011-01-05, 8:22am

I'm wondering if it's Anouk too:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64320816...lampwork-focal

I'm terribly curious now.

truegem · #19 2011-01-05, 10:28am

Diana, sort of. Thank you!
Ellyloo, at the beginning of this post, I mentioned that it's not Margaret Zinzer's tutorial. (Those are the one's like Anouk's). http://mzglass.com/tutorials
I think I will just try my own then show you guys a pic of MINE! LOL!
Thanks everyone!

ellyloo · #20 2011-01-05, 12:24pm

Ohhh! Sorry!

I don't know tutorials off by heart.

Yeah, do experiment! That's the way NEW techniques are 'invented'! Then we'll all be asking you how YOU did YOURS.

truegem · #21 2011-01-06, 1:59am

Oh, sorry, ellyloo, I didn't mean to imply that you should have known. I was just trying to spread the word that that's not the one. =)
I will certainly try to do it, but right now I have a rather large (large for me, anyway) private order which I am focusing on, so it may be a while! Can't wait to play, though!

truegem · #22 2011-01-30, 4:41pm

Ok, the closest I can find is Deborah's bead in this thread, post #41.
It's almost exactly. The only thing I would do differently to get the effect I am looking for would be to use gravity to make the wisps swirl around the core more.
So my question is, if anyone knows...how does one get a core of silver glass, and then wisps of silver glass away from the core? I can encase a core of silver glass easy. But I am wondering how to get the wispy parts.
Thanks, I hope this helps!

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...=185678&page=2

ellyloo · #23 2011-01-30, 6:40pm

Is your question geared more towards how to get the silver glass to go wispy, or how to get it away from the core?

the 'stand out' part involves layers of clear in between the bottom and top layer of silver glass or whatever you use.
I've done a similar technique on purpose. I believe i wrapped a core of clear with wispies, and then made a fat tummy of clear in the middle, and wrapped my wispy around that, coming back to the bottom, so it looked like it's all connected. This bead was very specifically planned out because I wanted to know if i could do it.

If it's how to get the silver glass to do that amazing luminous thing it's doing in her bead... IIii dunno.

It sure is gorgeous.

truegem · #24 2011-01-30, 11:43pm

Yeah, pretty much like that, Ellyloo. I think my question is more how to get it away from the core, just like your bead! We're getting closer and closer to what I'm looking for, lol! Thanks for the info!

Deborah · #25 2011-01-31, 12:43am

Hi!

Wow, I'm flattered. So, I mentioned to Patti in a message that I would take notes the next time I made some of these, but in the meantime...

I make a core of some color or colors - I think this one has cobalt and amethyst. Then, I wrap silver glass over it. In this case, it's either Clio or Kalypso. When I wrap it, I just do it lightly, I don't fully encase the base colors. Think a wrap of silver at the two ends and a swipe in the middle. Smoosh the colors together on the mandrel, gently.

Reduce and encase what you have so far. When I encase the glass, I just do one wrap, even though I know I'm making either a lentil or a tab focal. Then, I often take a clear stringer and move the glass under the clear encasement a little more.

Finally, I wrap with more clear glass and press into a lentil.

The things to watch for are to make the initial wraps of color and silver glass thinner than you think you might need. You want to leave room for the glass to spread into the clear when you press this bead. You also want enough clear around the color to show the floating quality.

As for additional wisps, I will often take a stringer of Clio or Clio mixed with clear and wrap/twist it over the first encasing, lightly. Reduce again and top with the final clear. Sometimes, you may not trap all the wisps in this stage and you'll get some gold/golden browns. Sometimes that looks great, other times it has to grow on me.

I hope this makes sense. Feel free to ask questions. I'll try to assist.

Ellyloo - Gorgeous blue in your bead! Gorgeous!

truegem · #26 2011-01-31, 4:51am

Thanks so much Deborah!
The only part I have a question about is this part:

"Then, I often take a clear stringer and move the glass under the clear encasement a little more."

Does this mean you are moving the glass around, like to make a swirly design?

Deborah · #27 2011-01-31, 9:51am

Yes, that's what I mean.

Again, I have to take notes to see what the heck I actually do. I can't swear to it.
lol

truegem · #28 2012-03-13, 5:51pm

Ok, many months later, reviving this thread. I found something really close....
http://www.etsy.com/listing/94744164...lampwork-focal

Or this...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/92668136...-focal-bead-in

My idea wasn't necessarily thick swirls, like these, but it's the closest I can find.

purpledragonfly · #29 2012-03-13, 6:10pm

I have made something similar to this using filigrana rods. I just wrap the filigrana rods on the mandrel then while still keeping it warm but not melting it in, I encase in clear then melt in.

jamie lynne · #30 2012-03-13, 6:11pm

A veiled cane? maybe?